LaMara Davidson

she/her

Years of Participation

2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024

Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef LaMara Davidson is the daughter of an African American serviceman and a Korean mother, and grew up eating Southern soul food and Korean food. Inspired by both, she calls her unique cuisine “Seoul food.” For the majority of her career, Davidson continued exclusively for the Marriott Corporation, working at prestigious properties including The Ritz Carlton Atlanta, JW Marriott Austin and Gaylord Texan Resort. During her time as executive chef at the Gaylord Texan, LaMara was selected as one of twelve chefs nationally to be featured in Marriott International’s Diary of the Craft Artisan video series, an initiative highlighting Marriott’s food and beverage talent across the globe. LaMara traveled the U.S. as part of their International's team supporting all brands under their umbrella.

In 2020, she founded Cornbread and Kimchi, a line of products including flour blends, bread crumbs, and seasonings that combine her love for Asian flavors and Southern home-style favorites for quick and easy use for the home chef. A true love letter to her heritage and upbringing complete with merchandise swag.
Today, Chef LaMara’s involvement in the industry moves beyond the line with recent appearances on Food Network’s Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay as well as, print and online features in People Magazine, Food Network Magazine, Apartment Therapy, Food & Wine, Forbes.com, HuffPost, Saveur and Essence to name a few. In early 2022, Davidson joined CookUnity; the first ever chef collective where she shares her menu of inspiring dishes for meal deliveries in Atlanta and Austin markets.