Chef de Cuisine
Biography
Josh Gil, Joe’s Chef de Cuisine, has been reinterpreting French-California Cuisine dishes in his own playful style since his arrival at Joe’s in 2005. Gil’s attitude toward food is that it should be light, fun and innovative. By experimenting with textures and temperatures, Gil takes the bold flavors of New Spanish Cuisine and serves them up Venice style, always full of surprises.
In the last two years, Gil has created some now familiar favorites at Joe’s with skillfully applied combinations of salty, sour, bitter and sweet while focusing on the order in which these flavors hit the palate. He is best known for his ever-changing “Tasting Menu,” which features seasonal ingredients paired in a unique manner.
Diners know that when they come to Joe’s they are always in for a treat. Mastermind Gil is always taking a unique spin on traditional cuisine without sacrificing the flavor. He is also instrumental in dishes which entice the palate and are also pleasing to the eye. He uses seasonal influences from the local farmers market to embellish his vision.
Self-taught, Gil garnered his knowledge of cooking from books and people. As a child, Gil helped his mother prepare huge feasts every Saturday of traditional Mexican dishes such as Tamales, Enchiladas and Carne Asada. He absorbed the essence of Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese cooking by learning from friends of those cultures. The first real cookbook he received was Chez Panisse, where he learned about love and appreciation for ingredients and where they come from. Other strong influences include Adria’s El Bulli, Escoffier’s Le Guide Culinaire and Savarin’s Physiology of Taste.
Gil was first recognized for his unique culinary skills at the Hotel Laguna in Orange County, California where he served as the Chef-de-Cuisine, and oversaw menus for the property’s two restaurants as well as spearheading banquets and weddings.
