Out of Newark & Into The Flame
Some chefs just cook. Chef Samad Mickens prepares memories.
From Newark to New Haven, from soul food kitchens to Mediterranean fire pits, Samad’s journey has always been about more than recipes. It’s been about people families, friends, communities and the memories they make at the table.
Trained at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, Samad spent over a decade working across fine dining, casual kitchens, and everything in between. But he knew his true calling wasn’t just serving dishes in restaurants — it was curating unforgettable experiences where food is the centerpiece of connection.
That’s how Ember & Smoke was born: a personal chef experience where fire, flavor, and storytelling collide. Think Argentinian asado kissed by smoke. Lebanese spices layered into live-fire Mediterranean plates. Elegant seafood towers alongside soulful Creole flavors. Every menu he creates is crafted not only to impress the palate, but to stir the soul.
Samad believes food should feel like it was created just for you — whether it’s a wedding anniversary dinner for two, a graduation feast for fifty, or a corporate retreat where colleagues become family around the table. His philosophy is simple:
“I don’t just plate food. I prepare memories.”
Through Beyond the Salt Foundation, his nonprofit venture, Samad also channels this passion into training the next generation of chefs and giving back to their communities. For him, every plate has a purpose — to nourish, to celebrate, to connect. So when clients invite Chef Samad into their homes, corporate gatherings, or event venues, they aren’t just hiring a chef. They’re bringing in a storyteller who turns flame into flavor, and flavor into memories that last forever.