We are pleased to welcome Chef Jovana Urriola to our Cookhouse kitchen to open this season's Sunday Harvest Dinner series. Jovana's cooking is rooted in Panamanian heritage and shaped by years of moving between kitchens, countries, and cultures, and the result is a culinary voice that is warm, precise, and entirely Jovana's own.
Jovana first gained wide recognition as a finalist on Top Chef Panama in 2018. Not long after, actor Owen Wilson visited Soo Artisan Kitchen, Jovana's restaurant in the historic Casco Viejo district of Panama City, and was impressed enough to extend an invitation to work as his personal chef. The role meant moving between Los Angeles and Maui and cooking with real creativity within tight constraints. Wilson eats mostly plant-based, supplementing with Alaskan salmon, and navigating that with both rigor and imagination sharpened Jovana considerably as a cook. Throughout her career, she has been honored to cook for former presidents of Panama, ambassadors, diplomats, and internationally recognized personalities.
A return to restaurant life followed in 2020 at Café Unido in DC's Shaw neighborhood, where breakfast dishes built around sofrito hollandaise and fried yuca quickly found a devoted following. Jovana has since become an influential presence in Washington, DC's culinary scene, leading a consulting practice that spans multiple food businesses while continuing to champion the flavors and traditions of Latin America.
Recent recognition includes first place at the Embassy Chef Challenge, where Jovana represented the Embassy of Panama with a dish celebrating the multicultural heritage of Panamanian cuisine and the vibrant influence of Afro-Caribbean and Latin flavors, a win at the DC Central Kitchen Chef Battle, and a 2026 Rammy Award nomination for Best Chef.
We are very much looking forward to having Jovana at the Farm to open the season and hope you will be there.
Before donating, please note that dietary restrictions and allergies must be communicated in advance. As Stonewood Farm is not a restaurant and the evening will feature a set menu, we are unable to accommodate last-minute dietary changes. Please note that we are unable to accommodate vegan diets for this particular meal. If you have any questions, please contact chef@stonewoodny.org.
We are pleased to welcome Chef Jovana Urriola to our Cookhouse kitchen to open this season's Sunday Harvest Dinner series. Jovana's cooking is rooted in Panamanian heritage and shaped by years of moving between kitchens, countries, and cultures, and the result is a culinary voice that is warm, precise, and entirely Jovana's own.
Jovana first gained wide recognition as a finalist on Top Chef Panama in 2018. Not long after, actor Owen Wilson visited Soo Artisan Kitchen, Jovana's restaurant in the historic Casco Viejo district of Panama City, and was impressed enough to extend an invitation to work as his personal chef. The role meant moving between Los Angeles and Maui and cooking with real creativity within tight constraints. Wilson eats mostly plant-based, supplementing with Alaskan salmon, and navigating that with both rigor and imagination sharpened Jovana considerably as a cook. Throughout her career, she has been honored to cook for former presidents of Panama, ambassadors, diplomats, and internationally recognized personalities.
A return to restaurant life followed in 2020 at Café Unido in DC's Shaw neighborhood, where breakfast dishes built around sofrito hollandaise and fried yuca quickly found a devoted following. Jovana has since become an influential presence in Washington, DC's culinary scene, leading a consulting practice that spans multiple food businesses while continuing to champion the flavors and traditions of Latin America.
Recent recognition includes first place at the Embassy Chef Challenge, where Jovana represented the Embassy of Panama with a dish celebrating the multicultural heritage of Panamanian cuisine and the vibrant influence of Afro-Caribbean and Latin flavors, a win at the DC Central Kitchen Chef Battle, and a 2026 Rammy Award nomination for Best Chef.
We are very much looking forward to having Jovana at the Farm to open the season and hope you will be there.
Before donating, please note that dietary restrictions and allergies must be communicated in advance. As Stonewood Farm is not a restaurant and the evening will feature a set menu, we are unable to accommodate last-minute dietary changes. Please note that we are unable to accommodate vegan diets for this particular meal. If you have any questions, please contact chef@stonewoodny.org.
