Noadvisory Podcast
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Noadvisory Podcast
How Two Chefs Build Elegant Brunch Menus
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You can taste the difference between “somebody can cook” and “somebody can cater,” and we get into that gap with two heavy hitters: Chef Almost Famous (Jessica Jones of Love N This Grub) and Chef Danny B (owner of The Themed Cuisine). From the jump, we talk luxury catering the way it really happens, how you build an experience for weddings, milestone parties, and high-end events, and why presentation is not optional when you want premium clients.
We also dig into what makes their food stick in your memory. Think French toast leveled up with homemade mascarpone whipped cream and a blueberry compote, candied bacon on the side, and a collard green dip that has people going back for “one more bite.” They share how they develop flavors, pull inspiration from restaurant runs and travel, and keep their menus from turning into the same tired event lineup everyone has seen a hundred times.
Then the conversation opens up into partnership and business: how they met, how they work together, and the one place they actually bump heads, control in the kitchen (plus a running debate about putting honey on everything). We wrap by spotlighting Chopped Into The Return, their Charlotte brunch competition and day party built around creativity, real culinary judges, and a crowd that actually gets to eat the entries.
If you like chef stories, catering gems, and the Charlotte food scene, press play and ride with us. Subscribe, share this with a foodie friend, and leave a review telling us what brunch dish you would bring to a competition.
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Cold Open And Studio Energy
SPEAKER_04Yay! Cheers! See your McLeod.
SPEAKER_01And it's Jasmine like the motherfucking flower. And if you don't know, now you know, nigga.
SPEAKER_00What's up, freaks and geeks? It's Lex Rated.
SPEAKER_05Ariola. I need you to go back to your old shit. Yeah. I don't watch dishes no more.
SPEAKER_04You need a new slogan.
SPEAKER_01You definitely need Ariola is too short.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. You definitely need something.
SPEAKER_01Everybody else got at least two or three syllables.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. I don't watch dishes.
SPEAKER_05I don't watch dishes no more. I was ready to say that.
SPEAKER_01I thought you were still there.
SPEAKER_04That wasn't the right one. That was it. But yo, man, we got a very, very great show for you guys today, man. Shout out to our live studio audience in the beginning. Too many of y'all metaphobic, buddy.
SPEAKER_03Shout out to y'all.
SPEAKER_06So we do a lot of people in here.
SPEAKER_03And if y'all watch it on y'all screens, we already fucked up the food. So this wasn't the presentation. Just checking my stories just here. What's that, Jack?
SPEAKER_05Shit was busted. I know it was gonna be. I would have been here 30 minutes earlier. You said 16 minutes, 30 minutes away. And you never said nothing about food.
SPEAKER_04I would have made that five minutes.
SPEAKER_01It was in the group chat.
SPEAKER_04You see, you see how you don't pay attention. That's when we see who doesn't pay attention. I ain't seen that in the group chat. But yo, listen, man, we got a very, we got very, very special guests in the building with us today. Celebrities. Celebrities.
SPEAKER_03That's they they are the reasoning why this food looks like it does at came in advance. Yes, they're the reason why I am uh got the itis right now. Already already had the items a little bit when I came in.
SPEAKER_01Oh my goodness. How you believe you how you get the itis off of margaritas? I don't think that's a thing.
SPEAKER_04Nah, the margaritas, they got me fucked up. Mexican shits be fucking you up. Yeah, them shits, they're not regular margaritas. They're not.
SPEAKER_01That's the bottom of the bottom shelf, so that's not regular.
SPEAKER_04It's not regular margaritas. That's why those shit have you fucked up.
unknownRight.
Meet The Chefs And Their Brands
SPEAKER_04But y'all man, listen. But we won't bring on the norvisor anyway because we got new posts that y'all haven't seen.
SPEAKER_03So this is looking in the normal ask y'all three simple motherfucking questions. You ready? Who you are, where you from?
SPEAKER_01And what the fuck you do? Oh, all right. So I am Jessica Jones, best known as Chef Almost Famous. And I'm from Baltimore.
SPEAKER_03Say two.
SPEAKER_01Say two. You know I'ma say two. You gonna hear it all day, yeah. Say two, say two. I'm weak. You know you're gonna hear it all day. Um, and what do I do? I cater large, elegant events. I am one of the best because I'm sitting with the best.
SPEAKER_04I forgot the awards. Should have bought the awards. It's okay.
SPEAKER_01It is.
SPEAKER_04They know.
SPEAKER_01That's it. My name is Chef Danny B. I am the owner of the theme cuisine from Gaffney, South Carolina. And I curate large events in a luxury theme aspect. All over, travel all over.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I've been seeing y'all.
SPEAKER_01I make things beautiful, food, and the presentation display.
SPEAKER_04Is it presentation or presentation?
SPEAKER_01Doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_04Shut up. How do you say it? Presentation.
SPEAKER_01Presentation.
SPEAKER_04Presentation. It's presentation. So listen, go ahead. My bad, Jas. Oh, okay. Say it again.
SPEAKER_00Presentation.
SPEAKER_04There you go. I said I'm gonna say presentation note.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I say presentation too.
