Edible Food Finds: 50Kitchen
Photos by Michael Piazza
In February 2020, chef-owner Anthony Caldwell opened his first restaurant in the Fields Corner section of Dorchester. His dream of sharing his love of cooking with Bostonians had finally come true, but this journey was hardly an easy one.
“I’ve been everywhere but the electric chair,” he says. “I’ve seen everything but the wind.”
Growing up in public housing in Dorchester, Caldwell witnessed a life of hardships, crime and drugs that landed him in prison. While serving time at the Pondville Correctional Center in Norfolk, he secured a job through a pre-release program. Caldwell remembers the first time he watched a certified culinary educator chop and sprinkle parsley at the prison’s Milford Kitchen Culinary Arts program. That moment blew his mind, and his passion for cooking was set in motion.
Eventually he would work his way through line-cook jobs and climb the ladder to executive chef roles in and around Boston. Life presented many opportunities for Caldwell, but it continued to offer heartbreaks and challenges: He became addicted to alcohol and at one point contemplated suicide.
When life hit rock bottom, Caldwell heard a voice from God: “If you don’t stop drinking, your career is going to go downhill and you’re going to die.” He heard the same message three times. On September 25, 2011, he resolved to listen and walked into Jubilee Church in Mattapan, said a prayer and asked God to deliver him from alcohol. God also promised him his own kitchen by age 50; 2020 marks his ninth year of sobriety.
His initial vision was to launch a food truck, which would have lower startup costs, but one day he received an email blast from CommonWealth Kitchen inviting women and minority-owned businesses to participate in a local small-business contest to fill a vacant storefront. Caldwell signed up, took a leap of faith and quit his job. Two weeks later, he pitched his plan and won the competition—months before he turned 50. Two years later, he opened the doors of 50Kitchen.
Located in the historic Lenane building in Fields Corner, 50Kitchen showcases an inclusive menu that truly reflects the rich diversity of the area. Take the Smoked Banh Mi. It’s a traditional Vietnamese sandwich, an ode to the Vietnamese-American community in Fields Corner, with a twist: Southern American smoked brisket. Or Jambalaya Egg Rolls with a gumbo dipping sauce, Kimchi and Collard Greens or a unique take on traditional Shrimp and Grits in a buttery sauce. Caldwell is a true master of fusions. As a Black chef, Caldwell uses traditional Southern cooking techniques, like smoking and braising meat, while incorporating well-known Asian dishes alongside Southern classics, like cornbread.
And every Southern meal must have cornbread. Caldwell’s famous Honey Fried Cornbread is dropped in the fryer for 15–20 seconds—with a secret ingredient to keep it from breaking—and drizzled with honey while it’s still hot. It’s crunchy on the outside and moist inside with a sweet honey flavor. Like nothing you’ve ever had before.
“Keep it simple, keep it affordable and make it different,” he says. The Honey Fried Cornbread is reason enough to visit Fields Corner, but you won’t be disappointed with anything on the menu.
This year has brought great success to Caldwell and the 50Kitchen family. He admits that running his own business and kitchen presents many challenges, but he’s grateful for this unexpected journey of life. As he looks to the future, Caldwell imagines opening locations in almost every neighborhood of Boston and hopes to expand to other major cities, too.
This story appeared in the Winter 2021 issue.
