Taco Talk: The Hive's Micah Klasky
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Micah Klasky swears by King Burrito's beef cheek tacos. Photo: Alex Golden/Axios
Micah Klasky, executive chef at Bentonville fine-dining restaurant The Hive, is channeling his culinary and hospitality talents into feeding those who struggle to afford food. He told me about it over tacos at King Burrito in Bentonville.
Why it matters: Arkansas' food insecurity rate is among the highest in the nation. Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are also underway as grocery costs have increased, Klasky pointed out.
State of play: Klasky and volunteer staff from The Hive and 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville are making free boxed lunches being given away weekly by Second Street Pantry in downtown Bentonville. It's part of a pilot program through New York-based organization Rethink Food looking at ways excess food from restaurants can be used to feed people in need.
- "The goal is to prove a concept and hopefully establish some sort of tax credit that they can get enshrined in potentially the Farm Bill to reimburse restaurants [that] give food away," Klasky said.
- The roughly 75 meals a week are assembled from excess food from The Hive and donated food products and are supplemented with grant money from Rethink Food.
While it's a limited pilot program, Klasky would like to find ways to extend it and increase the number of meals volunteers provide. He and others involved want people in need to not feel ashamed to ask for help and would like to give away the food in a respectful manner, he said.
Flashback: Klasky has worked for The Hive for about a decade and took over as executive chef about three years ago. The restaurant has been taking part in annual fundraising for No Kid Hungry for several years, including back when chef Matthew McClure was at the helm.
- Klasky has also taken trips to Washington, D.C., with the James Beard Foundation to ask members of Congress to protect and expand SNAP. He's also raised money with Chefs Cycle, a program through No Kid Hungry where chefs bicycle to fundraise.
What he's saying: "Once you start talking about feeding hungry kids and making sure people are taken care of, that shouldn't be a political conversation, it should be a natural inkling," Klasky said.
The intrigue: His heart for hospitality goes back to his upbringing. His house growing up was a place where anyone could stay or come for a meal.
- "What we do as chefs is about hospitality. It's about taking care of our community. It's about being a part of it," he said.
On the tacos: I have long thought King Burrito, the home of one of my favorite breakfast burritos in town, was underrated. Imagine how validated I felt when the chef at one of our region's most renowned restaurants wanted to eat there.
- We each got a $10 meal that comes with three tacos and sides of rice and beans. I got the shredded chicken, and the chef got the beef cheek, which he assured me I should try sometime. He swears by his choice and says the Bentonville King Burrito is a good staple. I agree and must note that you should liberally apply all of its sauces to your tacos of choice.
Taco Talk is a regular feature. We sample a taqueria with the movers, shakers, artists and bakers of NWA, and rap about news in their world.