Joseph “JJ” Johnson is the James Beard-nominated chef best known for cooking food of the African diaspora at the beloved Harlem restaurants, The Cecil and Minton's, where he most recently served as Executive Chef. Chef JJ's signature style of transforming simple cuisine with bold flavors and unexpected ingredients was inspired by the Caribbean flavors he grew up with, combined with African and Asian tastes acquired from his travels around the world. Now, Chef JJ has teamed up with Will Sears on restaurant projects, including an upcoming grain and rice concept, ingredients that JJ has spent the last several years studying alongside Glen Roberts of Anson Mills. He is also working on the debut of a new cookbook, "Between Harlem and Heaven," to be released in February 2018.