Garden Before Grace Celebrates Green Genius’ Third Anniversary With an Immersive Plant-Based Supper Club

Plant-based supper club marks 3 years. End Quote

Jersey City, NJ (1888PressRelease) August 30, 2026 - Chef Tori Funn, a Newark chef, U.S. Army veteran and founder of Green Genius, will celebrate the culinary wellness brand’s third anniversary with Garden Before Grace: The First Blessing Was the Garden, an intimate plant-based supper club on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at VFW Post 1302 in Kearny. The evening will pair a multi-course tasting journey with live music by Segdrick Marsh & Band, botanical storytelling and an autumn garden atmosphere.

Garden Before Grace grows from the story behind Green Genius. After completing a 21-day detox, Funn emerged with a different understanding of food as nourishment, culture, memory, creativity and care. She named Green Genius on Oct. 21, and the anniversary dinner turns that beginning into a culinary journey built around the rhythm of the table: First Fruits, Breaking Bread, Grace, Harvest, Be Still, Gathering and Abundance. “Before we learned to ask for the blessing over the food, the blessing was already growing,” Funn said.

The tasting begins with two flower-essence welcome mocktails: Eden, combining green apple, pear, key lime and sage with a sparkling finish; and The Offering, layered with cranberry, pomegranate, hibiscus and orange. Breaking Bread pairs sourdough crostini with cultured cashew chèvre, roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, crispy maitake, smoked maple-balsamic reduction and fresh mint. The Hidden Jewel transforms purple carrot into tartare with black garlic, browned cremini, capers, cornichons and tarragon, finished with a plant-based yolk made from yellow tomatoes and pumpkin and a crisp potato gaufrette. The menu continues with Grace, a creamy roasted cauliflower soup; Harvest: Sweet Dirt, a golden beetroot salad; and Be Still, a lemon sgroppino serving as a bright pause between courses.

Gathering: Silk Garden Lasagna layers fresh pasta with shiitake mushrooms, charred leeks, tender garden greens, lemon-cashew béchamel, preserved lemon and crispy capers. Abundance: Milk & Honey closes the plated tasting with vanilla coconut-milk ice cream, salted honeycomb brittle, toasted shortbread and bee-free honey caramel, accompanied by housemade horchata. Guests will leave with a boxed mini chocolate yule log. The entire culinary experience is plant-based and soy-free. Funn served more than 16 years in the U.S. Army before building a second career in culinary arts, wellness and entrepreneurship. She later graduated summa cum laude from Hudson County Community College’s Culinary Arts program. Through Green Genius, her work brings together culinary technique, holistic nutrition, culture and experiential hospitality.

Garden Before Grace takes place Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Seating is intentionally limited and advance reservations are required. Tickets and event details: greengeniusmeals.com/events-experiences/

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