FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Café Momentum – A Story of Food, Social Justice, and Sustainability
by Rebecca L. Lucore
July 17, 2024
Food connects people. People create community. Communities drive change. If anything in our region highlights the intersection of food and social justice, it’s the inspiring, sustainably driven Café Momentum on Forbes Avenue near Market Square.
What I expected when I visited the Café in June? A place teaching troubled youth to cook and manage a restaurant that also serves good food to patrons. What I actually experienced when I visited the Café? I was inspired to connect more with my food, to cook more sustainably, to continue to advocate for social justice, and to feel good about the fact that there are inspired people out there using their talents to disrupt the justice system for youth. And it made me feel great to learn that everything I’ve always known food to be — it really is.
Food as Food
At a very basic level, people need nourishment. We all need food. Some like to prepare it for themselves. Some like others to prepare it for them. And some are inspired to create food experiences that tell stories and provide unique interactions. Chef de Cuisine Peter Henry is one of those inspired people, and I had the privilege of spending some time with him behind the scenes at Café Momentum. He’s been a chef for 26 years, starting as a dishwasher at age 14 in a family friend’s restaurant. After high school, Chef Peter went on to study food chemistry at UCLA and it’s that knowledge of math and processes that drives his interaction with food. He started his career in California with an immediate focus on food sustainability and moved to the East Coast during the Pandemic. Chef Peter ran nine restaurants concurrently in this region and opened another five after that before his current role at Cafe Momentum.
One of the first places Chef Peter took me to when I arrived at the Café happened to be the place, I was most drawn to — a mini library and fermentation display that hangs above the counter in his open kitchen. There were rows of books and jars of interesting, fermented food items. Everything from A Guide to Fermentation, to the Science of Sauces, to Basic Baking, there were books he collected, books that were gifts, and special books that were his Nana’s that were tattered and taped and obviously well-loved. On top the counter sat varied jars of herbs each with amazing textures and aromas that were grown and dehydrated there. He encouraged me to smell the Herbes de Provence which was delightful. Even more delightful was the explanation of the unique process he used to arrive at that final dried herb and the fact that it was unique and couldn’t be found exactly like that anywhere else.
As my tour went on, one thing became seemingly clear, no food waste is an important part of Chef Peter’s cooking. He and his supporting team use every part of everything to create items for their menus. They were currently offering an apple tart as part of their dessert menu. After peeling and prepping all the apple slices for this dish, they are left with a pile of perfect, nutrient-rich peels that are often overlooked and discarded. Not in Chef Peter’s kitchen. They go through a process which includes soaking and dehydration and end up in a powder form that is used as a natural pectin in their homemade jams. A great example of food sustainability. Every part of their rotating menu comes from local farms, especially youth-supported farms.
I tried a pickled grape that stung my tongue with vinegar then faded into what tasted like the holidays. I’ve never had anything like it. I also learned about the fun process they created to make buttered popcorn grits. “I didn’t want to serve traditional grits. Everyone does that. And it’s a great lesson to share with the students — that you can use just about anything as inspiration in cooking,” Chef Peter commented.
Café Momentum’s menu rotates every five weeks and offers amazingly, diverse options that are unique, sustainable, and made with love and so much creativity. They also offer catering services, and unique team-building experiences through food.
Food as Community
It does take a village. And a kitchen and some food. If you’ve read this far, you’re probably already convinced that Café Momentum provides a delightful culinary experience. But the real reason for this delightful experience is the youth behind it who need an experience of their own. These high school teens come from varied backgrounds and geographic locations. They are each unique individuals with something in common — their need for life skills, their need for support, and their need to know that they matter and deserve the future they want. Café Momentum supports them along this journey through leadership skills, teamwork, financial literacy, therapy, and even case worker support for their individual needs. And, these skills all come from learning to cook, appreciating where their food comes from, being sustainable, planning menus, managing a restaurant, dealing with ambiguity, and so much more.
“Whatever systems failed them, we want to step in and let them know we have their backs. Someone is there for them. We have educational rooms that are used for classes. We have therapy rooms. And we listen to them,” explained Chef Peter. “These students have a direct say in the menu planning. When one of them came to me and said I have this great brewed root beer and I want to make something with it, we made something. Our root-beer glazed, roasted Brussels sprouts have become one of the most ordered items on the menu.”
Contrary to what people think, Café Momentum is not trying to churn out dozens of chefs and restaurant managers. Only a small percentage of the program graduates actually go on into food services. “Food, cooking and the Café are just the vehicle,” explained Chef Peter. “If they can master tasks and take on various responsibilities, then they can build the confidence they need to take on life. A task may even include personally walking a student to a bank to open a checking account so that they can deposit their paychecks.”
Students apply for this program and their internship lasts anywhere from 12 to 16 months. Only requirements are they must be between 15-18 years old; have lived experience in the justice system; be work ready; and have a desire to make their lives the ones they want. Students rotate through all areas of the kitchen and dining. Providing perspective is also an important lesson taught. Not only do they cook for and serve Café Momentum visitors who either work in downtown Pittsburgh businesses or who are frequent arts patrons, but they prepare a meal and serve together once a month in one of the downtown homeless shelters.
Café Momentum is a nonprofit organization. While roughly 25-35 percent of their operations are funded by the Café, the remainder comes from both local and national grants. Even the impressive cooking and baking appliances in their kitchen were donated.
Food as a Disrupter
Far too often we hear stories on how the justice system has failed our youth. They enter the system then leave the system worse off. A 2023 report by The Sentencing Project revealed incarceration does not reduce delinquent behavior. It also impedes young people’s success in education and employment and leaves lasting damage to young people’s health and well-being.
Organizations like Café Momentum disrupt the traditional models and with positive results. They are flipping the social justice system on its head. Programs that are inclusive of all the students needs are the programs that work the best. Teaching life skills is half the battle. And teaching with food in a way that students connect with it and understand the health benefits of good food supports not only their physical health but their mental well-being.
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