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In a Raleigh dining scene that’s grown louder, flashier, and more trend-driven by the year, Hummingbird has quietly stayed true to something more enduring—hospitality that feels personal and food that knows exactly where it comes from. At the center of it all is Coleen Speaks, chef and owner, whose cooking reflects a life shaped by movement and memory: St. Louis roots, New Orleans training, and more than two decades planted firmly in North Carolina soil.
Speaks arrived in Raleigh in 2000, launching Posh Nosh Catering long before the city became the dining destination it is today. When she opened Hummingbird eight years ago, it wasn’t about chasing trends—it was about feeding neighbors, honoring Southern tradition, and creating a place where guests felt seen.
In this edition of Kitchen Confidential, Speaks talks chicken livers, burned garlic, the importance of real hospitality, and why some culinary revolutions—frog legs included—just might arrive a little too early.
What ingredient are you obsessed with right now, and how are you using it on the menu? Chicken livers; they get a bad rap! They are highly nutritious and protein-rich, providing an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. [I’m] currently using these three ways on our menu: chicken liver mousse paté for our grilled chicken banh mi sandwich, in a bolognese dish, and fried chicken livers with remoulade and pickles.
What’s a food trend you wish Raleigh would embrace—and one you wish would disappear? I have always felt that Raleigh really lacks in the culture department. If we want to be a big-city player, I feel we will need to expand our offerings in the ethnic cuisine market. And I would love to see the QR code ordering trend ignited by Covid disappear. This style of ordering fundamentally goes against everything that hospitality stands for. A critical element of any restaurant experience is the interaction between guests and their servers.
What’s the biggest mistake home cooks make when trying to recreate restaurant-level dishes? Not knowing the basic fundamentals and not following the order of operations when following a recipe. Burning the garlic is probably at the top!
How has Raleigh’s dining scene changed since you first started cooking here? When I arrived in Raleigh in 2000, there were maybe a handful of restaurants. In the last 10 years, so many great independent restaurants have opened.
Which dish on your current menu best reflects your culinary philosophy? Our bourbon-brined, smoked, marinated oysters. I wanted to take an old-school classic and elevate it by treating it properly with a 48-hour brining process. At the same time, by including a variety of North Carolina–sourced seafood on our menu, we are supporting our state’s struggling fishing communities.
What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken on a menu—and did it pay off? Buffalo-style frog legs with blue cheese celery salad. I would say Raleigh wasn’t ready for the frog-leg revolution!
Which chef or restaurant—locally or nationally—inspires your work right now, and why? José Andrés; not only is he a gifted culinary talent, but even more importantly, he is an incredible humanitarian. This is a chef who is trying to solve world problems, but few of us have his level of energy or reach. Although my opinion of chefs might be that we are not worthy of such great admiration, Andrés is an example of a chef who is making a big difference in our world.
What comes through most clearly in Speaks’ answers isn’t ego or ambition—it’s intention. Whether she’s elevating a classic oyster preparation, pushing back against QR-code ordering, or calling for broader cultural representation on Raleigh menus, her philosophy stays grounded in care: for ingredients, for people, and for the experience of being fed by another human being.
At Hummingbird, that purpose is clear. Speaks isn’t trying to reinvent Southern cooking—she’s trying to do it right. And in a city still defining what it wants to be at the table, that kind of quiet confidence matters more than ever.
