California Soul & Serendipity
by Patrice Davenport
At the beginning of our interview, I overheard Chef Keith Corbin asking someone to “put some marinade on it,” that’s a chef’s life. Keith Corbin is the co-owner and head chef at Alta Adams in Los Angeles. The twice James Beard nominated Executive Chef grew up in the Jordan Downs housing projects in Watts. Corbin was involved with gangs and drug dealing, which eventually lead to his incarceration. It was in prison when he first started cooking and working in kitchens, which eventually led to a job with LocoL, a restaurant group founded by celebrity chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson.
Corbin partnered with Patterson on Alta Adams, a "California Soul" food restaurant utilizing local produce and healthier ingredients. The menu features Corbin’s own spin on the food he grew up cooking and eating with his grandmother. Her name was Mrs. Louella, and she would tell Keith sternly, “get that (stuff) out of here (her kitchen),” when he would experiment with new ingredients. Merging flavors from across the African diaspora, Chef Keith may skillfully add “miso plus the holy trinity: onion, celery and carrots to enhance an entrée.”
Today he prefers to turn the page on his redemption story and focus on the now and present. In 2022 he penned California Soul: An American Epic of Cooking and Survival, a much anticipated and acclaimed chronicle. In 2023, the book was nominated for a James Beard Media Awards in the Literary Writing category.
He lives by his favorite quote from beloved artist Nipsey Hussle, “𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭.”
He admits that his biggest challenge has centered around changing the way he views life’s obstacles and the coping mechanisms he learned in the hood are not transferable. So Chef Keith is “very big on self-reflection, growth and “changing [his] mindset”.
I can’t wait to taste his newest entrees which include a grilled fish (Guinean) and chicken yasa (Senegalese). He proclaims, “we do things our way, ‘smoked chickens and Andouille sausage.” Chef Keith plans to feature a seasonal dish inspired by his grandmother, inculding braised oxtails, potato gnocchi, and West African peanut sauce. He hasn’t left the plant-based crowd out by whipping up avegan gumbo.
For dessert he lures us with, “we love a good banana pudding!” His is made with almond milk, (for lightness) and wafers made-in-house served brûlée style.
His team has formed partnerships to elevate others to leave behind hourly wages and embrace entrepreneurship.
Currently plans are underway to open South Bay Alta and Alta Atlanta.
On having downtime, he shared that “Alta is like my baby with responsibilities never ending.” He relishes spending time with his family on the weekend and mentioned that his wife Renee, has been instrumental and pivotal in his evolution.
Previous Page: Portraits by Nick Muncie
End: Kieth’s grandmother Mrs. Louella
Middle: Book signing in Oakland, CA