meet our curatorial advisors
Liz Williams, New Orleans, La.
Liz Williams, a New Orleans native of Sicilian heritage, is the founder of the National Food & Beverage Foundation, which includes the Southern Food & Beverage Museum and the Museum of the American Cocktail. She hosts the Tip of the Tongue podcast and has authored six books on food culture, including Nana’s Creole Italian Table and The SoFAB Cookbook, a 2024 Gourmand International Cookbook Award finalist. A graduate of LSU (BA, JD) and a former JAG officer, she has practiced law, judged cooking competitions and consulted globally on New Orleans cuisine and food museums.
Chef Scholar Kevin Mitchell, Charleston, S.C.
Kevin Mitchell is an author, culinary historian and chef-instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College. He holds dual degrees from the Culinary Institute of America and a master’s in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi (2018). A 2020 South Carolina Chef Ambassador, he and historian David Shields co-authored Taste the State: South Carolina’s Signature Foods, Recipes, and Their Stories. In 2024, he and Shields joined forces again to launch Savers of Flavor, a project to rediscover and preserve endangered Southern ingredients. Through his scholarship and storytelling, Chef Mitchell connects food to its rich cultural roots and ensures its history is not forgotten.
the table: the center of it all
The Sun City Hilton Head Woodworkers Guild handcrafted the Foodseeum’s centerpiece: a 12-foot long poplar wood table. Just as the dinner table has been the heart of conversations among families and friends, this one-of-a-kind work of art will invite gathering and discussion around Southern food and history. Of note, each end is fashioned to resemble rice gates like those used in cultivation centuries ago.
partners & vendors
advisory panel
- Pat Branning, Lowcountry Cookbook Author
- Charlie Clark, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce
- Jonathan Haupt, Pat Conroy Literary Center
- Dr. David Shields, University of South Carolina Professor & Cookbook Author