SPEAKER_04But listen, man, y'all brought, you know, some luxurious dishes for us. Let's get around. Yeah, so uh tell us what did y'all bring for us today. It is. It is that we demolished.
SPEAKER_01Toe it up.
SPEAKER_04Toe it up.
SPEAKER_01He made that up. So before Danny was the themed cuisine, she was the brunch lady. Okay, period. The brunch lady of Charlotte. Okay, alright. So she specialized in all things brunch. So her most popular dish was French toast, and of course, the Cajun Creole shrimp and grapes. So then when she met me, I decided to add a little spin to the French toast. So we had a French toast with a uh Mars Capone whipped cream, homemade, and a blueberry compote. Um, we also paired that with a candied bacon and our silent killer. I'm telling you, you really have to taste it to believe how delicious it is. And that is the smoked turkey collard green dips. Oh, that's turkey? Okay, all right. Yes, smoked turkey. I would have got more if I knew that was turkey. I thought that was pork. Oh look, she don't even eat pork, but she still eating. No, I eat pork. I ate the bacon, but like I would have got more. I like turkey. You got some more.
SPEAKER_04And it is now you said it was a blueberry what?
SPEAKER_01Compote. So where I reduce the blueberries all the way down to like uh jelly. Okay, yeah. I was about to say you're explaining Sarah. They don't watch Food Network. Yeah, I don't know. I bring it all the way down. It's called a reduction. You know what reduction is?
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_01Okay, period.
SPEAKER_05What that means. You took the insides out and put jelly in it.
SPEAKER_00That's close. That's wrong the wrong way. I should have looked over here and asked.
SPEAKER_01So, no, um,
What They Served And Why
SPEAKER_01you use sugar and water and you bring it, you boil it down to its like gelatinous stage. Did you hear that? I'm so intelligent, gelatinous stage. Yes, we love big words over here.
SPEAKER_00Pronounced it correctly and everything. Yeah, I think.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_01For the most part.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01So that's all we had. We brought up some of our favorites to some um our favorite podcast, and yeah, that's you guys always enjoy it.
SPEAKER_05It feels like you should come more often. Just drop in.
SPEAKER_01Just drop on in. You know we're here every Thursday. So, how long have you guys been cooking individually? Well, I know probably since you were a child, but when you took it serious as your business. Well, I would say not as a child, because it shocked my family when they found out that I was taking catering seriously. I actually took cooking seriously in college because um I just got tired of going to the cafeteria, eating booties and noodles. I'm about to experiment with some, you know, Philly cheesesteak egg rolls, started cooking on the halls, and I'm like, okay, this is getting good. I can hustle, you know, sell plates and stuff, and that's how it started from there. But with the theme cuisine, um, before that I was the brunch lady. Before that, I was brown trap at started in 2020 during COVID and got bored, nobody was outside, but we all got big as hell. So um started with that and then just blew up from there.
SPEAKER_04Now, I want the origin story of how did you guys like first first meet? I cut you off. My bad.
SPEAKER_01Well, so our story. No, our stories are pretty similar. Um, I started cooking during COVID because nobody was doing anything else. So my friend Chris used to send me recipes like, girl, make this, and I'm like, I'm about to make it. And I would make it and it would taste better than everybody else's food. So then I just started cooking more and making more recipes, starting to add a little flavor. And one day, uh, a young man, he had I had met him in a club, and he was like, um, I introduced myself to him because the DJ was like, Who make a half a meal? Who make all this? And I was like, Whoever makes the most and keep standing up, I'm about to go say something to him. So I went and said something to him, and he made over a million dollars a year. So I was like, I want to get to know you. So he was like, Well, damn, you so humble and daring. Like, what made you come up to me? I was like, I ain't hating on you. You make a million, it's the way that I can possibly be your friend and get some of the million. So uh a couple months later, I was at work at the airport and he hit me up and he was like, Do you know a caterer? And I'm like, Hold up. He because he was about to have a Christmas party. So I'm like, I cook so good, I'm gonna be your caterer. I'ma come and I'm gonna cook for you and your wife for free. So, long story short, that's how I started doing large events. My first event was the largest event I ever had, was over 175 people. So I'll do it small, but I'd much rather feed a whole whole lot of people at one time. So our stories, we started at the same time. COVID. COVID. That's where people just learn new skills and shit. Absolutely. Like this is a skill I ain't never getting rid of.
SPEAKER_00So you say you're from Baltimore. What part of Baltimore are you from?
SPEAKER_01The county I don't know how to fight. Which county? Which county though? Baltimore County? You must not be from Baltimore. No. I went to school in Baltimore. When people say the county, they mean Baltimore County. Oh, yeah, I'm from Baltimore County. I went to Baltimore. Okay. Perfect.
SPEAKER_00What about Baltimore do you think influences your your cooking?
SPEAKER_01That's a really, really good question. Thank you. I gave it to it. I gave it to you. I do this.
SPEAKER_05You're welcome. Thank you.
