In Memorium: Jonathan Whitener
Remembering Rising Stars alum Jonathan Whitener of All Day Baby and Here’s Looking At You
illustration: taia leituala
At the helm of dynamic Los Angeles restaurants Here’s Looking At You and All Day Baby, Rising Stars alum Jonathan Whitener was a fierce leader and culinary artist. The hospitality industry lost a beloved member of the community, and his presence and voice will be dearly missed.
Owner Lien Ta of All Day Baby and Here’s Looking At You
“Together, we opened two one-of-a-kind restaurants— I wouldn’t have done it with anyone other than Jonathan Whitener. He was the best chef I knew, and he grew to become like a brother to me. We were an unlikely pair—our partnership rich with unusual magic, protective powers, and constant surprise. I first tasted Here’s Looking At You’s steak tartare in 2015, hoping to gain an investor, but instead, I was met with uncharted emotion and a new standard for flavor. It just so happened that he would present salsa negra frog legs to me on a day I needed my spirits lifted (he succeeded). I will never forget his crispy sweetbreads paired with fennel three ways, and I was awestruck that he had made this organ meat taste like my favorite childhood snack: McDonald’s chicken nuggets dipped in sweet ’n’ sour sauce. In hindsight, I now recognize that Jonathan was my muse: irreplaceable and forever loved by me and many.”
Chef-Owner Matthew Accarrino of SPQR and Mattina Cafe & Restaurant
“I can still remember a 22-ish Jonathan walking into my Los Angeles kitchen, fresh out of CIA. He was full of energy, enthusiasm, and talent. Even back in those early days, one thing that stood out with him was the sense that he would achieve his own definition of success, and do it his way. He is gone way too early. He came to life in the kitchen, and I celebrate him for that. Life is a series of beginnings and endings—he will be missed.”
Chef-Owner Justin Pichetrungsi of Anajak Thai
“Jonathan was a defining chef that cooked to the heavy beat of Los Angeles. His food was inclusive, rebellious, and confident. He shared his enthusiasm and pride in the kitchen, and I am lucky for it. I still remember him singing his favorite songs while cooking. Jonathan’s love for nostalgia brought a unique take on a fun and casual restaurant space, and he created a beloved environment in the community with Lien. Who else could make a big cowboy hat, impossibly spicy frog legs, beef tartare, and a big bowl of tiki concoction work so well together?”
Bar Manager Jorge Figueroa of All Day Baby
“At first, Jonathan made working at Here’s Looking At You hard for me and, not knowing him well enough to know that he was doing it to make me better, I almost quit. One year and 10 challenging months later, he put all his faith in me to open All Day Baby. He was always there when you needed him most. He was more than a leader or mentor; he was an older brother who played video games with us during COVID; lied about being full just to give us a taste of his sandwich from the new place he found; and drove us home because he was ‘going that way anyway,’ when he lived in the opposite direction. Those who knew Jonathan knew that he expressed his love in his own way, and I will always be grateful for all the love he shared with me during the six years I spent learning beside him.”
Chef-Owner Karla Subero Pittol of Chainsaw
“If there’s anything about Jonathan I can leave behind to help encourage chefs to develop their own creativity, it’s going to be an homage to the way he loved the grocery store. Jonathan was so at home at the Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, Korean, and Bangladeshi markets. We’d go, with one ingredient on the shopping list, and leave with a thousand more things to play with (usually snacks). But with every trip, one ingredient would sing, and it was always the one he encouraged you to grab. He made you see things you never would have on your own.”
Chef-Owner Brad Matthews of Bar Le Côte
"Jonathan Whitener was my friend. Actually, the word friend is an understatement. He was a brother, a chef, and an inspiration to me, and, dare I say, to a whole community. Even now, after so many days, I still can’t believe he’s gone. He was big, bearded, and rugged. Cowboy swagger oozing out of his pores. We listened to Merle Haggard and smoked cigarettes. It can’t be true. It can’t. ‘Hey man, make that one nice, it’s for my mom.’ I can hear him say. I can hear his laugh. I remember exactly what he would say when he answered my call. There is a photo of him at the pass at Bar Le Côte from one of my favorite nights together. My team and I toast to him at the end of service nightly. I look at that photo on hard shifts. He pushes me and still makes me better. I miss you, JW. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for letting me in. I cook for us both now, Chef."
