FOODIE FEATURE: CHEF DONTAYE BALL “GUMBO SOCIAL”
Meet Dontaye Ball, the Gumbo King, the San Francisco chef behind what my taste buds believe to be the best gumbo in the land.
“Our company mission is to make this gumbo dish, America’s National Dish,” says Chef Dontaye.
Located on 3rd Street in San Francisco’s Bayview district, Gumbo Social is more than a restaurant; it’s a community hub where people come together over a bowl of hearty gumbo cooked the way you want it.
“Quality chicken and sausage is our baseline, and you can modify that with shrimp or crab as an add-on. We also do turkey gumbo and a vegan offering with Far West Funghi,” says Chef Dontaye.
This New Orleans original - gumbo - is nothing new for Chef Dontaye. His grandma first served it to him when he was eight, and it made a deep impression. He recalls her cooking the roux slowly with a wooden spoon in a cast-iron skillet. As soon as the gumbo was ready, he remembers his neighbors eagerly gathering for a taste.
And how does it taste? The Gumbo Social bowls of yummy goodness hit all the right notes. As flavorful and healthy a bowl as I have ever had. Hearty yet not too heavy. The gumbo is served with another menu item Chef Dontaye can’t help but celebrate, hoe cake. It’s the perfect bedfellow with gumbo; cutlery down, pick up the cake with your hand and use it to soak up the saucy parts left in the bowl once most is devoured. It is indeed a most heavenly experience. My other favorite menu item is the Po’Boy with an ample serving of shrimp, bathed in “secret” social sauce in the perfect soft yet robust, toasted French bun.
Do yourself a favor and make the trip to Bayview along the 3rd Street corridor between Chase Center and Candlestick Point, where many good things are happening. It’s SF Restaurant Week from November 1 through November 9 too. Don’t leave without hitting up the communal hot sauce bar where regulars leave their favorite bottles to be shaken and shared.
Enjoy my tasty talk here with the Gumbo King, Chef Dontaye Ball.
GUMBO SOCIAL
5176 3rd St, San Francisco
Phone: 415-655-9195
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