Meet Jasmine Anderson | Private Chef/ Caterer & High School Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jasmine Anderson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jasmine, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in Houston, TX only leaving the city once, barely, to live in Conroe for a year lol. Houston made me. I mean I went to college here @ the University of Houston and culinary school here too at HCC. I’ve worked at a number restaurant and hospitality establishments here in the city gaining experience needed for my to branch out on my own. In early years, I grew up with my mother, father, & sisters. We were a common happy family living life to the fullest. That is until tragedy hit us like a ton of bricks. The Saturday before Christmas, my father died in a car accident on his way home. He was so close to making his way back to us. As you can imagine, this was really hard for my family to bounce back from and honestly I am not sure we ever really did. It has been very important to me to live the lessons he taught me and honor him daily. My company is 1101 Southern Kitchen was named to honor him…1101 representing his birthday, November 1.

After the passing of my father, my mother became a single mother and raised us girls to be strong, independent, hard working, go getters. She instilled in us that no mountain was to high, no goal was unattainable. These very ideas she made possible in my mind give me the courage that I could follow my entrepreneurial dreams with little fear. My family has always been my biggest support team and I a grateful to say that they each instilled something in me to make me the woman I am today.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am the owner of 1101 Southern Kitchen. I am a private chef, caterer, high school teacher, and culinary arts instructor. I was born and raised in Houston, TX, even attending University of Houston. I have been cooking for as long as I can remember. This passion of mine has truly been a gift from God and I love sharing it.

Since high school, I knew that the foodservice industry was the path for me. I knew at 16 that I would one day have my own restaurant. So throughout my life after high school, I focused on making my restaurant dream my reality. Then at the end of 2019, my reality was right in front of my eyes and the start of 1101 Southern Kitchen restaurant begin. I found a perfect location, put money in, prayed over the place and then… it all fell through. Taking a little stumble, I kept going, found another location, and got back to work.

Then BOOM!!! Covid hit. Like everything else in the world, my restaurant dream came to a crashing halt. This time the stumble was a heavy hitter, but every bit of me knew I couldn’t give up just yet. I was to close to the finish line. Everyday I told myself just keep swimming just keep swimming lol. It took me a lot of extra money and until August of 2020 to finally get all the permitting and everything needed to open. September 2020, my dream indeed became my reality. It was the most amazing thing I have every done in my life. Like to take a high school dream, never give up, and make it happen it’s a feeling like no other.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long and on the last day of January 2021, I had to make the decision to close. This time this setback felt like failure. I had worked so hard and lost it all so quick. I didn’t know nor did I think it would be possible to bounce back from this “failure.” Thank God I have an amazing family, heaven-sent friends, and world-class regulars that wouldn’t let me give up.

One day I received a call from one of my regulars asking when we would be opening back up. After I let her know I wasn’t sure I was, she asked if I would come to her home to prepare a birthday celebration for her husband because he loves my food and had planned on having his birthday dinner at the restaurant. This brought an entire new path into my life that I never considered for myself before. After this one dinner, my private chef service took off. I knew then it was time to revamp. With the help of an amazing marketing company, BDMcreates, I turned 1101 Southern Kitchen restaurant into a private chef and catering company where we now bring the restaurant to you and I LOVE IT!!!! I love being able to go into people’s homes or event space and creating an experience trailered just for them. Whether a romantic dinner for two or full catering for a wedding, I bring the same love and attention I had at my restaurant while serving the most amazing food. I am so glad I didn’t give up and I absolutely love the direction my company is going in. Thank you to everyone that has taking any part of this ride with me thus far!!! P.S. you might want to hang on; the best is yet to come!!!!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My besties and I’s days out on the town are a little different now that we are older with our little families, jobs, & businesses. In our younger days, we could be found party hopping the hot spot of the day. We would go to The Spot, The Flat, Carrington’s, Prospect Park or etc. Out all night coming home with the sun raise. But now… we love a good girls night at home with a glass of wine, or a nice dinner at a delicious restaurant like Eddie V’s or Vic & Anthony’s with a glass of wine, or a nice Sunday Brunch after church with a glass of wine or mimosa. Every now and then we might get dolled up and step out, but mostly we are just simple girls that love a great bottle of wine.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother, Luanna Taylor, deserves much if not all of the credit for helping God guide me through this life. She has always made sure that we needed was in our grasp. There has never been a time that she has told me I can’t accomplish anything. When I opened my restaurant, every free moment she had, she was there working right along side me. Every catering event or Oxtail Sunday she has been there and most times again working along side me. My mother’s belief in my sisters and I has pushed me to believe in myself especially on those days I felt like giving up.

Website: www.1101southernkitchen.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/1101_southernkitchen/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/1101SouthernKitchen

Image Credits
Lady D Photography BDMCreates