SPEAKER_01My uh palate is very Baltimore. If you've ever been, we do everything honey. So I may do a double egg with a honey lemon pepper shrimp. I do a honey jerk salmon with pineapple mango salsa. Like it's so seafood. Everything about me is Baltimore, so much so that after 16 years, we're moving a fuck back up there. Oh, sure. Because that's where the real money will be. So I would say 95% of my menu is inspired by my Baltimore roots.
SPEAKER_06Okay.
SPEAKER_01Mambo sauce is from Wings', but I do show. Shout out to Wings of the Show. Shout out to Wings's Wings.
SPEAKER_04Who is Wings'?
SPEAKER_01Right, because I I heard that. Yeah, I came on the show around.
SPEAKER_04He got the Mamba sauces.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm running low. Yes. And I've been trying to figure out how to make it. So I ain't gotta. Or you could go right to the chef store. He got it for like $30. It's the bag. Okay, yeah. Oh, and it's it's like that, like that.
SPEAKER_04I think he's been away.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he was on here, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Shout out to my man when he wanted to come back and we get them all.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So that was a really, really good question, though. But yeah, I'm all Baltimore in my heart. I ain't taking it away. Yes. Uh, but our our experience in Baltimore will be slightly different because I'm gonna really be introducing Danny to Baltimore. I'm I'm fine. They're gonna be calling me, but I'm gonna be making her like she's already big. Now she started doing like bar mitzvahs and stuff. Oh, it's going to be like I
Turning Cooking Into A Business
SPEAKER_01wanna be like, this is the celebrity. She's the gold standard for catering. I'm just her helper. And then I'll just fall in where we can.
SPEAKER_04But that's what you got to said bar mitzvahs. You know you made it when you go with bar mitzvahs.
SPEAKER_06It's her right. It's her knowing you up there.
SPEAKER_04So, what's your origin story? How did you guys like first meet?
SPEAKER_05I answer right now.
SPEAKER_01Hey Jump who's Facebook. We are Facebook lovers. Hey, I ain't mad at that.
SPEAKER_00Was it basically dating or just seeing each other? Yes.
SPEAKER_01Her pink. Her little joint said, Don't be boring. I like pink. And I'm like, who the fuck? She's not giving me no nothing to go off of and see what I could do. She said pain or pain. I mean, I like pink. Oh, pink. You gotta listen. So I ain't boring. And that's just how it started. But I ain't like it, though, because she was taking too long to respond back. I like somebody. As soon as I say something, you say something back. Right, right. Have a little dialogue. Yeah, but when we first, when we our first date was eight hours, so it was like eight hours, and then we still here.
SPEAKER_04So we but hold on, where did y'all go for the eight hours?
SPEAKER_01We went to nine different places. You know Zo incident, but no, no, that's a good question.
SPEAKER_05No, they said it when they first came, when they first came back. What was the gas prices back then?
SPEAKER_00It was so it was all in the vicinity of each other. Yeah, so we started at Salvation Army, and then we went to Thrifton. Thrifton.
SPEAKER_01I was like, oh, this this is different at 10 a.m. Mind you, I'm not a morning person, but I'm like, nope, okay. Um, where else can we go? Shoot. To another thrift store. To another Value Village. I love me some value. Shout out to Value Village. I love Value Village. Think about anything. We went to Waffle. Waffley? Shout out to Waffle Victory. Wait, my man. We went to go see my mother. Like, it was just like, on the first day, oh, we went to a commissary kitchen. We went everywhere. Like on our first day, we had the pictures. Yes, we did way too much. And really wasn't. We went to our friend's food truck. We just was going everywhere. And I was like, yo, I like her. I was just like, get in the car. She was like, all right. And she's never been with a woman. I'm back, girl. Look, my shit froze.
SPEAKER_00I'm mad as hell. Let me start over there.
SPEAKER_05You were speaking about the thrift shopping chef. I'm meant to ask you, like, because every time I see you, your drip is like it's different. You feel me? Like you do outside the box with your swag. Where do you get your fashion sense from? And how important is fashion and cooking to you, like mixed together and separate type shit.
SPEAKER_01I don't be like missing in either one.
SPEAKER_05Like okay.
SPEAKER_01When it comes to dressing, uh, if I don't have all my chef clothes, sometimes I wear my chef clothes just because of money just come to me when I got on my chef attire. So I don't have like the typical nine to five, but she'll be like, Why you got your chef clothes on? I'm like, up the walking promotion. I'm the walk in promotion because they'll be like, Oh, you cook. I'm like, no, I cater. And I always let people know I cater weddings, birthday parties, milestone birthday parties. Bar mitts. Yeah, I got the person to do bar mitts for us. Love it. So um when it comes to anything creative, I love. But yeah, I take my fashion sense very serious. So much so that um on the dating app, I was like, she was like, Well, damn, you're too specific. That's just it. You need to be well dressed. Nobody's dressed in a mess.
SPEAKER_00Right, gotcha.
SPEAKER_01I look good, you gotta look good too. Hello.
SPEAKER_05But you can dress them up though.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, uh-uh. But then when they leave you, they ain't got the skill. So they be looking crazy on their own. We don't got another child. We both sense of fashion. Yes, we take fashion very soon. I mean, you can look on our page, we always put that shit on. So yes, indeedy.
