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The fabric of American cuisine is woven from centuries of exceptional cooking by Black chefs. Part I of our series examines their impact on the food served on the nation’s tables with the legendary chef Joe Randall and his perspective on Black culinary history.
Part 2 of Still We Rise focuses on the accomplishments of two award-winning Black female chefs and restaurateurs, Kristi Brown and Tiffany Derry. They represent the impressive advances African American chefs are making in the present world of culinary achievement.
The Present: Chef Kristi Brown
When Seattle’s Kristi Brown first sought to learn more about Black chefs, she discovered how scarce information was in books, magazines and other media. “I was super disheartened about that. Then, my dad gave me a book that had Patrick Clark in it. That was the first Black chef that I found out about. I was so excited to follow him because he did amazing things,” says the executive chef and restaurateur.
Brown had not heard of Saveer Wright, Lyndon B. Johnson’s chef and a civil rights activist, or Malinda Russell, the author of the first African American cookbook. Learning about James Hemings in culinary school was a revelation.
“That was shocking to me. It rocked my entire understanding. I think about how many times I have been left out of spaces because I didn’t fit the standard of fine dining or whatever,” says the founder of That Brown Girl Cooks.
The chef and caterer applauds the progress made in the attention given to the accomplishments of Blacks in the hospitality industry. “It wasn’t until the last 20 years that I’ve learned about so many more chefs, thanks to Toni Tipton-Martin, Jessica B, Harris and others like Therese Nelson, founder of Black Culinary History.”
Brown points out the significance of that enlightenment. “We are American cooking, period. That is not an argument that can be discussed. So, we must continue to tell our stories so folks understand who we are and what we have contributed.”
Communion Builds Community
Brown graduated from culinary school in 1993 and developed a relationship with her mentor, the late Wayne Johnson. The Seattle head chef was beloved for his work at high-end restaurants and dedication to FareStart, a James Beard Award-winning nonprofit. Johnson’s leadership at the organization helped people overcome employment barriers with free training for restaurant jobs.
“That’s the magic of food. It’s such a universal expression of care and love,” says Communion Restaurant & Bar’s owner. “Yes, it is wonderful to get accolades for what you do. But what’s really important is to create and have spaces where people can thrive in their careers and provide themselves with a good standard of living.”
The executive chef heeded Johnson’s instructions about giving back by making Communion a safe space for new employees during the COVID pandemic. “People wanted to find a place where they could feel free to be themselves. I felt really proud of providing a space where people could advance and thrive in the industry,” Brown emphasizes.
Brown and her son Bomar infuse the feeling of community at Communion by building opportunities for guests and food entrepreneurs to come together in a nurturing space for pop-ups, markets, classes and other events.
“We try to give opportunities as much as possible. We have to showcase each other. Giving people a chance to make money is one more way my son and I have been able to create our business to be a blessing to ourselves and to the community,” says the chef.
Distinct Black Qualities
In 2021, Conde Nast Traveler named the upscale casual restaurant in Seattle’s once mostly-Black Central District one of the 12 best restaurants in the world. The New York Times, Seattle Met Magazine and Seattle Eater placed Communion on their lists of best restaurants in America. Last fall, Brown and Bomar opened a quick-service eatery in the Black-owned Métier Brewing Company’s Cherry Street taproom in October. The menu features some of her most in-demand dishes.
Brown’s “Seattle Soul” cooking speaks to her love for melding soul food classics with the cuisines of Asian, African and other cultures represented in the city’s neighborhoods. “The groundwork that my parents and grandparents laid enabled me to understand and appreciate other cultures. That helps me create what I do now,” she offers.
The restaurateur describes her welcome home approach to the food and atmosphere. “One of the things we do particularly well at Communion is having fun. It’s a wonderful expression of culinary artistry. I think we add different layers, and it expands the mind of what you think about when you think about Black food.”
The Kansas City native identifies some of the distinctly unique qualities Blacks bring to the kitchen and not only in the U.S. She grew up around talented cooks who knew how to season dishes.
“I think our exploration of spices and layering of flavors with fat and salt is unmatched. We have an interesting, innate understanding of spices, and that is something I’ve found in our cooking around the world. The development of how we layer flavor is different from a lot of other cultures. I think that is part of our genius.”
Chef Kristi’s Realistic Outlook
The chef enhanced her reputation for making flavor-packed, soulful food when she launched That Brown Girl Catering! nearly three decades ago. She transitioned the company into the That Brown Girl Cooks culinary collective in 2012. Still, the restaurateur’s success and her pride in seeing Black celebrity chefs featured on TV do not blind her to the relentless demands of being in the food business.
“You have to be built for a bit of toughness to be successful in this field, not only in your skills but also on the personal side. It takes a lot. It takes more than I think people realize to do this work,” Brown stresses.
