Using a modern version of his grandmother’s gumbo recipe, Watts native and James Beard nominated chef Keith Corbin, whose journey to the kitchen began after years in prison, is putting his soul dish on more tables than ever thanks to a new partnership with the Everytable restaurant chain.
“It has depth of flavor, sweetness from the peppers, this freshness from the herbs, a little heat but not spicy. It’s rich, it’s flavorful, it’s absolutely delicious,” said the chef, who is collaborating with the chain for a new dish dubbed Chef Corbin’s California Gumbo.
The dish is a gumbo made with boneless, skinless chicken thigh, andouille sausage, bell peppers, onions and celery in a rich dark roux served over rice. It’s now available at all 38 Everytable locations in Southern California.
“Everything is made from scratch and this particular gumbo with sausage and peppers and onions is so flavorful that it just knocks your socks off. You have this beautiful fresh rice, this spicy hardy and savory gumbo and honestly it’s my favorite dish on the menu,” said Sam Polk, CEO of Everytable, which focuses on grab-and-go dishes that lean towards healthier and fresher alternatives to regular fast food places.
And Polk said that partnering with Corbin exemplifies what Everytable is all about.
“We wanted a chance to work with Chef Corbin whose food is amazing but also whose own personal story is amazing,” Polk said. “Everytable believes that meals are not just food, they’re about your own personal history and your family and your culture,” he added.
Road to the kitchen
Corbin grew up in the Jordan Downs housing projects in Watts and was involved in gangs, which ultimately landed him in prison for 10 years.
“I grew up in an impoverished community and participated in gangs, selling and using drugs,” Corbin said. Yet throughout all this he developed a love for cooking at an early age in the kitchen alongside his grandmother.
“My love for cooking came from necessity. I had to cook as a youth to feed myself and my brothers and sisters. But my love of feeding people came from my grandmother,” he said.
After spending a decade in prison and with no formal culinary training, Corbin got a call from his mother about a new place opening up in Watts called Locol that was hiring staff. The restaurant was founded by celebrity chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson with the purpose of serving healthy food in underserved communities.
Corbin was hired on the spot as manager and cook. It was there that thanks to his natural talent he honed his now considerable cooking skills.
“After coming home from prison I just figured I wanted to do something different. What that looked like I didn’t know. I didn’t have examples of people around me turning their lives around so I just figured I’d get a job and the job opportunity presented itself and I just seized every opportunity since then,” Corbin said.
He made the most of that one opportunity because after his stint at Locol he partnered with Patterson to open the critically acclaimed Alta Adams, a California soul food restaurant where the chef earned two James Beard nominations. In 2022 Corbin also became an author after the release of his memoir “California Soul: An American Epic of Cooking and Survival.”
“It’s still unbelievable for me to think of where I am now,” he said.
Corbin said his partnership with Everytable was a no-brainer since the chain focuses on healthier and affordable food options just like Locol, where the chef got his first restaurant job. Creating his California Gumbo was also a no-brainer since gumbo was a dish he grew up eating, and the Everytable version comes from a recipe inspired by his grandmother.
“My grandmother didn’t leave any recipe books, so everything I create is from familiarity. I just carve a new path to something familiar. It’s not the exact recipe, so this is my version of gumbo,” Corbin said.
Now that he’s partnered with Everytable, Corbin is happy that more people will have the opportunity to taste his food, and maybe even get inspired by his life story.
“Second chances can start at any time in your life as long as you don’t give up and keep pushing,” he said.
For more information go to everytable.com