You may know him as the head chef / owner of Ava Gene’s and Tusk in Portland (plus two new ones: Mexican-themed La Neta, and the mezcal rooftop bar Tope). Yet Joshua McFadden is so much more than just a chef. He’s a farmer, an author, and an artisan. He’s been awarded two stars from the New York Times for his work at Franny’s in Brooklyn; studied with Alice Waters in Rome; and spent time in the kitchens at icons like Momofuku, Lupa, Blue Hill and Roxanne’s.
Joshua’s food is simple, thoughtful, seasonal to the highest degree. It’s the end result of so many diverse influences – Italian, Pacific Northwest, traditional Mexican, modern American – and from his time as farm manager at Four Season Farm in coastal Maine. Joshua understands vegetables truly, madly, deeply; he’s a vegetable whisperer with the ability to turn a humble green into a thing of beauty; somebody who never stops asking what really good food is all about.
Joshua’s passion for veggies drove him to write Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables, which earned him a James Beard Award in 2018. Joshua's passion and knowledge leap off each page.
Magic pure and simple: rich flavorful moles, a handful of spiced roasted grasshoppers, a street-side tlayuda. Oaxaca's food is a passion, obsession, and inspiration for Joshua.
