WASHINGTON — Chef Carla Hall has a personal history in D.C., and now she plays an active role in preserving African-American culinary history in the nation’s capital.
Hall is best known for her vibrant personality on ABC’s “The Chew” and from her previous stints on Bravo’s “Top Chef.” She also serves as the culinary ambassador for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, which she describes as one of the most rewarding and emotional experiences of her life.
“One of the most intimate ways to learn about a culture is through food, and NMAAHC allows visitors to experience history by showcasing the important role food plays in African American lives,” Hall said in an email.
The Nashville, Tennessee, native and Howard University alumna said the array of options offered at the museum’s Sweet Home Cafe goes beyond what most consider African-American cuisine.
The menu is divided into four culinary regions, which boast different types of food: the Agricultural South, Creole Coast, the North States and the Western Range.
Featured options include Gullah-style Hoppin’ John, which the menu describes as a traditional New Year’s Day lunch dish in the South, and Son of a Gun stew, the classic dish from the American West, made of ingredients held on the chuck wagon such as barley and root vegetables. Following the end of the Civil War, many African-Americans moved to the West to work on ranches and find a new start, the menu explains.
“People tend to think of collards and cornbread only, and expanding on that is part of the experience. I’m the first one to admit that growing up, until I left Tennessee, I thought that all black people ate the way I ate, and being a part of the museum has allowed me to learn even more about my own community,” Hall said.
Hall opened her new restaurant, Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen in Brooklyn, this year around the same time as the museum menu was getting its final touches.
“The Cafe is not only a place to enjoy African-American cuisine, but it is also a place to decompress and to come together and talk about the things that you have experienced in walking through the museum. It’s very welcoming, just like our community,” she said.
Hall received the majority of her training around the nation’s capital. She attended L’Academie de Cuisine, in Maryland, where she completed her culinary training, going on to work as a sous chef at the Henley Park Hotel in D.C. She also worked at The State Plaza Hotel and The Washington Club as executive chef.