SPEAKER_04So do like, do y'all ever have like clashes in the kitchen?
SPEAKER_01That is our only we don't beef about nothing, but it is. That's the only thing we beef about. So I'm a Leo.
SPEAKER_06Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01We have it's still Leo season. Birthday, August the 19th, y'all. Shout out to Leo's, the best zodiac in it. Yeah. Well, happy early birthday. Thank you. So we love to be the boss. We love, love, love to be the boss. Taurus. They love to be the boss too. We both fix signs, so that means Leo and Taurus is our twins.
SPEAKER_04So we're both stubborn.
Baltimore Flavors And Big Markets
SPEAKER_01So we want things our way. She wants her thing her way. And we sometimes, especially in catering, because we both dead set on being a leader, being the boss. So we try to compromise with each other, which is well, but that's where we only clash at as far as because we're so passionate about our craft. We're so passionate about our brands. We even have a brand together, and we're so passionate about that. So that is the only time we clash.
SPEAKER_04So give us an example of one thing.
SPEAKER_01Oh my goodness. When I tell her to stop putting honey on stuff, that's what it is. Oh my goodness. Put honey on the lib, honey on the honey on the shrimp. I think putting honey on her. Like, stop playing. Honey is good for you. Take a spoon of it. Organic.
SPEAKER_04So what did you what do you prefer her not to put honey on that she always putting honey on?
unknownYou did.
SPEAKER_01Just literally picked it up. As soon as we have away everything. Going crazy, but I'm like, golly. I'm a more savory person. I'm down south, Gaffney, you know, wheat, potato salad, you know, salt, high blood pressure, all that stuff. Do you put mustard in your potato salad? Yes. Okay.
SPEAKER_06Sugar. And sugar.
SPEAKER_01And sugar. And egg. Because not everybody knows mustard. Yellow mustard.
SPEAKER_04Mustard to five. Yellow mustard. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Not too much.
SPEAKER_05They asked somebody that.
SPEAKER_01Sugar, of course, not too much. You laughing at it. When she makes a potato salad, it'd be sweet. That should be so good. Shut up. I like a little bit. I don't think it needs to be sweet. Why do you put relish in there? You like the little two ones? But see, that's not a good one. That's the sweetness. You don't need to add one relish and then. Girl, that's the only one I eat. That's whole that's from the store. Yeah. That's too much. Well, you don't put people put relish in their potato salad? You're supposed to.
SPEAKER_00I like relish in my potato salad.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I thought somebody was opposed to relish in the police.
SPEAKER_00Oh, you were saying she was saying why put relish if you don't want it to be sweet.
SPEAKER_04Oh.
SPEAKER_00It's the relish on top of the sugar. Yes, thank you.
SPEAKER_01It just smells like it. It's okay. All the other stuff we eat now, you just want to do it.
SPEAKER_04It's for the look, right? It's for the look.
SPEAKER_01Have good sugar. You said sugar is for the look?
SPEAKER_04No, the relish gives it the look.
SPEAKER_01A little bit of sugar. No, and I like that little what's that?
SPEAKER_04What's that?
SPEAKER_01The crunch.
SPEAKER_04But you're gonna put in the potato salad to give it the crunch.
SPEAKER_00You're gonna ask you relish.
SPEAKER_04I never had a potato salad.
SPEAKER_00He don't know how to cook. He's from New York.
SPEAKER_04Oh, wait, what are we talking about? Here we go. Here we go. Nothing to do with New York.
SPEAKER_01She thinks that everybody in New York ghetto. Don't have a parking skin. I said what I said.
SPEAKER_04You got no bondins and shit. Like, what the fuck are you talking about?
SPEAKER_00Richmond. I was at school in Baltimore. That's why I was like, oh, which part of Baltimore? Got it.
SPEAKER_05She's from New York.
SPEAKER_00If it don't apply, let it fly. If you know how to cook, you know how to cook. But if you from New York and you be burning shit, you know, live in your truth. He said living your truth.
SPEAKER_04I'm gonna have a little comment. I'm gonna leave that alone.
SPEAKER_05It'd be like that. She leaves it alone. She's trying to raise it baby. She's trying to rape it.
SPEAKER_04I think somebody like this did something to her from New York. I don't think so. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I don't think light. Let's get back to the interview. My question for you all is um, so when you cater events, are you catering the menu towards the type of crowd it's gonna be? Are they suggesting items? Are you just giving them the best of the stuff that you provide? Like, how does it go when it comes to the menu? Good question. That's a great question.
SPEAKER_01So for me, I love as a Leo, gotta keep bringing that back up. And as far as my personality, I'm very creative. I set the trends. I
How They Met And Style Matters
SPEAKER_01don't follow the trends. So when someone comes to me as far as if they want a baby shower, if they want, you know, their wedding, I ask them, you know, what is your vision? What is your theme? And try to customize those things. I don't want to see the same cookie cutter menu items, especially when people come to me with weddings and they say, I want baked chicken. I'm like, what? This is a general menu: baked chicken, macaroni, and cheese, green beans, a roll, and some lemonade. They love that roll. Because we eat this stuff all the time. Your wedding day should be special, so you should eat something different. So usually when my clients come to me, you know, I ask them what their vision is, and we kind of work together to customize something that they can, you know, try.
