WHAT THE HEALTH IS GOING ON AT CURE’S N A C L CAFÉ, AT 345 PARK AVENUE SOUTH?

In New York City’s Silicon Alley, you’ll find Cure’s new, stateof-the-art headquarters at 345 Park Avenue South. Cure is a healthcare innovation campus where leading life science, digital health, and tech-enabled companies from around the world come together to uncover cutting-edge solutions for those in need. Cure provides laboratories, engineering and computing space, and other supportive services to help today’s thought-leaders build a better tomorrow.

To keep these thought-leaders in good health day by day, Cure’s NaCl Café offers a tempting variety of readily available plant-forward dishes. And to keep dining at the café or ordering takeout enticing, Executive Chef Mike Smith works collaboratively with Barbara Younger, Cure’s Food and Beverage Direc - tor, to create delicious, nutritious meals that please diverse palates.

Chef Mike joined Cure in November 2021, trained at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), and worked in NYC’s top restaurants. He joined Restaurant Associates (RA) in 2008, starting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art before joining The New York Times. Chef Mike returned to The CIA where they partnered with RA for their student dining commons, The Egg. There he collaborated with students and faculty to introduce Menus of Change Principles into all student-dining programs.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Chef Mike to ask him about his approach to menu development at Cure’s NaCl café. In addition to the café, Chef Mike also prepares tempting refreshments for Cure’s special events, including their popular Tuesday Talks, hosted by Cure CEO Seema Kumar, and held in the event space of Cure’s Rooftop terrace with incredible city views.

First, for the sake of

Cherry Dumaual is a seasoned contributing writer for Total Food Service, bringing years of experience in culinary communications to her role. As the former Partnerships Director at The Monday Campaigns/Meatless Monday, she was responsible for spearheading the PR and partnership development for Monday initiatives, including Meatless Monday. During her tenure, she successfully forged partnerships with renowned organizations, such as C-CAP (Careers for Culinary Arts Program), the American Institute of Cancer Research, and New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative. Prior to joining TMC, Cherry held the position of Senior Vice President at leading PR agencies, where she worked with major food and healthcare clients. Her passion for learning and cooking international cuisines has led her and her husband to explore local food markets and restaurants in over 50 countries. This firsthand experience has allowed her to gain a deep understanding of different cultures and cuisines, which she brings to her work in the food industry.

TFS readers, could you clarify the definition of plant-forward based on Menus of Change, which you helped introduce at The Culinary Institute of America’s student dining programs?

I define it as making it easy to fill your plate with whole grains and vegetables before finishing it with an impactful and well sourced protein. Our Market Bowls are a great continued on page 106