Charlotte dinner will feature an all-star cast of Black chefs across North Carolina

Heidi Finley
·2 min read

BayHaven Restaurant Group is hosting an all-star North Carolina collaborative dinner featuring James Beard Award winner Ricky Moore on Monday, July 18 to showcase seafood dishes from Black chefs across the state.

The limited-seating dinner will be held communal table-style outdoors on the patio at Leah & Louise, with the chefs sharing personal stories through their food and using locally farmed ingredients.

The 6-course seafood meal will include a champagne toast and wine pairings, as well as a cocktail by mixologist Justin Hazelton. Bread and dessert are on the menu, too.

BayHaven is led by chef Greg Collier and his wife, Subrina.

Subrina and Greg Collier are the owners of Leah & Louise at Camp North End.
Subrina and Greg Collier are the owners of Leah & Louise at Camp North End.

“It’s very important for me to connect the dots,” Greg Collier said. “Having a dinner with people who opened the door for me and those we opened the door for is what we do it for.”

Guests will receive a complimentary gift bag with a signed copy of the Saltbox Seafood Joint Cookbook and Jimmy Pearls’ housemade hot sauce.

[READ NEXT: Central Avenue’s African immigrants keep their culture alive through coffee, conversations]

Participating chefs

Daryl Cooper and Oscar Johnson own pop-up restaurant Jimmy Pearls and Jimmy P’s Street Shack food truck, which showcase Virginia Tidewater cuisine. The duo were featured in CharlotteFive’s series The Skillet, which draws connections between African cuisine and the everyday dishes of the diaspora.

Courtney Evans and Brandon Staton are co-head chefs at Leah & Louise, a BayHaven-owned modern juke joined inspired by Mississippi River Valley foodways.

BayHaven Restaurant Group is hosting an all-star North Carolina collaborative dinner with chefs Courtney Evans, Brandon Staton and more.
BayHaven Restaurant Group is hosting an all-star North Carolina collaborative dinner with chefs Courtney Evans, Brandon Staton and more.

Moore is the 2022 winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast. He opened the original Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham in 2012 and a second location in 2017.

Ricky Moore opened the original Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham in 2012 and a second location in 2017.
Ricky Moore opened the original Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham in 2012 and a second location in 2017.

Keith Rhodes, owner of Catch Modern Seafood Restaurant and Catch the Food Truck in Wilmington, is a 2011 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast. He competed on season nine of the Bravo series “Top Chef.”

Keith Rhodes is the owner of Catch Modern Seafood Restaurant and Catch the Food Truck in Wilmington.
Keith Rhodes is the owner of Catch Modern Seafood Restaurant and Catch the Food Truck in Wilmington.

READ MORE: Charlotte Observer expands online accessibility with more free articles

How to go

WHEN: Monday, July 18, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Leah & Louise, 301 Camp Road, Suite 101, Charlotte, NC 28206

COST: Tickets for the reservation-only dinner are $195 per person.

TICKETS: Visit www.opentable.com/r/leah-and-louise-charlotte and select July 18. Capacity is limited to 50 people.