Photo Credit: Bazaar Meat by José Andrés I started to wonder why people enjoy eating in the company of others while sitting at a wine event in Downtown Summerlin, scanning the room and admiring the company, my question seemed like such a stupid one.

Only it’s not. It’s valid. My tablemates were busy drinking and eating, before that they were sharing stories, and after a bite paired with a sip, they’d discuss whether the left or right wine was favorable to the dish in front of them. I paused midway into slicing the tender beef, placed the knife on the bottom right-hand of the plate and the fork overlapping it to the left and when I looked up, I saw community.

“Why are we constantly looking to the internet to belong to something?” I asked.

“I think it’s because there’s no sense of community in real life,” she replied as she continued playing Words With Friends 2, her eyes fixated on the app. All I could think at that moment was how ironic she sounded. I was trying to connect with her, but she belonged to her online community for the remainder 15 minutes of our lunch.

She would remind me that choosing to believe there’s “no real-life community,” is a reflection of not caring enough to get informed of opportunities or to create some for that matter. Whether through conversation or community involvement, there are always real-life opportunities to do something about anything.

When it was shared that Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at SLS Las Vegas would be donating proceeds from its ChefsGiving tasting menus to relief efforts benefitting the North Bay fire victims during, I couldn’t have disagreed more with my friend.

I think that ChefsGiving, happening November 13 to November 19 by the way, in partnership with Andrés’ Think Food Group, is a sign that community engagement has become a part of our daily lives.

Ten dollars from every tasting menu sold throughout the ChefsGiving benefit week will be donated to two supporting charities assisting Califonia individuals in need, Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund and Restaurants Care, and all you have to do is eat. This is a Las Vegas restaurant’s response to a whole state over undergoing a major crisis. Let that sink in.

Being communal comes in different forms these days. Involvement and awareness are no longer inescapable. The “main course” for our healing societies is to lend an ear, a conversation, and especially our bellies if the community engagement involves you, a table, beautiful silverware, breathtaking spaces, and delicious food created by award-winning chefs. If there’s anything I have learned, it is that we can continue to pretend like someone else is going to pick up the check for us or we can pick up the check ourselves.