Tablescapes with Chef Kenny

Twenty years ago, Chef Kenny Cumberland had a choice: study graphic design or the culinary arts. “I realized that I could eat three meals a day if I went culinary,” he said.

Obviously, Cumberland chose feeding himself and others, but he never let go of his artistic talents. He joined the Bistro To Go team five years ago as an event chef where he took pride in plating. This year, he’s been taking his love of presentation to the next level.

“I’ve always had a thing for temporary art,” he said. Toward that end, gone are the typical chafers. “It’s a lot of different creative ways of getting the food to people without it just looking like a cafeteria,” he said. 

He started by surrounding Sterno warmers with black glass security blocks. The blocks held up the water pan, the food stayed warm, and the light of the flame danced through the glass, creating an inviting ambiance. 

From there, he switched to 14-inch cast iron woks on the serving lines of pasta stations. He’s also still experimenting. For example, when serving sliders, he might assemble three tiers of silver platters with lights flowing down from above. 

“I’m just trying to bring to life the food that they’re getting,” he said.

Part of the joy is in creating tablescapes that fit the event or organization behind it. For the American Heart Association, he paired glass with red lighting and decorated the tables with rose clippings.

Continuing to build on Bistro’s love of grand displays is paying off in Cumberland’s estimation. “People are loving it. They just love the fact that it’s the whole idea of eating with your eyes before anything,” he said. “We love our guests and our customers, and we want to give them the full moment.”