welcome to the table: baldwin after dark

Hey. Welcome.
If you’re here, first of all — thank you. You could be scrolling, shopping, or minding your business, but you’re here, so pull up a chair.

This space is Chef Joshyy — all of it. The food, the hustle, the growth, the mess, the wins, the lessons, the recipes, the events, and yes… the profanity. If you’re looking for polished perfection, this might not be fucking your lane. If you’re looking for real food made by a real person who’s lived a real-ass life? You’re home.

Over the next few months, you’ll find recipes, behind-the-scenes moments, stories, and ways to support what I’m building — including food I sell during Soulful Sundays and Seafood Saturdays. This blog is where I let you in on the why, not just the what.

Because the truth is… I didn’t just wake up here.

I’ve been cooking professionally for 11 years, and this version of me didn’t come easy. Add to that 560 days of sobriety — something I always wanted, but only achieved when I was ready. I live by a quote that says: “Do it on your own time.” Because starting something you’re not ready to finish is pointless. When I committed, I committed fully — and baby, that changed everything.

Now I’m sober, my brain never shuts the hell up. I’m constantly thinking, creating, planning. I work a full-time midnight job, juggle my full role in senior living, work Best Buy on the weekends, and still show up as Chef Joshyy. Oh — and I’m in my last semester of classes, because dammit, if I’m gonna walk my ass across a stage one time in this life, I earned it. A bitch be busy. 😌

Somewhere in all of that exhaustion and ambition, I had an idea.

Working in senior living, budgets are tight. Real tight. Residents are paying $1,500+ a month and feel like they should be eating steak and lobster twice a week — which I understand — but that’s just not how the numbers work baby. So instead of saying “we can’t,” I asked, “What if we could… differently?”

That’s how Baldwin After Dark was born.

An after-hours, upscale dining experience created for residents who wanted something elevated, indulgent, and special — without leaving their community. This isn’t fast food. This is intentional. It was created by me, alongside my Life Enrichment Coordinator Sherry (aka Share Bear), and supported wholeheartedly by a woman who quite literally saved my life — my Executive Director, Belinda Smith. She supports Chef Joshyy in ways that still move me. That’s family. Period.

Belinda is the real deal. The kind of leader who doesn’t just support an idea but stands behind the person bringing it to life. Her belief in Chef Joshyy — in me — has been unwavering, and I carry deep gratitude for that. Around here, we joke and call her Bill, but make no mistake… Bill shows up, Bill supports, and Bill makes room for greatness. That kind of leadership changes lives. But don’t get it twisted, she still will “KiLL BiLL”

Back to the damn night though. Guests were welcomed with a citrus-marinated golden beet salad, bright and elegant, setting the tone for the evening. The main course featured orange mint–glazed lamb chops, finished to perfection and paired with roasted rosemary red skins and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus — rich, balanced, and unapologetically bougie. We closed the night with a chef’s special dessert, because every great evening deserves a sweet ending..

Because here’s the thing — it’s the end of January. In Michigan.
If you know, you know. Ain’t nobody trying to step the hell outside!

Giving them the opportunity to indulge in great cuisine, with their friends, in their own community? That’s the win. That’s the purpose. That’s how I merge Chef Joshyy with the work I do every day.

Below, you’ll see a TikTok video — a small collage of moments from Baldwin After Dark. The laughter. The glam. The food. The joy. That’s what this blog is about. I want to get better at documenting these moments — through pictures, videos, and stories — and letting you see the process, not just the plate.

This blog is my welcome mat.
This is me saying: “Hey, this is what I’m building. This is how far I’ve come. And this is where we’re going.”

So stick around.
Read. Watch. Eat. Support. Laugh with me.

Because if you’re here now…
you’re already family.

— Chef Joshyy 👨🏽‍🍳✨

Hello, World!

@chefjoshyy Black. Gold. Glam. 🍷✨ We transformed the dining room for my residents into an after-hours lounge and served a true gourmet lineup: • Citrus-marinated beef & candied pecan salad • Orange Mint Glaze Lamb Chops • Prosciutto & goat-cheese wrapped asparagus • Garlic roasted potatoes • New York-style cheesecakes finished with raspberry glaze The best part? Hearing residents say how excited they were to enjoy luxurious, restaurant-quality food right inside the community they call home — dressed in glam, sipping wine, laughing with neighbors, and soaking in nothing but good vibes. No complaints. Just elegance, love, and a Saturday night done right. 🖤✨ #chefjoshyy #seniorliving #seniorcare #baldwinAfterDark ♬ Stylish Jazz HipHop - Future Oriented Triad