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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Food | Agriculture
The first Indigenous woman to win a James Beard Award for Best Chef has closed her restaurant in Charlestown, Rhode Island.
Sherry Pocknett (Mashpee Wampanoag) announced on Facebook that her restaurant, Sly Fox Den Too, would close as of Jan. 19 amid disputes with her landlord over building maintenance and rent. According to Pocknett’s Facebook post, problems began shortly after signing the lease. She said she’s seeking legal assistance regarding the lease termination.
Sly Fox Den Too, which opened in 2021, specialized in Wampanoag cuisine, including venison, rabbit, quahogs, fish, and fresh vegetables and herbs. The venture followed Pocknett’s role as food and beverage director at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center.
Pocknett won her James Beard Award in 2023, becoming the first Indigenous woman to ever receive the honor. In her acceptance speech, she shared that she was battling breast cancer and had recently completed chemotherapy. Known as “the Oscars of the food world,” the Beard Awards are recognized as one of the most prestigious honors in the culinary industry, highlighting excellence and contributions that chefs make to their communities.
In her recent Facebook announcement, Pocknett said the restaurant plans to reopen in a building she owns in Preston, Conn. She said customers with outstanding gift cards can use them at powwows where Sly Fox Den Too will provide food, or for catering jobs.
“This is just an unfortunate event, but maybe it’s just the push,” Pocknett wrote. “We need to get our own building up and running.”