Brown tells aspiring cooks to ask questions, make a plan, and see the profession with realistic, not romantic notions about the long hours, physical tolls or relationship challenges. “This industry is not for the faint. It’s not an easy road. You have to be really clear about what you are doing it for and why.”
Yet Brown insists the sacrifices do not diminish her love for cooking. “I love providing food for folks. I love the creativity it gives me. I love what it does for other people, so it is a win-win situation all the way around.”
Communion’s owner views the culinary arts as an excellent conduit for expression and healing when African American chefs lift up their voices and each other. “When you see the devastation going on, you can look to art to see resilience and the push to move forward,” Brown argues.
“We create things, and then we flourish no matter what is happening around us. I think food does that because everybody gotta eat. That’s the thing that will be able to help us shine.”
The Present: Chef Tiffany Derry
Tiffany Derry’s star shines bright in the culinary arena, where she is recognized as an innovative chef, successful restaurateur and TV celebrity. The Dallas Morning News recently reported that the entrepreneur had reached a new milestone by becoming the first Black full-time judge on Gordon Ramsay’s Master Chef Season 15. The Fox show premieres this summer.
“Reading it that way, it felt very significant. I’m also proud of the accomplishment and want to make my parents, family and friends proud of me. It is a weight on my shoulders,” admits the two-time MasterChef guest judge.
Derry started breaking barriers while still a teenager, growing up in a family of marvelous cooks. Her mom particularly liked experimenting with new recipes from other cultures, like the Mexican soup made with cow’s stomach, hominy, onions, red chili peppers, cilantro and lime.
“I can remember the first time my mom made menudo. I loved it. We ate very well and had lots of home-cooked meals,” says the Texas native.
At 15, the future award-winning culinarian encountered her first obstacle to becoming a chef. “I decided I wanted to work at IHOP. I told them I wanted to be a cook. They told me at the time, no women were allowed in their kitchen,” recalls Derry.
The teenager refused to let that stop her. She took a job as a server at the International House of Pancakes (IHOP). After frequent visits to the kitchen, the cooks began teaching her line techniques. Derry eventually won over management and started cooking.
Building on Black Backbones
Now the co-owner of five restaurants with her T2D Concepts partner, Tom Foley, Derry refused to allow others to dictate her destiny. She later found a mentor in acclaimed Black chef Mark Holley and worked with him in Houston while earning a culinary degree.
“He called the school, and I ended up interning with and working for him for a few years. He was the first Black chef I knew,” Derry reveals.
Early in her career, the restaurateur did not meet any other Black or women chefs she could emulate. However, her awareness of other Blacks achieving success in the culinary field grew as she traveled the world, gaining expertise in the cuisines of different countries.
“We’ve been the backbones of so many kitchens. We’ve learned to do so many things. I was in Paris and saw Africans cooking French food in the kitchens. We’re able to do it all. We’re all over the world,” exclaims the Dallas entrepreneur.
Television audiences watched Derry compete as one of Bobby Flay’s titans on three seasons of “Bobby’s Triple Threat.” Before that, she reached the final four in season two of Bravo’s “Top Chef” and placed in the semi-finals of “Top Chef: All-Stars.”
The popular Texas chef became a Food Network judge and competitor before she opened her first Roots Chicken Shak in 2017. The shops in Plano and Austin specialize in duck-fat fried chicken and French fries. So, do you think the chef’s fame made launching a full-service Roots Southern Table easier?
“Roots was something I wanted for seven years. I actively searched for investors that long, and it took the seventh year to make it happen,” Derry answers. The chef refused to let the lack of backing stop her. “I’ve always looked at life in a way that will not change what I’m going to do. I’m going to do what I want anyway.”
Chef Derry did precisely what she wanted after meeting Foley and forming their purpose-driven T2D hospitality group. In 2021, the New York Times and Esquire placed Roots Southern Table among the nation’s best restaurants.
Derry’s menu honors the Cajun, Creole and African cuisine that influenced her family’s cooking in Beaumont, Texas. The seafood gumbo, fried chicken, black-eyed pea hummus and other Southern dishes earned Roots a 2021 Restaurant of the Year award from the Dallas Observer.
“I worked the line every day at Roots Southern Table. That was my love. What makes Roots special is my soul is in that place,” declares the chef.
Not a One-Pot Wonder
On April 15, the 2022 James Beard Award finalist launched T2D’s second Italian restaurant. Despite the rave reviews for the first Radici Wood Fired Grill, Derry still finds skeptics who think the chef is a one-pot wonder who can only cook Southern food, not Italian specialties with house-made pasta and seasonal ingredients.
“I see people coming in, and they are tasting hard,” Derry shares with amusement. “I have some older customers that are like, ‘This is really good.’ They are surprised. I don’t know why they should be. I studied Italian in culinary school, and once I was out of school, I worked for 10 years cooking Italian. I was cooking Italian before I did Southern cuisine.”
