The restaurant industry has long been a gateway to opportunity and a community cornerstone for newcomers to America. How has the role of restaurants and South Asian cuisine evolved from generation to generation? Visit Writers Theatre to join a panel of food experts for a FREE discussion on the history and future of South Asian food in Chicagoland.

Ajit Kalra grew up around professional upscale restaurants kitchens. His father was one of the foremost Indian food writers and restaurateurs, and a formal ambassador to Indian food as appointed by the President of India. That exposure to ultra fine dining over decades led him to an entrepreneurial food journey of his own. Although a banker by profession, he has been an advanced cook for many years with an obsessive love of food and fine wine. 

Susan Patel is the daughter of one of the co-founders of Patel Brothers, the largest Indian grocery chain in America. Currently the Executive Director of the South Asian American Chamber of Commerce in Illinois (SAACCIL), Susan leads the organization in its mission to support and advance the interests of South Asian American businesses across the state. SAACCIL is dedicated to fostering economic growth, providing networking opportunities, and advocating for policies that benefit the South Asian business community.

Dr. Colleen Taylor Sen is a Chicago-based culinary historian who specializes in writing about the food of the Indian Subcontinent. Her articles on food and travel have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Travel and Leisure, Food Arts, Ms magazine, and other publications. She is the author or coeditor of nine books, including The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian Cuisine and Feasts and Fasts: A History of Indian Food which was named one of the best food books of the year by Vogue and The Smithsonian Magazines. She is currently writing the first history of Indian food in America.