SPEAKER_04You know what is your what is your go-to dish? Like when y'all, when y'all catering, what is that first thing y'all bring out that gets the people going?
SPEAKER_01Oh, yo. So it changes. But now, so like I said, I work for American. Um, we will travel and take a one day trip to restaurant. When did you say that? Oh, uh some people know it. She said the airport, so I ain't know it. Yeah, I was over here like a lot. What do you know what air does? No, American, the airlines.
SPEAKER_06Okay.
SPEAKER_01So um, we'll just Take like a one-day trip to go to a good restaurant. So we just went to New Orleans.
SPEAKER_04Hey, shout out to NO.
SPEAKER_01We had something called how you pronounce it. A Merkle. Um, it was a crab cake with mock choy.
SPEAKER_03A crab cake with what?
SPEAKER_01Corn mock choy. So it's like uh cornish cream, bell peppers, holy trinity, all of those things. Underneath. What's a mock choy?
SPEAKER_05What's the holy trinity? Is that a crumb or mock choy is?
SPEAKER_01It's like it looked like a cream. Corn. It's corn baked. What a little bacon fat, pepper, onions, yes. Garlic? Onions, pepper, you can add all of those things. I was like, onions, pepper, celery. Uh bell peppers, onions. But with this is a little crab cake, so I always do a crab cake. But then she started putting that little stuff underneath, and you know I gotta top it with the honey obey runaway.
SPEAKER_06Oh, crazy.
SPEAKER_00They be going crazy. That you be going crazy.
SPEAKER_04She put honey.
SPEAKER_00Yay.
SPEAKER_01Obey honey. She needs an obey honey. Yes, so when I tell you, and they be like, oh my god, the crab cake is so good. They be like, and it's corn underneath it. Oh my god. They love it. But it just it that um blueberry stuff, like the blueberry, the white stuff that you had, the mascapone whip topping. Did you taste like uh like uh whipped cream-ish? I brought that shit up so fast. I wasn't dissecting it like I should have, friend. I'm gonna be honest, it was good as hell.
SPEAKER_04It wasn't savoring every flavor.
SPEAKER_01I was like, we found that at Ruby Sunshine. I like that. So don't just go to restaurants and if it tastes good, I'm like, I'm about to make that again. Absolutely. Then we put our own spin on it, our own twists.
SPEAKER_04So you know what I want to know, like as chefs, right? A lot of chefs have like a favorite like restaurant that they go to. And what is your favorite restaurant that y'all go to for like that y'all know I'm gonna get some incredible food there?
SPEAKER_01The best value in Charlotte is two of my favorite restaurants. Waffery number one. Because Waffery, you know you're gonna get a good meal, it's not gonna break the bank. They got a discount through American if you are um employee. Something, yeah, yeah. And this other soul food restaurant called Soul Delish. I heard about it.
SPEAKER_05I heard about that.
SPEAKER_01So Delish is like quality, good food. Yeah, you know it's gonna taste good. The menu is simple, and you know, it just feels good. It feels good food, and the music be good. I love Soul Delish. What would you say, Stink? I love Portofinos. I always Portofly's. Who's that at? Is that in South Park? Oh shit. They got multiple ones. They got one on Eastway, they got one on South Side. Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Is that the Italian one? Or which one is that?
SPEAKER_01It's Italian restaurant. It is Italian.
SPEAKER_04Is it that's the one in South Park? Is that kind of I don't know which one? That's my giano.
SPEAKER_01They have one on Eastway. I think they have like four of them.
SPEAKER_04I'm trying to think about the Portofinos in South Park. Of course, from the Chiyuku store.
SPEAKER_01They got one in the Arboretos. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Oh, okay. They ain't that good though. Okay. Well, Margianos ain't that good. I've been in one time.
SPEAKER_01Let's go to Portofinos and get the Portofino.
SPEAKER_04Nice. So Choppin' School. I know last time I was here, that was the inaugural.
SPEAKER_05Yo, when is part two? What we doing? What's up? What are we doing? What's up?
SPEAKER_01September 6th.
SPEAKER_05What?
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's right. Bigger,
Kitchen Clashes And The Honey Debate
SPEAKER_01better, foruntier. Bigger, better, and brunchier. This shit is a good ass. This is this is the one. Tickets, they ain't sold out yet, but we know they're not gonna last all the way till September 6th. So, same kind of concept. Day party, litness. Um, we have real sponsors now. Community culinary school Charlotte Waffery. Waffery. Ebony Wines and Spirits is our sponsor as well. So we have sponsors for amazing, some of the best chefs in Charlotte.
SPEAKER_04Like, yeah, now tell them how was the competition. We got one of the the winners from the first one, right?
SPEAKER_05He had a curry donuts, the curry donuts.
SPEAKER_01Yes, they remember the curry. Curry donuts? It was stuck with curry beef. Wait, wait, hold on, hold on. Curry beef, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Curry donut? Yes.
SPEAKER_01Coconut cream donut with the curry beef beef filling. Yes, this is just crazy.
