Emma's Torch

“Food can do more than nourish us—it can change lives,” says Kerry Brodie of her eatery, whose menu is crafted almost entirely by refugee chefs from around the world. The goal is both to expose diners to new dishes, such as black-eyed pea hummus, and to empower the people who cook them: after a two-month paid apprenticeship, which includes English lessons, graduates are connected to other New York restaurants for full-time jobs. —Ashley Mateo