A Culinary Renaissance Ensues In Harlem As Chef Ro Joins Red Rooster

"There's a Harlem Ro-naissance, happening of late as Chef "Ro" Roshara Sanders takes the lead as a culinary ambassador of Marcus Samuelsson's Red Rooster Harlem. The restaurant turns 15 this year and there's much to celebrate. Along with an extensive re-design of the space and numerous new experiences offered, the restaurant has turned up the dial on change and is poised to usher in a whole new generation of fans."

"Since May, Chef Ro has spent months testing and tasting and testing recipes again. She's brought in family recipes and others that represent the African and the African American Diaspora she so intimately and passionately shepherds every where she cooks. From her role as the first African American woman on the Culinary Arts faculty at the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America, Marcus Samuelsson and owner Andrew Chapman chose Sanders as the chef to move the restaurant into a fresh new direction."

"As an educator and a U.S. Army veteran--with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan-- Chef Ro approaches everything with a high-level of discipline, intensity, and focus. So, when the opportunity to take the wheel at an esteemed restaurant in as iconic a locale as Harlem arose, her approach was no different. That said, knowing the impact that this position could have on restaurants, on Harlem, and on a the trajectory of diaspora cooking on a larger stage, does not fall lightly on Chef Ro's shoulders."

Red Rooster Harlem turns 15 and underwent an extensive redesign while adding new experiences to attract a new generation of diners. Chef Roshara "Ro" Sanders assumed leadership, testing recipes and integrating family dishes and foods from the African and African American diaspora. Sanders draws on Caribbean, Ethiopian, and North African influences to create an American culinary identity rooted in diaspora ties. Sanders serves on the Culinary Institute of America faculty and was chosen by Marcus Samuelsson and owner Andrew Chapman to guide the restaurant's new direction. She is a U.S. Army veteran and also appears as a coach on Netflix's Next Gen Chef.

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