SPEAKER_04Curry donut. Wait, uh, bring him up here right quick. Bring him up here right quick.
SPEAKER_01Come on. Ah, there you go.
SPEAKER_04Hold on, put it under the mics. I need him to explain that fucking curry donut shit. What explain that? What was that?
SPEAKER_02So it's like a talk to the mic uh donut, right? And we put a curry stew beef and we stuffed it inside the donut so it could be served cold. It would still be juicy, and then you just eat the whole thing and you get that explosion of flavor right in your mouth.
SPEAKER_04Pause.
SPEAKER_06Ayu. I don't want to say pause. Ain't no pause over here.
SPEAKER_04I had to pause for a minute before we pause. But it's okay. It's okay. So, like you had the so you stuffed the donut. Like, like, so was that the item that you ultimately won with?
SPEAKER_05Honestly, he won with everything. Yeah, this shit was hers. This whole shit was fine.
SPEAKER_04So, what was your whole rollout?
SPEAKER_02So we started with seafood. We did the uh saffron ceviche. They kept ordering that back to back.
SPEAKER_04Saffood? What? Ceviche?
SPEAKER_00Saffron ceviche.
SPEAKER_02And a um, so a ceviche and like this uh zesty uh citrus sauce with uh a bit of chips, and then you share with the table, you dip right into it. It was probably what I ran out of first, honestly the competition.
SPEAKER_05Shit. Yeah, the ceviche was fire. I ain't gonna lie. Oh, you had the ceviche too? Ceviche was fun.
SPEAKER_00So quickly before you continue, can you explain the competition for those that don't know? Like myself. Sounds like something I would want to be a part of.
SPEAKER_01And maybe these folks don't know exactly what it is either.
SPEAKER_02I mean, hey, they set it up so well. I'm honestly trying to get more young people like me to be a part of it. But probably they select I'm 20, 20. Johnson Wells student. Oh shit, okay, yeah.
unknownSo they could see the best shit they can find in the city.
SPEAKER_02They found like some really good talent this year. I can't wait to see what he goes with. Um, no spoilers. But you have uh last year, it was five rounds of five different brunch themed items. A seafood, uh egg, uh what was it? I want to say a potato, potato has, yep. Wild card. Yep. My wild car was obviously the curry beef donut.
SPEAKER_04Fire. Um curry beef donut, bro.
SPEAKER_02Um I think I might be getting them all. But you get one partner in order to help you prepare all the food, but it all has to be ready when you get there. You can't like warm anything. Well, you could warm some stuff up, but I personally didn't because I thought it would be better because you never had warmed up food at a restaurant. I knew people wouldn't want it. You know? So me and my partner went with an all-cold menu and just made sure to put our best foot in. We was up till maybe six o'clock in the morning just setting up everything, and we got there with no sleep, ready to kick smash. I love that.
SPEAKER_05How much pussy do you get out of the shed? Because food is the quickest way to pussy in a nigga's stomach. But you a nigga, so you cooking bitches love niggas that can cook. Bitches love food too.
SPEAKER_02No, you do. You can definitely stay in a relationship, which I am with the hell.
SPEAKER_05He was answering my question.
SPEAKER_00Well, I know what he like. Come on. Damn.
SPEAKER_04I appreciate a bunch of these two. Okay. Yeah. That's dope, man. That's just good, man. That's dope, man. Like, Timber 6. Hey, listen, I gotta get one of them donuts, though. Yeah, I'm coming. I need one of them fucking donuts. We're gonna talk after the pie.
SPEAKER_01Going to be phenomenal. Like, when I tell you it's the best, the competition, like, we
How They Build Event Menus
SPEAKER_01don't know who's going to win because it's all about creativity and flavor. Like, you don't know who how creative the next person is. Right. So it's just gonna be we have nothing to do with the judging. Nothing. We have like all culinary influenced judges. Yes. And I say this because I see this all the time on social media. People complain, Charlotte don't got nothing to do, Charlotte don't got nothing to do, Charlotte don't got nothing to do. But this is something that not even I have even heard on the whole East. What cooking competition slash day party can you go to and eat all of the food that the chefs prepare, get your drink on, and have a lit vibe? Like it's a really dope experience. So early bird tickets are on sale until Sunday, this Sunday, the 16th. They're $60. Like, you just can't get a better experience for $60. But of course, we're gonna wait until the week of and be panicking. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. I want to go so bad, my cousin. Oh, I didn't even see it. Right. The tickets are $75 after the and we don't even really know. No guarantee. There is no guarantee. Like, so y'all just gonna have to just like don't eat. And it's going to be very, very, very good competition. It sounds fire.
SPEAKER_04So we're like, where y'all wanna uh be able to take this competition from Charlotte? I know it started here in Charlotte. Where do y'all see this competition growing into?
SPEAKER_01I definitely wanna go city to city looking for the best chefs in their city, even bring in some contestants that may have won from Charlotte and have them battle it out with chefs in other cities.
SPEAKER_04That'll be dope.
SPEAKER_01We even talked about like having partners like Mallie in the winner from this year, the next, and then like doing it that way.
SPEAKER_04Or like a double team. A double team, yeah. Oh, that'd be hard.
