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by Robbie Jackson
When you think of San Francisco cuisine, it’s not likely that gumbo is the first thing that comes to mind. Unless of course your Chef Dontaye Ball. “I don’t think that there is any other dish on the planet that is as special as gumbo.” Chef Dontaye, owner of the restaurant Gumbo Social, 5176 3rd St., has been able to take that passion for gumbo and turn it into a brand.
From working at Delfina to corporate dining for Google, the San Francisco native has seen almost all aspects of hospitality and dining. Over the years. he gathered knowledge from each opportunity to create something great that not only was good for him but the people he loves most, his community.
“I’ve been in hospitality for over 25 years. It’s my career and passion along with entrepreneurship. Consulting seemed to be pretty boring. If I’m going to be a consultant, it needs to be fun. Marketing needs to be fun. The approach to handling clients needs to be fun. I need to be able to talk to my fellow restaurant and hospitality people in a language we could understand.
And the idea I had was building a brand, which was Gumbo Social. So the need for good food, a side project, and wanting to promote my consulting service business kinda came together to make what we have today. Kinda like a gumbo,” says Chef Dontaye. It kind of sounds like his life’s work is its own gumbo pot in a way.
But how does a man who was born and raised in the city learn to perfect a dish that is known to come from places down South like Lousinana? “I’m from SF and my folks are from the South. People ask all the time, ‘You are from SF. How can you make gumbo?’ I’ll put this gumbo up against anyone else’s gumbo,” Chef Dontaye passionately comments. “I’m making the dish based on what I had as a child and also what it is supposed to be. Cajuns and Creoles, the gumbos are a little different.
“There are multiple ways to make gumbo. There is so much banter around gumbo. That’s why I chose the dish. There is so much discussion around it. There are all these different types of gumbo. There is conversation always happening about gumbo and that I really wanted to be involved in and a part of.”
And even after an explanation that is clear, one might still wonder, “Why gumbo?” Chef Dontaye with no hesitation has an answer for that. “I like to talk. The original idea was to get people to be more social. I’ll go to a place and wonder, ‘Why y’all act like y’all can’t talk?’ Sometimes you make a friend. Sometimes you learn something. You never know what you can learn or who you may need just by having random conversations.”
And the best part about Chef Dontaye and his restaurant Gumbo Social is that he is beyond intentional. He is quite frankly obsessed not only with gumbo but with the small things that attract Black people to it. “Gumbo comes from Africa. The dish was modified when it got to what was called the New World (the South). The essence of it is Africa at its core. The Black French introduction, which is Creole, is the roux. That’s a New World technique.
“When you try this gumbo, have an open mind. Come to the bowl with your palate right. Try to understand what you’re tasting.” says Chef Dontaye. “There is a reason behind every step that we talk about, from the way that we cut the sausage to the way we make our roux, even how we put in the holy trinity. We are not just throwing stuff in the pot. We even have a vegan option.
“Wherever my people are going with the food, that’s where we are going. I’m constantly thinking about our food being approachable to all cultures and people, and I’m also making sure I do the small things that cater to Black people.The Hood chefs needed to be vegan. I got something for you. One of my Muslim clients wanted some gumbo but couldn’t do the pork. Ramadan came around and boom! I got something for you! We now have smoked turkey gumbo for them.”
You can come have a bowl of gumbo and some good conversation at his new location located at 5176 3rd St. near Thornton, San Francisco, CA 94124. See you there!
Robbie Jackson is a senior journalist with a focus on Black lives, Black love and Black joy and a graduate of the San Francisco Bay View’s Community Journalism Class. Contact: robbie@sfbayview.com.
