Culturally, 2017 was a wild ride, out of which emerged a renewed empowerment of women and a society more open to hearing their voices. This cultural shift is being felt seismically throughout the restaurant industry, and Nashville is no exception. Yes, complaints about the constant coverage of the chef bro posse and the dearth of diversity are well founded. Examine our culinary landscape more deeply, and it reveals a wealth of women executive chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, pastry chefs, entrepreneurs, and hospitality professionals who are putting their personal stamps on our city’s food scene.
Historically, the steady stellar work of chefs Deb Paquette and Margot McCormack paved the way for chef Maneet Chauhan to relocate here and create her dynamic trio of restaurants, and chef Julia Sullivan to return home to open her much-acclaimed Henrietta Red. Thornton Prince can rightfully be called the father of Nashville hot chicken, but his great-niece, Andre Prince Jeffries, proprietor of Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack since 1980, has kept the skillets sizzling.
Within the fields of food, beverage, and hospitality, many women are rising in the ranks unheralded, or have been steadily working, under the radar. In no way can this article do justice to all of them or give credit to the many who led the way before them. But, in giving voice to some, we hear a chorus more harmonic than discordant, resonating on the subjects of kitchen culture, diversity, community, and mentorship.
Speaking Up
American born of Syrian parents, Rahaf Amer combines the Middle Eastern influences of her family's kitchens with American, Asian, and classic French. She is the executive chef at Salt & Vine and believes our city can better support women by helping break down the stereotypes of what a chef is supposed to look and act like.
'Being a female chef in this industry is hard,” she says. 'Being a female chef who is as small as I am5 feet strong!is even harder. In every kitchen job I have had, I've had to prove myself to this male-dominated industry.”
When she first began working her way up from prep cook to line cook to sous chef in less than a year, she felt pushback. 'Guys, who had no problem with me in the beginning, overtly resented me. Some would even straight up ignore my direction.”
It took time to find her voice.
'Once I found it, no one has muted it since. Is it awkward to look up at a grown man and tell him he's doing something wrong? Sure. But, in this industry, if you don't fight for what you've earned, you will not only lose your position, you will lose the respect of your employees and your peers.”
For native Nashvillian Charlotte Miller, who spent much of her career working at fine hotels and restaurants throughout the Caribbean, being an African American woman chef has had its distinct challenges.
'I didn't want to be pigeon-holed as a Southern cook, which is why I became classically trained. Even then, I was slurred as a glorified Aunt Jemima.”
Since returning home, she's served as lead banquet chef for The Hermitage Hotel and various restaurants within Strategic Hospitality. These days, she is a recipe consultant for a Caribbean cookbook.
'I had to soften my voice. You know, if a male chef is loud, he's passionate,” she says. She also wants people to know the heritage of the food they eat. 'It rankles to have a white man tell me about Southern food.”
Empowering more African American women to enter the industry will require honest, inclusive conversation.
'In my 17 years in the business, my first and only experience of working alongside a black woman in the kitchen was at Merchant's. For our part, we need to get rid of the stigma of being ‘The Help.'”
Founder and executive chef of Vui's Kitchen, Vui Hunt has won praise for her healthful, approachable interpretations of the cuisine of her homeland, Vietnam.
'In my culture, the woman is the central figure of the household, even though she keeps in the background. I reflect daily on my mom, who pretty much raised herself, and the strength she instilled in me. I feel so fortunate to have the love and support of my husband. He put me in the forefront,” Hunt says.
She feels fortunate, too, as she's always worked in safe environments of mostly women. Her businesses, she notes, have a 'women-heavy” staff.
'We strive to cultivate a culture that is like family, building its own community. It is a team effort. Yes, I have the vision, which I share. My team executes it, with enthusiasm.”
She's also come to terms with the concept of balance. 'There is none!” she laughs. 'You embrace the present moment and do what you need to do.”
Executive pastry chef for the Thompson Nashville, Lisa Marie White embraces learning and collaboration as the keys to a healthy kitchen culture.
'My kitchen is a place for learning, and I'm always striving to make things better, which happens often when I'm trying to figure out the effect that a single ingredient's reaction has on, let's say, a chocolate chip cookie or a potato roll,” she says.
Rather than teaching, she is committed to sharing knowledge.
'And not just sharing my own with the team, but learning from one another and creating a collaborative workspace for everyone. You never know whom you can learn a thing or two from. The other day, I learned a brand new baking technique from a dishwasher.”
Julia Jaksic, executive chef and owner of Cafe Roze, comes from a family of five brothers and, over the years, has worked in more male-driven kitchens that she can count.
'I ‘get' that energy,” she says. 'It was a long time before I finally understood that my grandmother, a wonderful cook and matriarch, was the reason I loved this professionthat underlying feminine quality of caretaking.”
She holds that having strong leadership is just as important as having fine food.
'Investing in peoplemy staffmaking sure they have everything they need to be successful in a safe and nurturing environment is at the heart of my café.”
In 2009, Claire Meneely opened Dozen as a pop-up in the Nashville Farmers' Market; she recently celebrated three years of her bricks-and-mortar bakery and café. Numerous restaurants and coffeehouses rely on her artisanal breads and desserts daily. She lists quality and appreciation as her core values.
'Not to make the most money, get the most press, or open the most locations,” she says. 'Every decision is weighed against the question: How will this affect quality?”
