Master creates art
in and out of the
kitchen1
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Free food tasting and an art exhibition
welcomed patrons of The Bistro on
Saturday, June 20. The Bistro, inside the
Winston-Salem Hotel and Spa, at 3050
University Parkway, held an event to mark
its grand opening.
For executive chef and artist, Shanta
Hauser, opening her own restaurant where
she can display her artistic ability is a
dream come true.
Although she always had dreams of
becoming a chef, Shanta admits visual art
has always been her first love. From the
National Black Theatre Festival held here
in Winston-Salem to Greece, Shanta has
displayed her art across the world.
"I started off as a visual artist," Shanta
said. "I've shown in the Lincoln Center in
New York, Diggs Gallery, Greece, and a
lot of other places, I was doing that at first,
then the cooking started to really take
over."
Eight years ago, Shanta joined the
Winston-Salem Hotel and Spa as a caterer.
At that time Shanta was not the master
chef she is today but, she was confident in
her ability to cook, and was determined to
reach her goal of owning a restaurant.
"I wasn't a chef but I knew I could
cook. They let me cook for one of their
staff meetings. They tasted the food and
called me to tell me 1 was hired," Hauser
said."
"Next thing you know, I've been here
eight years."
Winston-Salem Hotel and Spa, which
was the Sundance hotel, has never had a
restaurant. In years passed, the hotel would
only host banquets that Shanta would
come in to cater.
Shanta said when she was responsible
for catering the events for the hotel, she
had little and sometimes no help. From
selling tickets to cooking all the food,
Shanta had to do everything herself. Now
with a.full staff of employees, Shanta said
setting up for the food tasting and grand
opening was a lot less stressful.
"I've always been like a one-woman
show, but now I have the opportunity to
have a trained staff,'"Shanta said. "This is
the first time I've done a event that I ,
haven't been stressed because I have the j
support to pull it off." \
The general manager of the hotel, '
Walter Smith, said he has done a lot of
grand openings, but he has never done an
opening with a art exhibit. Smith said he
was blown away by how talented Shanta is
when he first met her.
"I've seen Shanta's vision and wanted
to bring that alive. She is amazingly talent
ed," Smith said. "From what I hear, she
can play the clarinet, the violin, she's a
painter, she is an artist with food as well.
She is truly an incredible talent."
According to Smith, the best thing on
the menu at the Bistro is the pecan crusted
salmon.
"The salmon is just amazing. It has
pecans and is topped with a cranberry
sauce, it is very good."
Shanta said that achieving her dream
was a long process. The single mother of
three said she is a prime example of what
you can do even though the odds may be
against you.
"You have to have a lot of motivation
and determination," Shanta said.
"Anything is possible. Just stay motivated
and speak your dreams into existence.
Words are very powerful."
T*jP?V'v. . ^ ^ ? **1
ihanta Hauser, executive chef at The Bistro at Winston-Salem Hotel &
tpa, hosts a food tasting and art exhibition on Saturday, June 20.
Photos by Erin Mizelle for the Winston-Salem Chronicle
The blackened shrimp salad at The
9istro at Winston-Salem Hotel &
Spa.
The fried cheesecake with fresh
strawberries at The Bistro at
Winston-Salem Hotel & Spa.
Some of the artwork produced by executive chef, Shanta Hauser.
"Celebration" (at the top center) then artwork trio, from left to right: "Now,"
"Before," "After.""
Farmers
Market
Seafood
Festival
coming
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
The first-ever Seafood
Festival at the Dixie
Classic Fair Farmers
Market will offer cooked
seafood and seafood for
purchase as well as live
music, food trucks and
kids' activities on Saturday,
June 27.
Forsyth Seafood
Market & Cafe will be at
the farmers market with a
wide variety of seafood for
sale, including whiting,
flounder, tilapia, snapper
and more. Cooked samples
will be available.
Forsyth Seafood will
also have its food truck at
the market from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. and will be offering
fried and grilled items as
well as its famous coleslaw
and hush puppies. The
Rollin' Sol food truck and
the Kona Ice truck will also
be at the market.
B.Kin Band, a local
quartet that plays roots,
bluegrass and Americana
music, is scheduled to per
form from 10 a.m. to noon.
Also coming this sum
mer is the annual corn
shucking contest, to be held
July 11, and the salsa con
test, to be held Aug. 8.
Beekeepers will return to
the market on Sept. 5.
The Dixie Classic Fair
Farmers Market, estab
lished in 1974, is the oldest
farmers market in Forsyth
County and is open at the
Winston-Salem
Fairgrounds every
Saturday year-rounc} from
6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enter
through the parking area
off 27th Street.
I
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A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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Federal Credit Union I
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INDATAINMENT
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