SPEAKER_01Because it's not really about how many chefs. So basically, we took feedback from last year. They were saying it could have been a little bit too many contestants. So it was five last year. So this year we brought it down to four. It was a lot of categories. Five categories. Yeah. Yeah. So this year it's gonna be four categories, four. We just we we hear you have way more servers. It's just going to be an experience of a lifetime. Like a lot of the people, it's like repeat clients. Like the people who've been here before, they're coming again. Right. People are bringing their parents, their co-workers. It's just, and then the people that are hosting it are dope as fuck. It's us too. So like you just can't get it back.
SPEAKER_04So who's the contestants this year?
SPEAKER_01So we have, yes, we do. We have uh Chef Ayana.
SPEAKER_04Chef Ayana, Chef Chef.
SPEAKER_01Okay, we have Chef Davion, who is the interior catering. Um, we also have Chef Viv. Chef Viv with Viv's Kitchen. And then we also have our youngest contestant, 18 years old. He's still in high school. His name is Donovan. Hey, hey Donovan. He is a part of a um really big uh culinary club, which is the um American Federation of Federation of Culinary in Charlotte, the uh Charlotte chapter. So he's a big deal.
SPEAKER_04And 18.
SPEAKER_01Yes, 18. All of the judges have culinary background. Um we do have an influencer, but and we do have some caterers.
Best Restaurants For Inspiration
SPEAKER_01So we're gonna next year we're gonna be focusing um the direction that we're wanting to head to is like way more sponsorships. We want sponsors to sponsor knobs and jackets and just all types of sponsorships because it's just a good, you know, like you, it's it's just as good as it gets. I've never seen anything like this. I know that if somebody introduced something like this to me, I will be trying to buy my ticket like Ace. So it's just gonna be good. It's a lot of food. It's a lot of food. Um, last year, like it's like we said, the feedback was it was just too much food. It's kind of like eating what you guys had like five times. Like by the fourth time, y'all gonna be exhausted. Yeah, like y'all gonna want to take a take a takeaway plate, but it's samples, so our contestants don't have to cook no whole lot of food. Right. So if there's a meatball, you may get a half a meatball. But if you get a half a meatball, a Lord Devil Dan, a chicken wing, yeah, that's yeah, five times, it adds up. So but I know that another thing that is different about our cooking competition is that people always say, like, if I came in one, can I eat the food? And we like, oh my god, yes, you can eat the food. That's the best part about it. Yeah, is you get to eat the food. What do y'all say to people who do not like brunch? Who doesn't like brunch? Brunch is a feeling.
SPEAKER_04It's a feeling.
SPEAKER_01You can turn anything on.
SPEAKER_04I like that. Brunch is a feeling.
SPEAKER_01So that's why the the variety is so limitless because like you can be like breakfast lunch brunch or like the more lunchier side of brunch. Brenner. Like spaghetti can be brunch. Like every single steak, lamb chops. There is nothing. If you're daring, like if I was in a competition like this, I wouldn't even worry about the fact that you're calling it brunch. I'm just gonna cook anything that I want to cook, and you know it's gonna have honey by.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_06Oh my gosh. Hey uh do though.
SPEAKER_05So in the future, are we are we thinking about going into like a corporation, getting a restaurant, probably a food truck? Tell them what we got going on. Yes, Miss Working on your own now.
SPEAKER_01Oh so I think that, well, we think that um, of course, we are planning on moving back to Baltimore. Um, well, she is, I haven't been. I love that place. Um I like takeout. We like the concept of takeout. We both love the idea of brunch. You can do anything with brunch. So we wanted to be a surprise, not to share too many details, but something along the lines of that. Okay, okay. It's gonna be fire though. The the reason that we like takeout is that the problems start arising when you're allowing someone to be in your space for just too long. So we like the quick, hey girl, bye. Come back tomorrow. You know what I mean? Like very quick interactions, not like sitting down. You're still gonna have delicious food. Um, we will be starting like corporate meals where um, you know, like say you work for a company and y'all having your team networking event, we'll do a little break special executive VIP brunch where you have French toast, shrimp and
Brunch Competition Details And Tickets
SPEAKER_01because I know y'all are tired of Panair and them lore ass things from chicken, chicken bakery. Should be buggers, not these shits again. Right. Oh my god, but then you'd be so happy. So imagine having something like this where, yeah. So if any of y'all know, you know, some of y'all corporations and y'all tired of eating that shit, send us your information to that. You know that one lady is always ordering something to purchase her. It was the face for me. Because y'all know she be at the front desk the executive assistant.
SPEAKER_04She makes you my last question for y'all. What is y'all three top chefs of all time?
