Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenyatta Ashford. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Chef Kenyatta Ashford grew up in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans. As a child, he discovered that food had the power to nourish people and facilitate opportunities to bring people together. He fondly recalls sitting with his six siblings at a table set by his mother, Sharon. This taught him the blessing of using food to warm the bellies and souls of people. The lessons he learned at his childhood dinner table inform his work as a chef and owner of Neutral Ground in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The name Neutral Ground pays homage to the strip of land between neighborhoods in New Orleans that offered a place for trading and gathering for everyone. Neutral Ground promotes a food culture that embraces Chef Kenyatta’s family food history as well as the traditions passed on by cooks of the diaspora.
Chef Kenyatta infuses the memories and tastes of his childhood in his culinary creations. His Neutral Ground menu introduces diners to his “Afro-Creole” identity. We plate meals that revive flavors of the cuisine of my ancestors in creole country and those who were enslaved in West Africa before being transported to the Americas. Our work respects the journey of the people and the cooking techniques, flavors, foods, artistry, and traditions that exist throughout the diaspora that also influence American cuisine. Dishes on the menu range from West African Red-Red and Coconut Rice with strong African influences to interpretations of working-class staples from New Orleans like Hot Catfish Po’Boys and Smoked Brisket Meatball Yakamein. The journey of the people of the diaspora and the foods that traveled with them resonated with Chef Kenyatta as he made his journey to the restaurant owner and Food Network’s Chopped champion.
After humble beginnings in New Orleans, he attended Lee University where he played basketball and studied education. He became a high school teacher and coach. During summer breaks from teaching, he helped out in a catering kitchen where his passion for the culinary arts presented itself. Kenyatta cooked in a number of restaurant kitchens prior to the pandemic negatively impacting his employment. Within weeks of being furloughed, he created the concept for Neutral Ground and opened his restaurant in Chattanooga’s Proof Incubator.
He used his time wisely while being limited by COVID-19. The former teacher became a student. Prior to the pandemic he studied scaled preparation techniques in the hospitality industry and obtained the technical skills training at the Culinary Institute of America. His desire to increase his knowledge about food led him to study in top-tier culinary institutions in New York, Rhode Island, and Louisiana. He remains grateful to the James Beard Foundation for the Jean Louis-Palladin Professional Work/Study Grant award that supported his experiential learning in Oxford, Mississippi at the Southern Food Ways Alliance, in Charleston, South Carolina and in Savannah, Georgia where he learned about Gullah Geechee cooking. In March of 2018, he traveled to Ghana on the Roots of Glory tour with fellow chefs Josmine Evans, Kezia Curtis, Harold Caldwell, Ada Anagho Brown and James Beard Foundation winner Michael Twitty.
In addition to winning Food Network’s Chopped, Chef Kenyatta and Neutral Ground have been featured in Conde Nast, Eater, Travel Noire, the New York Times and more. All of these platforms capture his radical approach to the culinary arts and his keen ability to use storytelling to elevate the experience of diners at Neutral Ground.
His passion for welcoming people into a warm, spirited space to build community could easily be measured equal to his stature. Visit Neutral Ground at the Proof Incubator until June 18, 2022. After June 18, 2022, Chef Kenyatta and the team will begin the journey of opening their restaurant location at Stove Works in Chattanooga. You can support their efforts to that end by hiring them to caterers for any events, private dinners or parties. You can also enjoy Neutral Ground’s delicious food at pop-up events in the Chattanooga area. Follow them on Instagram to learn about the locations, days, and times of pop-up events.
When Chef Kenyatta is not cooking, he enjoys spending time with family. He also mentors aspiring chefs and aids emerging culinary leaders in facilitating pathways for them to enter the industry. Chef Kenyatta supports young people in the Chattanooga community as well as organizations and initiatives that support creatives interested in the freedom of exploration and self-expression.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
There have been many obstacles and challenges since my childhood growing up in my Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, to becoming a chef and the owner of Neutral Ground. Some have impacted my life and the trajectory of my career more than others. While I have settled on building my life in Chattanooga, Neutral Ground will be relocating. The transition from the current restaurant location at Proof Bar to the future permanent location at Stove Works presents a number of challenges for me to navigate. I will be working with my team to consider strategies and action plans for scaling our restaurant while continuing to invest in the community…
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
A Black-owned, fine dining restaurant born out of my deep passion for telling stories through the culinary arts. Our self-described “Afro-Creole” dishes project aromas, flavors, and lessons reminiscent of my New Orleans upbringing and the journey cuisine of the African Diaspora has forged. We create a literal Neutral Ground in Chattanooga, Tennessee for people to take a break from the hustle of life to enjoy an affordable, well-plated, robust and flavorful meal. Neutral Ground is a nod to the historic thoroughfare in New Orleans connecting municipalities divided by their differences. At Neutral Ground, our diners gather to be reminded of what makes them alike. We want diners to consume joy and nourishment one dish at a time.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Each time we create a new dish It’s a risk. The goal is to represent the traditions and food cultures of my community and others with integrity and respect. I find that my risks as a chef align with risks that people make every day as they go about life. Will my voice be heard in the way I intend? Will my expression respect others and uplift people? Will the new thing bring me meditative joy because I was able to share my craft?
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.neutralgroundchatt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neutralgroundchatt/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeutralGroundChatt
Image Credits
Headshot #1-Casey Yoshida from left to right Food Photo #1-Rich Smith (Smoked Brisket Meatball Yakamein) Food Photo #2-Emily Unkle(Shaved Catfish & Grits) Food Photo #3-Kenyatta Ashford(Wagyu Bavette & Jollof Rice) Food Photo #4-Kenyatta Ashford(Gulf Shrimp Salad with Savory Plantain Chips) Food Photo #5-Kenyatta Ashford(Roasted Beets & Strawberry Salad)