To a degree, she admits, instilling that is in reaction to toxic kitchens she's worked in in the past. But overall, 'It's about creating a place I love to come to every day and hope others will, too.”
And that appreciation extends beyond coworkers and customers.
'We appreciate that we are part of a long tradition of bakers. That we get to work with others that have similar values. That we're part of Nashville, which has always been a kind and welcoming place, and inspires us to be the same.”
Hospitality professional Cara Graham partnered with chef Hal Holden-Bache to open Lockeland Table Community Kitchen and Bar in 2012. As general manager, she is dedicated to providing a welcoming experience to guests, while giving back to the community.
Early in her career, balancing work and home was her biggest challenge, when she had small children and was working 80 hours a week. Now, she can empower employees to take on new roles at the restaurant. It has been rewarding, not only for the time it allows her to spend with her family, but also for the success the employees' new skillsets bring to the restaurant.
She points out that not enough credit is given to the front of house (FOH) teamgeneral managers, hosts, hostesses, serverswhich contributes greatly to a restaurant's ability to function.
'There are many powerful, influential women who fill such roles, and, often, they are overshadowed by the reputation of the chef. A chef needs a strong FOH; otherwise, he or she won't have anyone to cook for.”
In the aftermath of allegations of New Orleans chef John Besh's sexual misconduct, former Besh employee Emery Whalen co-founded QED Hospitality and assumed control of the dining concepts at the Thompson Nashville. As its CEO and co-owner, she speaks to that strength.
'At QED, it's about the culture of hospitality in the front and back of house: how we show that hospitality not just to our guests, but to each other.”
She credits her food and beverage director, Erin Kette, for fostering respect and trust, aiding women to advance within the company.
Emery says, 'It is not enough to fight for your place at the table; it is imperative to set the table for the women around you.”
Seema Prasad has kept the act of doing community good at the forefront of her vision for Miel, a farm-to-table restaurant she opened in September 2008. She has shepherded it through several chef changes, while remaining true to her goal of serving seasonal, sustainably sourced foods. Grappling with the larger importance of farm-to-table, she has focused on food waste and renewable energy.
'When I embarked on this mission, the EPA had just published a study that 15.3 percent of what went to our landfills was food waste: some edible, some not. Since then, Metro Nashville Public Works has completed waste characterization studies that revealed Nashville's waste is 30 percent food! We have tourism, stadiumsand apparently wasteful habits,” she says.
In 2017, she co-sponsored a James Beard Foundation 'Food Waste Boot Camp” at Miel.
'One major theme was how the roles we play in our communities often come with a willing audience interested in hearing our voice,” she says. 'We can use our unique positions to further good causes and be role models for our community.”
Last year, chef Molly Martin and baker Lyndi Stein pooled their talents and formed Juniper Green, a modern culinary events company, catering individual and community-oriented events. As women business owners, they see less fear of competition and more genuine, enthusiastic collaboration. And they are clear that, to achieve success, women must use their collective powers, rather than lament what hasn't been done.
Martin is heartened to see Nashville's palate broaden from foods introduced by our immigrant communities. She wants our community to invest in women with unique perspectives 'outside the realm of middle-to upper-class white women, like ourselves.” This will help ensure that diversity has more chance to flourish.
'It's part of what makes this city so special, but not always visible to the average consumer. We are working at Mesa Komal kitchen, and Conexión Américas is doing a beautiful job of answering that call.”
Cultivating the Future
Also answering the call to ensure there's more diversity in our food industry moving forward are Citizen Kitchens, spearheaded by chef Laura Wilson, which offers both facility and consulting for small food businesses, and Grow Local Kitchen (GLK), inside the market house of the Nashville Farmers' Market, managed by Kay West, and overseen by executive director Tasha Kennard.
'The pathway for women, gaining access to capital, is not always easy,” Kennard says. 'Grow Local Kitchen is an incubator for new businessesmany of which are women-owned. It gives them the chance to test the waters, focus on operations and customer service.”
Currently, there are six members of the GLK residency program, meaning each agrees to operate out of the kitchen consistently for one year. Seven years ago, The Tamale Pot became its first member, and, last year, owners Glenda Knox-Carter and Tammy Whitehouse rebranded it as Delta 61 and relocated into permanent market house digs. Shavone Holt and Lakendra Davis of City Farm Co. have also moved out of residency, operating as full-time caterers, still seeking that ideal bricks-and-mortar café spot.
Saba Berhanu of Legumes has developed a loyal Monday following for her vegetarian Ethiopian cuisine. Adriana Ortega of Succulent Vegan Tacos has become the newest resident, purveying her remarkable vegan Mexican food the first weekend each month.
GLK has also partnered with Conexión Américas' Mesa Komal kitchen; four days out of the month, women get the chance to purvey their foods and interact with the public as a pop-up restaurant. Ruth Rico of Delicias Colombianas, now a GLK resident, got her start due to this partnership.
It's worth noting that, this year, Nashville garnered six James Beard Foundation award nominations, and three of those are women. Lisa Marie White, semifinalist nominee in best pastry chef category, brings it all back to mentorship.
'Both women and men need to support each other and act as mentors for the women in our industry, especially those working alongside us,” she says. 'It's a tough business, and, although it can be challenging at times, I believe in order to grow, we need more mentorship across the boardnot only with career development, but also to help strike the perfect work-life balance.”