Food connects us. It transports us. It tells us a story about a person, a place, a time. It preserves culture. And, in a world that is often divided, food brings people together.
All of those elements are among the goals for Tables Across Borders, an initiative founded by Kai Gardner-Mishlove in 2019, that presents pop-up dinners hosted by local restaurants that showcase the home cooking of refugees from across the globe.
In 2024, the first Tables Across Borders dinner will be held at Amilinda and will feature Burmese cuisine.
The cuisine of Burma
Chef Gregory Leon will be hosting the first Tables Across Borders dinner for 2024 at Amilinda, 315 E. Wisconsin Ave. on Monday, Feb. 12 from 6 to 9 p.m.
The dinner, which features the fare of Burma (Myanmar), will showcase dishes flavored with chiles. ginger, turmeric, coriander, lemongrass and lime.
Tickets are $70 per person and can be purchased online. Since the pop-ups are staffed by volunteers – and all proceeds from the ticket price go to support the refugee family who cooks the meal – attendees are asked to consider a generous tip for staff.
What you need to know
The Tables Across Borders dinners recognize that refugee populations are not only displaced from their homes, but – due to how they are displaced and dispersed – they often stand in danger of suffering the loss of their foodways.
In turn, the dinners highlight traditional dishes from cuisines you’re unlikely to encounter in restaurants while offering guests the opportunity to connect with and learn more about cultures different from their own.
Since all proceeds from the dinners go directly to the cooks, the dinners also provide a source of income for families who are establishing new lives in Milwaukee.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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