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Join us for a spectacular dinner benefitting Wine Unify, a nonprofit organization championing and promoting diversity in the wine industry.

Thursday, May 11, 2023

The Morris Restaurant

Collaborating Chefs Gavin Schmidt of The Morris & Chef Geoff Davis of Burdell

Featuring wines from Domaine Bonneau du Martray & Screaming Eagle

Hosted by Alicia Towns Franken, Executive Director, Wine Unify

Alicia Towns Franken is a Boston-based sommelier and event planner with over 25 years in the hospitality industry. Alicia got her start at Back Bay Restaurant Group’s Grill 23 & Bar. During her tenure as Wine Director, she earned numerous accolades from organizations and magazines including *Boston Magazine, The Boston Globe, Les Dames d’Escoffier* and *Wine Spectator*.
Alicia lives in Boston with her husband and their two children. She is actively engaged in her community serving on the boards of The Esplanade Association, The Learning Project and the Board of Advisors of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Leadership Council of The Posse Foundation. In 2022, Alicia became the Executive Director at Wine Unify, after having served as the Head of Mentorship since its founding.

Welcome from Alicia Towns Franken, Executive Director, Wine Unify

It is our absolute pleasure to host a phenomenal evening of food, wine, and equity at our very first UNIFY dinner in San Francisco. We are grateful to both Chef Gavin Schmidt of The Morris and Chef Geoff Davis of Burdell for collaborating on a culinary experience that will be inviting, exciting, and delicious. It is also a distinct pleasure to feature the wines of Domaine Bonneau du Martray and Screaming Eagle at the dinner — both are among the most highly sought-after wines of the world and will compliment the meal beautifully. Our hope now and in the future is that Wine Unify will help foster a more diverse community of wine professionals. To date, we have provided nearly 130 awards to Black, Indigenous, People of Color who are both wine enthusiasts and professionals. We boast a mentor team of nearly 20 of the best and brightest in the industry, all of whom give back their time to help foster a brighter future. Your contribution and attendance allows us to forge ahead — we are so grateful to have you join us for what will be a memorable and impactful evening!

With over twenty years experience in some of the west coasts finest restaurants, Gavin Schmidt started his culinary career working in his hometown of Seattle, Washington. Eventually the dynamic and diverse restaurant community of San Francisco drew him to the bay area in 2001 to work with such great chefs as Laurent Gras, Daniel Patterson, After working as Executive Sous Chef and eventually Executive Chef of Campton place hotel, Schmidt reunited with Daniel Patterson to be the Chef de cuisine of his 2 michelin starred Coi restaurant. He later struck out on his own to head the kitchen of the critically acclaimed Blanca restaurant in San Diego until its closure in 2012. Gavin is the chef/partner of The Morris in San Francisco’s Potrero Flats neighborhood with his colleague from Coi, Paul Einbund, The Morris opened in October of 2016.

Chef Gavin Schmidt, The Morris

Geoff's passion for food began as a young child at his grandparents and parents’ table. Inheriting their passion for cooking and quality produce in particular he became enamored with food. Building on his passion for food, attended The Culinary Institute of America. After graduating, he worked in Michelin-Starred restaurants such as Aqua, The Fifth Floor, and Cyrus. Geoff then served as Chef de Cuisine at The Dock in West Oakland working with Chef James Syhabout. During his time there, he was featured as one of the Top 100 restaurants in the Bay Area and a Michelin Plate. In 2017, he spent six months traveling in Europe, dining and exploring the wine regions of France and Italy before coming back to the Bay Area.

Notably, he was Executive Chef of True Laurel in San Francisco as part of the original team. True Laurel is the cocktail-focused spin-off from the 2 Michelin-starred and celebrated Lazy Bear. True Laurel was included as one of Eater’s and Esquire's Best New Restaurants in the country. In the summer of 2019, Geoff was recognized as one of the Black leaders in fine dining by the Iconoclast Dinner Series hosted at the James Beard House in New York City. Late last year Geoff was recognized as a San Pellegrino 'Game Changer' and Star Chef's Rising Star. Bon Appetit named Burdell as one of the 12 most 'Anticipated Openings' of this year. Now, he works to build this very personal project, Burdell, into a destination for nostalgia, warmth, and hospitality with its forthcoming opening.

Chef Geoff Davis, Burdell

Kyo Dominick represents Domaine Bonneau du Martray in the United States as the National Sales Representative for Karolus Wine Imports. A background as a professional dancer and performer led him to the world of wine and whiskey, where he has worked in both retail and national sales.
Kyo holds the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Advanced Certification and is currently completing the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma.

Kyo Dominick, Karolus Wine Imports

Mary Margaret is one of 53 Masters of Wine residing in the United States. She became a Master of Wine in 2016, and is based in Napa Valley, California.
Mary Margaret was the recipient of two prestigious awards for her performance on the Master of Wine exams, earning both the Bollinger Medal for outstanding tasting ability and the Overall Achievement Award for being the top student in her graduating class.
Mary Margaret has been the Sales Manager at Screaming Eagle since 2015. She also is the General Manager of Karolus Wine Imports, Home of Bonneau du Martray in the United States. In addition to her passion for wine, she believes in working toward a more diverse and equitable landscape of wine professionals, which led her to co-found Wine Unify with Martin Reyes MW and DLynn Proctor.

Mary Margaret McCamic Master of Wine, Screaming Eagle

Many years in the making, The Morris is the restaurant its founder Paul Einbund has always revered — the modest, unpretentious bistro where you can eat and drink at world-class level. The emphasis here is ever on flavor, from chef Gavin Schmidt’s straightforward, pure cuisine to the unique collection of wines and spirits amassed by Einbund, a well-known sommelier, over decades of world travels. Yet at its heart, The Morris, named after Einbund’s late father, aspires mostly to be a warm neighborhood restaurant which will find and nourish its own community.

Burdell is a forward-thinking, Soul food restaurant that focuses on nostalgia, family recipes, and obsessive sourcing by Chef Geoff Davis. Burdell was his maternal grandmother. She was a talented host and lover of the well-set dinner table. An avid baker, she loved sharing meals and laughing with family. The restaurant will tell the story of Black impact on American food and the lost history of farming, ranching, fishing and foraging. Burdell has a focus on New California comfort food that is clever, fun, and modern. The menu will be solely composed of Farmer’s Market produce and highlights the artisans that harvest excellent products around us.