Alon Shaya's A Future on Every Plate - A Dinner Benefitting the NOCC

The Shaya Barnett Foundation is proud to announce our annual fundraiser benefiting the New Orleans Career Center (NOCC) - Alon Shaya’s A Future on Every Plate. The event will be held on Monday, September 29, 2025 at 6pm at Saba in New Orleans.

NOCC is the only training hub of its kind in our city, and with our help, it will continue to make a positive impact in young folks' lives. At NOCC, trainees from 24 different local schools and young adults gain a head start in their passion, whether that lies in the culinary arts, healthcare, building trades, engineering, or digital media. Our trainee population has doubled over the last two years and expenses have risen. Proceeds from this evening will help provide uniforms for students across every program.

This project is especially near and dear to Chef Alon. At age 16 career and technical education forever changed his life and helped him find his career path. With our help, NOCC can do the same for young people across New Orleans.

The event will take place at Saba on Monday, September 29 at 6 pm, with a lavish four-course family-style menu curated by Chef Alon and NOCC's Lead Culinary Instructor, Chef Taralyn Stephens, in collaboration with NOCC culinary arts students. The dinner will also include signature cocktails and wine pairings.

Tickets are now available for purchase on Eventbrite. Please feel free to spread the news and invite family, friends, and colleagues to support!

A tax receipt can be provided by the Shaya Barnett Foundation for all donations towards this event.

About the:

Shaya Barnett Foundation is committed to providing culinary education and resources to high school students. Through hands-on curriculum, students are able to gain the real-world skills necessary to gain experience and employment in the ever-growing culinary and hospitality industry. Ultimately, the goal is to prepare high school students to head off to secondary education or into the workforce as hospitality professionals with the proper credentials. New Orleans is known all over the world for great food, lodging, and hospitality. Through partnerships with programs like The New Orleans Career Center, The Shaya Barnett Foundation can help to prepare the community to be ready to meet the growing demands of locals and visitors, and really make a lasting impact in the life of a student.

About the:

Since opening in 2018, the New Orleans Career Center has prepared more than 2,100 high school and young adult students for careers in high-growth industries and to be lifelong learners. NOCC connects Orleans Parish high school students and adults with clear pathways to high-demand, high-wage careers in healthcare, building trades, engineering, hospitality, and digital media.

About Alon Shaya:

Born in Israel, raised in Philadelphia, and a proud New Orleanian, Alon Shaya has always had a deep love and appreciation for food and the singular way restaurants anchor their communities. In 2017, he and his wife, Emily, founded Pomegranate Hospitality; the following year, its flagship, Saba (Hebrew for “grandpa”), opened in New Orleans and its companion restaurant, Safta (Hebrew for “grandma”), arrived in Denver. Both restaurants focus on a journey through food and beverage, paying homage to the culinary landscape of Israel, and have been met with critical acclaim; in 2023, Michelin recommended Safta in its first Colorado guide.

In 2021, Pomegranate Hospitality partnered with Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans to introduce Miss River, Alon’s “love letter to Louisiana,” and Chandelier Bar. Silan at Atlantis Paradise Island opened in 2023, the group’s first international venture. Spring 2024 marked the debut of Safta 1964 at Wynn Las Vegas, a limited-run residency. 

Alon, a two-time James Beard Foundation Award winner, was named “Best Chef: South” in 2015; his restaurant won “Best New Restaurant” the following year. He has been named one of the “50 People Who Are Changing the South” by Southern Living and one of the “50 Most Influential Jews in America” by The Forward. An active philanthropist, he co-founded the Shaya Barnett Foundation, which provides culinary education and resources to high school students, and spearheaded the Rescued Recipes initiative with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which has raised over $700,000 to date. He is also the author of Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel.

When he’s not working, Alon loves to spend time with his wife Emily, their children Ruth and Ari, and dog Ceci. He enjoys traveling for new food experiences around the world, playing tennis, and fly fishing.

About Taralyn Stephens (Chef T)

Chef T’s impressive background spans the gamut of culinary experiences, including serving as an Executive Chef, opening a new Emeril restaurant, running her own catering company, cooking at one of the world’s most prestigious golf tournaments, and managing food service operations in multiple institutions. Chef T has a degree from Johnson and Wales University and joined NOCC from New Orleans Job Corps where she taught students, liaised with industry leaders and developed culinary curricula. 

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If you cannot make the event but still want to support New Orleans Career Center, you can donate via.

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