On December 11, Greg and Subrina Collier held their latest installment of ‘Soul Food Sessions’ in uptown Charlotte at the black-owned restaurant Loft and Cellar. This installment was appropriately themed “Soul Sistahs Edition.”

The Colliers, along with four other black chefs (Michael Bowling, Jamie Turner, Jamie Barnes, and Gregory Williams), began the charity dinner event in 2016 as a way for black chefs to show off their talents. They wanted to show that black chefs cook more than fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens. In 2018, Soul Food Sessions teamed up with Coke Consolidated to take the event on the road and also give out scholarships to deserving minority culinary students. They have done events in Charleston, D.C., Charlotte, and Baltimore.

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The Soul Sistahs Edition was created to highlight black female chefs and mixologists from around the area, and they did not disappoint. Each of the eight chefs (and two mixologists) had to come up with a muse or inspiration for their dish. The women were told to pick black female icons and they had to explain to the audience why that woman was their inspiration and how they led them to create their dish. The women chose figures such as Maya Angelou, Oprah, and even Erykah Badu. Each icon truly represented the creativity behind their respective dish.

The evening started with a short cocktail hour that allowed guests to mix and mingle. During this time, appetizers were passed around. Every 15 minutes, a new course was introduced until all eight chefs had presented. There was even a break for three signature cocktails from the featured mixologists.

Overall, the event was amazing and well thought out. It was a night of laughs, finger snaps, and true inspiration.

You can catch Soul Food Sessions in 2019.