Restaurant Constance’s Sam Diminich. Peter Taylor Photography

Savor the story of Restaurant Constance chef/owner Sam Diminich on Monday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m.! The founder of Your Farms Your Table earned a reputation for being a wizard with local ingredients while serving coursed meals to diners at home during the pandemic. Born into a restaurant family, Diminich is now a successful restaurant owner — but not without persevering through his fair share of struggles. Hear his story and enjoy a menu based on formative times in his life at this special meal. Tickets are $110 (gratuity included, beverages and tax not included).

See the menu and purchase tickets below.

At Unpretentious Palate, we believe storytelling takes many forms. A big part of what we do, of course, is to tell the stories of what’s happening in Charlotte’s restaurants, bars, and food community. But you don’t always need us. Our Meet the Chef series will merge storytelling and dining — the two things UP is all about. We want you to get to know some of the chefs around town, but aren’t big on stuffy meet-and-greets or formal discussions.

Each dish will tell a story: the amuse bouche, which represents the chef overall; one course based on the chef’s childhood; another inspired by a restaurant or chef that has heavily influenced their career. As you enjoy the amuse and each of the four courses, the chef will explain the story behind the dish.

Thank you to our sponsor:

Menu:

Amuse: Smoked chicken lettuce wraps
Miso | Cucumber | Pea tendrils

First course: Sausage and Tomato “Cannoli”
Ricotta | Basil | Parm

Second course: Crab Galette
Mustard Vinaigrette | Haricots Verts | Tomato Diamonds 

Third course: Braised Pork Cheek Tagine
Apricots | Almonds | Ras el Hanout 

Fourth course: Dry Aged Beef
Kuri Squash | Kombu | Collards