Empty Bowls, the one-of-a-kind fundraiser to support food security for all, takes place on Sunday, Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the MSOE Kern Center, 1245 N. Broadway.
Guests are invited to attend the event and purchase one of over 1500 unique bowls handmade and donated by local artisans. Bowls are $30 each and include two free soup samples donated by local restaurants and food businesses. Additional soup sample tickets are available for $2. Please note that this year's event is first-come, first-served and there will be no presales.
Guests can also enjoy live music, live pottery demonstrations and a silent auction, which anyone can participate in (from home or at the event. The auction opens Friday, October 11 at 12 p.m. and closes Sunday, October 13 at 2:30 p.m.
Even better, all proceeds will support the mission of NourishMKE which provides more than 50,000 individuals with over 1 million pounds of food annually.
Empty Bowls will feature soup donations from the following venues:
- Cafe Corazon
- DanDan
- Glorioso’s
- Hannah’s Kitchen
- La Finca Coffeehouse
- Lulu Cafe
- The Soup Market
- Beans & Barley
- Motor
- Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative
- Riverwest Co-op
- Purple Door Ice Cream
- The Pasta Tree
- The Truck Stop
- Avli
- Cocina del Sur
- The Bartolotta Restaurants
- Breadsmith
- and more!
“Excitement is high this year as we bring together amazing artists and chefs to make a difference in our community.” said Valerie MacMillan, Executive Director of NourishMKE. “We know that Milwaukeeans are enthusiastic to give back at fun events that help neighbors in their own communities.”
According to NourishMKE, raising money to nourish Milwaukee families is more important now than ever. NourishMKE has seen huge rise in need, serving 30% more families in 2023 than the prior year. Support is needed to ensure all families have access to healthy, nourishing, and free groceries. Empty Bowls offers a fun, family-friendly way to support this worthy cause.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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