Known as one of the most exciting BBQ chefs in her hometown of Chicago, IL, Dominique Leachis a classically trained chef turned nationally recognized pitmaster. Firstgarnering culinary experience in some of the most prestigious kitchens in Chicago under the direction of chef icons such as James Beard award-winningowner/chef Tony Mantuanoand Executive Chef Sarah Grueneberg (Monteverde) at MICHELIN starred Italian restaurant Spiaggia, as well as witha ward-winning author and chef Raghavan Lyer at The Art Institute Museum. Leach then branched out with her wife Tanisha in 2016 to create her own catering company “Cater to You Events & Drop Offs”.Inspired by fond childhood memories of her grandmother, Betty King of Lexington, Mississippi, who filled the house with flavorful aromas of home-cooked meals,Dominique then took those aromas and applied technique to launch a successful food truck, Lexington Betty Smokehouse. Her expertise and soulful food would lead to her victory onThe Food Network’s BBQ BRAWL in 2023 with Bobby Flay as well as earn her a spot on CHOPPED and as a judge/contestant on Food Network Canada FIRE MASTERS, recognition as the “Best Barbecue in Chicago” by Good Morning America, and a full brick-and-mortar home for Lexington Betty on the South Side of Chicago following a pilot project to help promote black-owned businesses in the region. Chef Leach and her wife’s hard work and persistence in a male-dominated industry have helped them to carve out a name for themselves in the culinary world in Chicago and beyond