The Smithsonian National Museum Of African-American History has added celebrity chef Carla Hall to their employee roster.
Carla’s notoriety has grown significantly as co-host of ABC’s The Chew, and the talented chef is honored to have the opportunity to be a part of the historical landmark.
“This is so perfect and so important,” she told The Washington Post. “And I was so excited about all the research I had been doing on my own that I wanted to be a part of it.” Among her reasons for accepting the position, Hall says the chance to have her dishes enjoyed by people from all over the world at such an important venue is one she couldn’t pass up. “How often can you say that you’re actually a part of such an important place that everybody from all over the country is going to come and see?” she said.
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Hall will step into the role of a consulting chef for the museum’s 400-seat North Star Cafe, which is named after the star that runaway slaves used as their guide to freedom and will be managed by Thompson Hospitality. Thompson is currently the country’s largest minority-owned food service company and will aim to create a culturally relevant menu theme that compliments the museum through delicious southern-style dishes filled with flavor.
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Vice president of operations for Restaurant Associates George Conomos hopes the cafe will grow to become one of the country’s best among museum eateries, while Hall looks forward to creating an atmosphere and a menu that African-American patrons can be proud of. ““It’s exciting,” she said. “What I’m hoping it does for people, especially African Americans, is to understand the contributions that we have made to the food — and to feel proud.”
The New African-American History Museum and The North Star Cafe are set to open on September 24, 2016.
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