S1:E16 Melba Wilson I Harlem Heart & Soul

Melba Wilson, "born, bred and buttered in Harlem", proudly represents her NYC neighborhood as a successful African-American woman in the restaurant and catering business. She is the owner of one of the most influential soul food restaurants in the city, aptly named Melba's, along with Melba's Catering and Melba's Mussels. As an author, Melba wrote Melba's American Comfort: 100 Recipes from My Heart to Your Kitchen. She is the first woman and person of color to hold the position of President of the Board of the New York Hospitality Alliance and as such, is deeply involved in advocating for a fair and equitable regulatory environment that removes barriers to entrepreneurship and job creation in the hospitality industry.

Melba is well recognized for her achievements receiving numerous awards for entrepreneurship, family recipes and her own recipes. She won an episode of Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay featuring her 96-year-old grandmother's recipe for Fried Chicken and Biscuits. Melba is actively involved in giving time, being active on boards, supporting the community and various charitable causes along with a variety of tv appearances. During the pandemic, Melba was featured on a CBS 60 Minutes episode that created a pool of funds allowing Melba to give back to support staff and the community in various ways.

In this episode, Melba and host Brad Johnson cover a range of subjects including her strong family connection and pride in her heritage, the role of food in creating an environment of love and story-telling, hospitality as being in the business of making others happy through food, the opportunities to serve throughout the pandemic, her philosophy of faith plus deeds and perseverance equals results, the value of the roller coaster journey through life and her love of Harlem.

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