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New Orleans, LA – Reconcile New Orleans, Inc. has been awarded a $250,000 grant by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The grant will support Reconcile’s $5.9 million capital expansion project, which includes renovation of 12,000 square feet of existing space, a two story 1,800 square foot addition, a new outdoor dining area, and considerable site work around the property. The facility will enable Reconcile to offer a more holistic array of job training, education, and economic development services to out-of-school youth, their families, and Central City residents. Once completed, the five-story facility will house a remodeled Café Reconcile with significantly increased seating capacity, a state of the art Catering and Banquet Center (funded by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation), a Family Learning Center, a Business Accelerator Center (funded by Shell), and new office space that will house The Reconciliation Institute, a nonprofit aimed at sharing Reconcile’s innovative model with communities across the country.

Since 2000, more than 700 young people have successfully completed Cafe Reconcile’s Workforce Development Training Program, acquiring the skills and confidence they need to retain career-track employment in New Orleans area restaurants, hotels, hospitals and universities. Committed community partners like the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation provide access to greater support for job placement and long-term success.

Sr. Mary Lou Specha, Executive Director of Reconcile New Orleans, said: “The Conrad Hilton Foundation’s support of Café Reconcile is essential for the development and growth of our mission. We are honored that they have found hope in our program and we look forward to the successes we will share with them as a result of the expanded facilities.”

About the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is a family foundation established in 1944 by the man who started Hilton Hotels.  They provide funds to nonprofit organizations working to improve the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people throughout the world.  Since its inception, the foundation has given nearly $900 million in  <http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/grantmaking> grants.  The majority of their funding is devoted to five <http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/initiatives-a-programs> priority areas: providing safe <http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/initiatives-a-programs/water> water, ending chronic http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/initiatives-a-programs/ending-chronic-homelessness homelessness, preventing <http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/initiatives-a-programs/substance-abuse> substance abuse, caring for vulnerable <http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/initiatives-a-programs/children> children, and supporting <http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/initiatives-a-programs/sisters> Catholic Sisters. For more information, visit http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/home

In celebration of their return to pre-Katrina operating levels, Carnival Cruise Lines has awarded Reconcile New Orleans with a $25,000 grant.  The generous donation will support our students through the Reconcile life skills class and culinary training program.  Carnival’s celebration of the Elation’s departure from the New Orleans port is a joyous one, as it marks the return of a great industry that creates jobs and fosters economic development.  Their donation is just one more step toward improving the New Orleans economy and the lives of its citizens.

Since 2000, more than 700 young people have completed the Cafe Reconcile Culinary Training Program, learning skills to help them acquire and retain employment at New Orleans area restaurants, hotels, hospitals and universities.  Committed community partners like Carnival Cruise Lines provide our students with access to greater support for job placement and long-term success.

Rob Huffman, Carnival Cruise Lines’ regional vice president of sales for the southeast region, remarked, “We are proud to support such a wonderful organization as Reconcile New Orleans, which has helped so many kids in the community build a better future through essential job and life skills training.”

Sr. Mary Lou Specha, Executive Director of Reconcile New Orleans, added: “Carnival Cruise Lines has been helping our community for years, providing jobs and generating revenue for our city.  Now, with this generous donation, they are continuing to prove their dedication to New Orleans by empowering our youth.  We are honored to be associated with such a wonderful organization!”

About Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines is “The World’s Most Popular Cruise Line”, with 23 “Fun Ships” operating voyages all over the world.  And yet, Carnival believes that being a member of a community means giving something back. As such, the company and its employees support a variety of charitable and arts-related organizations. Although Carnival’s contributions are wide-ranging, the company primarily focuses on organizations that are based in its homeport communities throughout the U.S.

During times of crisis, Carnival works closely with various national and international relief organizations, coordinating corporate and employee donations for emergencies such as hurricanes in the U.S. and Caribbean.

In the past five years alone, Carnival and its employees have contributed more than $30 million in financial contributions and in-kind donations to a variety of local and national charities, endeavoring to make its homeport communities better places to live and work.

For more information, visit http://www.carnival.com/

Life Skills Students enjoy some hors d'oeuvres in the VIP Lounge

Board Members, Kevin Guitterrez and Alice Wright

Life Skills Students smile as the room cheers for them

Sr. Mary Lou and Rob Huffman, Carnival Cruise Lines’ regional vice president of sales for the southeast region

State Representative, Austin Badon, speaks to Reconcile students

Reconcile students get a private tour of the facilities

Enoying the weather from the top deck of the cruise ship

As the holidays approach, Cafe Reconcile celebrated the start of the season with a lavish meal provided by Chef  Jared Tees of Besh Steak.  Guests began the evening with a sweet “French Sparkler” signature cocktail made with flavored Chamborde vodka, sparkling water, and a twist of lemon.  As they found their seats at the beautifully-set tables, Reconcile students delivered an asparagus and scarlet frill salad that set the tone for what would be an exceptionally opulent dinner.

