Chef Janae “Tater” Coaxum is deeply passionate about diverse culinary styles. Growing up in a food-centric environment, the Charleston native forged a profound bond with cooking at an early age. Now, with her ghost kitchen concept Tater’s Sea and Soul, and her signature fried blue crabs, Chef Tater Coaxum is adding her own stamp to Charleston’s culinary legacy.
Before formally pursuing her culinary career at both the Art Institute of Charleston and the Culinary Institute of Charleston, where she earned an associate’s degree in small business and entrepreneurship, chef Coaxum’s fond childhood memories of her grandmother’s Sunday dinners and cooking alongside her mother instilled in her the values of food, family and togetherness.
The path to her culinary career
Coaxum served in the US military in the Army up until 2016 as a combat veteran. “After my military career came to an end, I wanted to do something that I was passionate about, which was cooking,” she said. “I didn’t want to just express my creativity through food but also bring people together and create memorable experiences.”
Coaxum’s family upbringing and military background show most in her food and the way she runs her business. When asked about some of the biggest lessons of her career, she spoke on how maintaining a positive mindset, living in the moment and giving 100% effort keep her grounded and pushing forward in her business and in her life.
“Staying true to myself and having self-confidence leads to greater satisfaction and success in my career. Embracing the present moment helps me stay grounded, taking things one step at a time which mitigates the overwhelming feeling of unnecessary anxiety and stress.”
With her ghost kitchen concept, Tater’s Sea and Soul, she’s serving up Lowcountry and Gullah Geechee dishes with her own flare in North Charleston. A ghost kitchen is an operation where a food business is operated out of a commissary kitchen and serves take out only — a smart idea for culinarians who want to grow their businesses without the hassle and upfront costs of having a brick-and-mortar location.
Controlling how many orders you can serve every day not only improves the quality of the food, but the service as well, something Chef Coaxum prides herself and her team on.
Cooking Lowcountry favorites
At Tater’s Sea and Soul, you can find Lowcountry egg rolls, made with a filling of crab meat, shrimp, beef, corn and potatoes, and served with Geechee Sauce and Coaxum’s signature deep fried blue crab which comes as is or stuffed with crab and shrimp. There are also Lowcountry classic dishes, like fried oysters and fried whiting, red rice, macaroni and cheese and fried okra — waiting to be washed down with ‘Taterade,’ a mix of fruit punch, lemonade and Coaxum’s secret ingredients that make for a tangy, refreshing beverage.
“I love how Charleston’s current culinary scene prioritizes local culture, ingredients, chefs, restaurants, farmers and fishermen,” Coaxum said.
In her spare time, she’s often fishing and crabbing herself, and exploring the city’s growing culinary scene: “Best thing I’ve eaten so far this year is the salted caramel banana pudding cheesecake from Blu Oyster on Johns Island… I’m not usually a ‘sweets’ kind of gal, but this dish made my taste buds so happy!”
Chef Coaxum has been busy sharing her food outside of the ghost kitchen too, working with the International African American Museum, being featured on the local news and participating in events this year: For example, find Coaxum on the stage in Marion Square at SEWE this weekend, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m., or at Charleston Wine + Food’s signature event, The Lowcountry High Life on March 7. (Tickets for the Wine + Food event are still available and can be purchased online.)
And Tater’s Sea and Soul is growing too, recently announcing that their services will be expanding to catering and private chef services.
“Dedication, commitment, and a strong work ethic is the perfect recipe for producing high-quality results. I am always striving to give my all in everything I do.”
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