Carrboro bistro helps feed frontline workers

Venable Bistro chef and owner Drew Moore knows that frontline healthcare workers need a good meal after working long hours treating coronavirus patients.

Posted 2:30 p.m. Apr 29, 2020 — Updated 2:33 p.m. Apr 29, 2020

Kathy Hanrahan, Out

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CARRBORO, N.C. — Venable Bistro chef and owner Drew Moore knows that frontline healthcare workers need a good meal after working long hours treating coronavirus patients.

His brother is an emergency room nurse in New York.

"He's quarantined from his family and living out of a Ramada Inn," Moore said Tuesday. "He's not very well nourished and working 12, 14 hours in a shift."

It's one of the reasons why Moore started the NC Feeder project, an initiative to feed frontline workers with meals from local restaurants.

A customer told Moore about a similar program in San Francisco, so he asked his brother if the project would be a good idea.

"He said, 'Yeah, it would be an amazing thing to do because I haven't had a meal that wasn't out of a vending machine in probably two or thee days," Moore said.

The project started with about $2,000 in donations from Venable customers and friends and has since raised almost $6,000 and provided hundreds of meals to UNC Hospital workers.

In addition to feeding hospital workers, Venable is also participating in the Carrboro United local food hub. The program operates similar to a CSA, providing options for food pickup three times a week on"Hub Days."

Customers can order from a selection of heat and serve meals from local restaurants, including Venable, a selection of ready to cook meat from Firsthand Foods and produce from farmers within 50 miles of Carrboro.

Orders can be placed online by noon the day before each Hub Day, and picked up between noon and 4 p.m. in front of Cat's Cradle at 300 E. Main St.

Hub Days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Venable is also open for take-out.

Find out more about Venable, plus hear about what prompted Moore to come back to North Carolina to open this restaurant in today's Out and About Podcast.

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