M A R C H 2 0 1 4 / V I S I T E B O N Y . C O M 61

H O M E | F O O D | T R A V E LLive

2 0 1 4 F O O D I E A W A R D S

CELEBRATING THE BEST AFRICAN-AMERICAN KITCHEN STARSB y A M Y E L I S A K E I T H

Top Chefs!

E D I T E D B Y A M Y E L I SA K E I T H

LANCE GROSS, Actor on NBCs

Crisis

L I V E Food

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Grab your napkinthis could get delicious! The 13 honorees featured in

our rst-ever Chef Awards have won for more than just their nger-licking-good fare. During their careers, they have trans-formed neighborhoods, blended exotic cuisines, built dining em-pires and caused presidents and stars alike to crave their spe-cialties. These masters of the kitchen have also taken tradi-tional soul food to new culinary heights. From fried chicken to foie gras, EBONYs celebrity panel of judges has cooked up a list of the countrys best chefs!

62 V I S I T E B O N Y . C O M / M A R C H 2 0 1 4

TANYA HOLLANDPOSITION: Executive Chef, Brown Sugar KitchenCITY: Oakland, Calif.WHY SHE WON: Brunch in the Bay Area isnt brunch without her fried chicken and cornmeal wa es. Plus, Gross says, I have a love for her shrimp and grits.FIRST KITCHEN JOB: I worked without pay at a Michelin starred Relais & Chteau resort on the island of Porquerolles in the south of France, says Holland.MOST OUTRAGEOUS INGREDIENT: In France, I worked with all sorts of exotic ingredients, such as sweetbreads, [which is] the thymus gland of a calf.MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: Aside from mind-blowing brunch fare, Holland truly delights with a Brown Sugar-Rubbed Smoked Brisket.

EBONYS PANEL OF JUDGES:

T H E B A R O N E S S O F B R U N C H

BEVY SMITH, Lifestyle Expert

& Host of Bravos Fashion Queens

MARA BROCK AKIL,

Writer & Producer of BETs Being

Mary Jane

JESSE WILLIAMS, Actor on ABCs Greys Anatomy

ESTELLE, Singer & Foodie

DAISY LEWELLYN,

Fashion Expert & Star of Bravos Blood, Sweat &

Heels

Brown Sugar Pineapple

Glazed Ribs

64 V I S I T E B O N Y . C O M / M A R C H 2 0 1 4

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ROBLE ALIPOSITION: Caterer and star of Bravo TVs Chef Robl & Co.CITY: Brooklyn, NYWHY HE WON: He is the coolest guy in and out of the kitchen, says Lewellyn. He truly knows how to take classic, simple dishes and turn them into [exquisite] food.FIRST KITCHEN JOB: [It ] was at the Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center where I cooked for a very colorful crowd of individuals every day. It was quite a learning experience.MOST OUTRAGEOUS INGREDIENT: I once had the opportunity to make scrambled eggs out of an ostrich egg. The thing was the size of my head!MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: My duck bacon mac-and-cheese. The cheese sauce contains seven di erent very high-quality cheeses.

ALISA REYNOLDSPOSITION: Executive Chef,

My Two CentsCITY: Los Angeles

WHY SHE WON: This well-trained and well-traveled chef is blowing everybodys mind with her new spin on soul food. She

embraces the best of our culture and elevates it to a healthy, tasty new level, says Akil.

Williams agrees. Whether you have the now famous shrimp n grits, the seafood gumbo, black-eyed peas or peach

cobbler, everything is delicious, fresh, light, local and as a result,

healthier than most soul food fare.

FIRST KITCHEN JOB: Pitting thousands of olives at Park

Avenue Cafe in NYC.INGREDIENT OBSESSION: Slap Yo Mama line of Cajun products

MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: Chicken in Waffl es for our

Sunday brunch. Its our homemade fried chicken

stuff ed inside freshly made mini Belgian waffl es.

POSITION: Personal chef & catererCITY: New York CityWHY HE WON: His Southern roots bring your palate to an entirely new playing eld, says Lewellyn. His cornmeal-crusted tilapia mini taco had me looking for someones mama to slap.FIRST KITCHEN JOB: Prep cook at 5 Ninth restaurant in New York Citys

Meatpacking District, cutting a lot of onions, potatoes and carrots, says Minor.INGREDIENT OBSESSION: Im obsessed with hickory liquid smoke. It imparts a distinctive savory avor to vegetables, and roasted meats cant live without it.MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: Tortilla lime chicken with smoky basil aioli, says Minor.

LEAH CHASEPOSITION: Executive chef, Dooky ChasesCITY: New OrleansWHY SHE WON: She keeps the tradition of New Orleans Creole alive not only through her cuisine but also through her incredible collection of African-American artwork and her no-nonsense-yet-loving spirit! says Smith.FIRST KITCHEN JOB: Waiting tables in the French Quarter in the 1940s.INGREDIENT OBSESSION: I am a butter person. Dont come in my kitchen if you dont like butter. I love butter.MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: Gumbo ZHerbes. We also do a turtle stew; snapping turtles are good around the spring.

