‘Ownership Is Everything’
On the heels of his newest cookbook release, Alexander Smalls reflects on his life in music, restaurants, and mentoring young Black chefs
In the middle of a global shutdown, Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes From My African American Kitchen debuted — the third book from opera singer and longtime restaurateur Alexander Smalls. The New York resident and partner in The Cecil and Minton’s in Harlem with JJ Johnson (now closed), Smalls has lived a remarkable life: Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, he traveled the world singing, then returned to New York, eventually opening a catering company and his first restaurant, Cafe Beulah, in the mid-1990s. Read on for more on his fascinating journey and advice to young Black chefs at this moment. This interview was edited for clarity and length.
Melissa McCart: So, Alexander, I’m imagining you through the quarantine — like those videos we’ve seen in Italy — walking out onto your balcony and singing opera for the neighborhood.
Alexander Smalls: There’s no balcony but there should be! You may or may not know this about me but I lived for years in Italy. So my apartment at times reminds me of the ruins of Rome. It’s not uncommon for me to hang off my bar in my apartment and do just what you suggested!
