By Nicholas Garton of The Cap Times
Sixteen Madison restaurants are offering special menu items through April with proceeds going to Second Harvest, a nonprofit that helps stock southern Wisconsin food banks.
People can order from the special menus in person or online at Aldo’s Cafe, Bar Corallini, Bassett Street Brunch Club, Canteen, Cento, The Cooper’s Tavern, DLUX, Everly, Johnny Delmonico’s, Luigi’s Pizza, Miko Poke, Monty’s Blue Plate, Steenbock’s on Orchard, Tex Tubb’s Taco Palace, Craftsman Table and Tap, and the Hubbard Avenue Diner.
Second Harvest has partnered with participating restaurants in the Food Fight Against Hunger for about 15 years, although the campaign used to be paired with other monthly events. It now stands alone as its own fundraiser because of a rise in food insecurity, organizers said.
The participants are all owned by the Food Fight Restaurant Group headquartered in Monona.
The need for food assistance has grown as post-pandemic inflation coupled with the end of COVID-19 government assistance programs caused many Americans’ dollars to be stretched as thin as ever, particularly at the grocery store.
Second Harvest helps to stock partner food pantries with enough goods to serve an increasing number of patrons.
During the Food Fight Against Hunger fundraiser, a dollar out of every designated menu item bought will be set aside for Second Harvest. At the end of April, each participating restaurant will tally its money and Food Fight will write Second Harvest a check for proceeds dedicated to its food bank.
“It (food insecurity) is on the rise,” said Kris Tazelaar, a spokesperson for Second Harvest. “We are putting out more food than we ever have in the past. In our fiscal year for 2023 we put out more food than we had in our entire history. So far, in 2024, we are outpacing that.”
“The economic conditions most families face are to blame,” Tazelaar said.
“The prices of goods people are seeing in the grocery store have not come down yet,” Tazelaar said. “I think there was an awful lot of COVID assistance out there from the government and all that has gone away now.”
Food pantries also came to the forefront of media attention during the pandemic, according to Tazelaar, and the news coverage led more people to use the services.
“I think part of it was during the pandemic, the need for food was front and center,” Tazelaar said. “It was on the news a lot. That lets folks know that these resources are out there and can help.”
At Everly, at 2701 Monroe St., executive chef Diego Guzman has prepared a shrimp ceviche, Baja fish tacos and a blueberry panna cotta.
Guzman has been cooking at Food Fight restaurants since 2017. This is his second stint at Everly in a Food Fight career that has included stops at Cento and Bar Corallini
Drinks are on the special menu as well. Tito’s is a partner during Food Fight Against Hunger, and each restaurant serves Tito’s-infused drinks as part of the fundraiser.
The goal for the Food Fight restaurants is to generate enough money for Second Harvest to provide food pantries with 55,000 additional meals.
“Every $10 raised equates to 25 meals for a southern Wisconsin person who is suffering from food insecurity,” said CC Jacob, art director at Food Fight Restaurant Group.