By Seth Daniel
The South End’s Chef Allen Campbell started his foodie learning curve at a Boston-area fruit market when he was 13, and concluded it in 2016 after being Tom Brady and family’s personal chef – and now he’s come out on the other side of those valuable experiences to launch a prepared foods concept called AVAIL, which he will do on Dec. 20 at the first-ever Sexy Sweater Soiree.
“I see an empty spot in the food world in Boston,” said Chef Allen, who wrote the ‘TB12 Nutrition Manual’ after his time with Tom Brady. “We have some of the best high-end restaurants. However, it’s the day-to-day foods where there is an empty space. In my opinion, there is simply not a lot to offer for our day-to-day lives. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned up to now. When I worked for Tom and Giselle, that’s something I learned. This is the food that fuels you for your life.”
Campbell designed AVAIL based on a food philosophy deeply rooted in nourishing plant-based foods found during each season.
As part of the party on Dec. 20, he will be offering small bites from his new menu.
Sample AVAIL menu items will be available to party guests and paired with exotic plant based cocktails designed by Event Society Master Mixologist, Alejandro Alvarez. Through his culinary acumen, various publications, speaking engagements, consulting and highly publicized work with athletes, actors and entertainers, he has revolutionized traditional culinary artistry by maximizing health benefits and sustainable practices Allen’s food philosophy begins with one simple concept: whole foods are needed to support a healthy body, mind and spirit.
Proceeds from the first annual South End Holiday Soirée, a neighborhood holiday gathering, will support Washington Gateway Main Street (WGMS) and its Clean Streets Initiative. After receiving feedback from local businesses and residents, Washington Gateway Main Street led the charge, raised the funds and launched its first partnership with South End non-profit Project Place to provide additional cleaning services on Washington Street last year. The Clean Streets Initiative delivers sidewalk cleanup services above and beyond what the City can provide. Crews work two days each week, picking up trash on both sides of Washington Street from Herald Street to Melnea Cass Blvd. To date, the crews have picked up over 7.5 tons of trash.
The Sexy Sweater Soiree will take place on Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Ink Block Boston, 300 Harrison Ave.