Executive Chef Melanie Wilkerson

A Love Letter to Durham: Chef Wilkerson Returns Home to 21c Museum Hotels

21c Museum Hotel Durham and the Counting House Restaurant proudly announce the appointment of Chef Melanie Wilkerson as Executive Chef. A Durham native, Wilkerson’s return is more than a career milestone, it’s a homecoming that honors the rich legacy of the community that first nurtured her.

Rooted in Durham’s Black Excellence
Chef Wilkerson’s culinary journey began on Plum Street, a cornerstone of Durham’s historic Black community. Her grandmother, Betty Massenburg, moved to Durham from Louisburg in the early 1950s as the oldest of twelve children. Against the odds, Ms. Betty taught herself to read by lantern light and, in 1975, became the first African American woman principal for Durham City Schools. Her resilience and determination planted the seeds of possibility that would later flourish in her granddaughter.

“In my grandmother’s Plum Street garden, I discovered my calling,” Wilkerson shares. “One afternoon, while harvesting string beans, I tasted one that had fallen to the ground. That single moment—the earth’s flavor, my grandmother’s presence—sparked a lifelong love affair with food.”

From Durham to the World—and Back Again
After Ms. Betty’s passing in 2007, Wilkerson pursued culinary excellence in her honor. Her path led her from The Chef’s Academy in Durham to Wales, then to California, where she refined her craft as Executive Sous Chef at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Later, as Chef de Cuisine at FolkTable in Sonoma, she led the team to a Michelin Bib Gourmand award, securing back-to-back honors in 2021 and 2022.

Yet, Durham remained a magnetic force. “Durham has always felt complete,” Wilkerson reflects. “It’s where my comfort is. I needed what was in Durham more than I needed what was in California.”

A Sacred Homecoming
Following what she calls a divine calling, Wilkerson and her wife, Chef Sicily Sierra, made the decision to return to North Carolina, seeking to raise their teenage children in the community that had shaped her values and identity.

Together, they co-founded Kind Kitchen Group, a nonprofit dedicated to culinary education and youth empowerment. This initiative provides hands-on training while fostering social-emotional learning skills, tackling food security, and improving health outcomes in Durham.

Blending Heritage with Innovation at Counting House
In 2024, Wilkerson assumed the role of Executive Chef at 21c Museum Hotel Durham and the Counting House Restaurant, steps away from the historic Black Wall Street district. The location holds deep personal significance – her grandmother, Ms. Betty, once banked in the very same building when it was Central Carolina Bank & Trust.

At Counting House, Wilkerson will merge her fine dining expertise with the soulful cooking traditions passed down through generations. Beyond crafting exceptional cuisine, she is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of culinary talent from within her own community.

“Becoming a chef has been about self-discovery—creating myself in a dish and on a plate,” Wilkerson says. “Durham is a place built by people who cared, raised up by invisible hands. I want Counting House to celebrate the Black legacy that raised me while nurturing new talent and feeding our community’s future.”

Honoring Durham’s Culinary Legacy
Chef Wilkerson’s return marks more than a personal milestone—it is a celebration of Durham’s Black culinary heritage and a vision for its evolving future. Through mentorship, community-driven initiatives, and a reverence for the past, she continues the legacy of those who came before her, proving that home is not just where the heart is—it’s where greatness is cultivated, generation after generation.