Dionne Knox

Zella’s Soulful Kitchen

Appears in

We Are La Cocina

By Leticia Landa and Caleb Zigas

Published 2019

About

Joined La Cocina: July 2006

Dionne starts every day by putting two dozen biscuits into the oven. Some get served plain, with butter and seasonal jam, but the majority get made into breakfast sand wiches with egg, cheese, and her homemade chicken breakfast sausage tucked inside.

Next, she cracks the eggs for the vegetable-of-the-day frittata, brews coffee, and starts prepping sandwiches, salads, and soups that local residents, nearby post office workers, and commuters on their way to the West Oakland BART train will pick up for lunch. She also cooks rotating daily specials that people can take home to have for dinner with their families. Turkey meatloaf is a favorite, and she runs out of her seasonal herb-roasted vegetables daily.