Today we’d like to introduce you to Derricka Clayton.
Derricka, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Cooking has always been my passion, therapy and comfort zone. It has allowed me to be creative in ways that I couldn’t begin to speak of. I have been in corporate America for almost 20 years. I have always hosted small parties with friends including wine tastings with unique hors d’oeuvres and game nights with comfort food among friends. In January of this year, my ex-husband/my child’s father passed which was a hard enough life-changing event to deal with as I instantly became a single mom of my teen autistic daughter, two weeks later I was laid off from my job. I decided that this was my time to step out on faith and make my passion become my career. This month, I began my journey in Escoffier School of Culinary Arts to help me become a master of my craft. I will be using this to launch my career as a private chef, who will host cooking events, cooking classes/videos and eventually have a cookbook. I feel stronger, more confident and an awesome role model for my daughter as she is now inspired to have her own baking business, specializing in cookies.
For as long as I remember, I have always been the person that was getting asked frequently “What are the best places to eat?” from friends, family, and co-workers. People wanting to know good places to go for brunch, anniversary, graduation, birthday, date night or just simply wanting to try something different for a change. This is how Tha Dope Foodie blog was born back in 2016. My goal was to provide people my recommendations, reviews, and experiences so you will always have multiple food options to choose from. I love going to restaurants of all kinds. I’m always down for trying out different places and sharing “what that is” when it comes to eating good. Whether it’s a person’s startup biz working to get more exposure, the local chicken shack or soul food spot on the south side, or the five-star restaurant in Uptown, I’m very versatile with my taste. Being a lover of hip hop and all things dope, it’s only right to throw a unique spin on how this information is delivered to my followers.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not at all. Some of my struggles included co-parenting, keeping a steady job, finances as well as conquering my own fears.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Chef Derricka aka Tha Dope Foodie story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a private chef and my services include small catering events, cooking classes, and meal prep. I am most known for my infamous lobster mac n cheese. I most proud of having the ability to create unique dishes to help bring together flavors in a creative way. What sets me apart from others is the ability to improvise and try out new things in order to put my own “spin” on dishes.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see myself either having a cooking event venue to hold classes and host special monthly themed culinary events, possibly have a food truck of my own.
Also, within that timeframe, I will help assist my daughter with launching her cookie business and have some of the proceeds go to Autism Speaks.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chefderricka.com
- Phone: 469-626-8870
- Email: chefderricka@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chefderricka
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/chefderricka
Image Credit:
Christian Davis Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
