Skip to content
Search
Cuisine Noir Magazine
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • Events
  • Marketplace
  • Print
  • Podcast
  • More
    • The Culinary Scoop (blog)
    • Black Wineries
    • Videos
    • CN Review
    • Donate
Cuisine Noir Magazine
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • CN Review
  • Marketplace
  • Print
  • The Culinary Scoop (blog)
  • Events
  • Black Wineries
  • Videos
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate
Search
Cuisine Noir Magazine
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • Events
  • Marketplace
  • Print
  • Podcast
  • More
    • The Culinary Scoop (blog)
    • Black Wineries
    • Videos
    • CN Review
    • Donate
Cuisine Noir Magazine
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • CN Review
  • Marketplace
  • Print
  • The Culinary Scoop (blog)
  • Events
  • Black Wineries
  • Videos
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate

Sebastian Joseph-Day Highlights Food Stories in New Digital Series Dine & Bash

Sebastian Joseph-Day of Dine & Dash
Pictured: Sebastian Joseph-Day | Photo credit: Luis Rodriguez
February 23, 2021
Ashia Aubourg
Share this article
       

Growing up in a Haitian household, the cuisine is a central part of the culture. During good or bad times, meals foster togetherness. Haitian-American Sebastian Joseph-Day of the L.A. Rams' cultural upbringing guides him even closer to his community through food. 

 

Growing Up Haitian

 

With both of Joseph-Day's parents being from Haiti, his background involved many Haitian food traditions. “Being a Haitian-American, food has been a catalyst and a huge aspect for my family. Whenever there is a celebration, there is food. Whenever something bad happens, there is food. Food is a core value to us,” he says.

 

Born in New Jersey and raised in Pennsylvania, Joseph-Day reminisces on his mother and father making “immaculate meals.” Priding himself on how they prepared dishes with ingredients such as lamb, pheasant, and seabass, eating delicious foods has always been a part of his life since childhood.

 

Sebastian Joseph-Day of Dine & Dash
Pictured: Sebastian Joseph-Day | Photo credit: Luis Rodriguez 

As a young athlete, his diet was essential, and his mother's food was tasty and organically sourced. “People from Haiti are big on eating organic. I remember my mom looking at a banana at the grocery store and wondering why it was so big compared to the ones back home in Haiti,” Joseph-Day says.

 

The future NFL nose tackle did not want to be a football player growing up. On the contrary, his aspirations involved becoming a Haitian version of Shaquille O'Neal. His parents' cultural background also contributed to his sport choice early on, with them being more familiar with soccer and basketball. It was not until Joseph-Day got to high school and a football coach mentioned the prospect of going to college with a scholarship that his parents got on board with the sport's idea. “The moment you mention school for free to a Haitian family, it is music to their ears,” laughs Joseph-Day. 

 

  • LS Cream Introduces Traditional Haitian Drink to a New Audience of DrinkersLS Cream founders Stevens Charles and Myriam Jean-Baptiste
  • Thamy's Kitchen Picks Up the Torch to Put Haitian Cuisine on Center StageRémy Monexant and Semantha Vixamar of Thamy's Kitchen

 

“I went to Rutgers University. Once a month, my parents would come down and bring me a tray of legume and sos pwa,” says Joseph-Day, who reflects on his mom covering her eyes out of fear during his football games. However, he affirms how much of his success is because of his family's support and culture. 

 

Food Fosters Togetherness

 

Becoming acquainted with the Los Angeles community was imperative to Joseph-Day after getting drafted to the L.A. Rams in 2018. When COVID-19 began to impact the Los Angeles area severely, he donated meals to front-line workers and wanted to figure out a way to support small food businesses. “There is no greater thing that brings people together than food. In Haitian culture, food always brings people together,” says Joseph-Day. 

 

Sebastian Joseph-Day of Dine & Dash
Pictured: Sebastian Joseph-Day | Photo credit: Luis Rodriguez 

With volunteer engagement moving towards being virtual, the defensive lineman became inspired to create a digital series highlighting small food business owners. He launched “Dine & Bash” in January 2021, with episodes from the series available on YouTube. 

