ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — The best conversations usually happen over a good meal.
That's the idea behind Chaz Sandifer's conversation series "Stories Behind The Menu." As she chopped it up in the KARE 11 kitchen, she explained how the idea started in her own kitchen years ago.
"Started off in my home with like 10 people and me cooking," Chaz said. "And then from there, it's grown and turned into an actual business. We started off at ModernWell with 60 people, and now we're at the beautiful Mosaic Venue Minnesota and we just hit 150 people three weeks ago."
Chaz has recruited chefs from across the state to prepare delicious recipes - including Yia Vang, Milissa Silva. and Sean Sherman.
Attendees experience a 5 to 7 course dinner, as the chefs talk about their history and culture. Those conversations can be the catalyst for even wider-ranging discussions.
"I'm quite sure in this world we have a lot to talk about. And it doesn't have to be negative. I think sometimes when you bring racism into a conversation, people think negative. But actually what we're talking about is the healing process," Chaz said. "They automatically think that there's going to be anger and there's going to be violence. And I'm like, 'No, I'm just talking about healing, eating, and talking about what needs to happen.'"
And now, Chaz gets to bring that message to an even bigger audience.
A short documentary featuring Stories Behind the Menu is set to open this year's Twin Cities Film Fest.
Festival director Jatin Setia said it was a natural fit.
"I said you know what, at the end of the day, you're bringing community together through food, and I'm bringing community together through film," Setia said. "Why don't we merge the two and launch our festival... and showcase these amazing chefs and these stories on the big screen and celebrate them?"
Chaz said she is honored to kick off the festival.
" I got a phone call from Twin Cities Film Fest and they said, 'We want you to have us jump us off this year,'" she said. "It's a dream come true."
Chef K Taylor with K's Revolutionary Catering has also gotten a chance to share her story and her food with Stories Behind the Menu.
She said once the food and conversation start flowing, you're almost forced to let your guard down.
"Just to get to sit down and get to know someone that I wouldn't have normally have gotten to know... It is life-changing," Chef K said. "And you get to find out so many interesting things about people about their culture and their history."
Chaz said the transition from a dinner with strangers to a meal with family is a quick one.
"When you're eating this with people, how could you not love each other? How could you not heal through every bite?" Chaz said.
You can watch the premiere of Stories Behind the Menu Thursday night at 5:30 at the ShowPlace ICON Theatre in St. Louis Park. Tickets are $12.
For more info on Stories Behind the Menu, visit their website here. For more on the Twin Cities Film Festival, check out this link.
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