Donate While Dining
The damage from Hurricane Sandy will be felt for years to come, but the recovery response across the country has been nearly as instantaneous as the social mediums like Twitter and Facebook used to deliver calls for supplies and support. New York has seen the bulk of these altruistic actions (and with good reason — Staten Island, the Rockaways, and Breezy Point look like scenes from The Day After Tomorrow), but much of the Tri-State area is still without power, even if it is slowly returning. Here are the restaurants and supermarkets around the country where your food purchases can help make a difference.
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
From now until Nov. 11, all Shake Shack locations will be offering a special black-and-white cookie-inspired "Rally Shake" for $5.50. Shake Shack will donate $2 to the Red Cross for every shake sold.
All week, all locations of The Meatball Shop are hosting a blanket drive for the Rockaways, wherein a donation begets an order of meatballs. They're also bringing food to the evacuees in Queens.
Until Nov. 9, all locations of Chop't are offering a special promotion for people that have donated to the Red Cross: prove that you donated, receive a free drink or a snack.
East Village Thai restaurant Ngam will donate 20 percent of the proceeds from all meals on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights to the Red Cross. Chef Hong Thaimee notes: "New York is home for us. It is important that we support and help our neighbors and those who are in need...This is our chance to serve others and give back."
On Monday evening, Brooklyn Brewery will host a party for its new beer, which is called There Will Be Black. Garrett Oliver and his crew are asking guests to bring either a $10 donation for hurricane relief, or one of the items on the Brooklyn Kitchen's supply list for the Rockaways.
Aldea will host a benefit called NYC FoodFlood on November 7 with George Mendes, Marco Canora, Seamus Mullen, and Andrew Carmellini, who will prepare dishes. Tickets for this five-course meal are $300, and guests are invited to donate whatever else they can on top of that. All proceeds wil go towards local communities in need. In the days following the dinner, these chefs will prepare hot food and drive it out to the outer-borough neighborhoods that were hit hard by the storm. Email nycfoodflood@gmail.com to make a reservation.
On Monday, November 5, Seersucker will host an "Eat Pork, Help New York" to benefit the Red Hook Initiative. The kitchen will be serving roast pork sandwiches with green tomato barbecue sauce for $10 a pop, eat-in or take out, and the team will put out a jar for more donations.
The Queens Kickshaw will donate 100 percent of its profits from this Thursday to the Red Cross.
Dine Out Williamsburg: A group of Williamsburg restaurants and bars are joining the Sandy relief efforts with Dine Out Williamsburg. Participating businesses will be donating 10 to 20% of their gross sales on Thursday to the Red Cross, and include places like Lady Jay's, Pies n' Thighs, and Café Collette. Find out who else is in so you can plan a crawl; restaurants that would like to participate can still reach out to dineoutwilliamsburg@gmail.com.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Carnivale will support the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts during the month of November with a portion of the proceeds from every Carnivale Martini (Espolon reposado tequila, Cointreau, pomegranate juice, fresh lime juice; $10.95) purchased to benefit the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief.
Throughout November, Chicago q will donate 5 percent of all bourbon sales to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Chicago q, the city's hottest spot for upscale barbecue is also the city's headquarters for rare and exclusive bourbons, rye whiskeys and whiskey. Chicagoans are invited to enjoy any of Chicago q's bourbons, or one of their exclusive bourbon flights, in their unique style of service. Each bourbon is served on a silver tray, neat, accompanied by a rocks glass with a house-made 1.25-inch ice cube and an eyedropper filled with distilled water.
The Goddess and Grocer is allowing customers to donate to Hurricane Sandy relief via their online ordering site at www.goddessandgrocer.com. Patrons can add a tax free donation to their order. Goddess will then match the donation totals.
DENVER, COLORADO
Central Bistro and Bar in Denver, Colorado will be buying Manhattans for anyone who offers proof of a $10 donation to the Red Cross this weekend. The drink, whose namesake was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy, will be mixed with St. George Breaking and Entering whiskey that has been aged in a barrel for three weeks.
HUDSON, WISCONSIN
Agave Kitchen owner Paul Rode put out a call via social media for community residents to bring donations to fill a moving truck he's obtained. Once full, Rode plans to drive it 1,200 miles away, to New Jersey, and donate the collected clothing, food, cleaning supplies, and water.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Maria's Italian Kitchen will be hosting a weeklong fundraiser at all ten of its restaurants with profits going to the Hoboken Museum, according to owner and president Madelyn Alfano. Maria's Italian Kitchen restaurants will be donating all of the proceeds of their Hoboken Marinara and Meatsauce Spaghetti Dinners to the Museum.
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
Through the month of November, at North, $3 per large format Feast meal sold will go to the Red Cross. They also donated over $500 from October's Feast meals already.
WASHINGTON DC
Eatwell Restaurant Group: Stop by Logan Tavern or any of the other restaurants and $2 from every bottle of wine sold in the month of November will be donated to help hurricane victims.
Family Meal in Frederick, Md., is giving all first responders and utility crews who show IDs a 20 percent off their checks from Nov. 5-11.
The Hamilton will host a tribute to The Band's The Last Waltz and a turkey dinner on Nov. 11 with all proceeds also going to the Red Cross.
THE SOUTH
Kroger has launched a "Round-Up" campaign at stores throughout Georgia, South Carolina, Northern Alabama, and Eastern Tennessee. They'll ask customers round their purchases up to the nearest dollar, donating the difference to the American Red Cross. Kroger will also be accepting donations of any size at registers, and encourages all consumers to donate $10 by phone by texting REDCROSS to 90999.
SUPERMARKETS
Supermarket partners Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores will accept donations from customers to support the Red Cross' Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. The supermarket chains are establishing collection points in all of their Ralphs stores in Southern California, Food 4 Less stores in Southern California, Las Vegas, Illinois and Indiana, and Foods Co stores in Central and Northern California where customers can make cash donations. Donations will be accepted continuing through Saturday, November 10, 2012 with all funds collected going directly to the American Red Cross for its Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.
All 1,127 Food Lion locations across the country will be accepting donations at the register from Friday, November 2nd through the 9th. Consumers can also donate online at www.foodlion.com or via the Food Lion Facebook and Twitter pages. All proceeds will go to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief funds.
NATIONWIDE
Menchie's, a self-serve frozen yogurt franchise with over 240 locations worldwide, will hold a fundraiser for the American Red Cross' Hurricane Sandy relief fund. "The Smile After the Storm", to be held on Friday, November 16. 10% of the proceeds at participating locations will be donated.