Carolyn Brayboy smiled as she looked at a photo of her late mother-in-law hanging on the wall of her restaurant.
“It smells like her,” she said.
The Chief’s Creole Café, located on historic 22nd Street South in St. Petersburg, smells and tastes like Mary Brayboy Jones’ Louisiana home. It was there where she earned her nickname while cooking in the kitchen.
“The more intimate relationships call her ‘Chief’,” said her son, Elihu Brayboy, known by locals as “Mr. B”. “Mom was such a great cook, I didn’t need to cook. I just needed to be home in time for dinner.”
Mr. B. didn’t cook but he did watch. Now, he takes his mom’s recipes and serves them in his restaurant, bearing “Chief’s” name, which opened in November 2014.
“Food makes people feel good. It brings people together,” said line cook Tanya. “I didn’t get to meet her but her legacy lives on in her recipes.”
Mary died in 2005 right around the time of Hurricane Katrina. Her family describes her as a very talented woman. She was a nurse at Mercy and Bayfront Hospitals during segregation, and was also employed by Eckerd College Student Medical Center. She later catered to celebrity musicians, giving her a chance to showcase the authenticity of New Orleans savory flavors in her cooking.
The Chief’s Creole Café
The “chief” in the restaurant’s name refers to Mary’s positive outlook on life, tenacity, and perseverance.
“She would be proud,” said Carolyn. “She would be shocked.”
Mr. and Mrs. Brayboy have been married for 39 years. They plan to open a smokehouse next door to Chief’s Creole Café and are in the process of building transitional housing to help people getting out of prison to reintegrate back into the workforce.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10 News app now.
Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
