Joseph “Joe” Randall, a nationally respected culinary educator and champion of Southern cuisine, played a pivotal role in founding The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch as a “training restaurant” that helped shape the hands-on hospitality and culinary education model at The Collins College of Hospitality Management. Throughout his career, he was a leading voice in elevating and preserving African American culinary traditions. Randall’s cookbook, “A Taste of Heritage,” was inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame by the James Beard Foundation in 2023.

This article was originally published by Los Angeles Times on February 23, 2026.