The layers of the American South, the history and resources of West African cultures — Ashleigh Shanti’s cooking pulls from many threads. As the head chef at Benne on Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina, the 2019 Eater Young Gun has created a menu that draws on West African dishes (and their evolutions throughout the African diaspora), African-American food traditions of Appalachia, and the historically black-owned restaurants of Asheville.
Her approach is “rich with spices, memory, and a remix of tradition” — which is why it’s only appropriate that her go-to playlists are also true mixes, with artists of various genres all together in a “shuffle,” as she puts it.
Ashleigh Shanti’s Playlist
To open the playlist in a new window, click here.
