Norma Jean Darden

Miss Mamie's Spoonbread

Norma Jean Darden has had a long and versatile career in the food and fashion worlds.  As a Wilhelmina model, her photos appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Mademoiselle, Seventeen, Glamour, Ladies Home Journal, Esquire, New York Magazine, Life, Newsweek and The New York Times.   She was a favorite model of Essence Magazine and also worked for European magazines, such as Italian Vogue, Italian Bazaar and Elle. 

Darden is also co-author, along with sister Carole, of the Award-Winning Doubleday book “Spoonbread and Strawberry Wine, Recipes and Reminiscences of a Family”.  The book is a Historical Collection of Family Heritage, including recipes handed down for generations.   The work became the first cookbook to come to the live stage when Darden toured the country with her one-woman show, Spoonbread and Strawberry Wine, for over a year.

Today Ms. Darden owns and operates SPOONBREAD INC. which includes SPOONBREAD CATERING, New York’s largest African American owned catering company and two thriving restaurants in Manhattan, Miss Mamie’s at 366 W. 110 St. and Miss Maude’s at 547 Lenox Ave.  Spoonbread has a diverse and impressive client list, ranging from Fortune 500 majors like Time Warner, Microsoft, Viacom and Citibank to individual celebrity clientele and long time personal devotees.  Oprah Magazine called owner Norma Jean Darden the “Secret Weapon Of Some Of New York’s Savviest Party-Givers”.  The company is on the “Approved Caterer” list for many of NY’s hottest venues including The N.Y. Public Library, N.Y. Historical Society, M.O.M.A. and the Brooklyn Museum. Darden has appeared on TV’s Food Network and on Martha Stewart Living.  O, Oprah Magazine called Darden the “Secret weapon of some of New York’s savviest Party-Givers”.   Darden’s SPOONBREAD INC. has been selected to work as consultant with New York’s largest caterer, GREAT PERFORMANCES, on the opening of Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, one of three performances venues at the world class Jazz at Lincoln Center Facility in the new Time Warner Center in New York City.

Ms. Darden sits on the Board of the Salvation Army and recently co-chaired, along with sister Carole, Community Access’ Annual Gala benefiting homeless men and women with mental illness.

Melba Wilson

Melba's Restaurant

Melba Wilson was “born, bred and buttered in Harlem.” Today she proudly represents her New York neighborhood as one of the most successful African American women in the restaurant and catering business. Her achievements are countless and her reputation in the food service industry is stellar. Her style, poise and love of entertaining have made Melba’s Restaurant a New York landmark frequented by music, TV and movie stars, New York City’s elite, locals and travelers from around the world.

Melba’s drive to succeed started at an early age with a sharp eye and impeccable insight. Her first opportunity to learn about the restaurant business was at Harlem’s famous Sylvia’s Restaurant, where she held a variety of service and managerial positions. It was Melba who conceptualized and launched the popular Sunday Gospel Brunch, which was so successful that the restaurant industry’s elite quickly came calling.

Michael Lomanco, former Executive Chef of 21 Club and Executive Chef of Windows on the World Restaurants contacted Melba in 1999 to produce and manage a weekly Sunday brunch. Within six months the Champagne Gospel Brunch generated a sixty-five percent increase in revenue. This experience combined with her ability to organize, produce and execute promotional events led to partnerships with renowned restaurateurs, Drew Nieporent and Robert DeNiro of the Nobu empire, Corton, Centrico and TriBeca Grill – as well as the late Artie Cutler and Godfrey Polistina of Carmine’s, Virgil’s, Cesca, and Quest Restaurants.

In 2004, Melba decided to strike out on her own. Today she is the proud sole owner of two Harlem based businesses, Melba’s Restaurant, and Melba’s Catering. Melba’s Restaurant has won rave reviews from New York Magazine, Time Out, The New Yorker, The Daily News, Zagat and Interview Magazine. The restaurant was also named Best Brunch for Kids by Time Out New York, Best Soul Food by Zagat and New York.com and has featured recipes in the “Go Green East Harlem” Cookbook as well as the “Bobby Flay’s Throwdown” cookbook. Melba’s Catering has an extensive list of clientele including Target, Nike, American Express, Pfizer, Time Warner, Bank of America, The NFL, NBA, Transport Workers Union, Universal Records, The Archdiocese of New York and several recording artists including DJ Khaled, Jay-Z, the Zac Brown Band and Katy Perry.

