October 7, 2025 2:00 pm

What happens when a celebrated culinary career takes an unexpected turn? In 2020, as the world shut down, Grace Young—James Beard Award–winning cookbook author—felt her lifelong path shift. A visit to Manhattan’s Chinatown revealed a community in crisis, its small businesses fighting to survive. Moved by what she saw, Grace traded her test kitchen for the front lines of advocacy. With no prior experience as an activist, she began using her voice to rally national attention. Her work has since sparked a movement, garnered international recognition, and earned her a place on Forbes 50 Over 50. In this powerful conversation, Grace shares how she discovered a deeper calling at a time when most people think about winding down.

Grace Young is a James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and culinary historian. A 2023 Forbes 50 Over 50 honoree, she is also the recipient of the Julia Child Award, the James Beard Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, and a USA Today Woman of the Year for her work to save America’s Chinatowns. Dubbed the “accidental voice of Chinatown” by Grub Street, Grace partners with the James Beard Foundation on the #SupportChinatowns campaign. Her writing and advocacy have been featured on CBS Mornings, PBS NewsHour, The Washington Post, and Vogue. Called the “Poet Laureate of the wok” by food historian Betty Fussell, Grace has devoted her career to celebrating healthy wok cookery. She was featured in the WeightWatchers Stir-Fry Guru video series and has written for EatingWell, Shape, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Fitness, Health, Cooking Light, and Diabetic Living magazines. Her accolades include James Beard Awards for both her cookbook Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge and her comedy video The Wok Therapist.

No charge for overnight guests. Price is $25 per person for outside guests + plus tax and service charge. Please call 512 372-7260 reserve your space.