Chef Dontaye Ball, better known as Mr. Gumbo, couldn’t tell you exactly how old he was the first time he tasted gumbo at his grandmother’s house in the Fillmore District. His grandmother always said eight years old. His mom believes it was more like four. But either way, to him, gumbo tastes like Christmas. Ball remembers the whole family elbowing into the kitchen and arguing about exactly what goes into the pot.
For a long time, good gumbo was hard to find in San Francisco. But thankfully, as we slog through this wet winter, San Francisco seems to be approaching peak gumbo. Brenda’s always made a serious bowl brimming with chicken, andouille, and okra. Boug Cali will be coming to the Ferry Building this year, bringing jars of seafood gumbo ready to grab and go. Meanwhile Gumbo Social opened in the Bayview last summer, where Ball dives deep into the iconic dish.
