Beyond the First Bite: Miller Butler’s Culinary Journey to the Sepulveda House

By ShuRhonda Bradley

Food festivals let my taste buds travel—kind of like Remy in Ratatouille. My first real taste adventure with Miller Butler was at the Terranea Food & Wine Festival in 2024.

For me, it started with a slice of pizza topped with sweet corn and fresh basil. Every bite tasted like summer. Of everything I sampled at the festival, that surprising corn pizza is what I remember most.

Since then, the husband-and-wife team of Jillana Nadine Miller and Ahmad Jamal Butler has been popping up everywhere, from Palos Verdes to West Harbor to Long Beach. They’ve also become regulars at events hosted by The Den, including a Halloween celebration just a couple of weeks ago.

But last weekend, at a beignets-and-coffee fundraiser hosted by the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce at the historic Sepulveda Home, I got to experience another side of their culinary talents: New Orleans-style beignets.

It was an opportunity for Miller and Butler to introduce guests to the Creole, soul and Southern food traditions they hope to bring to the historic property, a 1929 Louisiana French Colonial-style residence and outdoor event venue. The home has been in the Portillo family since 1985, and the family has rented its outdoor space for weddings and special events for the past 20 years.

The beignets served were just the beginning.

New Orleans beignets have roots in French culinary traditions brought to Louisiana by French settlers and later French-speaking immigrants. Over time, the city developed its own distinctive version, shaped by Creole culture and the influences of Acadian, Caribbean and African American cooks. Like so much of New Orleans cuisine, the beignet tells a story of cultures coming together around food.

The dessert became synonymous with New Orleans thanks in large part to the legendary Café du Monde, established in 1862, which helped popularize the square, powdered-sugar-covered treat.

Then Jillana mentioned plans for supper club dinners at the Sepulveda Home, beginning in February, just in time for Mardi Gras. And when she said gumbo would be on the menu, she had my attention.

Sara Portillo encouraged guests to consider the 28-31historic home for their own celebrations and spoke about collaborating with Miller Butler to bring more culinary experiences to the property.

What I liked most, though, was that Jillana didn’t just tell us what she and Ahmad had planned. She asked what we wanted to see.

She invited everyone to share ideas and help shape what happens at the house. As a San Pedro local, I appreciated that. I could already imagine the conversations taking off if everyone shared the dish they’d want served at a supper club—and the story behind it.

With my Southern roots, just hearing Jillana mention gumbo had me thinking about the roux. How dark will they make it? What will give the gumbo its depth? Will the heat hit right away or build slowly?

That’s what I love about Southern cooking. You can ask two people how they make the same dish and get two completely different answers, each with its own history, traditions, and family secrets. The ingredients may be familiar, but the stories behind them make every pot different.

I went to the Sepulveda House already knowing what Jillana and Ahmad could do with pizza. I left wondering what they could do with a full dinner.

And when they serve that gumbo, I want a bowl—and a chance to ask them how they made it.

Follow the Sepulveda Home on Instagram @thesepulvedahome and their website www.sepulvedahome.com for updates on the Madi Gras themed supper club dinners in February 2027.