Bowlfuls of good tastes served Sunday Jan 31 to benefit Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region
Soup does a body good… true. I’m a soup lover any time of the year, but particularly when cold climes embrace us, I find soup is the best warm up around. Soup is the perfect starter to whet our palates for a bigger meal to come and the perfect accompaniment to sandwich or salad for a simple but satisfying lunch or dinner. Possibly the original comfort food, a bowl or cup of hot soup warms our stomachs and soothes our souls.
That said, I’d be hard pressed to think of a more appropriate food to feature at a benefit designed to raise money for Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region. Hospice professionals also soothe souls, providing comfort and care in times of physical and emotional pain and need. When no one else can offer a cure, the calm and caring nature of Hospice staff and trained volunteers enables patients with life threatening illnesses and their families to experience the end of life with dignity and grace, no matter the disease or the circumstances. In addition, Hospice’s mission includes relieving suffering “and improving the quality and dignity of life through compassionate hospice care for those at the end of life, through palliative care for those with advanced illness and through community education.”
The annual Soup on Sunday event, is traditionally Hospice’s first fund-raising event of the New Year. This Sunday, Jan 31, 2016 marks the 17th year for the popular Charlotte event, which will take place from 11am to 2 pm in Central Piedmont Community College’s Philip L. Van Every Culinary Arts Center, 425 North Kings Drive, at the corner of Kings Drive and Seventh Street.
From soup to nuts
General admission for Sunday’s event is $30 per person and includes food and beverages. If you want to Souper-Size that (pardon the pun, I couldn’t resist), buy a ticket for the Soup Lovers’ Special which includes food, beverages and a beautiful handmade pottery soup bowl. Children ages 7-12 can enjoy the soup samplers from $10 and children 6 and under may attend and participate for free.
Dozens of different area restaurants, chefs, catering companies and three local culinary schools will participate offering sample-sized portions of soup. Soup lovers who want to be in the know can find the entire list of Charlotte’s local participating culinarians at hpccr.org; but to share just a taste of things to come, chowda choices will range from Barrington’s Artichoke with Roasted Mushroom Soup (a stunning example of Chef Bruce Moffett’s soup karma) to the much loved Tomato Bisque from Fenwick’s; from the delicious New Orleans Seafood Gumbo from Gallery Restaurant to the oh so Southern Midwood Smokehouse’s Brunswick Stew; and from The Fig Tree’s classic Mock Turtle Soup to the local flavors of the Butternut Squash with Gorgonzola Bisque from the kitchens at 300 East, just to name a few. A complete listing of all the participating restaurants is at the end of this post – just you wait till you see who’s going to be there!
To round out the offerings my good friends from Great Harvest Bread Company will be there slicing as they have been every year and Nothing Bundt Cakes will have an assortment of little bites to tempt your sweet tooth and Bojangles will be on hand with their famous iced tea – the perfect pairing for any soup or stew!
The Soup’s a Simmerin’….
It’s a “don’t miss” culinary experience with all of the proceeds directly benefiting Hospice. The chefs or restaurant owners who contribute to the Soup on Sunday benefit are there because they believe the work Hospice does is important to Charlotte’s well being. Many chefs have family members who have received care from a hospice organization see it as an opportunity to give back while helping to raise funds and awareness.
The helping hands of Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region offer many services, including intermittent skilled nursing visits, 24-hour on-call emergency nursing, pain management and an in-home aide program that provides clients with assistance needed for many phases of personal care. Additionally, volunteers trained by Hospice are available on an as-needed basis for respite, companionship and emotional support.
For clients and their families, there are chaplain services and a medical social work staff. An expressive arts therapy program, available to children and adults, provides a safe and structured setting in which to explore and appropriately express thoughts and feelings about grief and loss.
Hospice’s Kids Path offers specialized health care and supportive services for families coping with a seriously ill child. Even after a client’s passing, Hospice continues to provide grief support as needed for family and loved ones, a service also extended to the community at large.
For more information about Soup on Sunday in particular and Hospice fund-raising and special events, in general call 704-335-3524. For details about Hospice’s programs or volunteer opportunities, call 704-375-0100.
In the meantime, if I’ve whet your palate soup, tickets for the 2016 Soup on Sunday event may be purchased online at hpccr.org/shop-hpccr.html; at the door or in advance by phone at 704-335-4312
As of Jan 28, 2016, Here is an update on the list of all the restaurants participating and what the Soup they will be serving on Sunday..yum! #TellThemHeidiSentYou
300 East – Butternut Squash w/Gorgonzola
Barrington’s – Artichoke w/Roasted Mushrooms
Beverly’s Gourmet Foods – Harvest Squash Soup w/ Pistou (vegan & gluten free)
Brick Top’s – Lobster Bisque
Brixx Wood Fired Pizza – TBD
Chuy’s Tex Mex – Chicken Tortilla
Community Culinary School of Charlotte – Exotic Mushroom & Wild Rice
CPCC – Many Bean w/ Ham
CPCC – Corn Tortilla
eeZ Fusion Sushi – Shoyu Ramen w/Smoked Pork Belly
Dogwood Southern Table / Dresslers – Roasted Cauliflower & Chorizo Chowder
Fenwick’s – Tomato Bisque
Foxcroft Wine Co. – Tuscan White Bean and Sausage
Gallery Restaurant @ Ballantyne Hotel – New Orleans Seafood Gumbo
Global – Spice Coconut Sweet Potato
Good Food on Montfort – Curried Chickpea
Heart & Soul Personal Chef Service – Salmon and Sweet Potato Chowder
Johnson & Wales University – Shrimp Bisque
La Tea Da’s – Southern Veggie Chowder (sweet potato, collards, mixed winter veggies & ancient grains)
Mert’s Heart & Soul – Salmon Chowder
Midwood Smokehouse – Brunswick Stew
Newk’s – Lobster & Crab Bisque
Nolan Kitchen – Caramelized Onion & Parmesan w/Braised Short Rib Tortellini
Red Rocks Café & Bakery – She Crab Soup
Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern – Texas Sirloin Chili
Sante’ – Roasted Butternut Squash
St. Mark’s Soup Kitchen, Chef Naomi Knox – Potato Cheddar
The Art Institute of Charlotte – Venison Stew w/Lime Cream Chives
The Art Institute of Charlotte – Succotash Chowder w/Pork Belly & Cilantro
The Fig Tree – Mock Turtle Soup
The Liberty – Roasted Tomato
Village Tavern – Potato Leek
Vivace – Smoked Chicken w/Roasted Tomatoes, Escarole, & Mini White Bean Ravioli
Tickets for the 2016 Soup on Sunday event may be purchased in advance online at hpccr.org/shop-hpccr.html; at the door on Sunday, or in advance by phone at 704-335-4312