Food is a great way to bring people together. It is also one of the easiest ways to find common ground within a group.
Janna Tamargo, Ph.D., is a researcher who has spent the past decade studying the social construction of authenticity in food at restaurants around the world. After years of travel and research, she felt like something was missing from the culinary world.
“So much of the dining world can feel transactional or distant. I wanted to create something slower, more personal, a space where chefs could sit down with guests and tell their stories directly,” Tamargo said.
She created The Authentic Table, an intimate dinner series that brings together chefs, food purveyors and guests at one shared table.
Tamargo said The Authentic Table is more than a meal; it’s a conversation. Each dinner is designed as a cultural exchange, where chefs guide guests through a multi-course experience rooted in personal stories, traditions and ingredients that have shaped their craft. Guests dine with the chef so that they can share the meaning behind each dish.
“The chef’s focus isn’t just on cooking; it’s on connecting. Each menu is thoughtfully curated in collaboration with the chef, but during the dinner, they’re seated with the guests, sharing the personal stories, traditions and memories that inspired the dishes. It transforms dinner into a true exchange of culture, craft and conversation,” said Tamargo.
The series launched in Jacksonville with the debut dinner at Prati Italia, featuring guest chef Kenny Gilbert. The four-course menu included Bronzino filet, seared Roman artichoke heart, Salsa Verde, lobster Cassarecce and braised lamb neck, among other things. The fifth course included dessert created by Jacksonville’s own Chef Rebecca Reed.
Each edition of The Authentic Table will spotlight a different chef, restaurant or food purveyor, rotating through various locations and communities around the United States.
“Through The Authentic Table, I hope to create spaces both digital and physical where food becomes a way to connect, reflect and share stories of identity and place,” said Tamargo.
To follow along with The Authentic Table and find out where the next series will be, go to AuthenticFood.com.
