About SAMMY MONSOUR

Chef / Co-Owner of Preux & Proper, South City Fried Chicken and forthcoming Mercantile in Los Angeles, Sammy Monsour has received acknowledgment and acclaim from Michelin, James Beard Foundation, Good Food 100, Zagat, Eater and the American Culinary Federation. He is a third generation chef, published cookbook author and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, with roots stemming from his parent’s neighborhood joint in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. You may recognize him from his appearances on Viceland’s The Untitled Action Bronson Show, Travel Channel’s Food Paradise and Food Network’s Guy’s Big Project (to name a few). Sammy’s advocacy toward sustainability has positioned him on the board of Chefs Collaborative, a JBF Impact Smart Catch Leader, member of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Blue Ribbon Task Force and founding member of Chefs for Fish.

About KASSADY WIGGINS

Kassady Wiggins is the Beverage Director of Preux & Proper and South City Fried Chicken in Los Angeles, where her cocktail program has received acknowledgment and acclaim from LA Magazine, Michelin, Good Food 100, Eater and Garden & Gun Magazine. She was introduced to farming and sustainability early on by her Grandfather, with roots stemming from Greenville, South Carolina. Her African American diaspora and passion for Southern culture are staples throughout her interpretation of modern craft cocktails, and her zero-landfill beverage program has received a green star from the City of Los Angeles. Kassady’s advocacy for civil rights and environmental activism inform her efforts behind the bar, and inspire her collaborations, adventures and future projects.

ABOUT APOCO-LOCKDOWN KITCHEN

March 2020 got weird quickly. It was the first lockdown, and across the country, many restaurants and bars were forced to shut their doors. For hospitality professionals like Sammy Monsour & Kassady Wiggins (chef & beverage director of Preux & Proper) it almost felt like the start of the apocalypse, sans zombies.

As many people dived into to-go boxes and brought home bottled margarita mix, Sammy and Kassady quickly began doomsday prepping, turning their home into a bug out base camp in a mere matter of weeks. While Sammy stood in line for hours, maxing out his credit cards on ammunition and pet food, Kassady planted dozens of heirloom crops and practicing her moves with a machete. She got damn good at sabering.

33 days into lockdown, they decided that although they couldn’t work, they still wanted to do what they do best-satisfy cravings and entertain; with a side of satire and love. This time, though, it would be in front of (and behind) the camera.

APOCO-LOCKDOWN KITCHEN started as a creative outlet for the pair while the world was figuring out how to maneuver a new normal, and quickly turned into something they and their audience both looked forward to every week. Sammy & Kassady are continuously inspired by people sending photos and videos of them remaking recipes from ALK, especially when someone sabers a bottle of bubbles with a machete.

As the lockdown continues into the fall, so will season two of APOCO-LOCKDOWN KITCHEN. Aptly called “Get Dough or Die,” in season two Sammy & Kassady will be focusing on autumnal recipes that involve, and pair perfectly with, dough. With every episode, viewers will still be able to count on a delicious food and drink recipe, and of course, a lockdown lesson. Who knows, maybe they’ll even throw in some pumpkin spice. Or, maybe they’ll put pumpkin spice on everything…