Cheetie Kumar

Cheetie Kumar is chef-owner at Garland. As a child in India, Cheetie could often be found in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother learning as they prepared meals. Her family held strong to their culinary heritage, passing on generations old techniques, preparations, and recipes. At age 8 her family settled in the Bronx, New York. Cheetie is a self-taught cook who studied recipes while pursuing a career as a guitarist in The Cherry Valence and more recently Birds of Avalon. Upon moving to North Carolina, she embraced the region's renowned agriculture and seasonal produce, and incorporated these into recipes to fit her menu at Garland. She was profiled in Southern Living in September 2019, and joined us as a guest on our Biscuits & Jam podcast in 2020. Find her on social media as @cheetieku and at garlandraleigh.com.