Tony’s and Urban Harvest Farmers Market Team Up for Special Drive-Through Dinners

When Takeout Food is Elevated to Another Level

BY Shelby Hodge // 04.22.20

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Tony's executive chef Austin Waiter and a friend cooking at the November 2019 Urban Harvest Sunday Supper at St. John's School. Waiter has the lead in the May fundraiser. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

The reimagined Urban Harvest Sunday Supper experience takes place on one Sunday and the following Saturday.

Beautiful produce from Urban Harvest, the likes of which will be featured at the Sunday Supper series.

Tony's Executive Chef Austin Waiter is cooking for the Urban Harvest fall Sunday Supper. (Photo by Todd Parker)

Tony's executive chef Austin Waiter and a friend cooking at the November 2019 Urban Harvest Sunday Supper at St. John's School. Waiter has the lead in the May fundraiser. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

As necessity is assuredly the mother of invention, nonprofits and restaurateurs across the landscape are reimagining fundraising events and business concepts — including Urban Harvest, which has partnered with Tony’s for a Sunday Supper benefit. Due to COVID-19 social-distancing decrees, the original biannual supper, hosted by various notable restaurants, has gone south, and something new is taking its place.

Last fall, the event was held at St. John’s school and was a sellout with 13 chefs cooking in the kitchen, including Tony’s executive chef Austin Waiter. Waiter is at the helm for the spring edition of the Urban Harvest fundraiser, which hit a bump in the road with the restaurant dining room closures. (Tony’s previous chef, Kate McLean, organized the fall event). It is a reimagined at-home family experience that stems from the current stay-at-home order.

The biannual event becomes a drive-thru happening on Sunday, May 3, and Saturday, May 9. For the Sunday event, 5 to 6:30 pm, supporters can pick up a full dinner for four to six at Tony’s, with ingredients sourced from Urban Harvest’s Farmers Market farmers, ranchers and artisans. The meal can be purchased for $175.

Tony’s wine sommelier and bartenders will offer select wines and/or signature cocktails that can be purchased directly from the staff when meal orders are picked up.

On Saturday, May 9, Waiter and his staff, along with Urban Harvest, will prepare meal kits for four to cook at home for $75. Those offerings will be retrieved at the Urban Harvest Farmers’ Market at Buffalo Speedway and Westheimer, 8:30 to 11:30 am. The drive-thru is located at the top of the Farmers’ Market parking garage, with access at 2752 Buffalo Speedway.

The bonus with the meal kits is that Waiter will present a live, interactive cooking class via Zoom on how to prepare the dishes and will answer questions on Sunday, May 10. The kit will be complete with ingredients including a recipe card. It could be a nice treat for Mother’s Day.