Kevin Mitchell

Author, Culinary Historian, Chef-instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston and Adjunct Instructor at The Culinary Institute of America

Kevin Mitchell ‘96, CEC is an author, culinary historian, chef-instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston, and adjunct instructor at The Culinary Institute of America. Upon earning dual degrees from the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Mitchell further refined his skills in notable restaurants throughout the country. In 2008, he became the first African American Chef Instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College. In 2018 Chef Mitchell earned a master’s degree in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi. Among Chef Mitchell’s passion for good food, he expertly shares the stories behind the uniquely regional dishes we enjoy today. In his own words, it is vital to “connect the food to the people” and remember the once enslaved chefs and cooks “on whose shoulders we stand for creating the food we now know as Southern cuisine.” Chef Mitchell was named a South Carolina Chef Ambassador for the year 2020, a leadership position he will hold through 2021. He also has co-authored Taste the State: South Carolina's Signature Foods, Recipes, and Their Stories with Dr. David Shields, distinguished professor at the University of South Carolina Press which will be released in August of this year. (North Charleston, SC)