Mario Batali and Pat LaFrieda have tapped their favorite restaurants across the country to help fight AIDS with the Eat (Red), Drink (Red), Save Lives 2015 campaign and for this year’s event, two restaurants in the Design District are proud participants — MC Kitchen and Harry’s Pizzeria.
(RED) is an organization founded by U2’s Bono and Bobby Shriver in 2006 that has engaged millions of people all over the world in the fight against AIDS. Last June, it launched its inaugural culinary campaign, EAT (RED) DRINK (RED) SAVE LIVES. Led by Chef Batali and a number of other acclaimed chefs, restaurants, food trucks and bars around the world created (RED)-inspired dishes, drinks, menus and desserts for the month of June.
EAT (RED) DRINK (RED) SAVE LIVES transforms food and drink into a force to fight AIDS. What people choose to eat and drink this June will help raise money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, to provide life-saving HIV/AIDS medication to those who need it most with 100 percent of each participating businesses donations going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.
Additionally, a number of world-renowned chefs are serving as culinary ambassadors, including two chefs from the Design District: Dena Marino of MC Kitchen and Michael Schwartz of Harry’s Pizzeria, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink and The Cypress Room. They are in good company as some of the biggest names in food are also being tapped as ambassadors like Anthony Bourdain, David Chang, April Bloomfield, Bobby Flay, David Burke, Dominique Ansel, Josh Capon, Seamus Mullen and Wylie Dufresne.
The event was a hit last year, but didn’t have much of a presence in South Florida. This year the Design District’s culinary ambassadors are hoping to put it on the map. Marino’s MC Kitchen will help lead the campaign in Miami throughout the month of June serving special cocktails and new menu items with the proceeds going to (RED). To show its support, it will also display the (RED) flag outside and will have staff wearing the (RED) logo on its shirts and aprons.
Over at Harry’s Pizzeria, it is celebrating the Florida favorite mango — abundant throughout the summer— during its (RED) campaign. The restaurant encourages guests to bring an extra mango they might have lying around and doodle what eating (RED) means to them on the mango. The restaurant will then display its favorites in Harry’s pizza station window and on its Instagram account. Along with that, its chef will be creating daily specials all month long using the fruit with proceeds going to the (RED) campaign.
To find out more about the fundraiser visit www.eatREDdrinkRED.org. Diners can also follow @RED and #86AIDS to see firsthand the (RED) food and drink experiences that will be available in cities around the world.
