Alexander Smalls is an iconic figure in American cooking. He is the former chef-owner of Café Beulah, the Cecil (named the best new restaurant in America by Esquire magazine in 2014), and three other NYC restaurants. He co-authored with JJ Johnson and Veronica Chambers Between Harlem and Heaven, the 2019 James Beard award winner for Best American Cookbook. Smalls is a world-renowned opera singer and the winner of a Grammy and a Tony Award.