trust:

Chef Trimell Hawkins is a Marine Corps veteran, award‑winning chef, and storyteller whose work lives at the intersection of memory, craft, and culture. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he has become a defining voice in modern New American soul food —honoring heritage while pushing it forward with precision, restraint, and a deep respect for the seasons.
A graduate of the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education and the school’s first Young Alumni Award recipient, Chef Hawkins built his reputation as executive chef at Forty Acres and Portico before expanding his creative reach through Poetry on Plates, a platform that brings fine‑dining technique into the home kitchen with intention and heart.
Trust is his most personal work to date.
A seven to ten course tasting experience shaped by seasonality, emotion, and the belief that food can be both intimate and transformative. Every dish reflects his discipline, his curiosity, and his commitment to telling stories that linger long after the final bite.
Beyond the kitchen, Chef Hawkins is a mentor, educator, and community advocate. 
With a meticulous eye for design, a leader’s steadiness, and a poet’s instinct for narrative, Chef Trimell Hawkins is shaping a new era of dining in West Michigan—one where intention leads, culture is honored, and every guest feels seen.