Oakland Chef Sells Out His Inauguration Day Gumbo Made To Celebrate VP-Elect Harris
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- An Oakland chef who prepared one of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' favorite dishes in honor of her inauguration Tuesday has sold out with online orders.
Chef Robert Dorsey made a Democracy Gumbo to celebrate his Wednesday's inauguration of Harris as the first female vice president.
The renowned chef spun his signature California style into it using local Dungeness crab. "All kinda spices. We got granulated garlic, got some other little blackened secret spices in there," said Dorsey.
More than 200 orders came in since Friday and Dorsey said he and his team are keeping up with the demand.
"We have sold out!" said Dorsey. "We'll be in the kitchen later this evening, seeing what we can whip up for late comers and get some stuff out tomorrow and possibly Friday as well."
The gumbo comes in several styles, all packaged and ready for pickup and includes crab cakes.
Dorsey said most dinners will be picked up Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon.
"We as a company are extremely excited! This has been a big week for us and a big day and we just want to celebrate it," said Dorsey.
The chef shares a connection with Harris: both were taught in different years by the same first-grade teacher, the late Frances Wilson, at Thousand Oaks Elementary School on Colusa Avenue in Berkeley.
Harris reportedly said during her presidential primary race in 2019 that Wilson instilled hope and courage in her. Dorsey was similarly influenced by Wilson. Democracy Gumbo is what he calls his Inauguration Day tribute to Harris.