The second course, Besh BBQ shrimp, spiced up the menu with a bit of a heated kick.  Next came the winter squash agnolotti with brown butter sage that had Sr. Mary Lou’s vote as the best course of the evening.  But it was the fourth dish,the Tournedo of beef with crab béarnaise, that had our guests raving and ranting about the absolute success of the night.

In keeping with the extraordinarily decadent menu, Chef Jared capped off the night with a bread pudding with whiskey ice cream and crunchy candied pecans.  What a finish!

As always, Reconcile students and graduates served our guests at the event and introduced themselves at the end of the evening.  Met with wild applause, they shared their stories and experiences in the Reconcile program.  It was a blessed and beautiful celebration that will be remembered as a truly phenomenal addition of the Eat Well Do Good Dinner Series.

What a menu!

Sheldon and Chef Tees

Preparing the aspargus salads!

Sinead ALWAYS has a smile for the camera

The students, taking their well-earned accolades

November 1, 2011 – Reconcile New Orleans has received a $50,000 grant from Shell.   The grant will support Reconcile’s $5.9 million capital expansion project, which includes renovation of 12,000 square feet of existing space, a two story 1,800 square foot addition, a new outdoor dining area, and considerable site work around the property.  The facility will enable Reconcile to offer a more holistic array of job training, education, and economic development services to out-of-school youth, their families, and Central City residents.  Once completed, the five-story facility will house a remodeled Café Reconcile with significantly increased seating capacity, a state of the art Catering and Banquet Center (funded by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation), a Family Learning Center, a Business Accelerator Center (funded by Shell), and new office space that will house The Reconciliation Institute, a nonprofit aimed at sharing Reconcile’s innovative model with communities across the country.

Since 2000, more than 800 young people have successfully completed Cafe Reconcile’s Workforce Development Training Program, acquiring the skills and confidence they need to retain career-track employment in New Orleans area restaurants, hotels, hospitals and universities.  Committed community partners like Shell provide access to greater support for job placement and long-term success.

Sr. Mary Lou Specha, Executive Director of Reconcile New Orleans, said: “Shell’s support of Café Reconcile is essential for the development and growth of our mission.   We are honored to have their name associated so prominently with our expanded facilities, and we look forward to the future successes that their support will enable.”

About Reconcile New Orleans

An innovative, community-based organization with an entrepreneurial spirit, Reconcile New Orleans, Inc. works to resolve the deeply ingrained social ills of poverty, violence, and neglect by providing at-risk young people, ages 16 to 22, with the skills and confidence necessary to get and retain career-track jobs in New Orleans’ thriving hospitality sector. Our holistic workforce development training program provides life skill, culinary training, work experience, job placement, and case management service for out-of-school youth, and it serves as a cornerstone of economic development in New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood. For more information, visit: www.reconcileneworleans.org.

Cafe Reconcile is honored to be this month’s featured member in the CVB publication, “Tourism Matters.”  We are proud to have such a strong community base of support, but we are always looking to expand our clientele so that we can spread our mission.  Pick up a copy of the publication on a newsstand today, or check it out here.  Learn more about our story and read about Michael, a graduate who is now successfully employed at the Rib Room in the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel.  Thank you for the support, New Orleans!

Signature Chef Thursdays just keep getting better and better.  Chef Darin Nesbit, executive chef of Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, Bourbon House, and Palace Café, visited Reconcile on Thursday.  After demonstrating how to prepare his famous Bourbon BBQ Shrimp, Chef Darin spent the day in the kitchen with our students.  The free sample of crab and corn soup was devoured in an hour and his special sold out before 1:00!  The packed house, the noisy crowd, and the smiling faces attest to the great success of another Signature Chef Thursday!

Watching the demo, Sierra smiles for the camera

Terrell and Chef Darin cookin' up a storm!

Bourbon BBQ Shrimp. YUMMMY!

Roderick dishes out samples of corn and crab soup

Moses and Nakiva working with Chef

Full and happy!

Café Reconcile founder Craig Cuccia, a nationally recognized leader in social entrepreneurship, was a featured guest at the New Jersey Social Innovation Institute, a new initiative recently launched by Rutgers University in partnership with the Public Service Enterprise Group.

Craig Cuccia

Craig spoke about his experience creating Café Reconcile from the ground up, turning a crumbling building on a blighted block into a new source of hope and economic opportunity for the community.  Craig was joined at the conference by Reconcile board members Don Hayden and Pam Broom, who together are launching their own new enterprise – The Reconciliation Institute – which aims to help share the Reconcile model with the hundreds of communities across the country interested in replicating it.

You can view videos from Craig’s appearance by following the links below:

Craig Interviewed by Alfred Edmond, Jr.

Q&A with Craig

Master Class

Last night, Café Reconcile students, staff, and guests learned what the German words “flammenkuchen” and “kaiserschmarrn” mean: deliciousness.

