Chef Ryan Ratino is no stranger to the D.C. culinary scene. Recipient of The MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award in 2023, Chef Ratino is behind two of the capital’s top restaurants: One MICHELIN Star Bresca and just upstairs, Two MICHELIN Star Jônt. But, the lauded chef looked south to Florida when he considered a location for his next restaurant opening. So, what made him choose Winter Park? It’s a touch of nostalgia mixed with present-day romance.
“When I left Ohio to go to culinary school, I came here to central Florida to Le Cordon Bleu. I used to go to a restaurant on Park Avenue in Winter Park to eat nice meals made by a handful of very talented chefs when I was 19 years old. Back then I always said that one day I wanted to open a restaurant on Park Avenue.”
While his newest restaurant, Ômo by Jônt isn’t quite on Park Avenue, it’s very close by. “I always wanted to come back here,” he adds. “I think it's a beautiful area.” It also helps that his fiancé’s family is from the area.
Michelin’s arrival had a little something to do with his decision to open in Florida as well. “With Michelin coming here, it kind of fueled the fire a little bit to come back to Florida. I have a lot of friends here that I used to cook with, and the idea of bringing something we love and adding to the culinary scene as it evolves and grows in Orlando was a big factor.”
Ômo by Jônt is an offshoot of the D.C. original, with some updates. “This restaurant builds on the Jônt brand. It's what we love to do. You get to take care of a small number of guests every night, focus on the details, and understand who they are. We get to share our passion for Japanese seafood and the style of cooking while creating relationships.
And, while Ômo by Jônt is “almost identical” to D.C. in style and service, it’s also slightly different. “It's uniform but it's also unique due to the terroir of where we are located. You have this different dynamic here with Florida seafood.”
Regional product is important to Ratino. “We're able to introduce all these unique Florida-based ingredients that we can’t do in D.C.,” he explains.
That focus on product sourcing is also inspiring his next offshoot: Ode by Jônt, set to debut in Beverly Hills in 2025. The West Coast’s proximity to Japan will inspire the menu, as will California’s abundant produce.
Hero image: All images courtesy of Ruben Cabrera
