Prairie Band Potawatomi Chef Pyet DeSpain Takes Over Los Angeles Restaurant

Details

By Elyse Wild

September 10, 2024

As the latest addition to The Music Center’s esteemed Emerging Chefs Program, Chef DeSpain will debut her Indigenous-Mexican fusion menu starting September 11, 2024, with the residency running through Spring 2025. 

“The Music Center welcomes Chef DeSpain, a culinary star whose creations are on par with the many other talented chefs in our Emerging Chefs Program. Their food masterpieces—ranging from Korean American and Modern Soul to Modern Filipino and Chinese American—reflect the rich diversity of Los Angeles, and we are thrilled to add Indigenous cuisine to Abernethy’s table,” Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center said in a press release. “Using ancestral ingredients, Chef DeSpain will create an exciting menu that will tantalize the taste buds of thousands of Angelenos and fuel the global momentum of Indigenous cuisine.”

Before establishing herself as a leading voice in Indigenous fusion cuisine, Chef DeSpain started by cooking dishes that catered to clients’ tastes but felt disconnected from her work. Once she embraced her Native American and Mexican heritage, she found her culinary voice, blending these traditions.

This realization helped DeSpain carve out a niche in the culinary world, gaining recognition on national platforms such as Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef and Tournament of Champions on the Food Network. 

Her passion for Indigenous fusion cuisine led to the creation of her business, Pyet’s Plate, where she promotes using Indigenous ingredients in everyday cooking. Her mission is to inspire others to preserve and pass down cultural recipes, creating a deeper understanding of food in storytelling. 

DeSpain’s Native American and Mexican roots shine through in her carefully crafted dishes, which spotlight traditional ingredients like bison, quail, corn, and beans, which are all integral to Indigenous foodways. 

The menu at Abernethy’s under DeSpain’s leadership will offer an intimate glimpse into her cultural heritage, featuring dishes that her family has enjoyed for generations. Highlights include:

• Braised Bison Roast with Dandelion Greens
• Maple and Thyme Glazed Salmon
• Smoked White Bean Dip 

Each dish invites diners to explore the flavors that have sustained Indigenous peoples for centuries while offering a modern twist that keeps DeSpain’s cooking firmly rooted in contemporary tastes. 

For reservations and more information, visit Abernethy’s website. 

More Stories Like This