Khaled Albanna, chef and co-owner of Chattanooga restaurant Calliope, will be a presenting honoree at this year's annual Iconoclast Dinner in New York City.
Held June 10, the dinner recognizes and highlights chefs of color from around the world. Albanna is one of only few recognized trailblazers in food, wine and spirits invited to present at this year's event, according to a news release. He will join a lineup of chefs from Mexico City, Toronto, New York, San Francisco and Maine, as well as wine and spirits professionals from St. Louis and Chicago.
Albanna said by phone Saturday that he was looking forward to representing Calliope and Chattanooga, but also to meeting others in the industry from around the world.
"I'm going to meet others and see what the trends are and what they are doing that is working," he said. "This is a huge honor and a huge opportunity."
The annual event is hosted at the James Beard House in New York, a venue that hosts culinary experiences and educational events from the James Beard Foundation. The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes equity in the hospitality industry, known especially for its annual James Beard Awards.
"I'm honored and excited to join this event along with so many incredible chefs from around the world," Albanna said in the release. "My hope for this event is to not only represent the cuisine of my lineage well but also the Southeast's already incredible culinary scene."
Proceeds from the event will benefit students from Jamaica and sub-Saharan African countries at Spelman College, an Atlanta-based historically Black liberal arts college for women. The parent organization of the event, The Iconoclast Dinner Experience, was founded in 2015 by Lezli Leven Harvell, a Spelman-alumna who serves as the chief curator of programming.
Albanna, along with business partners and friends Joi Mason and Raven Humphrey, opened Calliope in 2020 as the resident kitchen tenant at Flora Del Mead in Rossville, Georgia. They moved into Proof Bar and Incubator on East M.L. King Boulevard in 2022 as the restaurant tenant.
Originally from Jordan and raised around the restaurant scene, Albanna envisioned Calliope as a restaurant that highlights dishes from the Levantine region of the Middle East while using ingredients available in the Southeast. The seasonal menu includes customer and staff favorites such as whole branzino, lamb sausage and an assortment of flavorful, house-made hummus. The restaurant also features a wine program highlighting wine from the Levantine region.
Two years after opening, Calliope was recognized by Food and Wine magazine as one of the best meals of 2022.
Albanna said by phone that the restaurant continues to find new fans from both the local market and from tourists.
"It has been great, and we continue to grow," Albanna said.
Tickets for The Iconoclast Dinner will go on sale April 10 and the event will take place June 10. Learn more at theiconoclastdinner.com.
-- Compiled by Barry Courter