Thanksgiving came a little early on Nov. 26 to thousands in Queens and nearly 1,000 in Harlem thanks to Chef JJ Johnson, Resorts World New York City, the Queens government and dozens of nonprofits.
A big Thanksgiving is nothing new for chef and restaurateur JJ Johnson, who started and leads Fieldtrip restaurants. He grew up in the Poconos with Thanksgiving at his grandparents’ house, complete with a long table and 15 people, and still remembers meals and moments.
“Everybody would cook something,” he said as the holiday approached. “It was joyful, memorable.”
Those Thanksgivings were small compared to what he and Fieldtrip restaurant staff did with the support of Resorts World New York City, the Queens Economic Development Corporation and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.
The event was beneficial to many Queens residents. Photo by Claude Solnik
They provided more than 6,000 hot Thanksgiving meals on Nov. 26 to give individuals and families one more thing to be thankful for.
Johnson and Fieldtrip staff hunkered down to cook and distribute 200 meals each to 35 nonprofits at Queens Borough Hall, and hundreds more for a pre-Thanksgiving meal at Borough Hall.
Photo by Claude Solnik
Around 600 more meals were distributed at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building in Harlem on Wednesday at an event attended and supported by City Council Member Yusef Salaam.
“It was all hands on deck,” said Johnson, who closed his Harlem location for two days to prep, along with some prep at the Rockefeller Center restaurant, in addition to work done all week. “There’s also the logistics of getting the food to and from locations. Cooking is joyful. When we’re cooking this food, it’s not, ‘Oh, my God, it’s 6,000 meals.’ We’re able to help somebody in need and put a smile on their face.”
Johnson’s staff at the Harlem location, with some support from the Rockefeller Center restaurant, prepared meals, placed in plastic containers with a purple label. “My team was working around the clock,” he said.
Johnson, who also has a restaurant in the Bahamas and one slated to open at JFK International Airport next year, has done projects with Resorts World New York City before, such as Cook Out, celebrating roughly 15 chefs of color, on Oct. 18 at St. Bartholomew’s Church, or St. Bart’s, in Manhattan.
“They’re making sure we can give back to this community,” Borough President Richards said in Queens Borough Hall surrounded by diners. “These are challenging times. Every little bit we can do makes somebody’s life better.”
He talked about the need to get meals into people’s hands “in the streets, not just the suites” with the help of chefs such as Johnson, corporate support and “essential workers” such as nonprofits.
Resorts World New York City Chief Legal and Chief Strategy Officer Kevin Jones talked about the need to do “not fly-bys, but dine-ins.”
“Resorts World has always been a partner supporting my efforts. They saw how much I championed the community of Harlem and New Yorkers. They said, ‘Let’s keep this effort going and feed more people,’” Johnson said. “They saw me feeding people who lost SNAP benefits and asked, ‘Would you continue those efforts?’ I said, ‘Why not?’”
As a DJ played music, Thanksgiving came early to Queens in the Helen Marshall Cultural Center at Queens Borough Hall.
“We’ve been working with the borough president for years. This year we said we have been distributing food throughout the borough,” said Michelle Stoddart, senior vice president of community development for Resorts World New York City. “This year we would like to do the distribution of meals from Borough Hall and set up a feast for local residents, employees of the building and community nonprofits.”
(Left to right) Resorts World Senior Vice President of Community Development Michelle Stoddart, Chef JJ Johnson, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Resorts World Chief Strategy and Legal Officer Kevin Jones. Photo by Claude Solnik
Johnson and his restaurant’s staff cooked turkey, took meat off the bone, made gravy, rice, collard greens and candied yams, as well as jerk salmon for fish eaters that don’t want turkey, mango chow, plantains and chickpea curry for vegetarians.
“We’re feeding people hot meals,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “A lot of people live by themselves at home that don’t have anybody to celebrate Thanksgiving with.”
He said he sought to prepare food with a combination of his signature style and traditional Thanksgiving approach.
“You’re getting spices, a little bit of Caribbean flare, some of that Southern touch,” Johnson added. “What people are eating is, I always say, from my own personal Thanksgiving table.”
Johnson added that food insecurity is as much an issue as ever, if not more, making help around Thanksgiving or any time important. “We can see people struggling to buy food. We know how much food costs,” Johnson said. “We are buying food. We see how much prices have increased.”
Queens resident Connie Stevenson, who arrived dressed for the holiday, enjoyed dining, but also company and camaraderie at the event at Queens Borough Hall.
“It tasted homemade. I tasted the seasoning,” she said near friends Russell Holder and Sherlyn Khan. “We seniors a lot of times don’t have a lot of family. There’s a high price for groceries. It’s good for us to get out and socialize.”
(Left to right) Russell Holden, Connie Stevenson and Sherlyn Khan.Photo by Claude Solnik
While providing food to cook at home can brighten people’s holiday, Johnson said cooking for them can also be special and easier.
“Hand somebody a hot meal and they can go home and not worry about wanting,” Johnson said. “People open their meal, sit down and eat. It tastes good and is warm. That’s impactful.”
Dining and Cooking