Tanya Holland

Tanya Holland is the Executive Chef and Owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen in West Oakland, CA which features seasonally changing Southern inspired menus featuring locally grown, and organic ingredients. Tanya new ventures include opening a new BBQ joint in Oakland called B-Side Barbeque and a second outpost of Brown Sugar Kitchen in San Francisco in Fall 2011.

Known for her inventive takes on modern soul food, as well as comfort classics, Tanya has quickly made a name for herself on the national culinary scene. The author of New Soul Cooking: Updating a Cuisine Rich in Flavor and Tradition (Stewart, Tabori, and Chang), Holland is perhaps best known for her role as a host and expert on Soul Food for the "Melting Pot" series on Food Network, where chefs such as Holland, Michelle Bernstein, Cat Cora, Rocco DiSpirito and Michael Symon focused on different foods from around the world. Holland has also made guest appearances on national shows such as The Today Show, Vh1's Soul Cities, Sarah Moulton’s Cooking Live, Ready, Set, Cook! and The Wayne Brady Show, as well as numerous appearances on local San Francisco shows such as Check, Please!, View from the Bay and Eye on the Bay.