Two of the best emerging chefs in the country are in Miami.
Akino West has quietly been making a name for himself as one of the most talked-about young chefs — he was recently named one of America’s top 20 emerging talents by the James Beard Foundation. He’s worked for big name chefs and big name restaurants, like Noma, one of the best restaurants in the world in Denmark.
His breakout role started out of necessity. He and his wife ran a bed and breakfast in Overtown that had to shut down during the pandemic. They eventually had to close it for good. Not before they started cooking out of the hotel kitchen. They called this pop-up restaurant Rosie’s.
West developed a combination of Southern Black-inspired food and the world cuisine he’s studied. People loved it, and it grew into a full restaurant in Little River.
Cleophus Hethington knows how it goes. He was one of the Beard Foundations 20 Emerging Chef finalists last year. He got there by following his own winding path — through the Navy and a brief career in healthcare, before finding his passion in the kitchen.
Cleo creates dishes that highlight Black culture and flavors — from Africa, to the Caribbean, to the Americas. Now he’s on to a whole new challenge. He created a kosher menu that brings in some of those African flavors at Zak the Baker in Wynwood.
West and Hethington are cooking together at a dinner this month. It’s in honor of Bea Hines, the first Black woman reporter at the Miami Herald.
On the Feb. 21 episode of Sundial, West and Hethington talk about their paths with host Carlos Frías and each other.
On Sundial's previous episode, we were joined by Beto Ortiz, the founder of the Instagram account Humans of the Kitchen. After working in kitchens himself, we wanted to share the stories of the back of the house through photography and interviews.
Listen to Sundial Monday through Thursday on WLRN, 91.3 FM, live at 1 p.m., rebroadcast at 8 p.m. Missed a show? Find every episode of Sundial on your favorite podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify.
Stay in touch with us via text by joining our Sundial text club. Send us your thoughts, ideas or questions by texting the word “join” to 786-677-0767. You can also email us at sundial@wlrnnews.org.
