Deborah VanTrece
Chef Deborah VanTrece doubles as one of Atlanta’s hottest chef personalities, creative director and owner of Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours in West Midtown Atlanta and The Catering Company by VanTrece. In March 2021, Chef VanTrece will add published author to her list of accolades with the release of The Twisted Soul Cookbook: Modern Soul with Global Flavors (Rizzoli).
Chef VanTrece has been featured in The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, NPR, Food Network, HuffPost, and Buzzfeed, among others.
Prior to embarking on her culinary career more than 20 years ago, VanTrece was a flight attendant for American Airlines, where her travels took her to destinations throughout Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
Her travels had a profound influence on her culinary style, which she describes as modern global soul food.
The intersection of food and culture is at the heart of VanTrece’s cuisine, which features creative modern interpretations and global influences on traditional southern soul food.
Her childhood and her international travel have had the most significant influence on her career and has helped her define her unique vision of modern global soul food.
"Every culture has its own version of soul food," explains Chef VanTrece. “A lot of people associate soul food with the rural south, and that’s definitely where its roots are. But what I have learned traveling the world is that the things we eat and share are the things that bring us together. Bringing people together in the spirit of fellowship has always been at the heart of soul food, and the menu at Twisted Soul reflects this philosophy.”
VanTrece has explored the world’s cultures through food and found joy in discovering the incongruity that sometimes exists. “In Russia, french fries are more coveted than caviar,” mused VanTrece.
Chef VanTrece is a sought-after chef for top food brands and has partnered with top brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Sabra, Belvedere Vodka, Big Green Eggo, and others.
As a female African American restauranteur, business owner, and member of the LGBTQ+ community, VanTrece is also a passionate and vocal advocate for social justice and issues close to her heart.
She supports education and action to encourage healthier eating habits among low-income households. She also wants to shine a light on food insecurity and other issues that impact vulnerable populations.