A seven-course Ukrainian-inspired dinner is coming to Lakewood next month to raise funds for two organizations supporting Ukraine. The pop-up concept 619 Restaurant will host “Journey of Impact Part 2” on October 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Rood Food and Pie, with tickets priced at $150 per person, tax and gratuity included.
The dinner is the work of chefs Emily Del Greco Campion and Maggie Demko, the duo behind 619 Restaurant, an upcoming family-style fine-dining concept the pair are still finalizing a permanent home for, according to Cleveland.com. In the meantime, they've been hosting pop-up events around Greater Cleveland, and this one carries higher stakes than most: all proceeds will be donated to United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio and Ukraine Focus, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit. Tickets are available through OpenTable.
Campion brings a résumé that includes managing the kitchen at Dante Boccuzzi's Dukes N Boots in Willoughby, per Cleveland Magazine. Demko is a chef at Northeast Ohio's Osso.
Where the Money Actually Goes
Ukraine Focus was founded in 2023 by former USAID Assistant Administrator Brock Bierman and runs the Volunteer Ambulance Corps; its Wikipedia entry describes 165 ambulances purchased since the war began and a separate 76-ambulance effort. The nonprofit has met with Ukrainian authorities. Co-beneficiary United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio has a much longer history, having been established in 1928 and coordinating the work of Ukrainian-American groups.
The menu will feature pierogi donated by Sunflower Gourmet, a Cleveland business. War in Ukraine, which Russian forces invaded in 2022, has killed or injured an estimated more than 2 million military and civilian people, according to estimates cited by Cleveland.com.
Rood Food and Pie's New Chapter as Host Venue
The dinner takes place at Rood Food and Pie, located at 17001 Madison Ave. in Lakewood. Alex Hajde officially took control of the pie shop on August 1, 2024. Hajde is connected to Mahall's and Cloak & Dagger, two well-known local nightlife and dining spots, as Cleveland Scene reported at the time. The shop serves seasonal pies, a fitting backdrop for a dinner built around community and craft.
Part of a Broader Regional Response
This dinner is not an isolated effort. EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute in Cleveland Heights recently announced its own Ukraine ambulance fundraiser, a September 30 dinner charging $100 per ticket, with founder Brandon Chrostowski planning to personally drive one of the donated ambulances from Prague to Lviv in October. Together, the two events reflect a wave of culinary-driven Ukraine relief efforts spreading across Greater Cleveland this fall.
