Grub Street: Kia Damon

on 2021.09.16

5 Places

Kia Damon, who was head chef at Lalito while it was open and is a recent winner of Food Network’s Chopped, has been busier than ever. Along with a series of pop-ups, virtual events, and private cooking jobs, Damon has co-founded Auxilio — a food-centered space that supports queer, Black, trans, and indigenous communities in New York — and founded the Kia Feeds the People Program, another nonprofit aimed at combating food apartheid. With everything else going on, she is adjusting her home-cooking routine accordingly. As told to Jane Starr Drinkard --- For Kia's full Grub Street diet, click the link below.

grubstreet.com/2021/03/kia-damon-grub-street-diet.html

Herbert Von King Park

Park · Bedford-Stuyvesant

"Working from home, eating from home, cooking from home — it all blends into one experience. I try to play hooky, getting up to walk outside. I’ve been trying to practice a lot of that. Taking walks, heading to Herbert Von King Park, just to bring some humanity back into my schedule."

BK Bagels

Bagel shop · Bedford-Stuyvesant

"I went to this place BK Bagels on Broadway after the gym with Stasia and got a chicken-caesar-bacon wrap. It was so good."

Chelsea Market

Market · Chelsea

"After that, I made Louisiana-style red beans and rice in my Instant Pot because I had some ham from Chelsea Market. It was my first time seeing tasso ham in New York. So that was a moment."

Saraghina Bakery

Bakery · Bedford-Stuyvesant

"We went to Saraghina and got some tea and a brioche loaf."

Clementine Bakery

Bakery · Bedford-Stuyvesant

"I wanted a pastry from Pilar, but they were closed so we walked farther to Clementine, which is vegan. We got some poppin’ strawberry vegan cream-cheese Danishes. I had never experienced a vegan version of that. I was very impressed! I have to note I don’t have a gigantic sweet tooth. It just really has to hit me. I also picked up a super-chunky fudge-y walnut brownie they had."

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New York Magazine