Carla Hall

America fell in love with Carla’s heart‐felt approach as she cooked her way into the finals on season five of the award‐winning Bravo show, Top Chef. Today, Carla continues to cook from the heart and balances her Southern traditions, classic French training, and holistic approach to food as an entertaining expert, former owner and Executive Chef of Alchemy Caterers in Washington, DC, and current owner of Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen.

Carla’s commitment to wellness and balance connects her passion for natural, organic, and locally sourced ingredients with her belief in yoga and meditation. For Carla, the preparation of dishes is a mindfulness practice, as well as an opportunity to transform and inspire the way people approach food. Carla’s cuisine is based on a philosophy of authentic connections and her warmth can be felt in all aspects of her work. From the preparation and serving of her dishes to her interactions with guests at events, every relationship is given tribute and meaning.

A native of Nashville, TN, Carla graduated from Howard University with a degree in Accounting. However, her passions were elsewhere. Carla’s striking good looks led her to the catwalks of Paris, Milan, and London, where she discovered her true love: food. After graduating L’Academie de Cuisine, Carla worked as a sous chef at the Henley Park Hotel, and Executive Chef at both The State Plaza Hotel and The Washington Club.

At age 42, Carla got married to Matthew, an attorney with the FDA, avid photographer, and master of their home kitchen; with that she also gained a teenage stepson, Noah, and realized the beauty of family, which further inspired her passion for food. Carla’s charm and experience make her a natural teacher. Dedicated to sharing her philosophy of how to “Cook with Love,” Carla has passed on her genuine love and joy for being in the kitchen by teaching at CulinAerie and L’Academie de Cuisine, as well as extending her personal philosophies in team-building classes at different venues in the DC metropolitan area.

Carla is a believer that, “If you’re not in a good mood, the only thing you should make is a reservation.