JOSH DECHELLIS

www.patinagroup.com/east/lafondadelsol

Josh DeChellis is the executive chef of the new La Fonda del Sol, Patina Restaurant Group’s grand homage to modern Spanish cuisine.

At 14, DeChellis began working at a local restaurant to earn money for a new snowboard. The unconventional chef lifestyle immediately attracted him to the profession, as did the pleasure of seeing good food delight guests. Over the objections of his parents, DeChellis followed his passion and entered the esteemed Culinary Institute of America in 1992. After graduation, he began his professional career as a chef de partie working at the Frenchtown Inn in Frenchtown, New Jersey. DeChellis then landed a position in San Francisco as sous chef at Wolfgang Puck’s famous Postrio. After three years in San Francisco, Puck sent DeChellis to France to further educate him on traditional French technique, where he worked at two Michelin three-star restaurants: the famed L'Arpège and Lucas Carton.

Upon returning to the States, DeChellis was ready to give New York a try. His career took a seminal turn when he began working with Rocco DiSpirito at the then New York Times three-star-rated Union Pacific. While working there, DeChellis also traveled around the world, going on eating trips through France, hunting for truffles and cooking in Singapore. To round out his epicurean experiences, he also worked with such renowned chefs as David Bouley, Charlie Trotter and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Notably, his extended stays in Spain included stages at Martín Berasategui in Lasarte, Adolfo in Toledo and Arzak in San Sebastián.

In recent years, DeChellis opened his own restaurants, the Japanese Sumile, which received critical acclaim including two New York Times stars in 2003. DeChellis followed this up with a modern American tempura bar in 2007, BarFry.

Now with La Fonda del Sol, DeChellis fulfills a lifelong love of Spain with a menu that spans its rich and varied regions. Following an extensive trip through Spain, he has crafted a menu of both casual tapas and formal dining choices, all featuring exotic ingredients from his travels. DeChellis’s style showcases authentic, clean flavors. His inspired, devil-may-care approach to cooking has resulted in rave reviews from guests and critics alike and a reputation as a rising star in the culinary world.