Melba Wilson | |
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Born | Harlem, New York, USA |
Relatives | Sylvia Woods (aunt) |
Culinary career | |
Cooking style | Soul food |
Current restaurant(s)
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Melba Wilson is a Harlem-based restaurateur (Melba's [1] ), caterer, cookbook author and a Food Network personality. [2] [3]
Wilson has been called both the queen of soul food and comfort food. [4] [5]
Bill de Blasio appointed Wilson to the COVID-19 Small Business Advisory Council and she is president of the board of directors for The NYC Hospitality Alliance. [6]
Wilson is the niece of Sylvia Woods, the founder of Sylvia's Restaurant of Harlem. She was hired to organize the restaurant's 25th anniversary celebration in 1987. [3] Wilson is credited with starting their popular Sunday gospel brunch. She went on to work at Windows on the World and Rosa Mexicano before opening Melba's in 2005. [3]
As well as appearing on the Food Network shows Beat Bobby Flay , Worst Cooks in America , and Throwdown! with Bobby Flay (the latter in which her chicken and waffles dish beat Flay's in season 4), [7] Wilson has appeared on shows such as 60 Minutes and The View . [6]