Former Manresa chef de cuisine John Paul Carmona is working on a restaurant of his own, as has been rumored previously, following his departure from Manresa last year. Carmona revealed the news during an event at Pigs & Pinot this weekend, where he was cooking alongside S.F. chefs Evan Rich, David Bazirgan, and Spoonbar chef Louis Maldonado. He tells Grub Street that the new place, in a tony Peninsula town he’s not yet willing to reveal, will be “a casual concept with high standards,” and he adds it will be the “kind of restaurant that’s very hard to find south of the city,” with an attached cocktail bar as well.
Carmona won all kinds of accolades far and wide during his tenure at Manresa including being named a StarChefs Rising Star and a Chronicle Rising Star in 2010, and being nominated to the People’s Best New Pastry Chef prize by Food & Wine last year, after he transitioned briefly into the role of the restaurant’s pastry chef. Prior to Manresa, he worked as chef de partie at Michelin two-starred Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain. We’ll update you with more details as he comes around to revealing them in the coming months, but suffice it to say, this project is still a ways off. Meanwhile, you might like to know that Carmona is a chef for hire for private events, via Kitchit.