( ENSPIRE News ) Restauranter and Chef Launch Kulture: A Black Chef Table, a Houston-Based Culinary Experience Highlighting Black Chefs
ENSPIRE Contributor: Maya Lanzone
Famed restaurateur Marcus Davis and chef Keisha Griggs are using their platform to shine the spotlight on African/African American chefs and food purveyors identifying as Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) through the event Kulture: A Black Chef Table. Davis, the mastermind behind the event, hopes to provide an opportunity for Black culinarians to rise to the same heights as non-minority chefs by giving them exposure to the public. Kulture: A Black Chef Table will provide Black-owned food purveyors and culinary artists a space to showcase their abilities, refined palates, and various culinary perspectives.
Davis is well-known across the country for his award-winning restaurant, The Breakfast Klub. This culinary experience will be hosted at the Davis’ James Beard-nominated restaurant, Kulture, in downtown Houston. Diners at the event will experience a delicious multi-course dinner with foods inspired by cultures from around the world, including Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, Spain, Mexico, and the Americas. The dishes will be crafted using fresh ingredients sourced from local African American-owned businesses.
ENSPIRE spoke with Davis about the event and his passion for cooking:
Why is providing a platform for BIPOC chefs and food purveyors so important to you?
Providing a platform for Black chefs and food purveyors is important to me because it’s necessary. My definition of entrepreneurship is fulfilling a need that the marketplace is consciously or subconsciously calling for, and Black Chef Table fills a void. It’s important to these chefs who are true artists. Also, I believe a lot can happen when access and opportunity are provided. Gems are discovered; diamonds are pulled from rocks. Providing access and opportunity to our first executive chef created a platform for the trajectory she’s on today.
Where did your passion for food come from?
My passion for food came from my dad through the hands of my great-grandmother. I was born into a home that had a luxury that I didn’t know was a luxury, and that luxury was a father who could really, really cook. He was my introduction to great flavor and hospitality. My house was a place where we entertained quite a bit. After church on Sundays, folks would come to our house to eat my father’s cooking. That cooking passion led him to start a part-time catering business, which became the first job I ever had at about nine years old. That was my introduction to the hospitality business, following in my father’s footsteps.
What kinds of food should diners at the event expect?
Diners can expect truly delicious food. Our chefs have experience and training in cuisines influenced by nearly every part of the world. We’ve had collard green empanada, abruzzese lamb skewers with charred broccolini, ricotta, and focaccia, smoked crispy porchetta with umbrian style pasta and so much more. Each chef uses his or her cultural background to influence their culinary artistry.
Can you tell me about your experience hosting chefs for the event in March and early April?
The experience has been phenomenal and eye-opening. It has been affirmed that this was absolutely necessary for the market. My belief in providing access and opportunity has deepened because of working with these chefs. I’ve seen that this is a desire in the hearts of chefs and diners alike.
Several chefs took part in Kulture: A Black Chef Table in March and April of this year, and more chefs are to come. If you’re in the Houston area, this is an event you don’t want to miss. Come out and support BIPOC chefs and food purveyors while enjoying tasty food from cultures around the world. To learn more about the event and attending future chefs, check out their website.
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