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Damarr Brown

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Damarr Brown
Born1990 or 1991 (age 33–34)[1]
Germany
EducationLe Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago
Culinary career
Cooking styleBlack Southern cuisine
Television show(s)

Damarr Brown is an American chef. In 2022 he was named one of the country's best new chefs by Food & Wine and in 2023 he was named the James Beard Foundation's Emerging Chef.

Early life and education

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Brown was born in Germany and grew up in Harvey, Illinois.[2][1] He is an only child and was raised by his mother, grandmother, and aunt, all of whom encouraged his interest in cooking.[2][3][1] His mother set Chopped-style challenges for him, purchasing a variety of ingredients and telling him to produce a dish with them.[4][5] His grandmother was born in Mississippi, and he learned to cook Black southern cuisine from her.[6]

Brown graduated from Chicago's Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in 2011.[2]

Career

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Brown worked at mk in Chicago for seven years under Erick Williams, starting as an unpaid prep cook and eventually as garde manger and sous chef.[2][6][1] With Williams' encouragement he moved to Roister for a year, and when Williams opened Virtue in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood in 2018, he hired Brown as chef de cuisine.[2][6][7] Virtue serves Black southern cuisine.[1] Esquire named it to their list of the best new restaurants in the country in 2019.[8][9]

In 2022 Brown competed on Top Chef, coming in fourth behind Buddha Lo, Evelyn Garcia, and Sarah Welch; Brown was voted fan favorite.[2][6] That same year, Food & Wine named him one of the country's best new chefs in 2022.[10][11]

Brown and three other Black James Beard Award winners, including Williams, Gregory Gourdet, and Kwame Onwuachi created a popup restaurant showcasing cuisines of the African diaspora at the 2023 Aspen Food & Wine Classic.[12]

Awards

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In 2023 Brown was named Best Emerging Chef by the James Beard Foundation.[3][13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Loria, Michael (2022-08-10). "Chef Damarr Brown's Southern roots at the heart and soul of his cooking success". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 2022-09-27. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Spiselman, Anne (2023-06-09). "Chef Damarr Brown does Virtue and Hyde Park proud". Hyde Park Herald. Archived from the original on 2023-06-13. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  3. ^ a b "Hyde Park's Damarr Brown of Virtue wins James Beard Award - CBS Chicago". CBS News. 2023-06-06. Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  4. ^ Golden, Jamie Nesbitt (2022-11-28). "At South Loop's Top This Macaroni & Cheese, Virtue Chefs Give Comfort Food Staple A Decadent Upgrade". Block Club Chicago. Archived from the original on 2023-01-28. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  5. ^ Shah, Khushbu (12 September 2022). "Food & Wine Best New Chefs 2022: Damarr Brown". Food & Wine. Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  6. ^ a b c d Womack, Cassie (2023-06-06). "The James Beard Awards' 2023 Emerging Chef Is Damarr Brown". Tasting Table. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  7. ^ Hart, Karen (2022-03-10). "The Truth About Damarr Brown From Top Chef Season 19". Mashed. Archived from the original on 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  8. ^ Gordinier, Jeff (2019-11-13). "Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America, 2019". Esquire. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  9. ^ Wong, Grace (2019-11-18). "Hyde Park's Virtue restaurant named by Esquire as one of the Best New Restaurants in America". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  10. ^ Shah, Khushbu (12 September 2022). "Food & Wine Best New Chefs 2022". Food & Wine. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  11. ^ Marotti, Ally (2023-06-05). "Chicago chefs notch two wins at James Beard Awards". Crain's Chicago Business. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  12. ^ Williams, Kaya (22 June 2023). "Aspen Food & Wine Festival celebrates the rich history of Black cuisine". WBUR. Archived from the original on 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  13. ^ Azu, Lauren; Kindelsperger, Nick (2023-06-05). "James Beard Awards 2023: Chicago chefs take away wins". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-06-19. Retrieved 2023-07-26.