HJ761: Commending Rahman Harper.


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 761
Commending Rahman Harper.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 21, 2023
Agreed to by the Senate, February 23, 2023

 

WHEREAS, Rahman Harper, a celebrity chef and owner and head chef of Queen Mother’s Fried Chicken in Arlington, was named a Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic semifinalist by the James Beard Foundation in 2023; and

WHEREAS, a graduate of what is now Alexandria City High School, Rahman “Rock” Harper discovered a love for cooking in his adolescence and went on to earn a culinary degree in 1996 from Johnson & Wales University, where he developed the skills that would provide the foundation for a successful career in the culinary arts; and

WHEREAS, Rock Harper worked at several restaurants in Washington, D.C., including BET on Jazz Restaurant and Planet Hollywood, before becoming executive chef at the former B. Smith’s Restaurant in Union Station; and

WHEREAS, Rock Harper appeared on the third season of Fox network’s reality cooking television show Hell’s Kitchen in 2007, winning the competition, which included the opportunity to serve as head chef at the former Terra Verde Restaurant at Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa and Casino in Henderson, Nevada, where he worked for a year; and

WHEREAS, following this venture, Rock Harper served briefly as executive chef at Ben’s Next Door in Washington, D.C., before becoming a chef instructor at Stratford University, guiding an untold number of aspiring chefs toward promising and fulfilling careers; and

WHEREAS, after creating and implementing menus at multiple restaurants in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, Rock Harper opened Queen Mother’s Fried Chicken, a fast-casual restaurant specializing in premium fried chicken sandwiches, in 2020, inside the incubator Kitchen of Purpose; and

WHEREAS, Rock Harper opened Queen Mother’s Fried Chicken as a tribute to his mother Carole Harper, using high-quality, fresh ingredients to create an exceptional fried chicken sandwich that keeps customers coming back time and again; and

WHEREAS, Rock Harper has given generously of his time and talents as a volunteer chef with DC Central Kitchen, the Marine Fish Conservation Network, and the March of Dimes, which he served as National Celebrity Chef from 2008 to 2012; and

WHEREAS, Rock Harper’s recognition from the James Beard Foundation is a testament to his commitment to excellence and to his extraordinary abilities as a chef and restaurateur; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Rahman Harper for being named a Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic semifinalist by the James Beard Foundation in 2023; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Rahman Harper as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his contributions to the Commonwealth.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 761

Offered February 19, 2023
Commending Rahman Harper.
Patrons-- Lopez, Guzman, Murphy, Rasoul and Seibold

WHEREAS, Rahman Harper, a celebrity chef and owner and head chef of Queen Mother’s Fried Chicken in Arlington, was named a Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic semifinalist by the James Beard Foundation in 2023; and

WHEREAS, a graduate of what is now Alexandria City High School, Rahman “Rock” Harper discovered a love for cooking in his adolescence and went on to earn a culinary degree in 1996 from Johnson & Wales University, where he developed the skills that would provide the foundation for a successful career in the culinary arts; and

WHEREAS, Rock Harper worked at several restaurants in Washington, D.C., including BET on Jazz Restaurant and Planet Hollywood, before becoming executive chef at the former B. Smith’s Restaurant in Union Station; and

WHEREAS, Rock Harper appeared on the third season of Fox network’s reality cooking television show Hell’s Kitchen in 2007, winning the competition, which included the opportunity to serve as head chef at the former Terra Verde Restaurant at Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa and Casino in Henderson, Nevada, where he worked for a year; and

WHEREAS, following this venture, Rock Harper served briefly as executive chef at Ben’s Next Door in Washington, D.C., before becoming a chef instructor at Stratford University, guiding an untold number of aspiring chefs toward promising and fulfilling careers; and

WHEREAS, after creating and implementing menus at multiple restaurants in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, Rock Harper opened Queen Mother’s Fried Chicken, a fast-casual restaurant specializing in premium fried chicken sandwiches, in 2020, inside the incubator Kitchen of Purpose; and

WHEREAS, Rock Harper opened Queen Mother’s Fried Chicken as a tribute to his mother Carole Harper, using high-quality, fresh ingredients to create an exceptional fried chicken sandwich that keeps customers coming back time and again; and

WHEREAS, Rock Harper has given generously of his time and talents as a volunteer chef with DC Central Kitchen, the Marine Fish Conservation Network, and the March of Dimes, which he served as National Celebrity Chef from 2008 to 2012; and

WHEREAS, Rock Harper’s recognition from the James Beard Foundation is a testament to his commitment to excellence and to his extraordinary abilities as a chef and restaurateur; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Rahman Harper for being named a Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic semifinalist by the James Beard Foundation in 2023; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Rahman Harper as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his contributions to the Commonwealth.