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Josephine Wade

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Josephine Wade-Smith
Born
Forrest City, Arkansas, U.S.
Other namesMother Wade[1][2]
Occupations
  • Chef
  • restaurateur
  • nonprofit administrator
  • mortgage broker
SpouseRupert Smith
Culinary career
Cooking styleSoul food
Current restaurant(s)
  • Josephine's Cooking (1986–)

Josephine "Mother" Wade-Smith is an American chef and restaurateur. Wade opened Captain's Hard Times in Chatham neighborhood in Chicago in 1986, along with her partner. Wade created the recipes, many of which were based on family recipes for the soul food menu. The restaurant she founded is now named Josephine's Cooking and was featured on Restaurant: Impossible in 2019. A street in Chicago was named after her in 2017.

Biography

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Born in Forrest City, Arkansas, U.S.,[2] Wade grew up in poverty and her parents worked as sharecroppers.[3] She graduated high school in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.[2]

In 1986, Wade and her husband, Rupert Smith,[2] opened a restaurant called "Captain's Hard Times" in the Chatham neighborhood.[3] The original idea was to name the restaurant "Josephine's," but she decided on a vacation to name the restaurant "hard times" instead after seeing the phrase printed on a matchbook.[4] Captain was her partner's nickname.[4] The restaurant featured "bayou decor" and Wade, the owner, served soul food.[5] Wade created the recipes used in the restaurant, some of which were based on her own mother's recipes.[6] Later, the restaurant was renamed to "Josephine's Cooking."[6][7]

In addition to working in the restaurant, Wade is the head of a group, We Women Empowered, which works with young people.[8] Wade also hired teenagers from the community to work in the restaurant.[9] She also helped provide food and clothes for young people in the neighborhood.[10] Wade also earned money as a mortgage broker.[11] She worked to help elect Harold Washington as Mayor.[11]

In 2017, Wade was honored by the city of Chicago in having a road named after her called "Mother Josephine Wade Way."[12] The designation was presented on March 4 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the deputy mayor, Andrea Zopp.[8] Wade and her restaurant were featured on Restaurant: Impossible in 2019.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "City honors South Side restaurateur known as 'Mother Wade' to her customers". WGN-TV. Chicago. March 4, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "Chicago defender 05 03 17 by ChiDefender". The Chicago Defender. May 3, 2017. p. 43 – via ISSUU.
  3. ^ a b Materre, Micah (September 14, 2018). "Mother Wade's love for community knows no bounds". WGN-TV. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Mooney, Terri (May 24, 2005). "Hungry for More?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Poe, Tracy (February 4, 1998). "One Recent Chilly Morning". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b Brown, Melanie L. (March 30, 2016). "Josephine's Cooking restaurant: A pillar in Chicago". Rolling Out. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  7. ^ "Josephine 'Mother' Wade honored at Evening of Honor and Love". ABC7 Chicago. August 24, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "A Son's Love Leads To Street Named After Mom". The Chicago Crusader. March 9, 2017. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  9. ^ Watson, Andrea V. (December 2, 2015). "After 30 Years, Hard Times Could Force Capt.'s Hard Time Dining To Close". DNAinfo Chicago. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  10. ^ Golden, Jamie Nesbitt (May 1, 2019). "Chatham Staple Josephine's Cooking Has Always Been There For The Community — Finally, It Got The Makeover It Deserved". Block Club Chicago. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Holmes, Evelyn (March 4, 2017). "South Side street renamed after Josephine 'Mother' Wade". ABC7 Chicago. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  12. ^ "Restaurateur and Activist Josephine Wade to Get Street Named in Her Honor". The Chicago Citizen. March 1, 2017. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  13. ^ Swartz, Tracy (April 29, 2019). "'Restaurant: Impossible' to renovate South Side soul food restaurant". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
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