Meet Our Chef Jonathan Lundy

Chef Jonathan Lundy was born and raised in Central Kentucky but started his culinary training in New Orleans. In 1991 he took an apprentice position to Chef Emeril Lagasse at Emerils Restaurtant for six months. There he learned many basic skills and developed his love for creative cooking. He hasn’t looked back.

Jonathan attended Johnson & Wales Culinary School in Providence, R.I. and earned a two year A.O. S. in Culinary Arts. He returned to Lexington and approached Lucy Slone at a la lucie’s for a job. Slone immediately pipelined him into a la lucie’s sister restaurant, Roy and Nadine’s where he worked for 5 ½ years, first as sous chef, then as chef. During his fourth year, he became a partner in Pacific Pearl, the third in a trio of restaurants owned by Slone and Roy Meyers at the time. He also served there as Executive Chef.

Jonathan met his future wife, Cara, who had also worked at a la lucie’s on the management end. Eventually,the couple decided to quit working for the restaurant group, but had a plan in mind. “We felt like we were really ready to go on our own. We had a concept of what we wanted to do but we needed a location”. Gratz Park Inn had gone though several management phases and the restaurant had become available. The couple signed a lease on the restaurant space and opened Jonathan at Gratz Park in November 1998. It has been a whirlwind ever since.

Jonathan credits Cara-who is part of the management team-as the one person who encouraged him most. “If it wasn’t for her, this would not have happened. I could have the best ideas in the world, but I needed somebody to back me up.”

Seven years later, the couple continues to prove that with hard work and dedication, dreams really can come true!