Shut Up, Foodie, and Do Something Useful For Once

In a world where large-scale tragic events are commonplace, obsessing about food and drink can often seem trivial.

When civil wars, famines and floods dominate headlines, writing about the latest Boston restaurant or bar can appear faintly ridiculous. B.R. Meyers famously examined the issue in a thoughtful if deliberately provocative piece in the March 2011 issue of The Atlantic (find it here), essentially saying that foodie culture is contemptible and soulless because all it does is glorify gluttony. (Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam offered a less coherent rant of the "Shut up, Foodies" variety this week.) 

On the other hand, I don’t think many people turn to STUFF or my blog for commentary on world affairs. We stick to what we know, which is mostly about helping people enjoy life’s small pleasures when they’re not working long hours, trying to find a job, or fretting about scary world events. Whenever I’m tempted to opine on issues outside of my little food-nerd furrow, I think of retired Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling, a guy who was absolutely brilliant at throwing a baseball but whom I really wished would snap another ankle tendon whenever he started yammering about politics.

But there is one way in which we can use this platform, designed to discuss great dining and drinking in Boston, to acknowledge world events in a way that is meaningful: by calling attention to worthy fundraising dinners. So while I won’t tell you whether or not I think the US should participate in enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, I will encourage you to attend the upcoming fundraiser at Oishii Boston (1166 Washington Street, Boston, 617.482.8868) on Sunday, April 3, starting at 5:30 p.m. The dinner costs $100 per person, and all proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross to support their relief efforts in the wake of the terrible earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant disasters that are devastating Japan. There’s a fantastic chef line-up, too: Ting Yen of Oishii Boston, Kang San of Oishii Too, Anthony Caturano of Prezza, Evan Deluty of Stella, Michael Serpa of Neptune Oyster, Dante de Magistris of Dante and Il Casale, and Luis Morales of Radius Restaurant Group.

It’s a rare opportunity to do something useful and altruistic, even if you're a supposedly shallow food geek.