As a continuation of the “Eat Well Do Good” series, Chef Matt Regan from Luke Restaurant cooked up an Oktoberfest-themed menu that left our guests praising German cuisine. As the guests began filling the Café, they were greeted with smoked salmon hors d’oeuvres and a glass of German wine or beer.

After a prayer by Sr. Mary Lou, the first of five courses, flammenkuchen, was served. Translated as “flame cooked,” flammenkucken looks like pizza and tastes like a slice of heaven. Caramelized onions with melted cheese and pork belly bits on a crispy crust got the evening off to a great start and it was followed by a warm hog’s head salad on lentils de puy with a walnut vinaigrette. The third course was a crispy veal malutaschen in a Creole tomato sauce that was melt-in-your-mouth tender. And just as the guests were starting to fill up, Chef Matt and his crew sent out overflowing plates of whole roasted Mangalista pork shoulders, housemade sauerkraut, garlic sausage, and bratwurst paired with hand made mustards (is your mouth watering yet?).

Stuffed and smiling, the guests moved their belts up one notch to make room for the final course: kaiserschmarrn. As Chef Matt had explained before the meal, this heaping plate of lemon scented pancakes, caramel, stewed plums, and candied almonds originated in Austria. Legend has it that the empress demanded a special meal be prepared for her but was unhappy with the result. She tore up the pancakes she had been given and the emperor helped himself to the “mishmash,” praising it as the best meal he had ever eaten.

It’s not often that Café Reconcile serves German fare and last night’s dinner was a complete cultural immersion. Each meal of the “Eat Well Do Good” series is so unique and inspirational. We can’t wait to see what gets cooked up next month!

Chef Matt plating up the veal maultaschen

Flammenkuchen yummmm!

Raydell serving the hors d’oeuvres

Smiles all around!

Mr. Hiram and Sinead

Jean-Mark Sens is what you imagine a Collection Development Librarian to look like.  With his quirky-cool style and thick French accent,  he exudes the image of a lifelong academic.  But Jean-Mark is much more than the Nicholls State University Collection Development Librarian;he is also an exceptional chef and a talented teacher.  Originally from France, Chef Jean-Mark has lived in the American South for over twenty years and has been cooking since his aunt introduced him to curry at age twelve.

Chef visited the students at Cafe Reconcile this morning to explain the process for cooking Chicken Eleonore.  He put multiple students to work chopping ingredients and the restaurant smelled of garlic and Italian herbs before 10am.  The scrumptious dish will be the Chef Special today, so be sure to get down here and get a taste!

Chef Teaching Thermanica how to cut the mushrooms

Jalisa preparing the chicken!

Chef Jean-Mark pauses for a picture

Kenny and Chef Jean-Mark working side-by-side

Christine and Alexis are always flashing smiles

The walls of our beloved Café Reconcile shook with joy and praise on Saturday morning as Tyrone Foster and the Arc Singers welcomed the guests of the La Provence Gospel Brunch to benefit Café Reconcile and Chefs Move!. The powerful and inspiring united voices of the gospel choir had our patrons clapping their hands, tapping their feet, and singing along as they sipped on peach bellinis and heirloom tomato bloody Mary’s. We even had an unexpected (but very pleasant) surprise visit from a Norwegian choir that, having landed in America the evening before, heard about the performance and made the trip to Center City just to get a listen!

As the room roared with applause after a soulful sing-a-long to “Oh Happy Day,” servers began delivering the first of four courses: poached yard egg “salad nicoise” fresh garden herb vinaigrette. Chef Erick Loos utilized the ingredients from La Provence’s kitchen garden to get the brunch off to a fresh, light, and healthy start. The second course—chilled gaspacho of creole and heirloom tomatoes with crabmeat and fresh basil from La Provence’s garden—was made with tomatoes that had been picked and preserved in the heart of tomato season to ensure the very best quality and taste.

The same, scrumptious heirloom tomatoes were used again in the third course: a jumbo Louisiana shrimp and orecchiette pasta with heirloom tomato sauce and summer vegetables from Covey Rise farm. The local ingredients made for a decadent dish that had our guests singing praise that nearly matched that of Tyrone Foster and his incredible singers. The meal was brought to a sweet close with ricotta filled crepes and flambéed peaches. In keeping with the theme of fresh, local ingredients, Pam Broom distributed gift bags of fresh herbs from her garden, cultivated just two blocks from Café Reconcile. Our guests left with joyful hearts, full stomachs, and all the inspiration they could need to grown and use their own fresh produce.

During the gospel choir performance, Tyrone Foster yelled, “I need a blessing!” and the choir repeated the phrase with power and soul. But we at Reconcile felt showered with blessings this Saturday. We are so thankful for all those involved with the brunch and for all those who have supported the Eat Well Do Good Series. We could not have had the successful day that we did without the help of Chef Erick Loos, La Provence, Chefs Move!, Fred Holley from the Republic National Distributing Company, Tyrone Foster and the Arc Singers, and, perhaps most especially, of all our dedicated and enthusiastic customers. Together we can raise our voices, shake the walls, build hope, and change lives. Amen to that!