Local Event

Charleston Wine + Food: SPICE + SOUL WITH CHEETIE KUMAR

Cost: $240.35

Spend an afternoon in the kitchen with one of North Carolina’s most celebrated chefs. Cheetie Kumar is the chef and owner of Raleigh’s Ajja and Big Cat, both of which have drawn national attention, including multiple James Beard Award nominations for Best Chef: Southeast and a Best New Restaurant semifinalist nod for Ajja. In 2025, The Local Palate named her North Carolina’s Best Chef, along with Big Cat earning a spot on the New York Times 2026 Best Restaurants List.

Born in India and raised in the Bronx before making her home in the South, Kumar is known for vibrant, spice-driven cooking that blends Indian and global influences with the best of North Carolina’s farms and purveyors. A self-taught cook (and a longtime working guitarist), she brings the same imagination, rebellion, and soul to the kitchen that she brings to the stage.

In this hands-on class, you’ll cook alongside Chef Kumar and learn the techniques and flavor-building instincts behind her food. Her menu follows the season and what’s freshest, so expect a surprise, but you can count on bold flavors, practical technique you can take home, and plenty of good company at the table.

Tags

• event
• Charleston Wine + Food event
• Charleston Wine + Food class
• Charleston Wine + Food cooking class
• Charleston Wine + Food culinary class
• Things to do in Charleston, SC
• South Carolina Wine & Food Events
• Charleston Wine & Food Events