SPEAKER_01Oh said it's a lot, one said it's hard. I have two. Two? She thinks she that girl's so big. You know what I mean? That was a hard question. That's a hard question. So believe it or not, one of my most favorite chefs is in this room, and that's Sir Malachi. Oh Sir Malachi. Even before um donut. Even before like the competition, like he has uh his, I wear his um chef coat, the Johnson Well one. It says his name and everything. And one day I went over to LA to do a catering and I lost it. I was crying. I was like, please can I have another one? He was like, I'll get you another one. So now I have that one, and I he just is special. Like his mother um is one of my closest friends. She has introduced his palate so young. So he's been out of the country, so he just knows how to cook good food. So I've always been saying that. Um, so Sir Malachi, and also one of the contestants on the show. I've known her since I had the 90s museum. And that's Chef, I know, Chef Ayana with the fresh fork, um, it used to be called at his kitchen. So she just understands food. I love somebody. I'm not super daring with what I do, but what I do, I do it so well. They're super daring. They may make some chicken adobo, they may make some short rib of a zucchini crust on top. Like, I don't know.
SPEAKER_04But they're just trying shit.
SPEAKER_01They just be trying shit, and the shit be tasting so good. So I get three is just a far. So who would you say?
SPEAKER_04So of course, of course.
SPEAKER_01Definitely Sur Malachi is my favorite. Hey, Malachi is a favorite. Chef that is my favorite. Also in this room, and that's Chef Almo's favorite. You never told me that. I didn't know. Because that's what one of our battles is who cooks the best. Yes. Because we're just not sure. When I tell you we're both, we just understand flavors. And I learned this, oh, something else as far as cooking. I was already cooking, but I turned 40 this year, and I decided to, I wanted to be self-taught. I mean, I wanted to be professionally taught. So I decided to go to cooking school. And in my cooking school, if I learned one thing, um, it was that you need to taste your food.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I know that you're gonna like the food because I tasted it and it tastes pretty good. You know what I mean? So some people don't be tasting their food. That alone will have you a little bit, at least a little bit higher. Why would you give somebody something you ain't like? Right.
SPEAKER_04So I don't understand. Why would you cook food that don't taste your food?
SPEAKER_01People don't taste their food. One thing that I will say, uh one thing I make that hits every time that I don't taste is my shrimp and grits because I hate shrimp. She called them roach things.
SPEAKER_04They are roaches.
SPEAKER_01They are roaches of the sea. Well, you was just smashing them roaches.
SPEAKER_04Very edible.
SPEAKER_01Edible roaches. Never ever had a complaint ever about my shrimp and grits. I just I just don't like shrimp.
SPEAKER_04That's your good as fuck. I mean, but you be making it for quite a while. I don't like the back of my hand.
SPEAKER_01I can make it with my eyes closed.
SPEAKER_04So you passed the taste testing.
SPEAKER_01Right, yeah.
SPEAKER_04So one more time, let's tell them about the competition where they can find you on all social media platforms.
SPEAKER_01So we are underscore partners and dying, chopped into the return, will be September the 6th at Bingu 8470. She has so many of them. Just going out page. She has a thousand. Our flight is head to the page. Um doors open at two. We start at three, and it's from three to six. Um the best thing to do in Charlotte for the whole year. The creative, chopped and chewed, brunch competition, slash day party. We have DJ Hef that will be bringing the vibes. Charlie's gonna die
Future Plans Top Chefs And Wrap-Up
SPEAKER_01and hosting. Yes. So we're also separate. Um, I am Chef Almost Famous. My company is called Love in This Grub. I do specialize in large, elegant events, weddings, hell, repairs. As long as you want it to look pretty, we don't do any aluminum pans. So um, yeah, and we're not cheap, so we don't really do many favors because we're the same price as somebody else that's as good as us. People gonna pay for what they want. Yeah, that's facts. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_04Why are you sending aluminum pants?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, aluminum pants give us certain type of look. So we need to. Unless it's like a family reunion or something. Or drop or hookout, maybe hookout, drop off, something like that.
SPEAKER_00For clarity, she's talking about the disposable ones, not like the ones with the like the sternals. Because those, like, I'm sure. No, we don't use those either. They don't use those either.
SPEAKER_01No, go to L Page, you'll see. We use them real ones that you need to write. Yeah, washing a dishwasher. Yeah, because I mean we expensive stuff. I like that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I like that. You change like the display.
SPEAKER_01Every single time.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, that's every single time.
SPEAKER_01Not necessarily the display folders, but we specialize in presentation. Presentation is very, very, very important. Just like the the things I'll show you today. I just did a brunch for the Stellar Awards. And they had a presentation. It was the gospel reading. They were like, We're there, we're there.
SPEAKER_00We look half of us there.
SPEAKER_01So y'all going? They doing that Sunday.
SPEAKER_04So much.
SPEAKER_01They were saying, like, we gotta go to this, this, we got a day party.
SPEAKER_04I'm like, oh, y'all getting drunk or this is the Lord's works. Them faces do you think?
SPEAKER_01No, it's like a little little drink and there. He was like, because you can go over there to the bar. I'm like, Y'all gonna be drunk in the name of the Lord.
SPEAKER_05Communion. So man, community.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, somebody had a final word. I've heard say somebody say so.
SPEAKER_06Delicious.
SPEAKER_01Oh, nope, no final words. No, eat all the rest of the food.
SPEAKER_04Dippin' and some sipping grits. That's it.
SPEAKER_01It looks like this grits. This was absolutely amazing. No advisory, thank you.
SPEAKER_04Thank you for supporting our stomachs all the time.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that was great.
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