Renae Wilson

Renae Wilson is a Southern-born, Brooklyn-based culinary cook and storyteller with roots stretching from South Carolina to East Texas. A U.S. Navy veteran, she traded her uniform for an apron, using her GI Bill to study at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. Renae’s career is as rich and varied as her cooking—she’s a published recipe developer, private chef, caterer, cookbook tester, and magazine test kitchen alum. Her “Dear Henry” pop-ups in Brooklyn are a love letter to Southern cooking. Whether it be a fresh take on a Southern classic, a Southeast regional dish, or a recipe that she found in the pages of a vintage church potluck cookbook, Renae’s food is a blend of soul, tradition, and warmth with a touch of razzle-dazzle. For Renae, food is more than sustenance—it’s a way to connect, to share joy, and to make others feel cherished. It’s care. When she’s not in the kitchen, she’s budget traveling the world (always eating), dancing, camping, socializing, and always indulging in a bit of well-deserved tomfoolery.