Common Ground Series: For the Love of Chile

As part of our Common Ground Series, this dinner celebrates both See’s heritage cooking and the queer culinary excellence in New York. Inspired by their individual cultural and culinary backgrounds, See, along with Gian Martinez (Catch NYC), Halo Kaya Perez-Gallardo (Lil Deb’s Oasis), and Jessie YuChen (Pop-up Chef, Recipe developer at Bon Appetit, The Ktchn) will each create a dish around this iconic pepper.  

Guests arrive at 6:30 PM for passed appetizers and cocktail. The seated dinner will begin at 7:00 PM.
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As James Beard said, “Food is our common ground.” The Common Ground Series celebrates national holidays, heritage months, and community moments over the course of the calendar year. Series events bring in culinary talent to the iconic James Beard House for dinners, tastings, book talks, volunteer events, and more to create community around these celebratory months and complement existing programs across the Foundation. 

About the Chefs

A native of the Philippines, Gian Martinez is a US Navy veteran and a winner of Dessert Games on Food Network. His pastries have been featured on the NY Times, and he is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Martinez has been living and working in New York City for the last twelve years and is the new pastry chef at Catch NYC.

Raised by three Ecuadorian women in Queens, New York, Halo Kaya Perez-Gallardo (they/them) was born into a home with a kitchen that was always busy. In seventh grade, they started Saborines, a pie company named after their grandmother. After graduating from Bard College with a degree in studio arts, they found a place for themself cooking and managing kitchens. In 2016, following a brief pause from cooking and a strained attempt to navigate the traditional art world, they co-founded Lil' Deb's Oasis, a James Beard Award nominated restaurant and community hub in Hudson, NY.

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Eric See is a trained pastry chef and the chef-owner of the widely praised Ursula (2022 James Beard Award Best New Restaurant nominee), a New Mexican-inspired cafe and bakery in Brooklyn, NY. From the young age of 11, Eric thrived in the restaurant and hospitality industry, serving his first position waiting tables at a small airport diner in New Mexico. Working in restaurants and hotels all through high school and college, he made a bold jump to continue to pursue his passion by moving to New York City 12 years ago.

Since opening Ursula, both his food and community advocacy have been applauded by the industry near and far, being awarded a StarChefs Rising Star Community Chef Award in 2020, and one of Bon Appetit’s Heads of the Table in 2021, recognizing leaders in the industry for their positive impact on the hospitality industry and his work within the queer food community.

Jessie YuChen (she/they) is a Taiwanese American chef, photographer, food stylist, and food editor based in NYC. Jessie’s experiences as a queer Asian immigrant in test kitchens, photography studios, and restaurant kitchens shape her practice of storytelling that blends food, photography, and visual arts. She recognizes the latent power that food and images hold and seeks to utilize that power as a means for creating positive change. 

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Due to the layout of our dining room, seating will be communal at a variety of different table sizes. You may be seated with other parties. If friends are booking reservations separately, please be sure to indicate  that you wish to be seated together either during ticket check-out or by emailing events@jamesbeard.org.