Bringing Soul to Seattle, James Beard Award Winning Chef Edouardo Jordan is a master of storytelling on a plate. As Chef/Owner of Salare, JuneBaby and Lucinda Grain Bar, all located in Seattle, Chef Jordan, a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, brings his fusion of southern roots and classic fine dining cuisine to the Seattle restaurant scene delighting all who enter either of his restaurants. Internationally known and classically trained, Chef Jordan believes that giving back is just as important as what’s on the plate. In the founding of his annual fundraising event, The Soul of Seattle, Chef Jordan highlights black owned restaurants and businesses in Seattle while supporting a local nonprofit committed to the empowerment of youth of color. Chef Edouardo Jordan sets the standard of creating “Community through Food.”
FMM: Chef Jordan, I’m so honored to interview you. Please introduce yourself and your businesses to our readers.
EJ: My name is Edouardo Jordan from Seattle, WA, and I am the Chef and Owner of three restaurants: Salare, JuneBaby, and Lucinda Grain Bar. I’m also the Founder of the brand Food with Roots and the fundraising event, The Soul of Seattle.
FMM: Have you always had a passion for cooking?
EJ: Yes, cooking is in my blood and in my family. My grandmother and mother had me in their kitchens as a child as their sous chef. Even though I tried to pursue other professions, I always came back to cooking.
FMM: Your restaurant Salare’s name pays homage to salare, meaning to season with salt, to preserve or cure. I feel that this is a wonderful intersection of the cultural cuisines you present (American Southern, African, Caribbean and European). As an international chef, what is the one thing about cooking that holds true in every culture?
EJ: Food should be cooked with heart and is a reflection of the people cooking it. There is always a story behind each dish, each ingredient, each step, and it’s important to recognize and embrace the history and traditions.
FMM: Please tell us about your annual fundraiser, The Soul of Seattle.
EJ: The Soul of Seattle was founded in 2019 to embrace and highlight the Black-owned restaurants and businesses in Seattle that create the diverse fabric of this city–and every city. BIPOC-owned restaurants and businesses face many struggles that other establishments do not. Our goal has been to support the local Black businesses as well as a local nonprofit that empowers youth of color in Seattle–while having a big party in celebration of the community.
FMM: At the end of last year you partnered with Blue Apron on the Blue Apron x Chef Edouardo Jordan meals inspired by your Southern roots and the cuisine of the African diaspora. One of my favorites was the Pimento Cheese Mashed Potatoes. What made you fuse this Southern classic with this most beloved side dish?
EJ: I wanted to create something that represents my cuisine and my food, while staying true to Thanksgiving. Cheese and potatoes is a classic pairing, and I wanted to share my incredible Pimento Cheese with everyone. Bringing a delicious pimento cheese with an iconic side dish is something I want to see on my Thanksgiving menu and is the best way to elevate the iconic mashed potatoes.
FMM: Speaking of Southern roots, your restaurant JuneBaby is a perfect reflection of this. Being a native of South Carolina, when I perused your website, I was met with beautiful visuals that reminded me of my roots as well. What has been the reaction to American Southern cuisine in Seattle’s restaurant scene?
EJ: The great migration happens everywhere, and Seattle is a city that has experienced an influx of residents. There has been a demand for food that brings back memories and that are soulful. Southern Food has found some footing here in Seattle, somewhere so far away from the south, but is connected by the great migration.
Part of my desire of bringing Southern food to Seattle was to also educate the guests–many of whom are white. We created the encyclopedia to help immerse and educate Seattle so people can form an appreciation and better understanding of the beauty that is Southern food.
FMM: What is the one meal that says Chef Edouardo Jordan on a plate?
EJ: There are so many dishes that can be brought to the table that represent me, but one in particular are the Braised Oxtails that my mom used to make and are my true comfort food. They have become symbolic of JuneBaby and are a good representation of who I am–cooking from my roots and that are symbolic of my family and I.
FMM: If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
EJ: Probably something in sports, like a sports agent.
FMM: How can our readers keep up with you and the events surrounding your restaurants?
EJ: Many ways! On instagram you can follow me @edouardojordan, the restaurants at @salareseattle, @junebabyseattle, @lucindaseattle, and events @thesoulofseattle, @thefoodwithroots.
Photos courtesy of Charity Burggraaf and JuneBaby.
