The Friendsgiving Feed Supper: A Taste of What's to Come with Chef Robert Toland

After the frolicking festivities of Holiday Open House at our Glen Mills, PA location, we’ll be pulling up a chair with friends old and new at our first Friendsgiving Feed Supper at the Terrain Cafe. Our cafe chefs have collaborated on a Thanksgiving menu with special dishes that celebrate their diverse backgrounds and recalls what home means to them. The best part about this delicious meal? It gives back⁠—in a big way. Every dinner ticket purchased will provide 200 meals to American families in need, through FEED Supper's giving partner, Feeding America.

terrain: Hi Robert! Thanks for taking a minute out of your busy schedule to talk with us about this exciting dinner. We’d love to hear how the menu came together!

Robert: The collaboration process was actually really easy and fun. Chef Brian Lofink and I just thought about all our favorite Thanksgiving dishes and put them to paper. We both cook a lot at home, especially during the holidays, so this menu really reflects what we’re actually serving our own families in a few weeks.

terrain: On that note, what’s your favorite dish to cook during Thanksgiving at home?

Robert: I have to say it’s the turkey. It’s the centerpiece for most people’s Thanksgivings and also the most labor intensive. I like to take it on because it’s so rewarding to have the duty of preparing one of the most important dishes on the menu that day.

terrain: Thank you for being willing to tackle the turkey! Are there any dishes someone in your family makes that you love and would never make yourself?

Robert: Oh yes, it’s my dad’s macaroni and cheese. I’m lactose intolerant but every year I sit down with a big bowl of his mac and cheese and a Lactaid pill and hope for the best. It’s that good.

terrain: We love that this big, communal dinner is being served family style. Can you talk to us about why you decided to serve it this way rather than plating it?

Robert: Family style is by far my favorite way to eat because you get a chance to try everything and it’s interactive. It’s an opportunity to break the ice while you break bread with your fellow diners. Passing food, serving your neighbor, comparing favorites—it brings the community aspect back to eating, which is what it’s all about.

terrain: Hosting Thanksgiving for a crowd can be a nerve-wracking endeavor, even for the most seasoned home cooks. Do you have any tips on making it feel more effortless?

Robert: Two pieces of advice: plan ahead and take your time. Things always take longer than you expect. Give yourself more time to do things well without hurry, even if that means starting preparations a few days in advance. Also, quality ingredients make all the difference when it comes to taste. Pre-chopped garlic may feel like a timesaver, but it never tastes as good as the real thing.

terrain: We’re so thrilled to be partnering with FEED for this dinner. Would love to hear how the experience has been from inside the kitchen?

Robert: Food insecurity is an ongoing issue in the lives of everyone all over the world and I love that we can partner with an organization that has woven the mission to combat hunger into the fabric of their company. It’s been a real privilege to work with FEED and my fellow terrain chefs to create a menu that’s delicious and rooted in giving back.

About FEED + FEED Supper: FEED is a lifestyle brand on a mission to end childhood hunger, by providing school meals with every purchase. FEED Supper is FEED's 100% charitable dinner party activation, bringing people together to truly share a meal, by raising funds to provide meals to American families in need, through Feeding America.

About Feeding America: The nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, working to connect people with food and end hunger. Building a path to a brighter, food-secure future.

There are still a few seats left at the Friendsgiving FEED Supper! Click here to reserve your spot today!