During the 2023 Caring for Kids season, Parkhurst sites across our 14-state footprint hosted a variety of fundraising events to benefit local children’s hospitals. A Family Meal event at Robert Morris University marked a culmination of these efforts, with many chefs making a road trip to Pittsburgh to present their favorite meals for guests to enjoy.
“In the restaurant world, a family meal is the pre-service meal,” said Tim Fetter, Parkhurst Project Lead of Culinary Innovation and Standards. “Sometimes it’s sampling the restaurant dishes so the servers know what they taste like, or sometimes the staff at a high-end restaurant will serve tacos family-style.”
In 2019, Fetter and his team started hosting family meals as engagement events, including dinners at Chatham’s Eden Hall Campus, Valparaiso University in Indiana, and Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Since the chefs always end up with an abundance of food, they decided to turn it into a fundraiser.
“Our Caring for Kids campaign is about bringing people together every holiday season and helping others,” said Fetter. “Chefs inherently want to help other people, even if it’s sharing a recipe or an idea of how to do something easier. What better way to support the campaign than to share our delicious food with each other?”
For every mouthwatering dish a Parkhurst chef served at the event, they also brought a story about the significance of the meal, with anecdotes running the gamut from comfort foods to the first meal they ever made to commemorating a loved one.
“Since it was a Caring for Kids Family Meal, I chose this dish because my grandma would make this for us every Friday night,” said Joshua Rohlf, executive chef at Saint Vincent College, who displayed his grandmother’s original cookbook at his station. “It’s my Grandma’s Potato Pancakes with Evaporated Milk.”
“Crabcakes were one of the first things I learned to make at a professional level,” said Bridgewater College Executive Chef Chris Taft. “Time and time again on the catering menu or even working at other restaurants, it always comes up. It’s a staple of the kitchen.”
“My brother passed away two years ago,” said Jessie McKivigan, sous chef at a Pittsburgh corporate account, who presented a Pumpkin Tartlet. “Since his birthday fell around Thanksgiving, we always celebrated it with pumpkin pie rather than birthday cake growing up. I wanted to reimagine a fancy upscale version of a pumpkin pie in honor of my brother.”
“I’m really passionate about biscuits,” said executive chef Chrissy Pavkovic from Corner Mercantile, who presented Braised Chicken Thigh on a Smoked Cheddar & Chive Biscuit with Chimichurri Aioli. “I’ve been doing them for years. When I was a little girl, I used to bake with my great-grandmother, grandmother, and my mom. North of the Mason-Dixon, we just don’t do biscuits right, and I like to infuse them with different flavors. I wanted something I could produce at my account that was simple and represented home and my family.”
More than 125 people turned out to support this event and the Caring for Kids cause, raising over $8,600. Chatham University Executive Chef Ryan Gregorius said that fundraising and helping the community are as synonymous with Parkhurst as food.
“It’s who we are,” he said. “Caring for Kids is just one of the many ways we give back.”
“Any time we have opportunities to dedicate our time and efforts for the community, I think that’s very important,” said Andrew “Red” Jacobson, who serves as executive chef at a Pittsburgh corporate account. “There is not enough of that in the world. There’s a lot of take, take, take, and not a lot of give. It’s our obligation to leave people in a better place than when we met them.”
“Growing up, [Executive Sous Chef] Duffy and I both ate celery with peanut butter and raisins, which is what our parents called Ants on a Log. So we jokingly said, let’s do it [for this event]. What we did was we made a cocoa and peanut butter bark with celery dust and Welch’s grape juice pearls like mini bobas in your mouth. It should taste like Ants on a Log or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” – Senior Executive Chef Tyler Hall, Duquesne University [John Duffy and Tyler Hall pictured] 
“I’ve been with the company 12 years, and I used to be the Chef at The Porch in Oakland. [Pork Green Chili Over Jasmine Rice] was one of our popular dishes. I thought it would be a good opportunity to get it out there again!” – Executive Chef Andrew “Red” Jacobson 
“It was a team effort to pick this dish,” said Amanda Fronek, Director of Dining Services at a Pittsburgh corporate account. “It’s awesome to see the variety of food tonight.” Crown Castle presented Pulled Pork Slider with Rainbow Coleslaw and Brisket Burnt Ends in a Cheddar Cornbread Cup. [Pictured: Amanda Fronek and Sous Chef Brenen Greer] 
“We’re glad we’re the host. We just wanted to put our best foot forward and show what we can do.” – Robert Morris University Dining Sous Chef Kevin Pritts 
Why did Chef Ryan Gregorius decide to present a Chocolate Fountain? “I mean, c’mon—who doesn’t like dipping sweets and chocolate and toasted marshmallows?” said Chatham University’s Executive Chef, who’s been with Parkhurst for 10 years. “The longer I’ve been with the company, the more people you get to know.” 
Valparaiso University’s Executive Chef Charlie Weaver might have been the chef who traveled the farthest to be at the event, coming all the way from Indiana. “It’s a great event for a good cause,” he said. “There are a lot of great chefs and good people here. We all get along and come here for a certain reason and that’s to help the community, enjoy great food, and offer what we do best. I’ve never worked for a company better than this. This is the best company I’ve ever worked for.” 
“After culinary school, I spent a couple of years in Myrtle Beach, and Shrimp and Grits was something we made every day. When I came back up north, not a lot of people eat it! For tonight, I figured we’d do something you don’t see a lot of in Pittsburgh.” – Executive Chef Dan Daso at a Pittsburgh corporate account 
“I wanted to reimagine a fancy upscale version of a pumpkin pie in honor of my brother.”- Sous Chef Jessie McKivigan, Pittsburgh corporate account 
“Crabcakes were one of the first things I learned to make at a professional level.” – Bridgewater College Executive Chef Chris Taft 
“North of the Mason-Dixon, we just don’t do biscuits right, and I like to infuse them with different flavors. I wanted something I could produce at my account that was simple and represented home and my family.” – Corner Mercantile Executive Chef Chrissy Pavkovic 
“I chose this dish because my grandma would make this for us every Friday night,” – Executive Chef Joshua Rohlf, Saint Vincent College
