{"id":1050,"date":"2022-07-07T04:06:55","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T04:06:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southernsmoke.kudos.nyc\/?post_type=chef&#038;p=1050"},"modified":"2025-04-28T17:27:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T17:27:46","slug":"erick-williams","status":"publish","type":"chef","link":"https:\/\/southernsmoke.org\/zh_hk\/chef\/erick-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"Erick Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With an unwavering commitment to excellence and an innate ability to weave history, culture, and hospitality into every dining experience,\u00a0Chef Erick Williams\u00a0has established himself as a transformative force in the restaurant industry. As\u00a0<\/span><b>Founder of Virtue Hospitality Group<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Williams leads a growing portfolio of acclaimed concepts, including\u00a0<\/span><b>Virtue Restaurant &amp; Bar, Mustard Seed Kitchen, Daisy\u2019s Po-Boy and Tavern, Top This Mac and Cheese,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u548c\u00a0<\/span><b>Cantina Rosa<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014each a reflection of his passion for soulful cuisine and meaningful community impact.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Williams\u2019 flagship restaurant,\u00a0Virtue, opened in 2018 in Chicago\u2019s historic Hyde Park and quickly became nationally recognized, blending Southern flavors with a deep reverence for food culture, history, and artistry. In 2022, he made history as the\u00a0first Black chef to win Best Chef: Great Lakes\u00a0from the James Beard Foundation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fueled by creativity and adaptability, Williams expanded his vision during the pandemic, launching\u00a0Mustard Seed Kitchen\u00a0in 2021, a takeout-driven concept centered on high-quality, approachable meals. He followed with\u00a0Daisy\u2019s Po-Boy and Tavern<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in 2022, a vibrant homage to New Orleans\u2019 signature sandwich, and\u00a0Top This Mac and Cheese, a delivery-only concept offering indulgent, chef-inspired mac and cheese creations. Most recently, Williams debuted\u00a0Cantina Rosa\u00a0in November 2024, his first bar concept, celebrating agave-forward cocktails and the flavors of Southern Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond the kitchen, Williams is a dedicated mentor and industry advocate. He founded the\u00a0<\/span><b>Virtue Leadership Development<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0program, a not-for-profit incubator equipping young adults of color with entrepreneurial and leadership skills through hands-on training in the restaurant industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chef Williams continues to push boundaries, elevate culinary storytelling, and create spaces where food fosters connection, community, and cultural appreciation.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":8222,"template":"","class_list":["post-1050","chef","type-chef","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southernsmoke.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chef\/1050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southernsmoke.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chef"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southernsmoke.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chef"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southernsmoke.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southernsmoke.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}