Michele McQueen, Town Fare and Lucy Blue
Saturday, March 28, 2026, 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
Stop by the Foodwise Classroom for a cooking demo featuring the seasonal bounty of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
Chef Michele McQueen is an Oakland-born chef, restaurateur, and cultural ambassador whose work sits at the intersection of food, community, and equity. Raised in a family of home cooks, she learned early that recipes are vessels for remembrance, history, and love—for dishes made by hand and rooted in centuries of Black culinary tradition. A graduate of Howard University, McQueen has spent more than 25 years building acclaimed restaurants, shaping Oakland’s hospitality scene, and using food as a tool for cultural preservation, civic engagement, and economic empowerment. Through mentorship, inclusive hiring practices, and community-based spaces, she continues to strengthen Oakland’s food ecosystem while shaping a more equitable and vibrant futur—locally and nationally.
McQueen has appeared on Food Network’s Grill It with Bobby Flay and Guy’s Grocery Games, as well as ABC’s The Taste alongside Anthony Bourdain and Marcus Samuelsson. Today, she is the owner of Town Fare, located inside the Oakland Museum of California, where she curates’ menus that honor her renowned soul food while introducing new cultural fusions. At her new chic cocktail haven Lucy Blue, McQueen writes a love letter to her hometown—creating a vibey bar layered with swanky décor, a boldly crafted cocktail program rooted in the vibrancy of The Town, and a full-service comfort food lineup that makes Lucy Blue feel like a home away from home. Her restaurants and bars are beloved for their soulful cuisine, warm hospitality, and community-centered leadership that affirms culture, dignity, and joy.
All demos take place in the Foodwise Classroom (under the tents in front of the Ferry Building) and are free to the public, with recipes and samples for all