Restaurant dining can be expensive. However, one Baltimore restaurant owner is serving up a hearty meal for those less fortunate, with a side of generosity.
Michael Tabrizi, owner of Tabrizi’s restaurant in Baltimore, will partner with area homeless shelters to feed those in need, opting out of the city’s traditional restaurant week.
This year, Tabrizi has launched his own "Homeless Restaurant Week," which will take place from July 20 to 25. Tabrizi has lived in Baltimore for 30 years and believes it’s his turn to give back to the community.
“I’ve lived in the city and I see the homeless. Baltimore has been good to me for the past 30 years; it's my turn to give back. This is the least one can do, and I hope many people choose to follow and do something good to a complete stranger,” Tabrizi told TODAY.com.
The restaurant has been open since 2007 and originally served an "eclectic menu" of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. After a renovation in 2010 the restaurant became a hot spot for outdoor wedding ceremonies and catering in Baltimore.
However, for those five days, the restaurant will close to the public so that it can serve up meals three times a day to those in need. Tabrizi and his staff have arranged for their guests to be picked up via school buses and trolleys and taken to the restaurant where they will enjoy Cordon bleu and salad, accompanied with apple cider in a champagne flute and followed by ice cream in a waffle cup.
“My staff and I, along with the many volunteers, are very excited to do this," he said, adding that he's eager to feel like "a human being who can make a difference in other people's lives and evolve as a person."
He also wants to send an important message to others: "Doing good is easy; all you need is good intention and a good heart. It's effortless.”