Cooking has always brought Nicola Blaque a sense of peace and connection to home. Now, she’s using her latest endeavor, Freight Fried Chicken, to share those sentiments with others.
A James Beard Award nominee and recognized for her contributions to the culinary space, including the prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand Award consecutively in 2024 and 2025 for her Jamaican restaurant, The Jerk Shack, Blaque understands the legacy infused in the flavors that fill her restaurants.
“I was born in Jamaica, and I came here when I was 5 years old, and so for me, finding that community of Caribbean and even family, we didn’t have a lot. My stepdad was in the Air Force, and so we moved every couple of years. What my mom would do is she would recreate Caribbean dishes with whatever she could find wherever we lived,” Blaque recalled. “And so I was exposed to my heritage through food, and when I joined the military, that’s kind of all that I had. I joined during a time when the war had just kicked off in Iraq and Afghanistan, so cooking brought me a sense of peace, and I used it as a time to connect with my soldiers.”
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Her pathway to restaurateur came to her in a dream
While working as a private chef and caterer, Blaque voyaged home to Jamaica to bury her aunt, and shortly after the trip, she received a revelation of her talents’ potential for greater heights…