Featured Chefs
RJ Smith – Chef & Owner, Ocho Supper Club
RJ Smith is a Philadelphia-based chef and senior at Drexel University, bringing together Afro-Caribbean heritage and seasonal creativity. As founder of Ocho Supper Club, he curates intimate dining experiences that celebrate culture and connection through multi-course tasting menus. Recognized for his innovative approach and collaborative events, RJ is making waves in Philadelphia’s dining scene.
Signature Dish: Heirloom Masa Cornbread with Mole Negro
Follow him: @ochosupper
Anjola – Private Chef & Founder, Joyful Return
Anjola is a Nigerian-American chef blending Nigerian and Italian cuisines into ingredient-driven, nostalgic dishes. Through her pop-up supper club Joyful Return, she creates spaces of connection, creativity, and care — bringing chefs, friends, and community together for Afro-diasporic dining experiences. Her food celebrates tradition and curiosity, crafting plates that comfort and linger like love.
Signature Dish: Banga seafood risotto, squid ink tuile, basil oil, micro greens
Follow her: @tabellanera
Ja’mir Cole – Executive Chef & Owner, Modern Trail Supper Club
With Michelin-star training and a passion for storytelling, Ja’mir Cole takes his career highlights and infuses them with seasonal, locally-driven ingredients. Through Modern Trail Supper Club, he hosts bi-monthly dinners in Philadelphia that gather community around a table of food and narrative. Each menu reflects both mastery and heart, leaving diners with lasting memories.
Signature Dish: Chicken liver mousse | financiers | spicy pear chow chow | chicken skin crumble
Follow him: @moderntrail_supperclub
Join us at Homecoming and experience these chefs’ stories on a plate
Chef Chaz Brown
Chef Chaz Brown was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana to a Trinidadian father and a Southern mother. Summers spent at his family’s restaurant on Tobago immersed him in the flavors and traditions of the Caribbean, where food and family were always at the center. That early love for cooking has carried with him ever since, inspiring the passion he brings to the table today.
Follow him: @Chewy_Gluten
