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By The Grace of Grits:
Chef Alexis Mungin’s Recipe for Resilience and Legacy
“I don’t just cook to fill plates, I curate experiences,” says Chef Alexis Mungin, her voice warm yet grounded with conviction. “Every spice, every garnish, every texture has purpose. I honor the people and the moment behind the meal.”
That intentionality wasn’t born overnight. It began during her undergrad years as a Residential Assistant at the College of Charleston, where every program for her female residents involved her cooking a meal—often out of her own pocket. “Sometimes my budget wasn’t approved and I would use my minimum wages to purchase ingredients or supplies,” she recalls. “I was willing to do whatever it took to make it a success and fill the room.”
The leap from those dorm dinners to running a full-service catering company came after a deeply personal loss. In 2018, Alexis’s cousin, Officer Farrah Turner, was killed in the line of duty. “I kept thinking—what if I could help other families hold onto their moments while they still had them? That’s where the vision was planted.”
In 2019, she launched Farrah’s Backyard Catering with the goal of handling one or two small gatherings a month. Life had other plans. Her daughter was diagnosed with autism, she left nursing school, became a substitute teacher, and began piecing together a living. Her husband’s advice was simple but pivotal: “Buy what you need.”
Chef Alexis Mungin (Sease The Moment Photography) & the late Officer Farrah Turner
Then COVID hit. The bookings disappeared. Ready to dissolve the business, Alexis logged into the Department of Revenue one night—and found two new catering requests waiting. “I told myself I’d quit after that,” she says, smiling at the memory. “But opportunities kept coming.”
Her cooking is a marriage of her country roots and the coastal soul she absorbed in Charleston. “I grew up on dirt roads with chickens, goats, and whole hog roasts,” she says. “Charleston opened my world. That’s where I first tasted red rice, cracked blue crab in Ravenel, and learned about seafood boils.” Gullah Geechee culture seeped into her style, influencing her dialect, her flavors, and her philosophy.
She describes her culinary identity in three words: Rooted (“grounded in heritage and Southern tradition”), Soulful (“I cook with heart, with healing in mind”), and Intentional (“Every dish has a story”). Her signature grits—coarse ground, creamy, and deeply seasoned—have become a calling card. “When I found coarse ground grits, everything changed,” she laughs. “A creamy bowl of grits became my signature.”
Chef Alexis Mungin working her magic
One of her most memorable challenges came when she catered the World Muscle Society Conference at the International African American Museum for more than 350 guests. “We had food stations, desserts, coffee and tea service, and only 1.5 hours to set up and break down,” she says. “I walked away realizing one hard truth: excellence costs, and it’s okay to charge your worth.”
Now, she applies that lesson to every aspect of her business, balancing artistry with acumen. “Don’t just chase passion,” she advises aspiring chefs. “Build a plan. Learn how to price properly, communicate clearly, and protect your peace.”
Looking ahead, Alexis envisions chef’s table experiences that highlight Southern and Gullah Geechee cuisine on a global scale, a line of take-and-bake soul food and seasonings, and a hospitality training program for young people, single mothers, and second-chance individuals.
Off the clock, she’s introverted, happiest with a day of massages, pedicures, painting, and singing. And if her life were a dish? “Okra soup,” she answers without hesitation. “It’s bold, layered with ingredients, each one adding its own voice—just like the experiences and people who’ve shaped my story. It takes time, patience, and love to make it right.”
For Alexis Mungin, every plate is more than food—it’s heritage, healing, and the hope that every gathering, no matter how small, becomes a memory worth keeping.
