Area foodies are raving as they smack their lips and devour the creations of New Boston chef Keisha Brown, owner of Palate Pleasures.
Keisha was born, raised, and graduated high school in New Boston,where she and her son JaVeon currently reside. She was raised up heavily influenced by the excellent cooks in her family, including her grandfather, Willie ‘Doc’ Brown, who owned his own smoke house on Walker Street, her grandmother who did all the cooking for her family, and her Aunt Cynthia who did all the baking. She accredits her interest in cooking to these family members, who were quick to teach a youngster their timeless technique and recipes.
She opened up Palate Pleasures in November 2018 and started by selling plates at her mother’s office. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and the more she cooked, the more people wanted. Palate Pleasures grew rapidly, as word of mouth, and pictures of Keisha’s hearty meals were shared and shared on social media.
Keisha’s cooking can’t be described simply, but if one were to try, “hearty home-style meals packed with flavor and a Cajun flare” would almost be sufficient. Her shrimp and grits rival any gulf-coast grass-roofed beach diner you’ve ever visited, and her jalapeno cornbread tastes like Granny got a little spicy in the kitchen. “Flavor is the most important thing to me,” Keisha said. Taking the time to develop flavors so that you aren’t just adding salt is what sets my food apart. People tell me all the time ‘I never ate vegetables, or this or that, until I ate yours, now I love it!’ Once a customer orders from me once, they become regulars.”
