Great Lakes Plates is an original food, travel, culture, and history series from Related Filmworks, hosted by Chef Sherman Sharpe Jr., a Detroit native, chef, and historian. The series explores the people, places, culinary traditions, and cultural histories that define the Great Lakes region—from Detroit and Michigan to communities throughout the Great Lakes states and Ontario.
Through food, storytelling, and personal connections, Great Lakes Plates reveals the history behind the dishes and the people who keep these traditions alive. The series celebrates Indigenous foodways, African American culinary traditions, immigrant influences, local chefs, farmers, restaurants, artisans, and communities.
More than a food show, Great Lakes Plates uses food as a doorway into history, culture, identity, and community—bringing the stories of the Great Lakes to audiences one plate at a time.
