A Leading Voice in Family Nutrition

HealthBarn USA proudly presents Chef Table Event:  A Southern French affair by Chef Jesse and Ridgewood’s apiarist (aka beekeeper) Frank Mortimer on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 from 6:30 – 9:00 pm.  Partial proceeds are donated to Healing Meals, a nutrition food gifting program for families with ill children and seniors in need.

Chef Jesse, local apiarist Frank Mortimer and our founder, Stacey Antine, MS, RDN have brainstormed an exciting & delicious 4-course French Affair that will exceed your expectations!  Chef Jesse is known for his Southern Cooking Style with a Country French twist and Frank, who was featured in The Bergen Record video series, will be on hand to sample his outrageously delicious local honey!

It will be a lively night full of laughs as Ultimate Master Chef Jesse entertains his guest with his larger than life personality on the Chef Jesse Show LIVE!  His innovative style, fine technique and personal storytelling will make for a fun and intimate private dining experience.

What’s on the Menu:

• Chef Jesse’s Curry pumpkin bisque soup, toasted pumpkin seeds, chive oil, home made herb flat bread;
• Wild mushroom and goat cheese strudel with mushroom and port wine reduction, micro greens;
• Blackened spice salmon (or other optional fish), carrot barigoule, crispy potatoes, Mizuna micro greens, harissa;
• Grandma Hannah molasses pound cake, vanilla ice cream, seasonal berry purée, fresh mint.
• Signature Bees Knees spirit.
• **Dietary restrictions can be accommodated.

Who’s Invited:

• Come solo, with friends or your partner — all are welcome!
• Space is limited to 16 spots maximum, so reserve today.
• Tickets are $125 per person and must be purchased in advance by reserving your space.  Tickets are available online by clicking here  or call 201-444-2955 or email [email protected] to reserve early.  *A portion of the proceeds will be donated to 501c3 HealthBarn Foundation’s Healing Meals, a nutritious food gifting program for children with cancer and their families and seniors in need.

Where Are You Dining:

• HealthBarn USA located in the stone house at 1057 Hillcrest Road, Ridgewood, NJ within the Irene Habernickel Family Park, come enjoy the comfort of a “zen” environment in a space that feels like home!

About Chef Jesse: Chef Jesse Jones lives in South Orange, NJ with his wife, 2 boys and Zeus, his Italian Mastif, but it was his roots in Snow Hill, North Carolina where Chef Jesse honed his culinary vision and developed his flair for New Carolina Cuisine. Carolina Cooking is what Chef Jesse refers to as the “original farm to table” style. Chef Jesse’s southern specialties with a combination of fresh local ingredients and bold flavors has earned him the role of Chef to The Stars with notable clients such as Tyler Perry, Michelle Williams and John Legend. He has received various awards and accolades including the title of “Ultimate Chef” of Bergen County in 2010. He has made appearances on VH1s “Love & Hip Hop” and has been featured on radio shows including 98.7 Kiss FM, Hot 97, Two Hungry Women, The Ed Hitzel Show and Basil with Chef Jennifer Booker. Chef Jesse is dedicated to giving back, as seen in his participation in fundraisers for March of Dimes, Share our Strength Taste of the Nation, Spina Bifida Association and the Marshall & Jefferson Schools Spring Auction.

Keep an eye out for his upcoming book “Chef Jesse New Southern Cooking:My Life in 40 Feasts.”

More About Frank Mortimer: Frank is a Ridgewood resident who has been keeping bees for the past ten years. He currently has five hives.  He has been President of the Northeast NJ beekeepers since 2011, and is passionate about educating the public about all the benefits of honeybees.  When he is not bee keeping,  Frank is the Director of Marketing for Oxford University Press.  Frank is married with three children, and beekeeping is something the whole family loves to do together.  Franks says his wife Sofie is great at spotting the queen, and his son Miles is in charge of honey sales.

More About HealthBarn USA:  A proven leader of healthy-lifestyle education for children and their families for more than ten years, through kids’ classes, field trips and summer camp and through Stacey Antine, our founder’s cookbook, Appetite for Life, HarperOne.  At elementary and middle school “Try it, you’ll like it!” school assemblies from New York to California; in national appearances such as the Rachael Ray Show and CNN’s House Call with Sanjay Gupta and on networks like PBS and Nickelodeon; speaking engagements from parent teacher organizations to major medical conventions; and through our website, columns and articles, we have been committed to helping families raise their nutrition literacy through hands-on learning about where our food comes from, and why fresh tastes best and is best for our bodies, minds and souls.