As told to Amanda Rae
Photos by Anna Stonehouse
You know what’s funny? I never intended to open a restaurant. My first job in Aspen was at The Little Nell as a breakfast server, then supervisor and manager. After ten years of waking up at 5 a.m., I was known as the Breakfast Queen. Morning shifts are tough because you never know how people feel: They’re upset because they didn’t get laid last night or the coffee’s not hot enough. Either way, they blame you. Keep smiling!
Still, I always loved breakfast at the Nell because it’s consistently good. And you know that the service will be on point. Oh, those lemon soufflé pancakes! Even after I left in 2012, I remained “Mawa from The Little Nell.”
In 2006, while still with the Nell, I opened my own private chef business, Mawa’s Kitchen, in the Aspen Airport Business Center (AABC). We started catering for private jet owners early on. I make whatever they want. I began focusing on gluten-free cuisine and baked goods since eating bread made me feel heavy. Nobody knew about gluten sensitivity back then.
Mawa’s Kitchen was a tiny commercial space to support my catering, cooking classes, private parties, and kids’ camp. You walked in the door through the kitchen by a big freezer. Everyone thought that was cute, but it wasn’t on purpose.
Clients asked me constantly to open a restaurant. So I did, reluctantly, starting with lunch. The first five years of owning the restaurant were a struggle. I resisted launching dinner, but we [my husband and business partner, Daniel] weren’t making money. It was hard to attract people to the ABC, three miles from downtown. Now, 14 years later, more folks live downvalley and commute right by here every day.
Eventually, people started coming to the ABC to experience Mawa’s Kitchen. We make everything organic, fresh, and farm-to-table, using produce from Farm Runners in Paonia and Two Roots Farm in Basalt. I was the only Aspen chef who served eggs Benedict with salad. It’s so rich already, do you really need potatoes?
My style is French-Mediterranean with African flair. Originally it was classic American; now I’m comfortable sharing my culture. My mother, Jeanne Kouao, is Christian, from the Akan tribe in the Ivory Coast. My father, Sékou Sidibe, is Muslim, from the Malinke tribe in Mali and Guinea. Mawa is a Muslim name meaning “lovely.” I was born in the Ivory Coast and raised in Paris—a true melting pot heritage.
This summer we’re serving more African dishes: maafe, our style of curry using organic peanut butter; yassa, mustard-marinated chicken grilled and stewed with caramelized onions and vegetables, served over rice; braised oxtail with collard greens; and jollof rice. Every country has its own fried rice! For years I’ve used fonio, Africa’s oldest cultivated grain, in our bestselling gluten-free pancakes.
During the coronavirus pandemic, we were finally able to expand. Our neighbor, designer Barbara Glass, helped to remodel the dining room, pro bono. She captured my essence. Now everyone wants to take Instagram photos in front of our signature wallpaper.
GrainFreeNola was my Covid baby. Our company produces gluten-free, vegan, kosher, paleo, and grain-free granola, made with nuts and seeds and sweetened by dates, fruit, and berries. Each flavor tells a story about me. It’s very spiritual to mix the granola by hand. I want people to feel my energy when they eat it.
I never planned to open another restaurant, but we did, in Snowmass Base Village. The Crêpe Shack is an ode to my French side. The crêpe is the new taco, and it’s versatile—it can be savory or sweet. Soon I’m opening The Crêpe Shack in Aspen and at Denver’s Union Station.
Last year during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, I walk into the tasting tents and chefs Marcus Samuelsson and Andrew Zimmern are signing books. Suddenly these women scream, “Oh my god, it’s Mawa!” Marcus and Andrew look up, like, “Who is she?” That’s right, guys, I’m the celebrity here. Welcome to my town.
Fast forward to February: It’s a full-circle moment to be named a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist alongside The Little Nell for Outstanding Wine Program. I cried so hard! We complete each other. We always have.