GRAFTON, Ohio — Between the ears of corn gently swaying in the breeze, the white table cloths lined with vases bursting with lilies and roses, and the passed hors d'oeuvres garnished with fresh sprigs of dill, a garden in Grafton serves as a picturesque setting for a dinner party.
As guests file in, they’re greeted by those who’ve tended to the garden, sporting floppy hats and brimming with pride over what they’ve produced. The gardeners lead diners on a tour through the rows of plants, identifying which vegetables they’ll be sampling throughout their five-course menu ahead.
Then there’s chef Brandon Chrostowski, who’s made a name for himself in the Cleveland and national dining scene. Tonight, he won’t be at his French restaurant, EDWINS, in Shaker Square. Instead, he’s buzzing around his prep station, positioned in the grass ahead of the dining table, putting finishing touches on plates of salad.
“I tasted a beet out of this garden and I said, ‘we have to showcase this,’” he shared, as he demonstrated where to place the goat cheese on the dish.
But hosting a multi-course, farm-to-table gourmet dinner outdoors for 54 guests isn’t what makes this evening unusual.
“The first time in Ohio's history, if not our nation's history, there is literally a table in the middle of a garden in prison,” Chrostowski said. “So this is once in a lifetime.”
This garden is in the middle of the yard at Grafton Reintegration Center, and the team of men who tended this garden, cooked the meal, and greeted and served the diners are all inmates.
“We're celebrating our guys who have worked tirelessly, making sure this is perfect,” Chrostowski said of the men who he credits with putting together this dinner.
The Grafton Garden Dinner is also a celebration of a decade of this abundant garden inside prison walls, and 12 years of the EDWINS program at Grafton — an eight-month-long course that teaches inmates culinary and hospitality skills they can apply to jobs after they’ve served their time. It’s part of the wider EDWINS program, which offers opportunities to formerly incarcerated people to find paths to employment and receive support. Additionally, the EDWINS program includes a virtual curriculum viewed in prisons all over the country.
“I think that it's coming to everyone's realization that life doesn't end in prison, sometimes it's the beginning,” Chrostowski said. “Having programming, good solid programming and strong partnerships that allow real world training and speed and tools is a way of the future.”
Efrain Paniagua-Villa, an inmate at Grafton and participant in the EDWINS program, sees the value of the program.
“It entails basically teaching inmates new skills, culinary skills, knife skills, different recipes, different food. It's really awesome,” he said. “Also, it teaches community because within us, we help each other out, we cook together and at the end we enjoy that amazing meal.”
Paniagua-Villa, who’s originally from Arizona and is serving a sentence for drug possession, said he used to cook at home with family before he was incarcerated, describing the teamwork involved in making some of his favorite Mexican dishes like carne asada. He said the EDWINS program and hosting the dinner reminds him of home.
Now with his skills from EDWINS, he’s hoping to help out at a friend’s restaurant after his time is served.
“Brandon has set up this awesome program for us, giving us a second chance, not only a second chance, but giving us an opportunity,” he said. “He doesn't just help us here. He helps us out there as well. He helps us with housing, looking for jobs, getting our certificates. Also, as soon as we get out, he's waiting for us out there.”
Nathan Pappas, an inmate and participant in the EDWINS program, credits Chrostowski with changing his outlook on his future. Pappas was incarcerated for drug and theft-related charges, and has worked to use his time productively, learning how to work with plants and train dogs.
“I don't want to get into anything in my past, I don't want to go back to anything in my past. I want to keep looking forward and I think this is the best way to do it,” he said of his participation in the EDWINS program.
Pappas grew up in an Italian family, describing how his mother ensured there was always good food around. Now, Pappas has dreams of opening a food truck once his time is served, using skills learned from Chrostowski and the program.
“One of the nicest guys you've ever met,” he said of the chef. “I mean, his energy, his drive, everything is just amazing.”
According to diners, the food was equally as impressive. The menu included kale purses with farmer’s cheese and pecans, salmon with béarnaise sauce, and lamb, among other dishes, each course paired with its own mocktail. Bryan McCarthy, one of the diners, shared his takeaways from the experience.
“We got a tour of the garden, got to see all the fresh vegetables they were making, and as soon as we walked in they were hanging us hors d'oeuvres and drinks,” he said. “Very professional.”
McCarthy said he hopes to see these efforts spread throughout the country.
“Everybody needs to have nice things,” he said. “Once in a while when somebody does something nice for you, you tend to give back. So if it spreads, that's love being spread.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Chrostowski, and a driver of much of his professional work.
“There's no safer place when you're surrounded by passion,” he said. “When you're surrounded by dreams and ambition and hope. I mean, it's really a powerful place.”