“Edna’s Table” opens BEM’s inaugural Edna Lewis Festival on Tuesday May 5h at Gage & Tollner …
BEM Cultural Foundation’s inaugural Edna Lewis Festival kicks off on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, with a special ticketed dinner at the legendary Gage & Tollner, a New York Times “100 Best Restaurants” establishment within a beautifully restored NYC historic landmark. This "Edna’s Table" Benefit Dinner commemorates the 50th anniversary of her iconic cookbook, The Taste of Country Cooking.
In 1988, Chef Edna Lewis returned an elevated style of Southern cooking to Gage & Tollner, so BEM and the Foundation are returning to Edna’s Table on Tuesday, May 5th for a special night commemorating the 50th anniversary of her iconic cookbook, The Taste of Country Cooking. This is a night where folks will be returning to experience her table through four courses prepared by an incredible lineup of visionary chefs: Leah Branch, Adrienne Cheatham, Mashama Bailey — Chairperson for the Edna Lewis Foundation, and Sohui Kim — Executive Chef & co-owner of Gage & Tollner.
The dinner serves as a fundraiser for the next generation of chefs, farmers, and storytellers committed to preserving Black and Southern foodways. This event is made possible via the Foundation’s partners, Gage & Tollner and Knopf Cooks. Tickets are $500 and include a copy of The Taste of Country Cooking: 50th Anniversary Edition—in your hands on the very day it publishes!
I hope to see you there! Looking forward to seeing what’s in season and how the culinary arts will express themselves in our jars!
On Saturday, May 9th, join me and the fab folks at BEM Books & More for an Edna-inspired food history talk and hands-on pickle crafting. I’ll be facilitating a discussion on pickling history followed by a "quick pickle" making demo.
As an added bonus, lucky workshop participants will go home with their own jars of artfully arranged, all-natural organic pickles they made themselves—with a lil’ help from me, TFG (The Food Griot), sharing some timeless wisdom from Miss Lewis.
Stay tuned for details and links to purchase tickets and passes to the full festival, which runs Tuesday, May 5th – Sunday, May 10th.
