Joseph Bonavita
Chef Joe Bonavita’s love for cooking and the sea began at an early age. Hailing from a Sicilian family with epicurean roots, Bonavita’s family first lived in Smithtown, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. They later moved to the picturesque hamlet of Oxford, Connecticut. Weekends were spent fishing with his father on Long Island Sound.
Chef Bonavita can attribute some of his early successes from his creative culinary experience staging at two of New York City’s iconic dining destinations: Per Se and Le Bernardin, where he built upon his skills after studying culinary management at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
Combining his mornings were spent in the classroom, with afternoons into late nights working at renowned restaurants, chef Bonavita expanded his gastronomical perspective while staging at Alinea with legendary chef Grant Achatz and working in the modernist kitchens of Moto under Homaro Cantu. It was here he acquired a sense of modern minimalist molecular cuisine. After living in Chicago for a few years, the call to return home was strong for the young chef. He returned to New York City, where he took up residence as executive sous chef at chef Todd English’s flagship restaurant, Olives. After his tenure, he advanced under chef Graham Elliot at Primary Food & Drink.
From one noteworthy kitchen to another, in some of America’s top food cities, to now South Florida. Here Bonavita has led the sweet and savory teams at The Tideline Ocean Resort, STK Steakhouse, based in Miami Beach, and now as the culinary director for Salt7 Restaurants.
Moving to Florida has been inspirational for him. The high-quality, local produce and sustainable seafood have given him an opportunity to showcase his talents. He refers to his style as “ingredient-driven, global cuisine,”
As an avid fisherman and bowhunter, Chef considers himself immersed in Mother Nature; being surrounded by her beautiful ingredients inspires a fresh sustainable yet innovative and playful approach to menu development, creating a unique dining experience which highlights sustainability. Bonavita expresses “the way (he) creates innovative dishes honestly; I just take the best ingredients possible and highlight them in a way that makes them shine best!” Always in a whimsical and fun way that is solely unique through his dynamic professional background.
