September 5, 2024 The Music Center Announces Chef Pyet DeSpain As Newest Emerging Chef-in-Residence for Abernethy's Restaurant

Los Angeles, CA (September 5, 2024) – The Music Center continues its prestigious Emerging Chefs Program at Abernethy’s restaurant with the announcement of Chef Pyet DeSpain’s residency from September 11, 2024, until Spring 2025. Chef DeSpain is an award-winning private chef and was the first winner of Gordon Ramsay's Next Level Chef on Fox. At Abernethy’s, located at Jerry Moss Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles, Chef DeSpain’s menu will feature Native American-Mexican fusion dishes, inspired by her roots, her community and her family. Chef DeSpain is the first chef of Indigenous descent to become an Abernethy’s Emerging Chef.

The Music Center’s Emerging Chefs Program has become renowned for highlighting talent from around Los Angeles County, providing each new chef a platform to uplift a concept unique to them, from menu to art to music. The Music Center’s Culinary Advisory Committee—comprised of Chefs Shirley Chung, Govind Armstrong, Susan Feniger and Ray Garcia, along with Music Center board members—select the chefs. Josephine Ramirez, who is executive vice president of The Music Center’s programming arm, TMC Arts, nominated Chef DeSpain for the Committee’s consideration.

“The Music Center welcomes Chef DeSpain, a culinary star whose creations are on a par with the many other talented chefs who are part of The Music Center’s Emerging Chefs Program. All their food masterpieces, from Korean American and Modern Soul to Modern Filipino and Chinese American and more, reflect the rich diversity of Los Angeles, and we are thrilled to add the cuisine of Indigenous communities to Abernethy’ table,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “Using ancestral ingredients, Chef DeSpain will create an exciting menu that will tantalize the taste buds of thousands of Angelenos and fuel the global momentum of Indigenous cuisine.”

While at culinary school and then later as a private chef preparing food requested by her clients, Chef DeSpain realized she was missing the passion so many of her colleagues exhibited in their cooking. She noticed they were often driven by their family history, preparing the food of their ancestors. With this discovery, Chef DeSpain decided to make a major change and refocused her work on the food of her Indigenous and Mexican roots. With the shift to lean into her heritage, she gained traction, and more people took notice of her work.

At Abernethy’s, Chef DeSpain’s menu will showcase both her Native American and Mexican roots, sharing the culinary traditions of her family. On the menu, diners will find wild game, such as bison and quail, as well as corn and beans. These are not only ingredients that Chef DeSpain grew up eating, but are also at the core of the survival of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The menu is reflective of what Chef DeSpain would serve and enjoy with her family at home, and she invites the guests of Abernethy’s into her kitchen to join her at the dinner table.

Highlights include:

  • Braised Bison Roast with Sautéed Purslane and Corn Cake
  • Maple and Thyme Glazed Salmon
  • Smoked White Bean Dip

Chef Pyet DeSpain is an award-winning traveling private chef. She is the first winner of Gordon Ramsay's Next Level Che, on Fox. In 2021, DeSpain was named "Seventh Best Private Chef in Los Angeles" by Entrepreneur Magazine. She has competed on Tournament of Champions, and other Food Network programming, such as Curious Chef with Stephanie Izard. Her life's work is dedicated to Indigenous Fusion Cuisine, where she combines the food of her heritage - both Native American and Mexican. DeSpain’s passion is to uplift Indigenous culture and traditions via storytelling, traveling and cooking. She attended culinary school to pursue a culinary education and since has earned a certification in Wellness & Nutrition. After launching her own business, Pyet's Plate, Chef DeSpain has focused on promoting Indigenous ingredients in everyday cooking, with the hope of inspiring others to pass down their own cultural recipes from one generation to the next. Currently, Chef DeSpain is the latest Emerging Chef-in-Residence Abernethy’s restaurant at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, where her menu features Native American-Mexican fusion, inspired by her roots, her community and her family.

Located in DTLA on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center, Abernethy’s is a destination restaurant offering an ever-changing culinary experience. Showcasing emerging chefs from throughout Los Angeles County, who are selected by some of the most notable names in food and beverage, Abernethy’s highlights the diverse flavors and people of one of the most diverse counties in the nation. It’s the story of L.A. – related and plated by the chefs who tell it best. For more information, visit abernethysla.com

About The Music Center

The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. Celebrating its 60th year in 2024, the $80 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Gloria Molina Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County and on a digital platform called The Music Center Offstage. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Gloria Molina Grand Park, which comprise $3 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on social media @MusicCenterLA.

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Website: https://www.abernethysla.com/

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