Harlem NY only black owned Deli & Grocery Store

During high school, sophomore thru senior years, I took an Home Economic Course which consisted of cooking classes. After high school I took a few culinary art courses.

MOMMA ZEE'S FOOD TO PLEZ DELI AND GROCERY STORE

Give us a quick background on you, like where you are from, your upbringing and backstory?

My name is Excenia Mette (Foote) born and raised in Peoria Illinois by two wonderful people my mother Mary Cannon and my father Mayes Foote, who were great cooks. They were my inspiration. I always enjoyed watching them cook delicious meals and bake very tasty desserts.

I can remember as a child we always had hot meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our friends would come to walk to school with us and of course they were able to sit down and have breakfast with us.

These were the times when family meant the most, every holiday we had family fellowship with our grandparents, uncles aunts, and cousins. Christmas was the best and summer picnics in the park.

My very first job was at Saint Francis hospital as a cook and I loved it.

I’ve always cooked for my family and friends with great pleasure. I believe that’s when I realized my greatest passion was cooking and baking.

When did you decide to move to the Big Apple?

I moved to New York City in my thirties, took an apartment on Lenox Ave, and began cooking outside my apartment, soul food, burgers, hot dogs, shrimp, and lemon cake.

Many of my customers began to encourage me to have my own business. So, I began selling dinners out of my apartment and the cast members of Black Ink were my biggest customers, they loved my food.

I later found out that my grandmother who I am named after Excenia Cannon (Williams) would sell dinners out of her house to pay her rent back in the day and wanted her own restaurant and store. My uncles Willie, Maynard, Charles, Cannon & Dobbie owned Cannon's Grocery Store in Peoria IL They also owned other businesses in Brooklyn, NY.

Friends and Family