A world class chef who is from Chattanooga will be featured at the UNCF Soul Food Dinner & Evening of Stars Viewing Party.
It will be held Saturday, Jan. 4, from 7-11 p.m. at the Bessie Smith Hall.
Disneyland Resort Executive Chef Shannon Johnson will be “Chef of Honor” at the UNCF Soul Food Dinner & Evening of Stars Viewing Party on Jan. 4. Johnson is a native of Chattanooga. “It’s always good to go home, especially to raise money for the UNCF,” he said.
Johnson graduated in 1989 from one of the nation’s top culinary schools, Johnson & Wales, in Providence, Rhode Island. After commencement, Shannon’s talents started to sizzle as a working chef at The Narrow Bridge Restaurant in Chattanooga. At just 21, Johnson achieved the prestigious position of Executive Chef at the Glover restaurant in Guntersville, Ala. Two years later, he earned a position as Executive Chef for the Scottsdale Hilton Resort & Spa in Scottsdale Ariz.
Today, at 34, Johnson is simmering with responsibilities. He juggles many roles at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Ca. Johnson plans and writes menus, coordinates staffing and purchases food and equipment at venues that prepare 16,000 meals per hour. He has also earned his sommelier certification, which means he is an official wine expert.
Officials said, "For Johnson, the UNCF Soul Food Dinner & Evening of Stars Viewing Party will be a refreshing change from the Mediterranean, wine paired cuisine he is currently working on at Disney. For the event, Johnson is preparing an exciting menu that includes ox tails, sweet sausage succotash and chow-chow just to name a few lip smackin’ items."
He said, “I’m excited to cook the food I grew up with in the place I grew up especially for such a worthy cause.”
Johnson is donating his time and talents to help raise money for the United Negro College Fund. The UNCF is the oldest and most successful African American education assistance organization. Since its inception in 1944, the UNCF has raised more than $1.7 billion.
Much of those funds have come through an annual telethon. This year, An Evening of Stars will feature the legendary Lou Rawls, Luther Vandross, Kirk Franklin, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Vivica A. Fox and many others. The UNCF Soul Food Dinner & Evening of Stars Viewing Party will showcase the broadcast on a big screen television.
Admission to the UNCF Soul Food Dinner & Evening of Stars Viewing Party is $10. Tickets may be purchased at the Chattanooga African American Chamber of Commerce, The Chattanooga African American Museum or J.T. McDaniel’s Novelties on Third Street.