Southern Cuisine Dean Joe Randall Dies at 79

Joe Randall, revered as the "dean of Southern Cuisine," passed away at his home in Savannah, Georgia, on February 14th at the age of 79. He dedicated his career to elevating and preserving the African American cooking traditions of the Carolina Lowcountry, particularly those of the Gullah Geechee people.

Randall's influence reached far beyond his Savannah cooking school. He mentored a generation of chefs, many of them Black, inspiring them to pursue success in an industry that had historically overlooked Black culinary contributions. His distinctive style, often marked by a kente cloth accent on his chef's whites, honored his African heritage and that of his students.

He was a pioneer in recognizing Southern cooking as a significant cuisine and in acknowledging the crucial role African Americans played in its development. His work, including the James Beard Award-winning cookbook "A Taste of Heritage: The New African American Cuisine" (1998) co-authored with Toni-Tipton Martin, solidified the importance of Black foodways in the American culinary landscape.

Born Joseph Glascoe in Pennsylvania in 1946, Randall was adopted and later developed a passion for cooking through early restaurant work and his Air Force service. He honed his skills in California and later led prominent kitchens before establishing his renowned school in Savannah, which he operated until 2016.