Welcome to Culture In A Bowl
New York, New York, United States
About Us
Chef Tracy Garley
Culture In A Bowl cuisine is cooked up by Tracy Garley, she was born in West Africa Monrovia Liberia, and came to the USA at eleven years old. Tracy Attended Western International High School in Detroit & Graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Food Industry Management. She loves cooking her native dishes to educated the world about vegan west African food.
How it all Started.
Culture In A Bowl is rooted in a love of West African food shared with Tracy by her late aunt Phyllis Sancho. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Phyllis and her husband, Joe, ran “Chic Afrique,” Detroit's hottest West African restaurant and a favorite with locals and international travelers.
Phyllis Sancho was a devoted mother, wife, sister and teacher who was loved and respected by everyone around her. When she died on March 21, 2006 at Detroit Receiving Hospital, the community lost an angel and the city lost Chic Afrique.
8 years later, in the winter of 2014, Ms. Shahida Mausi met Phyllis’ grandniece, Tracy Garley, and Tracy began catering holiday parties for Ms. Mausi’s company, the Right Productions.
Three years later, after a successful New Year's Eve celebration, Ms. Mausi told Tracy, “Your food is honoring your family and sharing your family legacy. So as we enter a new year, I’m encouraging you to establish a place that showcases that legacy.
Tracy worked with Ms. Mausi and her friend Rochelle Riley to develop the business plan and come up with a name. That name, “Culture in a Bowl, speaks to the legacy of “Chic Afrique” and all that Phyllis Sancho once gave to the community.
In the spring of 2018, thanks to a great family legacy and the support of two mentors, the Culture in a Bowl Catering Company was born to bring Phyllis Sancho’s flavors and food to a new generation.