Together, Derry and Foley invest equally in their restaurant concepts and ‘Shef Tiffany spice and apparel line. As a team, they are building a business that promotes equity and provides opportunity for more women and people of color to prosper in the culinary world.
Derry expresses why she is proud of the opportunities T2D generates. “Too many times, our Black and Brown people are in situations where they feel like they can’t think about becoming chefs,” says Derry. “Most people on my team hadn’t been given chances to grow, make mistakes and learn. I created that with my restaurants.”
RELATED: 10 Fun Black History Food Facts to Savor and Celebrate
African American Chefs Owning Our Stories
The Dallas chef is equally adamant about the need for people of color in the hospitality field to preserve and share their stories. Derry encourages families to begin their education at home.
“When Juneteenth came around, I was talking to my parents and said we didn’t talk enough. We have to do better and own our stories. We can’t allow our kids to learn it in school. We have to own our history.”
Derry believes a vital part of that education is staying in touch with Blacks in hospitality and supporting their careers. She mentions Kwame Onwuachi, Tavel Bristol-Joseph and Eric Williams, the executive chef and owner of Chicago’s Virtue Restaurant & Bar as culinary pioneers fighting every day to make things better for Black people.
“I love, love what Eric Williams is doing in Chicago. Honestly, what I love about chefs now is how they are activating community, taking a stand on policy and sharing,” she suggests.
The celebrity chef could not be more pleased with African American chefs today sharing what they know with each other. Derry is glad the isolation she felt early in her career has ended. “I love the Salamander Family Reunion. When I went five years ago, it was my first time being surrounded by Black chefs. It’s true what they say, ‘Come as friends and walk away as family.’”
Last November, Derry and T2D Concept’s co-founder held their first Shef Food & Wine Festival in Grand Prairie, Texas. The event brought together well-known chefs and spirits makers for a weekend of tastings, discussions, mentoring and fellowship. The second Shef F+W Festival will be held this October.
Treating each other as family means ensuring the next generation of young Black chefs can connect with Black mentors willing to guide them through often discouraging challenges. “I think as Black people, we possess so much within us. We have been great in overcoming so many obstacles. The grit and the drive in us is special,” says Derry.
The T2D Concepts co-owner advises young people in the hospitality business to reach out and ask for what they need to survive and thrive. “Just know you are not alone. There are people willing to help. We want you to be at the top of our game.”
Chef Derry is encouraged by African American chefs’ progress in gaining recognition and respect for their ingenuity. She wants the next generation of Black culinarians to make the most of the doors opening.
“It is happening. I see it every day. You can look over the past few years and see that it has changed. I am ecstatic about the future for us.”
- Still We Rise Part 1 – The Impact of America’s Black Chefs: The Past
- Still We Rise Part 3 – The Impact of America’s Black Chefs: The Future
Explore the contributions of extraordinary Black chefs past, present and future in Cuisine Noir. Many of these chefs with tremendous impact and influence are featured in the magazine’s print and online issues.
The names include but are not limited to James Beard Award nominees, Michelin Star winners, TV celebrities and best chef and best restaurant award recipients:
Eric Adjepong, Ope Amosu, Sunny Anderson, Nyesha Arrington, Mashama Bailey, Dane Baldwin, Erica Barrett, Angel Barreto, Leilani Baugh, Shorne Benjamin, Andew Black, Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Damien Brockway, Kardea Brown, Ed Brumfield, Geoff Davis, Greg Collier, Nina Compton, Erika Council, BJ Dennis, Tobias Dorzon, Darryl E. Evans, Bryan Ferman, G. Gavin, Nelson German, Kenny Gilbert, Gregory Gourdet, Jerome Grant, Carla Hall, Rahman “Rock” Harper, Tanya Holland, Stanley Jackson, JJ Johnson, Prince Lobo, Dolester Miles, Charlie Mitchell, Mariya Moore-Russell, Serigne Mbaye and Duane Nutter.
Also, Lorraine Pascal, Joseph Paire III, Charly Pierre, Michael Reed, Todd Richards, Jonny Rhodes, Damon Sawyer, Rodney Scott, Ashley Shanti, Alexander Smalls, Daryl Shular, Gerald Sombright, Elias Taddesse, Cybille St. Aude-Tate, Omar Tate, Bryant Terry, Pierre Thiam, Tarsha Grey, Vernetta Stewart, Sheri Raleigh- Yearby, Deborah VanTrece, Michelle Wallace, Nick Wallace, Tunde Wey, Jernard Wells, Leon West, Tre Wilcox, Chris Williams and David Zilber.
You can find out more about these talented African American chefs on their websites, social media platforms, or in Cuisine Noir.
