Chef Bio

Meet Executive Chef Jason Jonilonis!

Chef Jonilonis’ cuisine is a unique blend of European culinary tastes and his own take on flavors of the Southwest, such as chilies, piñon, prickly pear, tequila and mesquite.

He began cooking at age seven in his family kitchen in San Diego where he developed a passion for the freshest seafood. He cooked in a number of acclaimed restaurants in Southern California before moving to the Southwest, continuing his stellar career at top rated restaurants in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson. Shortly after he moved to Arizona, he spent time with Native American tribal elders in Arizona to learn about indigenous vegetables, grains and game.

Chef Jason has received national recognition, being selected by the James Beard Foundation for its “Best Hotel Chefs in America” program. He received the “Best of Phoenix” award from the New Times and has been named the American Culinary Federation’s “Arizona Rising Star Chef of the Year.” He participated in the Masters of Food and Wine program in Carmel four times. Under his leadership, the Gold Room of the Westward Look Resort won many top honors, including the Mobil Travel Guide’s Four Star Award, AAA’s Four-Diamond Award and Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.

Chef Jason describes his philosophy of cuisine, “To me, food in the Southwest should make you feel good – just like the sunshine on your face, the cloud formations in the sky and the color of the Tucson Mountains at sunset. There needs to be that kind of emotion – a hint of warmth from the chilies, the earthiness of sage and the intense color of the prickly pear fruit. You find inspiration in the simple things in life—and you should always cook with passion and finesse.”