Last night we had the honor of experiencing a “Night of Culinary Legends” at Chai Pani in downtown Asheville.

This dinner celebrated the book Service Ready: A Story of Love, Restaurants, and the Power of Hospitality by Molly Irani. Alongside her husband Meherwan, they dreamed and brought to fruition the amazing Chai Pani empire that started right here in Asheville.

If you’ve known me for any amount of time, you know Chai Pani is one of my favorite restaurants here. If you’ve visited Asheville, I’ve probably taken you there for dinner. Sometimes the wait can be long. Really long. But it is always worth it. The experience feels a little magical, and the food is some of the best you’ll ever put in your mouth. Last night was no exception.

The dinner was curated by three different chefs from the Asheville community. Matt Dawes from The Bull & Beggar, Taylor Montgomery from Montgomery Sky Farm and of course Nick Barr from Chai Pani. Each chef brought us a part of a story, offering courses that built on one another.

We started with a Sunburst Sev Puri. A delicate, crispy shell filled with smoked trout, mango, chili and topped with trout caviar. The blast of flavor in your mouth made it impossible to do anything but smile.

From there, dishes like rabbit and pistachio pâté, bhel puri, and guinea hen roulade continued to unfold the story, each one adding something new, something unexpected.

It wasn’t just dinner. It wasn’t just a book launch. It wasn’t just James Beard chefs preparing us food that highlighted their skills.

It was an evening that brought people together. Sitting at tables with strangers who quickly became friends. A room full of Asheville’s food lovers coming together to celebrate someone who helped shape that love.

Molly read an excerpt about the hurricane and how, in the middle of so much loss, the city came closer together than ever. She writes, “Like a forest, the roots of our trees are interwoven, we rely on each other to stay standing.”

That line stayed with me.

The whole evening made me appreciate this little city where I live. A place where you can just be yourself. Where things matter like great food, good beer, jaw dropping landscapes. And where art and culture are embraced and elevated, no matter your medium. We sipped hot chai and ate chilly chocolate baravois and basked in the warmth of the room, filled with people who had gathered to celebrate our culture, delicious food, and an amazing woman who showed us that gathering at a table over food is so much more than eating a meal.

Molly wrote a book, but she gave us a community.

p.s. Buy the book! I know you’re going to love it! https://www.amazon.com/Service-Ready-Story-Restaurants-Hospitality/dp/B0FJPTH2MQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2471Z6K00RJGQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wZ-f5F9OVNgIsZdIhLkOUPaUjSmLh4BoiJ_0w_aUZGI.MuGR-msLYJR6nLpCihvDDNfKdEbrkxvWpLjw-NmXXWM&dib_tag=se&keywords=service+ready+molly+irani&qid=1774357041&sprefix=Service+Ready%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1