The month of love is not just for couples; it’s also the perfect time to give back to the community when it needs it the most. The French Mediterranean restaurant Bagatelle NYC is doing just that, with a special dessert.
Dubbed La Bulle or “the bubble,” the confection is intended to raise money for The Food Bank for New York City, a nonprofit.
Bagatelle NYC described the bold flavors and colors of the dessert as a symbol of the joy and compassion of loving others. Created by Bagatelle pastry chef Julien Chantereau, it features a white chocolate sphere drizzled in warm blood-orange sauce and filled with a blood orange and olive oil ice cream created by Brooklyn-based OddFellows Ice Cream Co.
Guests will be able to order the $16 dessert only through Feb. 28; $7 from every purchase will go to the food bank. The restaurant hopes to make the collaboration an annual event.
“Our goal is spreading the love where it counts,” said Bagatelle’s marketing and branding associate, Casey Wolen. “Love is often referred to as a singular entity but it’s important to be there for one another when people can’t be there for themselves.”
While Bagatelle NYC has been involved with charities in the past, Wolen said this collaboration is "one of a kind."
The Food Bank for New York City works to provide resources, education and food to millions of New Yorkers in financial need and, according to its website, that need was exacerbated by the federal government shutdown in January. The nonprofit warned of a “SNAP Gap” in mid-February, when many low-income residents could run out of food assistance because the shutdown forced releasing benefits early with the hope that recipients would ration them.
“As a New Yorker, the issue of this extreme poverty and hunger has become pervasive," Wolen said. “We need to all come together to fight this twice as hard. Nobody does that better than The Food Bank.”