Melba appears on national news and cooking shows. She was previously featured on The View, The Today Show, Good Day New York, NBC’s “New York Live”, the Sundance Film Channel in a documentary entitled, "Love, Lust and Comfort Food,” CBS “The Morning Show”,  the Food Network’s “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”, Food Network’s “Savoring Harlem” (which Melba narrated), “The Next Food Network Star”, “3 Days to Open with Bobby Flay”, "Beat Bobby Flay", "Restaurant Divided" with Rocco DiSpirito, The Insider, and she was the lead judge on “My Momma Throws Down” on TV One. Designer Isaac Mizrahi handpicked Melba as one of his Favorite ladies to represent his Liz Claiborne line in a series of national advertisements entitled, REAL Women.

The proud mother of a 19 year old son, Melba has a cookbook that was released in April, 2016 with Simon & Schuster and was honored twice by Ebony Magazine with their Taste of Ebony  Award. Melba is the recipient of the Westside Spirit Award, The Entrepreneur Award presented by Congressman Charles Rangel, The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce Award, The Thurgood Marshall Prestige Award, The "Shero Award 2015" and the Heritage Award, to name a few. She is a member of the Board and in 2019 was elected the President of Board of Directors for The NYC Hospitality Alliance. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Opportunity Charter School and Harlem Park to Park. Melba donates to and supports many causes including Alzheimer’s, The Girl Scouts of America, diabetes, literacy, senior citizens causes and takes time to help community outreach organizations in Harlem and throughout New York City.

In 2019 Melba’s celebrates 15 years in business, and has served over 2.5 million guests.

Lexis Gonzalez & Dr. Sharon Gonzalez

Lady Lexis Sweets

Chef Lexis Gonzalez & Dr Sharon Gonzalez are the mother and daughter duo of Lady Lexis Sweets. Chef Lexis was born and bread in Harlem and is the pastry chef genius incharge of creating scrumptious desserts at Lady Lexis Sweets. Chef Lexis began her culinary career selling cookies from a card table in front of the building she lived in. The card table turned into a mobile cart that she built herself and the mobile cart turned into a storefront.

Lexis went to her mother, Sharon with the idea of creating a sweet shop and having her mother share some of her own southern recipes. The two of them began creating the menu and the concept; and finally the dream became a reality and Lady Lexis Sweets was created. Four years later visitors can come to Lady Lexis Sweets to find that there is always something different being created.

Lady Lexis Sweets features Charleston Recipes created by Dr. Sharon Gonzalez such as their famous Charleston Bread Pudding with Whiskey Soaked Raisin, Banana Pudding and Peach Cobbler. Chef Lexis Gonzalez does amazing cookie creation such as Chocolate Coconut, Rum Raisin Oatmeal and their famous Oatmeal Creme Pie.

Along with making great creation Lady Lexis Sweets host Baking & Decorating class. Now the mother and daughter team spends their days making delicious creation and their nights teaching others how to do the same.

Jelena Pasic

Harlem Shake

Harlem Shake is the award-winning and critically-acclaimed fast-casual restaurant featuring a menu made for both simple and sophisticated tastes.  Our flagship restaurant opened in May 2013 in the heart of Central Harlem.   In Sept, 2016, we opened our second location, in East Harlem (proudly recognized as “El Barrio").  

Harlem Shake proudly celebrates the old and new Harlem culture through our interior design, community-member staffing and commitment to community driven events and programs.

Jessica Spaulding

Harlem Chocolate Factory

My name is Jessica, life-long Harlem resident and chocolate lover. I grew up in an anti-sugar home but there was one exception to this rule, CHOCOLATE, and not just any chocolate high-quality dark chocolate.  My mother knew the higher the quality of the chocolate the lower the sugar and better the flavor. I became obsessed. We'd attend the chocolate show every year and I learned about chocolate from around the world.

I tempered my first batch of chocolate at 10 years old. But, growing up in Harlem being a chocolatier wasn't a supported career path. The short story version is I don't believe in giving up.  In High School I participated in a program called Expanding the Walls at the Studio Museum of Harlem where we learned photography through the lens of the famed Harlem Renaissance photographer James VanDerZee. It was during this time I learned the true legacy and history of Harlem and fell in love.

The class, culture and elegance of Harlem was, and still is, so beautiful to me. Years later and here I am finally ready to step out and do what was always in my heart.