Valentine Howell

Career Valentine Howell’s resume in Boston tracks through kitchen leadership and ownership before settling into his current post at Black Cat Eatery. Technical school training, a return to the kitchen, and then a step into executive responsibility at Krasi and ownership at Black Cat give the outline. The throughline is control of the work: Howell, a Dorchester native born and raised in Boston, built a path that stayed close to the city and increasingly precise in its focus.

The Climb

Former executive chef at Krasi and owner at Black Cat are the roles that first put Valentine Howell on the city’s radar. Together, they show a chef moving between running a kitchen and building a place of his own, with both authority and authorship in play. Since 2026, Howell has been chef of Black Cat Eatery, extending a Boston career shaped by repetition, persistence, and a firmer definition of what his cooking is meant to say.

Today

At Black Cat Eatery, Valentine Howell’s work is centered on Afro-Caribbean inspired cuisine, delivered without flourish and with clear intent. The position reflects a career built in Boston rather than away from it: technical training, a return to cooking, then years of refining the line between discipline and expression. In the kitchen, the effect is direct—bold flavors, concentrated execution, and a sense of place that comes through without needing explanation.

Signature

Valentine Howell’s signature dishes include Chicken Birria Tacos, Jamaican Barbacoa Beef Taco, Street Corn Loaded, Crispy Fish Taco, and Dry Spiced Wingz. The list points to a kitchen that works in strong contrasts and familiar forms, using spice and texture to push each plate forward. For Howell, the signature is not decoration; it is the menu’s operating logic, with each dish carrying its own weight and angle.

In Their Words “It was definitely on my bucket list of things to do in my career.” “I was contacted about joining the competition.” The quotes read with the same directness that marks Howell’s cooking: measured, practical, and free of theatrics. They frame milestones as steps in the work, not departures from it.

Recognition

Valentine Howell’s honors include James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast finalist. For a chef shaped by Boston, technical school training, ownership, and Afro-Caribbean inspired cooking, the recognition lands as a clear professional marker rather than a detour from the core of the practice.