91̽��

91̽�� will host “Cooking and Conversation with Jerome Grant” on Wed., March 31 at 5 p.m. Grant is the former chef at the National Museum of African American History and corporate chef of Dacha Restaurant Group in Washington, D.C. 

Grant will showcase his Filipino and Caribbean heritage during the cooking demonstration and then participate in a moderated Q&A. The event will be held virtually via Zoom. to attend. 

The event is being held in conjunction with the national Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration 2021.

Grant is the corporate chef of Dacha Restaurant Group in Washington, D.C., overseeing two Dacha Beer Gardens in Shaw and Navy Yard as well as their casual restaurant concept, Jackie by the Nationals Baseball Stadium. 

Grant's culinary interest piqued at a very young age, learning the basics of Filipino cuisine from his mother. After graduating from high school, Grant attended Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. 

Upon receiving his degree in 2002, Grant moved to Saint Croix. Shortly thereafter, he was named the Best New Chef in Saint Croix in 2004. In 2005, Grant opened The Mix Lounge in Saint Croix as part-owner and executive chef. 

Grant returned to the United States and accepted a role as executive sous chef to open Urbana Restaurant in the Hotel Palomar in Washington, D.C. In 2008, Grant joined the Mitsitam Cafe team as sous chef, where he played a critical role in receiving the 2012 RAMMY for Best Casual Restaurant. 

In 2014, Grant was tapped as the executive chef of Mitsitam Cafe and after two successful years, was enlisted to serve as the inaugural executive chef of the Sweet Home Cafe. During his tenure at Sweet Home Café, Grant received a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant (2017), Best American Cookbook (2019), and Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (2019). Grant received the StarChefs Rising Star Award (2018). 

He was also recognized by the New York Times as one of the “16 Black Chefs Changing Food in America” (2019) and was featured in Washington Life Magazine’s “Young & the Guest List: 40 under 40” for his work at Sweet Home Café and in the community (2019). 

Grant and his recipes have been featured in The Washington Post, Time Magazine, The New York Times, Washingtonian Magazine, Bon Appetit Magazine, National Geographic and Travel and Leisure Magazine among other notable publications. He has also appeared on ABC’s The Chew and NBC’s The Today Show, as well as international television and radio shows. 

This event is sponsored by the 91̽�� Division of Diversity and Inclusion, the Multicultural Center, the Black Student Cultural Programming Board and the Campus Involvement Center.