Dr. Jeanine Prime is the owner of St. James, a modern Caribbean restaurant located in Washington, DC. Opened in May 2022, St. James was envisioned to pay homage to Dr. Prime’s Trinidadian roots, serving primarily Trinidadian cuisine while celebrating the broader Caribbean region. The menu reflects the area’s rich cultural heritage, showcasing diverse influences from African, East Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, and French traditions.
Since its inception, St. James has garnered significant acclaim. It has been listed in Washington, DC’s Michelin Guide since its first year, and in 2025, it was named one of The New York Times’ “25 Best Restaurants in DC Right Now.” Additionally, both St. James and its Bib Gourmand sister restaurant, Cane, have been included on Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants List. St. James has also been recognized as DC’s top Caribbean restaurant by Washington City Paper and featured in The Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema’s 2023 Spring Dining Guide.
Beyond her success in the restaurant industry, Dr. Prime has over 20 years of experience as an organizational psychologist. She has held senior research roles at Catalyst and Gartner, leading groundbreaking studies and offering insights to help leaders and organizations cultivate inclusive workplaces. Her areas of expertise include gender dynamics in the workplace, stereotyping, implicit bias, change management, and leadership effectiveness.
Dr. Prime’s research has been published in scholarly journals and books, and featured in leading media outlets such as Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review. She is also the co-editor of Inclusive Leadership: Transforming Diverse Lives, Workplaces, and Societies, a key resource on inclusive practices and leadership.
Dr. Prime holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Spelman College, a Ph.D. in social psychology from Cornell University, and an MBA from SUNY Binghamton.
From his earliest memories of gathering around his family’s dining table, Tyler Johnson’s fervor for the culinary industry ties back to spending holidays with his loved ones surrounded by food. Throughout his childhood, Johnson was a dedicated viewer of The Food Network, discovering his apt for food science and cuisine through the channel’s array of cooking shows. He draws personal and culinary inspiration from chefs like The Food Network’s Chef Boot Camp Antonio Gilkey, whose perseverance in the kitchen inspires him to remain grounded in his career.
In 2014, Johnson enrolled at L’Academie de Cuisine to deepen his culinary skills. Here, he refined his technique and discovered his love for spice, mastering the science of balance. Following his graduation from culinary school, Johnson completed an externship at Toki Underground, a Japanese ramen spot located in DC. Following this experience, Johnson became a line cook at several DC institutions, including Clyde’s, Del Frisco’s Grille, and Ripple DC before becoming the Chef de Partie at Kith and Kin. It was through this experience he recognized his passion for Caribbean cuisine, working with Chef Kwame Onwuachi to grasp the diversity of the region’s food.
In 2026, he joined the St. James Modern Caribbean team as a sous chef. Named one of the best restaurants in DC by the New York Times for two consecutive years, Johnson brings his distinctive talent for blending spice with traditional Caribbean flavor to the restaurant. With a deep appreciation and enthusiasm for the region’s spice profile, Johnson plans to introduce playful iterations of traditional Caribbean dishes alongside owner and visionary Jeanine Prime. His aptitude for balance drives his creativity, developing dishes with the philosophy that when cooking with cultural respect, the sky is the limit.
Enthralled by authenticity and flair behind the bar, Joseph Grimshaw discovered his passion for bartending at a bowling party in March 2016. Between his time spent capturing spirited photographs and attending his favorite musician’s lively concerts, Grimshaw enrolled at the Maryland School of Bartending (M.S.B.) to pursue the craft of cocktail making. Naturally skilled in the art of bartending, Grimshaw rapidly crafted 15 cocktails in under eight minutes during his final exam at M.S.B. with an impressive 45 seconds to spare.
A few months following his remarkably swift M.S.B. exam, Grimshaw launched his career at his cousin’s 31st birthday party, his first opportunity to demonstrate his unique gift. He created his first signature drink, the Strawberry Moscato Spritz, showcasing his skill in conceptualizing innovative cocktails. From there, Grimshaw propelled himself into the DC bartending scene, securing his first position at H Street’s Swiss restaurant, Stable DC. Here, he was mentored by Silvan Kramer, who guided him through the intricacies of the food and beverage industry, laying the foundation for his future successes.
In 2021, Grimshaw was recognized as the DMV Black Restaurant Week R.R. Bowie Cocktail Competition winner. His aptitude for success and passion for crafting rum-based drinks while experimenting with tropical ingredients such as soursop and passionfruit landed him a position as bar director at St. James Modern Caribbean. Driven by his desire to pay homage to his Trinidadian roots, each cocktail he serves provides guests a taste of the Caribbean. Two of his most noteworthy contributions to the St. James menu are the Sorrel Punch, inspired by his grandmother’s recipe using San Zanj Haitian rum, hibiscus, and citrus, and the Redemption Song (a nod to Bob Marley), featuring Redemption rum cask rye whiskey and Mathilde Peach liqueur. Grimshaw highlights his bartending philosophy through the lens of hip-hop, emphasizing how “underground rappers” denote authenticity and passion for their music. He defines himself as an “underground bartender,” who provides guests a distinctive drinking experience through his passion for the craft.
When he’s not dreaming up his next lychee-based cocktail, Grimshaw can be found teaching a hospitality class at THEARC (Town Hall Education, Art Recreational Center) or traveling to his next bucket list destination. A lifelong resident of the nation’s capital, Grimshaw currently resides in Brookland in Northeast Washington, DC.