Getting To ‘Savor The City’ With Chef Jernard Wells [Exclusive]

The world of African-American cuisine is one that still has so much to be explored, precisely because it is a foundation for American cuisine. Among the many personalities that are showcasing Black food history in an engaging and lively way is Chef Jernard Wells.

Wells’ rise as a chef is buoyed by his love of cooking, fueled by his family upbringing in Chicago and then Mississippi. That passion propelled the Atlanta-area resident into jobs with Tyler Perry and appearances on the Food Network before the hosting hit show New Soul Kitchen on Cleo TV. Now, Chef Wells is bringing the flavor with a new show on TV ONE, Savor The City. In Savor The City, Chef Wells takes the viewer on a journey through Black culinary excellence and hospitality as he visits cities such as Oakland, New Orleans, and the Napa Valley region of California. We had a chance to talk to Wells on the cusp of the show’s release.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Cassius: How did Savor The City become a reality, from concept to show?

Wells: Savor The City has been a love child and a desire of mine probably since I joined the Urban One/Reach Media family. I always wanted to create something more. When I was first blessed with the opportunity on Cleo TV six years ago to host New Soul Kitchen and New Soul Kitchen Remix, I saw what the African American diaspora needed, and I saw it from a place of me being an African American who saw what we needed, and how we should be showcasing it. I thought this was always a great avenue and a great way to, as I always say, “give people their flowers now.”

And so to fast forward, it just morphed as I grew with the company, and so many key people coming into play like Michelle Rice [and] Powerhouse Productions. It just morphed into this amazing endeavor of Savor The City. In Savor The City, what we do is we highlight the best in our culture, in food, entertainment, in music, in art, in everything that we do, because we’re in every facet of the world. That’s been one of my biggest dreams, watching it just become a reality right now…It’s truly been fantastic.

Cassius: Given how you’ve approached presenting and showcasing our cuisine and the current state of things within the nation, how essential is it to you to display the cuisine of the diaspora for the show?

Wells: You know, a lot of people associate our cuisine with the terminology “soul food.” And I’ll always explain that the cuisine that was created by the African American—that was originally created by the African—is American cuisine. Because everything that is American that revolves around food was due to [us] being the foundation of the landowners. During [enslavement], not only were we cooking and creating for the field hands—and taking the worst food and making it taste great—but we were also cooking the best cuisine, because that’s what they ate in the big house. So we were cooking on both ends of the spectrum. And somewhere along the lines, they coined the word “soul food,” and I always say, “Soul food is not a cuisine.” Soul Food is the method, the process, the way you feel it when you create it. But at the end of the day, it’s American cuisine because we created it here. 

We go beyond just here in the United States. We even go to the Bahamas. My ultimate goal is to really tap around the world and even stop in Africa. Our ultimate goal is to connect the dots and show that America was truly the last stop from Africa and to stop at all these islands and anywhere else there was a port. We discovered that we’re all in one thread. We’re truly all one brother and sister. 

The food trail runs this far, but beyond that, even our art, where we should be etched in stone in history. And I look at this as a way of not only just highlighting and shining the light on the greatness and resilience of our people and what we’ve contributed to the world, but it also shows every other ethnicity in the world how great we are, how we are an asset. And I want to change the narrative on how they see us, instead of every time you hear something, it’s negative and a condemnation about us.

Cassius: For those who will tune in to Savor The City, what’s one favorite moment from the season that you feel the audience will love?

Wells: Well, I’ve had fantastic moments in every city where my team and I touched down.  The hospitality, the culture, and the people have been excellent. But if I have to pick one, it’s when we went to Martha’s Vineyard. They have this group, the Inkwell Polar Bears, and we went out into that cold water…[laughs] It was an amazing experience. It was such a surreal feeling. 

Cassius: Bonus question: What’s one dish that you would introduce someone to from our cuisine if they’ve never tried it?

Wells: Oh man…that would have to be barbecued shrimp and grits. I absolutely love that dish. And I have to say that whenever I go to different restaurants, if it’s on the menu, I will order it. Just to see if it matches up in authenticity related to its Creole origins. It was one of my favorite food experiences down in New Orleans.

Savor The City premieres on TV ONE on April 3, 8 PM ET/7 PM CT.

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