Chef Vivian Howard, star and co-creator of the PBS shows, A Chef's Life and Somewhere South, has launched a monthly salon-style conversation with authors at Lenoir, her downtown Charleston restaurant.
The first event will run from 2 pm to 4 pm on Sunday, September 11th with restaurateur, sommelier, and author Inez Ribustello, who wrote Life After Windows (above right), a memoir of working at Windows on the World, located atop of the World Trade Center, at the time of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. Having lost friends, colleagues, and her job in the attack, Ribustello had to face her future — a future that would eventually lead her home to Tarboro, NC. Ribustello is the owner of On the Square restaurant in Tarboro and a consultant who helped create the beverage program at Lenoir when it opened.
Howard says she is excited to host these regular conversations at Lenoir where cookbooks line the bar and decorate the space.
“The cookbooks at Lenoir are from my personal collection and I’m a cookbook author,” Howard said. “I would consider myself a storyteller first and a chef second. So it makes a lot of sense to bring other storytellers into our space. One of my favorite things about being on TV was asking people about their work and their interests and their curiosities. To be able to do that with other authors, I find that interesting and I think other people would too. I love that not all these authors write about food or the South, they represent people I've met throughout my personal and professional journey.”
Each event will be held from 2 pm to 4 pm and begin with a cocktail and conversation between Howard and the author, followed by a book signing and meet-and-greet with food and beverages inspired by the book. Tickets are$65 for the September 11th event with Ribustello. To purchase tickets, go to https://resy.com/cities/chs/
Other upcoming events include:
The event series will continue into 2023. Upcoming event details will be posted on Lenoir's social media channels when finalized. Follow @dineatlenoir on Instagram and Facebook to stay up-to-date.
Lenoir is located a block off King Street in downtown Charleston at 68 Wentworth St. adjacent to the Renaissance Charleston Historic District Hotel. For more information, go to dineatlenoir.com.
