Thanks to Dr. Chef Michael Airhart’s mobile cafe, Taste for the Homeless, an exceptionally potent barbeque aroma filled the air, lighting up senses — particularly taste buds — when stepping off the Green Line train onto the 63rd and Ashland platform.
Airhart’s crimson tent and personalized van can be found somewhere across the city on any given day of the week, rain or shine, year-round providing fresh meals to anyone; absolutely no questions asked.
Airhart started his journey of preparing food for others at eight years old, now at 54, he says he has been doing this full-time for the past 15 years straight. As the prep process is incredibly important to him — it’s what determines the quality — Airhart’s day starts at five in the morning by going to the Gordon Food Service (GFS) to pick up the required ingredients for the day, mentioning that although Taste for the Homeless is a 501-c3, majority of his revenue comes from his website where people donate money every day, enabling him to buy fresh and quality food all year.
“They come because they know when I come I’m gonna give you the best. It’s not gonna be outdated, it’s not gonna be something that is used, it's gonna be quality,” said Airhart, emphasizing the importance of having trust within the communities that he serves. “If it's not quality, I'm not coming.”
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic — describing it as the worst time —, Airhart was outside serving communities every day as he saw a much-needed form of support was lacking throughout the city. Primarily situated at the intersection of Lawrence and Wilson during the pandemic, Airhart was providing breakfast, lunch and dinner to anyone in need.
Throughout the year, Airhart partners with different community organizations to set up events like turkey giveaways and Holiday dinners. On November 11, the Boys and Girls Club partnered with Taste for the Homeless to serve lemon-pepper pork chops, baked beans and mustard potato salad while also distributing children's coats, hats, gloves and hygiene bags until they ran out.
According to Program Coordinator, Kristie Denman, the Club works with different community organizations across the city, with Saturday’s event being the youth's first large project of the year. “One of the things I liked about this experience was that we get to bring back to the community with kindness,” said volunteer Brooklyn W. “It's easy to take life for granted but also we have to be appreciative of things we have. And not just for ourselves but other people to care about others who are struggling as well.”
The following weekend on Sunday, November 19, Airhart served at the intersection of Canal and 14th St, where patrons had the option to choose between servings of chili dogs or chili nachos, both of which came with a plethora of topping options like shredded cheese, jalapeños, sour cream and hot sauce as well as a bag of chips and chocolate on the side.
A self-taught chef, Airhart discovered his love for food at 8 years old when he was living in the projects of Chicago and cooking for his community. Claiming to have coined the dish of “Oodle Noodles,” — pasta mixed with powdered milk, cheese, butter, salt and a splash of hot sauce — Airhart would serve other kids in the neighborhood with this dish from his mother's back door.
“I'm a kid, feeding kids. And that's what we had and that's where we came from, and we created the best. That's us, that's where we stand,” said Airhart. “One thing God told me, ‘If you serve me, I serve you.’ And that's why I'm so happy with it, and I think he's keeping me here for a reason, you know, to be able to serve his people.”