In this 250th Year of America’s Birthday…
A super special, barely known June food & drink related holiday date is JUNE 20TH: the anniversary of the Compromise Dinner of 1790, aka the Dinner Table Bargain—commemorating the night Thomas Jefferson hosted Alexander Hamilton and James Madison for a momentous, meal-based meeting that decided the fate of this once fledgling nation. Famously depicted in the Hamilton scene and song “The Room Where It Happened,” what is not widely known is that a still-enslaved James Hemings, America’s first classically trained chef de cuisine, is who made that multi-course, gargantuan, problem-melting meal actually HAPPEN!…
The meeting wasn’t just a casual (or even formal) conversation; but a high-stakes, meticulously orchestrated diplomatic event Thomas Jefferson hosted at his New York City residence on Maiden Lane. The idea was to explicitly and strategically use luxury hospitality to simmer down a boiling political crisis before a then young nation cooked its own goose. Jefferson’s big idea, made successful by James Hemings' exquisite execution that seasoned the situation perfectly, and turned what could’ve been a recipe for disaster into a more than digestable, even delightful deal.
James shoulda been (and still should be!) a character in Hamilton:
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda; Directed by Thomas Kail; Choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler; and Produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, and The Public Theater, where the musical originally premiered Off-Broadway. The production’s source material is based on the biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow.
And on the Music & Design Team There’s:
Music Direction, Orchestrations, and Co-Arrangements: Alex Lacamoire
Scenic Design: David Korins
Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
Lighting Design: Howell Binkley
Sound Design: Nevin Steinberg
Why list all the creative talent in such detail, you ask? Well, because apparently every single one of these impressive innovators clearly missed the opportunity to put some shine on a main ingredient: the CHEF! Not just any chef —but our nation’s first ever formally, officially, classically-trained chef de cuisine in fact—the Founding Father of American Fine Dining, arguably. A BFD enough of a job title to be included as a supporting character in such an essential scene.
Despite James talents, accolades and accomplishments (including that he was fluent and literate in French and English) James was enslaved by and therefore the property of Thomas Jefferson. The “owner” of more humans than any . And it turns out that no real-life enslaved people are named, nor speaking characters with roles or lines in Hamilton — despite the show's diverse casting and such, for whatever decided reason, actual Black or Indigenous people of the era are not included in the stageplay. As for James’ conspicuous omission? We can credit Thomas Jefferson directly — who recalled the momentous meal in writing as actually having “saved the Union" by cooling passions enough for Hamilton and Madison to functionally communicate and strike a critical compromise (that traded the assumption of state debts for the relocation of the nation's capital to present-day DC) . Yet Jefferson completely erases James Hemings' name, labor, and presence from his documentation of the event and frames the entire evening as a meeting of white minds — solving problems on their own. As does the musical, even though they are depicted by people of color.
While i loved the production overall — here’s a snapshot of me clearly not happy about Hemings being MIA in Hamilton the Musical (or the Movie version on Disney Plus)… 👆🏽CLICK ONTO PIC TO SEE A MINI MOVIE I MADE ABOUT IT :)
A CALL FOR COLLECTIVE, COLLABORATIVE ACTION:
Identifying the contemporary creative gatekeepers is just a first baby step in attempts to set the stage right. UP NEXT: I welcome YOUR HELP to change the script. Literally. So if you’re a producer, playwright, artist, or any other kind of Broadway industry insider with a seat at the table, message me directly so we can collectively strategize on how to get that key scene updated. Together let’s re-set the stage for roles of essential people like James to no longer left out — and collectively call for more complete, contextualized and inclusive narratives of our nation’s foundational history…
OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND:
For Marketers, Cultural & Culinary Programmers, Food & Beverage Directors and Buyers looking to activate around America’s 250th, this isn't just a historical footnote—it's a critical opportunity for a narrative course correction at a time when audiences demand the truth about our foundational history.
So when you’re ready to unleash the power of hidden history applied to elevate your product, brand, or mission with real cultural relevance—let’s talk. 🥂
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🌟 📣 ANNOUNCEMENT 🍽️✨: Speaking of more contextualized, inclusive narratives—this Thursday, June 25th, I’m partnering with Producer Otis Gray for a ticketed James Hemings Homage Dinner in collaboration with Studio BUMI. He’ll be executing a 3-to-4 course French-American menu and I’ll be wearing my TFG DRINKS! History hat to craft a classic yet custom colonial era ‘welcome punch’ (with an without ABV %) to kick off and quench the night. Together we’ll tag-team on the savory, salty & sweet storytelling with real history in between courses. Space is extremely limited (20–26 seats total). [TICKET LINK]
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE —There’s a 4th Qtr James-Centered Calendar Date too !
No time like the present to also share this incredible international event I’m co-facilitating on THANKSGIVING!:
🇫🇷 An “African-Americans in Paris” Themed Dinner — Inspired by & in Honor of James Hemings, Curated by Yours Truly in conjunction with Founder & Travel Artist Gai Spann of SPANNing the Globe Tours (STG Tours).
WHAT: An immersive, multi-course dinner and story telling experience honoring James Hemings (b. 1765) — that examines his transformative years of apprenticing and cooking professionally in Paris France from 1784–1789 . Chef Hemings emerged as he first classically trained, American born and raised to serve as chef de cuisine at major diplomatic residences, masterfully weaving Virginian ingredients and traditions into elite French technique. thus developing an arguably uniquely American expression of cuisine….
WHEN: This November (2026), during Thanksgiving week & weekend
This dinner will be the culminating celebration of the Noir Et Rosé: The Bordeaux Experience — a first-of-its-kind luxury river cruise through France’s legendary wine region, led by Gai Spann of Spanning the Globe Tours. The Paris dinner itself is an intimate experience for approximately 20 guests. Space is extremely limited.
For information on the full voyage or the Paris dinner part, contact STG Tours directly gai@stgtours.com / (844) 784-8687 🇫🇷✨
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Click Here for UPCOMING EVENTS You Can Attend Virtually or in REAL LIFE:
Check Out my TFG JAMES HEMINGS HUB on LINKTREE (for now)….
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👉🏿+ FIND MORE CULTURAL & CULINARY CALENDAR CONTENT HERE👈🏿