Caroline Fontenot

Houston’s Indigo was named by Eater as one of the 16 Best New Restaurants in America! I’ve been intrigued by Chef Jonny Rhodes’ concept of fighting racist stereotypes with his “neo-soul” tasting menu, centered around telling stories of African Americans and Indigenous people. He and his wife Chana aim to challenge systemic racism and oppression with Indigo. “Rhodes delivers monologues between courses on weighty topics ranging from mass incarceration to the Great Migration, but even without them, Indigo’s very existence is part of the work: a fine dining restaurant in a historically underserved neighborhood, serving food that unabashedly claims its purpose. In a more equitable dining culture, none of this would be revolutionary, but today it is; diners simply don’t see restaurants like this very often” (eater).

I was so excited to be asked by Eater to photograph Chef Rhodes and his food for the national feature.