In October 2019, two friends—Nas and Dan—teamed up to create The Migrant Kitchen: a long-dreamt-of catering business that focused on providing meaningful opportunities for immigrants to showcase the cuisines and cultures of their home countries while earning more than just minimum wage. In doing so, they had absolutely no idea (like any of us) that COVID-19 was about to turn the world upside down…

Once COVID hit NYC, Nas and Dan quickly pivoted from their standard catering operation to serving food to frontline healthcare workers fighting against the pandemic. As COVID continued to change the way we lived and ate, our operation quickly grew into something much greater. Within the next few months, TMK was serving over 60,000 meals a week to food insecure communities across NYC.

Now we’re getting back to our original mission – this time we’re sharing everything we’re cooking with the entire city.

Our locations in the Upper East Side, Brooklyn and (soon) the Upper West Side serve American food inspired by immigrants. We aim to prove that shawarma and carnitas are just as American as hamburgers and apple pie. 

Auzerais grew up in Hayward, Calif., baking for her family and experimenting with recipes. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in pastry arts from Johnson & Wales and interned at Alain Ducasse’s pastry school in France before a decade-long career in fine dining. She staged at Michelin-starred establishments The French Laundry in California and Daniel and Per Se in New York and worked as the executive pastry chef at Brooklyn’s Pies ‘n’ Thighs and Ducasse’s Benoit Bistro. In 2015 as the pastry sous chef at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, Auzerais became frustrated with the lack of representation in fine dining and set out to change the industry. Auzerais found her soul as an entrepreneur and, as Blondery grows, is creating the supportive workplace she sought by hiring people of color and empowering them for careers in the restaurant industry.

Blondery is a direct-to-consumer virtual bakery that specializes in a distinctive collection of handmade blondies inspired by generosity. Founded by professional pastry chef Auzerais Bellamy, Blondery reflects her passion for making the perfect blondie and making her profession a better place for women and people of color. Baked to order in Brooklyn and shipped nationwide, Blondery solves the essential question of what to give when you want a unique and delicious gift for yourself or others any time of year.

Our culinary ambassador, Georgette Farkas, interviewed Chef Auzerais Bellamy about her culinary career and direct-to-consumer virtual bakery, Blondery. Read more about it here.

Influenced by his upstate New York childhood experience working in his family’s vegetable garden, Charlie Palmer was an early advocate of farm over factory food. In 1988, he made a landmark commitment to creating dishes featuring regional American ingredients at his sublime three-star Aureole, originally located in a historic townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Aureole moved 20 years later to a theatre district location in the heart of Times Square at the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, where it flourished for 12 years before shifting to a virtual model, Aureole at Home, in June 2020. During its 30 years as a brick-and-mortar restaurant, Aureole earned 13 Michelin stars and two James Beard awards.

Other coast-to-coast locations encompass an expanding collection of award-winning restaurants and luxurious boutique hotels—many in equally significant historical locations and each designed with distinctive personalities to provide unique experiences. These properties include: Charlie Palmer Steak NYC, Charlie Palmer at The Knick and St. Cloud Rooftop at The Knickerbocker Hotel, AVA Social and Spyglass Rooftop at Archer Hotel New York, Willow by Charlie Palmer at Mirbeau Rhinebeck, Charlie Palmer Steak (Washington, DC), Aureole at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Charlie Palmer Steak at Four Seasons Hotel (Las Vegas), Charlie Palmer Steak (Reno, Nevada), Charlie Palmer Steak and Sky & Vine Rooftop at Archer Hotel Napa, and Dry Creek Kitchen at Hotel Healdsburg (Sonoma County in California).

Chef Aurélien Dufour was born amidst the rich food and wine culture of Bordeaux, and spent his childhood in Germany where he was introduced to the charcuterie tradition.

Aurélien’s natural talent for charcuterie was apparent, and he learned from the talented Chef Gérard Berranger, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France-distinguished Charcutier (the highest and most prestigious award in France in the food industry). There, Aurélien learned the technique and tradition of French charcuterie, steeped in history, with recipes passed down over generations. He mastered pâtés, terrines, galantines, ballotines, crépinettes and sausages, and also participated in many charcuterie competitions. He won second place at the prestigious Best Young Chef in Charcuterie award at age 19 and has since placed within the top 3 in every competition.

Aurélien Dufour has worked in the food industry for nearly 20 years, including six years in New York City, as Chef Charcutier for the prestigious Chef Daniel Boulud and his restaurant group.

Since his debut in NYC, Aurélien has gained recognition from the press and has upheld a strong reputation amongst his industry peers for the quality of his work, his dedication, and exceptional savoir-faire that only very few know in the United States.

In 2013, Aurélien was recognized by Star Chefs as a Rising Star in the Artisan Category, was also named by Zagat, the reputable restaurant guide, as a 30 under 30 Best Chef. In February 2016, he was inducted into the prestigious and exclusive association of Académie Culinaire de France/Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. which preserves and spreads the French culinary arts, encourages training in cuisine, and supports professional development.