Tortilla Lime Chicken

Bites

T H E M A V E R I C K

T H E M A T R I A R C H

KENNY MINOR

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B. SMITH POSITION: Founder & Executive Chef, B. Smiths RestaurantsCITY: New York City and Sag Harbor, N.Y. WHY SHE WON: For those in the Big Apple, B. Smiths is a must-dine destination. Gross has been enjoying her brand of elegant soul food for more than a decade. This is one spot I love going to over and over. I can never get tired of the food!FIRST KITCHEN JOB: An a er-hours club in Greenwich Village called The Night Owl. I started prepping and cooking at 7 p.m. We opened at 10 p.m. and closed around 5 a.m.MOST OUTRAGEOUS INGREDIENTS: Crocodile, alligator and kangaroo. MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: Jerk turkey is my calling card! Sweet potato pie tartlets are my signature, and chitlins in pu pastry is the funniest dish I have ever prepared and a family favorite.

GOVIND ARMSTRONGBACKGROUND: Executive Chef, Post & Beam and Willie JaneCITY: Los Angeles & Venice, Calif.WHY HE WON: For more than two decades, Armstrong has been an integral part of Los Angeles culinary evolution, bringing his brand of fresh fare to Southern cuisine, American burgers and family-style dining. Gross says: Post & Beam is a must!FIRST KITCHEN JOB: At 13, he became a prep cook and apprentice to Wolfgang Puck at the original Spago.MOST OUTRAGEOUS DISH: Seared Beaver Tail CarpaccioMOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: A grilled cheese sandwich with pulled short ribs.

RON DUPRATPOSITION: Executive chef,

Latitudes Beaches Caf CITY: Hollywood, Fla.

WHY HE WON: The Haitian-born chef prides himself on

being a voice for the sustainable food movement. His use of

exotic fl avors that blend Haitian Creole accents with French and American fare is a testament to

his remarkable versatility. FIRST KITCHEN JOB: A prep cook and dishwasher at Little

Italy Restaurant.MOST OUTRAGEOUS

INGREDIENT: Bull testicles.MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH:

Shrimp beignets and butternut squash with sweet

potato bisque.

KHALID JOHNSTONPOSITION: Sous Chef, Catch NYCCITY: New York CityWHY HE WON: Catch NYC is one of the hottest restaurants to visit a er hours and Johnstons execution of contemporary seafood is unparalleled, says Estelle.FIRST KITCHEN JOB: A comedy club in Hoover, Ala. MOST OUTRAGEOUS INGREDIENT: The most exotic ingredient I have used recently is birds nest, which is an actual nest of a swallow that the bird makes out of its dried saliva.MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: Scallop seared with multicolor cauli ower and lemon brown-butter scallop croutons.

Grilled Hangar Steakwith RoastedLeek and

Peppers

T H E L I F E S T Y L E G U R U

T H E K I N G O F C A L I

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MARCUS SAMUELSSONPOSITION: Executive Chef at Red Rooster Harlem, Ginnys Supper Club, Ginnys Supper Club and American Table Caf & BarCITY: New York CityWHY HE WON: In addition to being a James Beard award-winning chef with the hottest restaurant in Harlem, Samuelssons ability to weave Southern American cuisine with notes of his Swedish and Ethiopian roots has elevated soul food to new heights.FIRST KITCHEN JOB: A er studying at the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg in Sweden, I apprenticed in Switzerland. In 1994, I arrived in America for an apprenticeship with Aquavit and worked my way up.INGREDIENT OBSESSION: Berbere, an Ethiopian spice. MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: Oven-fried chicken.

AMEERA LEGUEXPOSITION: Private Chef and Executive Chef at H.O.M.E Jazz Supper ClubCITY: Beverly Hills, Calif.WHY SHE WON: The youthful personal chef has a large celebrity clientele who cannot resist her blend of Southeast Asian and Caribbean foods. She makes the best garlic noodles Ive tasted, insists Gross.FIRST KITCHEN JOB: My rst kitchen job was uno cially with my father. He was a local successful restaurant owner, and I was 14.INGREDIENT OBSESSION: White tru e oil. I use it on everything from a simplistic egg frittata with gruyere to a savory brown-butter port wine reduction.MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: Roasted Crab and Sweet Garlic Noodles. My clients say they are addictive.

NINA COMPTONBACKGROUND: Chef de Cuisine, ScarpettaCITY: MiamiWHY SHE WON: A self-proclaimed gnocchi queen, this island girl from St. Lucia has revolutionized Italian cuisine in Miami. For Estelle, Comptons cooking was a very pleasant surprise. She adds, Im not a big risotto fan, but her risotto is to die for and is paired with unexpected ingredients.FIRST KITCHEN JOB: My rst job was at Sandals Regency La Toc in Saint Lucia.INGREDIENT OBSESSION: Finger limes are a very cool and interesting ingredient. They are limes shaped like little pods and add a pop of citrus.MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: Lamb Agnolotti dal Plin with Arugula and Minted Bread Crumbs.

Deviled Eggs with

Chicken Skin Mayonnaise

T H E S U LT A N O F S E A F O O D

PAT & GINA NEELYPOSITION: Food Network

Stars; Executive Chefs, Neelys Barbeque Parlour

CITY: New York CityWHY THEY WON: The king and queen of the Food Network have

an energy in the kitchen like no other pair of chefs. Estelle agrees: They cook Southern American food like my mum

cooks African food: simple, easy and it looks fun! Ive used their

cookbooks many times!FIRST KITCHEN JOB: My

fi rst kitchen job was with my great-grandmother snapping

beans and mixing batter, says Gina. At 13, Pat got his fi rst

taste of cooking: My fi rst job in the kitchen was working for my uncle who owned a small restaurant. I did everything

I could to learn how his business worked.

INGREDIENT OBSESSION: Saff ron, says Gina.

MOST WELL-KNOWN DISH: My pork spare ribs and a side of

asparagus wrapped in bacon, says Pat.

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