Cruise & cuisine
SOUTHERN COMFORTS
Alexander Smalls, a James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef, on partnering with AmaWaterways to preserve and champion the flavors of the African diaspora
Above from left: New York City was home to Café Beulah, one of the first fine-dining African American restaurants; chef Alexander Smalls; AmaMagna cruising on the Danube River
How did you become a chef? I was raised in a small Southern town, surrounded by the rhythms of family, food and music. My family was a tapestry of chefs, farmers and musicians. Food was our language of love, our way of preserving legacy. Though I trained and traveled the world as an opera singer, I always carried the flavors of home with me. I hosted dinner parties wherever I went, blending my passion for music with the joy of gathering around a table. But something was missing. I longed to see the cuisine of the African Diaspora receive the honor it deserves. So, I stepped away from the stage and opened Café Beulah in New York City, one of the first fine-dining restaurants to celebrate African American cuisine.
How did you come to work with AmaWaterways and what does your work involve? AmaWaterways invited me to help shape something truly special: a dining experience on every Soulful Experience sailing that would honor Juneteenth and share the richness of African American culture with a global audience. It was an invitation I couldn’ t refuse. This wasn’ t just about food— it was about memory, meaning and creating space for stories that deserve to be told with dignity and joy. I curate experiences that go beyond the plate. My role is to bring African foodways to life through immersive storytelling, thoughtful menu design and cultural interpretation. Every dish is a conversation about heritage, resilience and the beauty of shared traditions. Together with AmaWaterways, we’ ve created a dining experience that invites guests to taste history.
What special meals or onboard dining experiences do you recommend? The Soulful Experiences Juneteenth dinner is something I hold close to my heart. It’ s a six-course culinary narrative inspired by Low Country heirloom recipes, each dish a chapter in the story of the African American South. From the she-crab soup that nods to coastal ingenuity to the creativity of the hushpuppy, every bite is layered with context.
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