Skip to content

Trap Kitchen Will Make a Brief Seattle Appearance Next Week

Two chefs traded gang life for kitchen life—and now they’re coming to cook for you

By Chelsea Lin November 9, 2016

trap-kitchen-pic

Local chef Taylor Cheney was flipping through channels late one night when she stumbled across the sort of Vice documentary made for late-night TV viewing: how a couple of former Compton gang members and self-proclaimed hustlers turned out to run underground L.A. catering sensation Trap Kitchen. The two chefs, Spank and News, make a single dish a day—comfort foods like barbecue, enchilada pie, fried chicken, and seafood gumbo—advertise on media, and sell until it’s gone. It sounds quaint, but really, underground is the wrong word. The project, started in 2013, has a following of more than 73,000 followers on Instagram (@therealtrapkitchen) and has filmed an episode of the new Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party that’s supposed to air within the next few weeks. They’ve cooked for some of hip-hop’s biggest names. There’s a TV deal in the works, and talk of a brick-and-mortar location.

And still, when Cheney sent them a message on Facebook right after she caught that documentary, they responded immediately. Would they be interested in doing an event in Seattle? Totally. 

As it turns out, chef Spank has family just south of Seattle and has spent a reasonable amount of time in the Emerald City over the years. The guys will be in town next week on Nov. 18 for Seattle’s first Trap Kitchen event, cooking up some of their most popular dishes, like a pineapple bowl Spank explains as kind of like a teriyaki bowl (and you know how this city feels about its teriyaki). Cheney enlisted the help of her industry friends—Edouardo Jordan at Salare, Marjorie’s Donna Moodie, Tarik Abdullah, etc.—to donate additional bites and a number of musical artists to perform. 

The event will benefit the TEACH program by the Black Prisoners’ Caucus; giving back to the community is a huge part of Trap Kitchen’s mission. Cheney’s no stranger to helping underserved populations herself—her pop-up restaurant Yalla focuses on the food of the Middle East and has largely featured Syrian cuisine.   

For tickets to the event, check this out

Follow Us

Restaurant Roundup: Dutch Bros’ Seattle Debut and Hatch Green Chiles

Restaurant Roundup: Dutch Bros’ Seattle Debut and Hatch Green Chiles

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

Stay updated on Seattle's food scene! From Dutch Bros' SoDo debut and Bite of Seattle to Hatch green chile pop-ups, here is the latest restaurant news.

Opening Night: This Tiny Pioneer Square Restaurant Is About to Be Standing Room Only

Opening Night: This Tiny Pioneer Square Restaurant Is About to Be Standing Room Only

In the former Salumi space, Doris serves martinis and playful snacks at tables close enough to make a new best friend. 

Welcome to Opening Night, our new column about hot new restaurants around Seattle. For our debut edition, we went to a media preview at Doris, a teeny-tiny Pioneer Square spot that oozes style. Longtime Seattleites may get a bit of a shock when they walk into Doris. The narrow, hallway-shaped space on the corner where…

House Special: Soondae Gukbap at Busan Jeong

House Special: Soondae Gukbap at Busan Jeong

Every component of the signature pork soup is made in-house to create a lasting impression.

Seattle is not short of quality Korean restaurants, but many offer similar menus built around the best-known, most popular dishes. When global restaurateur Hoyeon Park moved to Seattle, he noticed that it was difficult to find authentic Busan-style pork soup, a beloved comfort food in Korea but largely unknown in the States. Park currently operates…

Restaurant Roundup: Cold Noodles and Underground Italian 

Restaurant Roundup: Cold Noodles and Underground Italian 

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

Noodles might not be at the top of everybody’s list when it comes to treats to cool off this summer—but they should be. Slurping down cold udon, naengmyeon, or bún is as refreshing as it is tasty. There are plenty of Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese restaurants putting their best chilled dishes forward for the season,…