Chef Joseph 'joe' Randall, Trailblazing 'dean Of Southern Cuisine,' Dies At 79

“Take what you’ve sewage and make it activity for you.”

This is nan proposal that award-winning cook and cookbook writer Joseph G. Randall, known arsenic nan “Dean of Southern Cooking,” imparted to young cooks erstwhile he and I said successful December 2021 connected my “Corner Table Talk” podcast. Perhaps a motion to nan humble beginnings of accepted Southern food, it was elemental advice, expressed pinch his emblematic humility.

Randall, besides known arsenic Chef Joe, died Feb. 14 astatine location successful Savannah, Ga., surrounded by family and loved ones, according to his girl Cari Randall. He was 79.

His life’s calling was championing nan contributions of Black chefs. And he peculiarly inspired me, arsenic a Black restaurateur successful Los Angeles, and became a beloved mentor and friend to maine complete 3 decades.

Randall was a second-generation hospitality master raised successful Harrisburg, Pa. His begetter was a mason, civilian authorities activistic and state nine owner. After a 10-year fight, his begetter was granted Pennsylvania’s first liquor licence for a state nine successful 1959. Randall’s uncle Richard, a hotelier, caterer and restaurateur successful Pittsburgh, gave him his first occupation arsenic a dishwasher.

“He gave maine a tease for nan business. He had very strict policies for employees, nary smoking aliases drinking, and for really they dressed. He was catering parties mostly for achromatic folks, ‘cause they were nan ones who could spend to pay,” he said astir his uncle connected nan podcast.

A profession successful hospitality followed, spanning much than 5 decades. Randall attended UC Berkeley, wherever he received edifice guidance certificates, and later served arsenic a navigator successful nan United States Air Force. He’d yet find a mentor successful pioneering African American cook Robert W. Lee, executive cook astatine nan Harrisburger Hotel successful Harrisburg, Pa., who trained and hired an all-Black room staff.

Randall went connected to activity successful galore kitchens, and was executive cook astatine Cloister edifice successful Buffalo, N.Y., and Fishmarket successful Baltimore. In 1989, Randall opened nan Restaurant astatine Kellogg Ranch, a training edifice astatine Cal Poly Pomona. A small complete a decade later, he founded Chef Joe Randall’s Cooking School successful Savannah, Ga., wherever he continued to mentor young culinary talent.

Motivated to admit nan Black culinary professionals who had agelong been ignored by nan industry, successful 1993 Randall founded nan African American Chefs Hall of Fame, arsenic portion of nan Taste of Heritage Foundation. In 1998, he co-authored “A Taste of Heritage: The New African American Cuisine” pinch writer and historiographer Toni Tipton-Martin, a foundational cookbook that started a nationalist speech astir nan extent and power of Black culinary traditions. In 2016, his activity was placed connected a nationalist shape successful nan Smithsonian Museum alongside different Black nutrient figures including Edna Lewis, Leah Chase, Hercules Posey and Patrick Clarke, successful an grounds highlighting nan astir pivotal figures successful African American cooking.

I met Randall successful nan early ‘90s erstwhile he hosted a gathering of Black chefs, including renowned cook Patrick Clarke, connected nan rooftop of nan L’Ermitage Hotel successful Beverly Hills. Some partners (including erstwhile Laker Norm Nixon, Oscar-winning character Denzel Washington, grounds shaper Lou Adler and I) were successful nan readying stages of opening Georgia, an upscale Southern edifice connected Melrose Avenue.

Randall, alert of nan high-profile imaginable of our restaurant, introduced maine to nan “Godmother of Southern Cooking,” Edna Lewis, pinch nan volition of having her subordinate our squad successful Los Angeles. In 2012, he established nan Edna Lewis Foundation successful her honor, which remains progressive today.

Randall besides connected america pinch our opening chef, nan talented Jeanette Holly. When we parted ways pinch Holly, Randall stepped successful alongside cook Dave Danhi, who worked astatine my erstwhile nightclub the Roxbury, to reshape nan paper to attraction connected much accepted Southern fare.

It was Randall who, successful nan contented of Edna Lewis, wanted to differentiate psyche nutrient from Southern cuisine, pinch nan second reflecting a broader mentation of nan nutrient that African Americans historically played a important domiciled successful shaping. As he told me, “Soul nutrient is portion of nan publication — not nan totality of African American cuisine. We’ve allowed ourselves to beryllium pigeonholed.”

In 2019, my woman Linda and I had nan pleasance of visiting Randall astatine Good Times Jazz Bar & Restaurant successful Savannah, where, arsenic executive chef, he mixed his emotion of Southern cuisine and unrecorded music.

“A Taste of Heritage” was inducted into nan Cookbook Hall of Fame by nan James Beard Foundation successful 2023.

Although we’ve had galore conversations since then, nan James Beard arena successful Chicago was nan past clip I saw Randall. We met for meal nan greeting aft he received nan prestigious honor. Randall showed up wearing a wide-brimmed chapeau and a grin to match. We discussed our shared appreciation for nan inclusivity that nan James Beard Foundation had committed to successful nan years starring up to his award. With nary hint of resentment that nan nickname took truthful long, Chef Joe reiterated thing he’d said to maine successful a anterior conversation: “I conscionable don’t spot immoderate logic not to beryllium joyful successful my bosom and emotion group — because I want to beryllium loved.”

“My dada group a caller modular for balancing one’s emotion for family, organization and life arsenic a culinary professional,” said Randall’s girl Cari P. Randall. “He is simply a trailblazer, a pioneer and a man that loved each facets of life and it loved him back. As impervious of this, my parents were joined for 47 years, mounting a awesome illustration of what a longstanding business and committedness tin look like.”

Randall is owed a indebtedness of gratitude for championing nan important and too-often overlooked culinary contributions of African Americans. I americium among nan galore who will miss his voice. His bequest lives connected done his woman of 47 years, Barbara Randall, and their children Cari, J. Christopher and Kenneth Randall.

Brad Johnson is nan restaurateur and hospitality master down galore L.A. restaurants and nightclubs including Post & Beam, Georgia and nan Roxbury. He is big of nan “Corner Table Talk” podcast.