sf|noir

Meet The Chefs

Thursday February 17, 2011

It’s going to be another unforgettable evening as chefs from top Bay Area soul food and Southern-inspired restaurants throw down their interpretations on a staple dish of African American cuisine, shrimp & grits!

Michele Wilson is a self-taught chef who has owned and operated 3 restaurants serving creative, delicious southern favorites. She is the chef personality who brings Real Food for the Soul to life, a Radio One program featuring the best in modern and traditional African American cuisine. Michele has been featured in numerous TV, magazine and radio spots and has a vast clientele including celebrities such as the Golden State Warriors, R&B star Eric Benet and many others. She started Full Circle Hospitality L.L.C. to open her newest venture Gussie’s Chicken and Waffles on Eddy Street in the Western Addition.

David Lawrence is Executive Chef and Managing Partner of 1300 on Fillmore, a restaurant and lounge that draws on the rich cultural history of San Francisco’s Fillmore Jazz district. Located in the revitalized Fillmore Heritage Jazz District, the restaurant serves “Soulful American” cuisine, accompanied by a list of the finest California wines and a full bar. The restaurant opened in October, 2007 to rave reviews.

At 1300 David Lawrence combines classic French cooking techniques with hints of southern flavors using fresh, California seasonal ingredients. Lawrence received his formal culinary training at Westminster College in London. In 1982 he joined England’s most celebrated and honored culinarians, Albert and Michael Roux, the chef proprietors of the world-renowned Le Gavroche and the Waterside Inn (both three star Michelin restaurants). Lawrence worked at five of the Roux brothers’ establishments, rapidly advancing from apprentice to sous chef in four short years. In 1986, Lawrence was appointed as chef de cuisine at London’s chic Interlude Restaurant where he had the honor of preparing meals for the Prince and Princess of Wales; Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon; and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Notable chef, Robert Dorsey, has been a part of the Bay Area restaurant scene for over two decades. A Berkeley native, Robert’s passion for great food, locally grown ingredients and an eclectic palate have afforded him the opportunity to work in some of the Bay Area’s finest kitchens. Fascinated by food at an early age, he talked his way into his first restaurant job at the ripe age of 14. To date, his culinary pedigree includes stints at many of the Bay Area’s favorite spots and previously his own restaurant in Oakland called the Blackberry Bistro.

His current venture, Blue Oak by Chef Robert Dorsey III, opened in the spring of 2010 and is located inside the newly renovated Oakland Museum of California. The café represents Dorsey’s continued commitment to innovative cuisine that makes the city of Oakland and the Museum a gastronomic destination. Dorsey’s mastery of many cuisines has contributed to his unique definition of California cuisine. The Blue Oak also models Dorsey’s commitment to sustainable environmental practices. With a deep respect for the earth, Dorsey ensures that composting, recycling, and using biodegradable products are a part of the Blue Oak’s daily operation. In addition, to keep the carbon footprint of the café as low as possible, he uses local, seasonal producers for his menu items and plans establish a community garden with a portion of the harvest to be donated to the surrounding community.

Michael Anthony Law takes his professional development seriously. In an 18-year culinary career, this native of Winston-Salem has worked as cook, sous chef and pastry chef at restaurants in North Carolina, New Orleans, Tucson, Seattle, Larkspur, Germany, France and Spain before landing in San Francisco. He also draws upon his mother’s cooking from her Dominican Republic homeland.

Michael moved into top chef spot at The Front Porch, the popular restaurant located in San Francisco’s Mission District on 29th Street in 2009. Founded in the summer of 2006 by Josey White in partnership with Kevin Cline, the Front Porch attracts a diverse clientele of local residents and out-of-town visitors of varying ages and backgrounds, in search of home-style cooking in a warm and cordial atmosphere. Michael Law succeeds founding chef Sarah Kirnon who established the original menu and who opened the popular Hibiscus restaurant in Oakland last year.

Other chefs and restaurants participating in the Shrimp & Grits Taste-Off include Chef Dean Dupuis of the popular Pican Restaurant in Oakland and chef and owner Jay Foster of Farmer Brown in San Francisco.