WELCOME TO THE TABLE

Stories Behind the Menu is a culinary journey with a celebratory heart.

Alongside a series of inspiring chefs, we invite you to experience the stories of diverse cultures — creating conversations that feed understanding and nourish communities.

Presenting Cuisine

Drawing guests into an intimate, unique experience with food at the center.

Sharing Conversation

Getting to know people beyond one’s network and outside one’s circle.

Building Community

Breaking down barriers and building greater understanding of one another.

VISIT FLAME MOBILE KITCHEN

TOMMY MCNEAL + CHEF DARREN HAYES, FLAME MOBILE KITCHEN

February 20th, 2025

The Other Brothers dba Flame Mobile Kitchen is black-owned and operated but specializes in serving all customers of various demographics backgrounds and economic status. Its unique business model provides customers with the options of full-staff service catering, up to the use of our food trailer/truck to curate special events that are in search of a premium mobile restaurant experience.

Flame Mobile Kitchen (entity of McNeal Management, Inc) is a future franchise business that will grant franchisees the right to operate a business by offering the sale and service of goods that are associated with the trademark name of Flame Mobile Kitchen.

Flame Mobile Kitchen vision is to be a minority owned enterprise that builds generation wealth and provides positive community impact through a multi-mobile food franchise that crosses sports, entertainment, and public platforms. Its mission is to provide a mobile restaurant experience of excellence by delivering heartfelt and healthy food options that touch the soul of the people we serve through special events, catering, and community service.

Chef Darren Hayes was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and raised in the historic Rondo neighborhood. Darren is popularly known for work on the grill, developing a signature style of barbequing and smoking meats. Over the last several years, Darren has expanded his experiences into craft cuisine, creating unique dishes and sauces. Darren describes the dishes he creates as "the sum of experiences and family influences", drawing from cajun, southern/soul, various regional barbeque and multiple international cultures.

Currently he is the Executive Chef for award winning Flame Mobile Kitchen and has been featured in publications such as Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder and Voyager Minnesota Magazine and has made guest appearances on WCCO radio and CBS News.

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VISIT WOK STAR CATERING

CHEF KATIE CHIN, WOK STAR CATERING

April 24th, 2025

Celebrity Chef Katie Chin is an Award-winning cookbook author, caterer and Culinary
Ambassador to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. After growing up working in
the kitchens of her late mother Leeann Chin’s award-winning Minneapolis-area
restaurants, Katie pursued a career in film and television marketing but eventually left
her executive position to return to her culinary roots.

Katie co-hosted the national PBS cooking series, Double Happiness, in conjunction with
her mother and together they wrote Everyday Chinese Cooking. On her own, Katie
wrote 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes and the award-winning bestsellers Everyday Thai
Cooking and Everyday Chinese Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes from My Mother’s
Kitchen. Katie’s fifth cookbook, “Katie Chin’s Global Family Cookbook” was released in
June 2021. She has been featured in many publications such as Forbes Magazine,
Huffpost, O Magazine, Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, Elle, Real Simple, and Epicurious as
well as The Wall Street Journal.

Her numerous appearances on national television include The Kelly Clarkson Show,
Live with Kelly & Mark, The Today Show, The Real, Hallmark Channel, The Real,
Cooking Channel and as a guest judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef America. She has
appeared as a chef contestant on Cutthroat Kitchen, Beat Bobby Flay, Supermarket
Stakeout, Battle of the Decades and most recently on Chopped. In 2013, Katie was a
featured chef at the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House under the Obama
administration.

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Visit StRONG ROOTS 9

MATTHEW AND TIA RAIFORD, STRONG ROOTS 9

September 25th, 2025

Matthew and Tia Raiford are the dynamic duo behind Strong Roots 9, a pioneering wellness brand rooted in food, farming, and culture. With over 60 years of combined culinary expertise, they bring together a deep respect for heritage and an innovative approach to nourishing the body, mind, and soul.

Matthew, a sixth-generation farmer and celebrated chef, stewards Gilliard Farms in Brunswick, Georgia—a 50-acre property passed down through his family since 1874. Known for his expertise in regenerative agriculture and terroir-driven crops, Matthew has been recognized as a James Beard Award semifinalist and a passionate advocate for sustainable food systems.

Tia is a highly accomplished chef who has led kitchens in some of the nation’s top culinary institutions, including New York City’s Gramercy Tavern and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Her work combines her love of food, culture, and education with a mission to connect communities through meaningful culinary experiences.

Together, the Raifords cultivate food, beauty products, and educational experiences through Strong Roots 9, honoring the past while growing a brighter future. Featured in The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Huffington Post, and with appearances on Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay, the Raifords embody the powerful intersection of food, farming, and family.

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Visit KREWE

CHEF MATEO MACKBEE AND PASTRY CHEF ERIN RAE, KREWE + FLOUR AND FLOWER

December 11th, 2025

Chef Mateo Mackbee and Pastry Chef Erin Rae are the heart and soul behind Krewe, where the rich traditions of New Orleans cuisine meet the warmth of Midwestern hospitality. Mateo, inspired by summers spent in New Orleans watching his grandfather cook, brings soulful dishes like jambalaya, gumbo, and muffuletta to life, blending farm-fresh ingredients with cherished family recipes. A Bloomington, MN native, Mateo’s passion lies in nourishing both appetites and communities.

Erin, known as New London’s beloved “young pie lady,” has a gift for creating irresistible pastries, from flaky croissants and artisan breads to classic beignets and homemade pies. As the head baker at Flour & Flower, her farm-to-dessert philosophy ensures every bite is a celebration of flavor and craft.

Together, Mateo and Erin have built Krewe as a vibrant gathering place, combining their shared love for food, tradition, and community into an unforgettable dining experience.

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CHAZ SANDIFER, FOUNDER

Chaz Sandifer presents Stories Behind the Menu— a culinary journey through food and storytelling. By bringing people together to break bread and bridge the cultural divide among people of different backgrounds, races, religions. Sandifer, aims to promote racial health, equity and inclusion, and bring healing and restoration to communities and society as a whole. Utilizing the stories of how food traditions developed in various cultures creates a deeper understanding and respect for one another, allowing people to embrace our commonalities and celebrate our differences.