Coastal Table and Tales, Savannah’s culinary bookstore and cooking workshop devoted to cookbook, cuisine, and community, announces its inaugural chef residency featuring Adé Carrena, Chopped Champion (Season 63, Episode 4, aired July 15, 2025) and 2023 North Carolina Chef of the Year. Carrena’s work explores food as a vessel for memory, identity, and cultural exchange. Coastal Table and Tales is located at 408A Bull Street, Savannah, GA 31401.

Taking place January 23–26, 2026, the residency will offer a series of public programs designed to deepen understanding of West African cuisine and its enduring connections to the American South. Guests may attend individual events or participate across the weekend for a more immersive experience. Programming includes a hands-on cooking class, a chef-led demonstration paired with storytelling and conversation, and Food & Diplomacy Sunday—a screening of Bite of Bénin followed by a moderated discussion on food, migration, and national identity led by Amy Paige Condon, concluding with a tasting inspired by Beninese street foods. Tickets and additional information are available at www.coastaltableandtalessavannah.com.

The Sunday program will bring together voices from food and diplomacy, including a former U.S. Ambassador to Bénin and the Beninese Ambassador to the United States (invited), underscoring Savannah’s history as a port city shaped by global exchange. “Adé’s work invites people to think beyond the plate,” said Dawn Anderson, founder of Coastal Table and Tales. “This residency sets the tone for the kind of programming we want to build—thoughtful, grounded, and rooted in real cultural exchange.” Interviews are available upon request with Adé Carrena and Dawn Anderson.