David and Tonya Thomas

David and Tonya Thomas are American chefs, restaurateurs, and food historians who work in Baltimore, Maryland. The couple has owned several restaurants.

David Thomas won a 2018 episode of the television food competition series Chopped and then won a 5-part "Champs Challenge" series in 2020.

Early life

David Thomas was born in Baltimore and raised in Jamaica, Queens, New York.^[1] His grandmother is Blackfoot^[2] and Thomas spent weekends at her 13-acre farm in Howard County, Maryland.^[3]

Career

The Thomases opened Ida B.'s Table in 2017, naming it for activist and journalist Ida B. Wells,^[2] in a building that also houses The Real News Network,^[4][5] a non-profit that is an investor in the restaurant.^[3][1] The couple had originally planned a "reinvented, elevated" soul food restaurant, but after meeting with Jessica B. Harris, who asked them, "What makes you think soul food needs to be reinvented or elevated?", they refocussed on a concept of "African-American cuisine informed by its history."^[2] The restaurant is in downtown Baltimore on Holliday Street.^[6] In early 2020 they left the restaurant.^[7]

Previously they owned Herb & Soul, a farm-to-table restaurant in the Parkville neighborhood of Baltimore.^[8][9]

In 2017 the couple were featured in an episode of Heritage Radio Network's A Hungry Society.^[10] In 2018 David Thomas was featured at the James Beard Foundation's Juneteenth event.^[11][12]

In November of 2018 David Thomas won a Thanksgiving-themed episode of Chopped.^[13][14][15] He prepared a butternut squash soup macaroni-and-cheese with spinach and liver, turkey breast with spoonbread, cracklings, and gravy, and a spoonbread pie with cranberry-and-port whipped cream.^[6] In February of 2020 Thomas won a "Champs Challenge" series, competing with 15 other chefs.^[16]

In November of 2022 the couple opened H3eirloom Food Group, initially focussing on catering.^[17] The couple produces a recurring dinner series.^[18]

Philanthropy

The Thomases work with the American Institute of Wine and Food's Days of Taste program, which brings chefs into elementary schools.^[8]