 

When developing “Dine & Bash,” it was vital for Joseph-Day to ensure that small food entrepreneurs' stories were at the forefront of his episodes. “When you go past the walls of these restaurants, and you get to know the people operating them, it builds connections for others to relate to them.” 

 

The majority of the “Dine & Bash” episodes highlight Black-owned businesses. “Due to the climate that we are in, there are so many injustices impacting the Black community, and it's important to show how great the food and products from these businesses are,” says Joseph-Day. 

 

Stories on “Dine & Bash” can range from learning about a restaurant owner's Black entrepreneurial family legacy and its intersection with Nashville hot chicken. There are two acquaintances from Ohio and one from Jamaica forming a business partnership and coming together to bring accessible, organic, comfort food to Los Angeles. 

 

The Bash Legacy

 

It is clear that fostering togetherness is essential to Joseph-Day, who recognizes the tremendous role food, culture, and education have played in his success and wants the same for his community.

 

Sebastian Joseph-Day of Dine & Dash
Pictured: Sebastian Joseph-Day | Photo credit: Luis Rodriguez 

The new YouTube host aspires to produce more episodes to highlight small food businesses' stories across the U.S and hopefully one day in Haiti. Further, with education being so vital within his upbringing, he hopes to also play a role in addressing inequities in public school systems. 

 

“The biggest thing for me is the community and our people. My parents always taught me to use my blessings to support others. The vision is to continue highlighting and building community.”

 

  • From Higher Education to Winemaking: The Montfleur Duvin StoryAbner Montfleury of Montfleur Duvin
  • From Passion to Business: Regine Rousseau of Shall We WineShall We Wine Founder Regine Rousseau

 

For more information on Dine & Bash and Sebastian Joseph-Day, visit his YouTube channel, Instagram, and Twitter pages.

  • Kitchen Karaoke singer Maysa Leak
    under Food & Drink Maysa Leak’s Kitchen Karaoke Merges Her Love of Music and Cooking
  • Celebrity chef and The Great Soul Food Cook-Off Champion Razia Sabour
    under Black Chefs , Food & Drink Celebrity Chef Razia Sabour Honors Soul Food’s History with Competition Win
  • Kitwanda and Tyronne Cypus of Kiki's Chicken and Waffles in South Carolina
    under Black Chefs , Food & Drink Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles Holds the Right Bones for Success
  • under Etiquette Etiquette in Public Places
Share this article
Ashia Aubourg

Intrigued by food since a young girl, Ashia aspired to be a professional chef, but after testing out the waters, realized that was not her path. Still passionate about food, she became the first to declare Food Studies as a major at Syracuse University where her research and passion focused on community empowerment through food. When Ashia is not writing or analyzing data about food, she loves to practice cooking and developing recipes at home for her food blog.

Related Articles

Loading...
Food & Drink

Rémy Martin Celebrates 50 Years of Hip-Hop With VSOP Mixtape and Museum

Diaspora Kitchen project in Cameroon from March 9 - 10, 2023
Black Chefs Featured Food & Drink

Inaugural Diaspora Kitchen Event Celebrates Cameroonian Cuisine

Uncle Waithley's Vincy Brew - Founder Karl Franz Williams
Food & Drink

Karl Franz Williams Unearths Roots with Uncle Waithley’s Vincy Brew Ginger Beer

Be the first to know about the latest online, industry updates, world news, events and promotions that connect the African diaspora through food, drink and travel.

    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising

    #IAmCuisineNoir

    This site participates in affiliate programs. See our full disclosure for more information.

    Copyright© 2023 Cuisine Noir and The Global Food and Drink Initiative. Privacy
    Site by ACS Digital

    Any unauthorized duplication, download or reprint of images or content from this website for promotional or commercial use is strictly prohibited without written permission from The Global Food and Drink Initiative. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Trademark pending.

    YES!  We’re excited you are signing up too!  

    Get ready to receive our weekly newsletter about:

    • New articles online
    • World news and industry happenings throughout the African Diaspora
    • Mouthwatering recipes
    • Promotions and giveaways

    Right in your inbox!