June 08, 2022
Courtesy of/Kory Aversa
Stina Pizzeria Chef Bobby Saritsoglou is teaming up with Diana Widjojo, chef and co-owner at Hardena, on a collaborate charity menu for Pride Month on Tuesday, June 21. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Attic Youth Center.
Stina Pizzeria in South Philadelphia is bringing back its guest-chef series later this month with chef Diana Widjojo, who co-owns Indonesian restaurant Hardena in Newbold.
Each month, Stina Chef Bobby Saritsoglou teams up with a fellow Philly chef to create a special menu, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit a cause of the guest's choice. With Widjojo, Saritsoglou will serve a multi-course dinner on June 21, featuring Indonesian cuisine that will benefit the Attic Youth Center in honor of Pride Month.
The two chefs met while at an event celebrating Indonesian culture, and Saritsoglou immediately knew Widjojo would be perfect for the monthly series. Both chefs share interests and values connected to their South Philly community, and as Widjojo is a member of the LGBTQ community, it made sense for her to collaborate on the Pride Month menu.
"I love that the Philadelphia restaurant industry is such a tight knit community and that we can get the chance to hone our skills and learn new ones in each other's kitchen," Widjojo said. "This collab will be taking place during Pride Month, which is my favorite month of the year because as the 'B' in LGBT I have a lot to be happy about celebrating through food and being my authentic self."
The prix fixe menu features Indonesian-inspired dishes curated by Widjojo and Saritsoglou in preparation for the charity dinner. Highlights of the menu include:
• Pecel: fresh veggie salad, fried enoki mushroom, grilled tofu, radish, herbed peanut dressing, rempeyek with anchovies
• Sambal Kerang: clams in coconut milk sambal, noodles, watercress
• Ayam Betutu: Balinese chicken, lettuce wrap, rice crunchies
• Rendang Kambing: slow-cooked goat in coconut milk, candlenut, aromatics served with golden turmeric, rice, and kale in jeruk dressing
• Ketimus: banana leaf-wrapped steamed sweet cassava cake, Javanese Palm sugar, pandan-infused coconut milk cream
Widjojo's mother, Ena, opened Hardena in Point Breeze in 2001, eventually moving to its current location at the corner of Hicks and Moore streets in Newbold. Since then, the restaurant has been operated by Ena and her two daughters, Diana and Maylia.
The sisters took over operations five years ago, but the South Philly restaurant remains a family-owned staple in the community. The restaurant was named as a James Beard semifinalist in 2018, but Widjojo didn't realize what the special recognition meant at the time.
In addition to assisting her sister in operating and managing the restaurant, Widjojo cooks and manages Hardena's social media presence. Currently, the restaurant's Instagram account has more than 19,000 followers.
Stina, the Mediterranean-inspired pizzeria located less than 10 minutes from the Indonesian restaurant, focuses on social charity as a key part of its mission. Since beginning the guest chef series, Saritsoglou has been able to donate to local charities each month, both as part of the series and through its own "cause of the month."
"We created Stina to express love for food, our culture, our community and each other ... celebrate with us," said Saritsoglou. "We are so happy to be able to do what we love, give back and help make our community a better place. We can't express how grateful we are."
The Attic Youth Center was established 30 years ago as a community organization focused on elevating the lives of LGBTQ youth throughout the city. It is currently the only LGBTQ organization that works exclusively with young people, providing necessary supports and live-saving services.
The meal is pre-paid and reservations are available from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Each ticket is $85 per person, with 20% of proceeds benefitting the LGBTQ organization and its programming.
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
4 to 10 p.m. | $85 per ticket
Stina Pizzeria
1705 Snyder Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19145
