Jonathon Waxman is an acclaimed American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author recognized for shaping California-Italian cuisine and pioneering the farm-to-table movement in the United States. A native Californian, he trained at La Varenne Cooking School in Paris and worked early in his career alongside Alice Waters at Chez Panisse before rising to prominence as executive chef at Michael’s in Santa Monica in 1979, where he helped define California cuisine.
Waxman brought his signature ingredient-driven approach to New York in the mid-1980s with the iconic restaurant Jams and went on to open several influential kitchens. He is best known today as the chef/owner of multiple ventures: Barbuto in Manhattan’s West Village and its newest outpost Barbuto Brooklyn at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, the casual wine bar Bar Tizio, Jams at 1 Hotel Central Park, and as chef/partner of Park Tavern on Washington Square in San Francisco.
A 2016 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: New York City, Waxman has also appeared as a judge on culinary television programs including Top Chef Masters, Top Chef, Recipe for Deception, Tournament of Champions, and MasterChef. His philanthropic work spans organizations such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Citymeals on Wheels. Bar Buto NYC+1
Waxman is the author of several cookbooks, including The Barbuto Cookbook, A Great American Cook, and Italian, My Way. He lives in Manhattan with his family and remains a leading voice in American gastronomy.