Chantelle Sookram
Trinidadian Roots, French Training, and a Deep Devotion to Local Food
by Torrey Douglass
Chef Chantelle Sookram was born in tropical Trinidad, where she lived with her family before moving to New Jersey at the age of 16. She attended high school there, and by the time she graduated, she was ready to leave behind both the winters of the Northeast and traditional academic learning. So the following fall, she took her cue from the birds and migrated south to attend the Johnson and Wales culinary school in the decidedly warmer climes of Miami, Florida.
The choice to pursue a culinary career stemmed from Chantelle’s experience working at Verjus, a restaurant in Maplewood, New Jersey, while she was in high school. “I learned so much working there,” remembers Chantelle. “When it came time to graduate, there was nothing that I was really passionate about besides food.”
Chantelle’s family background also contributed to her love of food. Trinidad has a significant population of both East Indian and Afro-Carribean people, and Chantelle’s family included both, a combination that was especially evident in the kitchen. Her dad’s East Indian roots were reflected in spiced curries and roti (Indian flatbread), while her mom’s Afro-Caribbean heritage brought dark stew meats, ground provisions like yams and cassava, and plenty of fresh fish to the table. Both of her grandmothers were part of her childhood, and little Chantelle watched the two of them cook everything from scratch with precision and patience.
Chantelle’s training at culinary school added to her skillset the French techniques that are typical in fine dining. In total, she spent ten years in Florida before relocating to San Francisco to work at Nopa, an exceptionally popular Divisadero neighborhood restaurant that specializes in organic, seasonal, wood-fired cuisine. Owner Lawrence Jossel would visit farmers markets four days a week to get the best ingredients of the moment, a devotion to local food that resulted in outstanding flavors and made an impact on Chantelle’s evolving culinary ethos. As a result, she started considering the farmers behind the food and all the resources and toil that are required before ingredients arrive in her kitchen. When she returned to Florida, she delved deep into the local food movement there, taking a position with Urban Oasis Project, a Miami nonprofit created to address social justice issues within the existing food systems.
Her work with Urban Oasis Project gave Chantelle lots of opportunities to engage with local food issues. Some of her roles focused on community empowerment, like helping farmers sell their crops at farmers markets and organizing farmer dinners to showcase a local food producer by creating a beautiful meal with their harvest.
Other aspects of the job took food sovereignty to a personal level, like the GIVE Gardens program, where she built gardens at people’s homes, usually in low-income neighborhoods that lacked access to fresh fruit and vegetables.
After five years working on the front lines of Miami’s local food movement, Chantelle was ready to get back in the kitchen. Seasonal work seemed like the way to go, as it would allow her to explore different parts of the country and cook in different settings. Following a season at a family owned steakhouse in Hatch, Utah, an ad for a seasonal chef at Mendocino Grove caught her eye. After a few Zoom interviews and some online research about the area, she took off for the Northern California coast.
Mendocino Grove sits on 37 acres above the Pacific Ocean just south of the village of Mendocino. Glamping tents are grouped into neighborhoods and consist of weatherproof material stretched over raised platforms. Each contains a bed with heated sheets, and outside, guests have their own fire ring, picnic table, and deck with a chair or two. A pair of bathhouses offer clean bathrooms and hot showers, and little details—like a dog washing station, 24-hour hot beverage bar, and vases of fresh local flowers—add convenience and comfort. Campers who want to “rough it” will need to look elsewhere.
Attentive and friendly staff keep the campground operating while it is open for guests from May through Thanksgiving. One of the first things that struck Chantelle when she arrived to work there was the team’s strong work ethic and cohesion. “I was pleasantly surprised by how all members of staff are committed to providing an amazing experience for the guests,” she shares. “Even when there are disagreements, they get worked out without drama, because everyone has the same goal.”
During the summer, and especially in the shoulder seasons of spring and fall, mornings can be quite chilly on the coast. That’s where the heated blankets, hot showers, and hot beverage bar come in. Chantelle’s new position included serving a hot breakfast seven days a week—oatmeal with lots of toppings, as well as coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fruit, and hard boiled eggs. “I want to make sure folks are warm and comforted since it can be foggy and chilly on the coast,” she explains.
Chantelle also oversees dinner at the grove, which is typically served Friday nights, as well as some Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The Campfire Series brings local musicians to the grove to entertain guests by the campfire, usually on Thursday and Sunday evenings, and dinner is always served on those nights. Soups and stews are typical, like chili, curry, or ramen, as well as side dishes inspired by visits to local farmers on the coast. Meat and seafood are typically sourced from Roundman’s Smokehouse or Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg.
The 2024 season will bring back the popular Farmer Dinner Series, a monthly event highlighting three farmers who provide the meat, produce, and flowers for an outstanding meal and social occasion. The dinners benefit the Good Farm Fund, which provides small grants to local farmers, and include live music and discounted tents for those who want to stay the night. These dinners are an excellent reflection of Chantelle’s culinary passion. She observes, “There’s lots of fresh food accessible on the coast—there are amazing local farms here. It sparks joy for me. I like my food to reflect where I am and what’s available.”
This season, Chantelle wants to lean a little more into her Trinidadian roots when cooking for the campers, incorporating Caribbean influences and using lots of fresh fish and produce, which are common in her native cuisine. When combined with the French flair of her training and her devotion to sourcing local food, guests can expect dishes to be balanced, nourishing, and full of flavor.
Before the season starts in May, Chantelle spends time in Trinidad with her family. She enjoys the slower pace, which allows for long conversations with neighbors over tea, as well as plenty of outside time to enjoy the beaches and rainforest. It’s a time to relax and reflect, to gather inspiration, and prepare for another season of cooking. “I want to return with fresh eyes,” she shares, “so I can increase joy and happiness for everyone in the situation.”
Joy and happiness are certainly what Mendocino Grove aims to deliver. For years, guests have traveled there to savor the fresh ocean air and peaceful forest paths, the gorgeous views, cozy beds, and toasty seats by the fire. Now they can enjoy Chantelle’s enticing food as well, adding another dimension of delight to their stay.
As a relatively young chef, Chantelle will continue to evolve as she hones her craft in the kitchen, building on her Trinidadian roots, French culinary training, and commitment to Mendocino-grown ingredients. With such distinctive and complementary influences informing her dishes, campers visiting during the 2024 season, as well as locals who come by for some music or special event, will enjoy truly unique cooking from this gifted and committed culinary talent.
Mendocino Grove
9601 California 1, Mendocino
(707) 880-7710 | MendocinoGrove.com
Locals are welcome at the Campfire Series, Farmer Dinners, and the annual live music event the first weekend of November, Mendocino Fall Fest. Keep an eye on Mendocino Grove on instagram for details @MendocinoGrove.
Torrey Douglass is a web and graphic designer living in Boonville. Her life’s joys include reading by the fire, cooking something delicious, and drinking good coffee with a friend.
Images by Carla Danieli courtesy of Mendocino Grove.
