Roux and Vine LLC is owned and operated by executive chef Leilani Baugh MBA. A native of Oakland, California, Leilani found her calling to the culinary world in her youth. Raised by her two grandmothers, she learned at an early age that food and hospitality were the way to people’s hearts. With one grandmother a Chinese immigrant and the other a Southern housekeeper, she embraced both worlds by ultimately fusing the two. Taking recipes from both grandmothers, she found herself mixing her favorites into delightful dishes for her family and friends.
In mid-2015, Chef Leilani returned to one of her favorite culinary scenes, New Orleans. A place where she visited often and where she decided to return to her roots of Southern/Cajun Cuisine with an Asian twist. In 2017, Roux and Vine was born. Leilani is an experienced entrepreneur with a background in corporate events and catering. While Roux and Vine functions primarily as a catering service, they’re also currently running the kitchen at Brix 581 – a bar and club located in Oakland’s Jack London Square.
Leilani’s cooking has become quite renowned throughout the Community, and much of the clientele that comes to Brix 581 comes because of her food. Roux and Vine LLC has gained catering contracts with ESPN, NBA TV, KPMG, and Turner Movie Classics. They recently catered both the 2018 and 2019 Western Conference Finals for ESPN along with the 2019 finals. ESPN and NBA TV have agreed to take Roux and Vine LLC with them to San Francisco if the Warriors prove to be successful in the coming season.
With a successful catering business and a loyal following at Brix 581, Roux and Vine is looking to open their own restaurant, Magnolia Street Wine and Music Café, for which they have partnered with the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) to use the historic space of the California Hotel. The California Hotel is registered in the National Register of Historic Places and once served as a venue for some of the greatest names of Jazz such as Billie Holiday, James Brown, Sly Stone, Mahalia Jackson and Big Mama Thornton.
The opening of the restaurant will be part of the greater community-wide San Pablo Area Revitalization Collaborative (SPARC) which was formed in 2014 to improve the health and wellbeing of the 8,000 residents living near and along the 1.5 miles of the San Pablo Avenue Corridor and the surrounding areas of West Oakland. The collaborative builds on neighborhood assets and pools resources to better achieve common outcomes. In this case EBALDC and Pacific Community Ventures are coming together to invest in a West Oakland native entrepreneur who is looking to provide employment and cultural development opportunities for their community.
Roux and Vine has established strong partnerships with local organic produce vendors as well as a few different community organizations. Part of their commitment is shown through their relationship with the Oakland Conservatory of Music, Roux and Vine LLC plans to have a space in their restaurant where musicians in training can come and showcase their talents along with other community musicians and artists that will be displayed on an art wall. They’ve also worked with a community organization to become part of an art walk in the area which will bring in more clientele and attention to the business. The display of art and live musical performances will help identify the business as a culturally lively destination.
We’re excited to help them grow and create good local jobs.