FREEPORT

T hanksgiving Day preparations begin early for Azure

Cafe’s executive chef Chris Bassett, who already has his hands full making pastry from scratch for more than 30 pies for the annual free Thanksgiving meal, hosted by the cafe and Freeport Community Services.

Served at the Freeport Community Center on Thanksgiving Day, the free meal is prepared to Bassett’s award-winning standard, and is a boon to families and individuals who struggle to meet the rising costs of housing and heating during the holiday season.

Beyond that, though, the community meal meets a growing social need, according to Jonas Werner, who co-owns Azure Cafe with his wife, Kate.

“You’ll see such a cross section of people here, from the wealthiest people in our community to some of the poorest,” said Werner. “You’ll see them all dining here together, and what brought them here is a need to feel connected to society.”

The annual free meal started 12 years ago and was initially served at Werner’s Freeport restaurant. In its first year it fed seven guests, people who Werner said were just looking for a hot meal on a holiday evening and had no idea the bill would be zeroed out.

“The next year there were a few more, and then a few more the year after that,” said Werner, noting that the feast was moved to the Freeport Community Center when the facility was built. “Last year we served around 175 people here; we’re expecting around 200 this year.

“As humans, one of the things that ties us together is our need to feel connected to society,” he added.

Werner fondly remembers large family gatherings at his grandmother’s house throughout his childhood.

“It was my grandmother who pulled everyone together,” he said. “Then when she died — over the next 10 years, Thanksgiving wasn’t so wonderful anymore without the whole family being together.

“We used to live close to home, families and extended families used to stay in the same area — now I have a sister in Connecticut, a sister in New York, my dad is in Florida, my mom is in Maine,” he said. “We’re just splintered everywhere.”

Many of the people who attend the Thanksgiving meal are couples whose children have grown up and moved away, said Werner, or elderly people who have lost their spouse.

“They come in to be together with other people,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how much or how little money you have in this world, you still need to feel that human connection and that you belong somewhere.”

The cafe’s intiative has not gone unnoticed in Freeport.

“I love the fact that the folks at Azure have been doing this for so many years,” said Freeport Community Services Executive Director Melanie Sachs. “They open the doors to everyone. Everyone can come and find warmth and laughter and wonderful food on a day when we are so thankful for those things.”

In addition to the community meal, the cafe also provides a delivery service for families and individuals who cannot join the group festivities. Last year they made approximately 15 deliveries, according to Bassett, which ranged from meals for one individual to families of 15-20.

“A lot of people come down here to volunteer but they end up being part of the celebration,” said Bassett, who works through his off days in the week leading up to Thanksgiving Day, and continues late into the night on working days after his normal shift has completed.

“We’re usually done serving by 2 p.m. and out by 3 p.m.” on Thanksgiving Day, said Bassett, “so I can still have my regular Thanksgiving with my family after, but have accomplished so much more out of the day.”

One of the more remarkable elements of the free Thanksgiving meal is the cadre of volunteers it pulls in, said Bassett, noting that the number of people offering to volunteer usually outstrips the need.

“It takes about 40 people, including the cooks, to pull it off. We still end up with a waitlist of volunteers,” said Werner. “Some of the volunteers will start planning as early as two months in advance.”

In some cases, Werner said volunteering has become part of the family Thanksgiving tradition, with grandparents, children and grandchildren all volunteering together, year after year. Two teams of two families will be making deliveries this year, he said.

With the event’s growing success, it can be hard to plan in advance how much food to prepare, said Bassett.

“We’ve never run out of anything, but there is always the fear that we will run out of something,” he said, noting that he will be making 34 pies from scratch and cooking 16 turkeys, some of which have been donated by Wolfe’s Neck Farm.

For the restaurant, the food bills alone have totaled between $800 and $1,000 in previous years, the cost sometimes rising as donations become scarce.

“We get some cash donations and the companies that can will donate food,” said Bassett. “The companies we work with, they’re all tightening their belts, so we depend a lot on ourselves.

“I’ve had some of the salesmen say, ‘Look, I’ll buy you a case of potatoes because the company can’t do it this year,’ he said. “People are trying to chip in, but there hasn’t been as much help as in past years.”

Still, the mission for Werner is quality food, a warm environment, and above all else, togetherness, which he said can’t be quantified with a price tag.

“I think one of the reasons it’s become so popular is because the food is just fantastic,” said Warner.

“Chef Chris doesn’t want the quality to be anything less than the best he can produce,” he said. “The way he does it, it’s like what you would get if you went somewhere and paid $80 per person for the food — it’s the best Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had.”

The meal will include turkey and glazed ham, stuffing, candied sweet potatoes and carrots, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, green beans, from scratch cranberry sauce and turkey gravy, and pecan and pumpkin pies.

“It take a lot of work, but every year it’s worth it,” said Bassett. “There is a point where you look around the room, and it’s full of people and everybody is happy and together as a community — it’s such an incredibly warm feeling.”

The free Thanksgiving meal will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Freeport Community Center, located at 53 Depot St., Freeport. For more information contact Freeport Community Services at 865-3985. To make a donation toward the free dinner, contact Jonas Werner at [email protected].

rgargiulo@timesrecord.com