Last night I attended a wonderful dinner at one of the coolest eateries in the city, Dock Lunch. It was a pop-up themed one night only dinner by Chef Annabelle Choi who did all the cooking along with Grain founders Shira McDermott and Janna Bishop.

Sitting at the table, guests who as I discovered through conversation almost all work in the food industry from working with a farm, or as a bread baker, grain supplier, coffee roaster and pickle maker. All were intrigued by the 5 course meal that they were about to eat, each course was made with some type of grain supplied by local company Grain

It was family style, each dish was passed around the table and you could help yourselves, we ate well, there were even left overs that people took home. I had a chance to finally meet Shira McDermott and Janna Bishop who both own Grain, they both talked prior to the dinner about the products they are currently selling to many of the top restaurants around the city as well as their retail line of quinoa and other grains and the stores that sell their products.

On the table, lacto fermented, Nate’s Pickles by Nate Welland, a couple of nut cheeses from another local producer, and Red Fife Sourdough Bread by Chef Annabelle Choi.

On to the delicious meal, we then had the, Laird Lentil Summer Harvest Salad, Red Spring Wheat Berry Stuffed Porchetta Roast and Kabuli Chickpea & Summer Squash Bake, followed by the Emmer (farro) Peach Cobbler topped with Earnest ice cream Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream & Bourbon Brown Butter Glaze.

If you haven’t already had food by Chef Annabelle Choi it is now on your to do list. If you want to find out more about future pop-up dinners, lunches, finding her amazing breads, best to follow her on twitter @AnnabelleChoi and to learn more about the wonderful products from Grain you can find them on twitter @eatgrain

By: Richard Wolak