Olaf Growald
Jon Bonnell has been such a force for good in Fort Worth’s dining scene — he practically guided our restaurants through the pandemic, if not the whole city, for starters — that his philanthropic efforts sometimes overshadow his exceptional skill in the kitchen.
Bonnell’s first restaurant, his self-named Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine in southwest Fort Worth, is a vivid reminder of his talents as both a pioneering chef and a magnificently gracious host.
The 24-year-old restaurant is, of course, his ode to hunting, something he loved to do growing up, as the menu often spotlights Texas-sourced meats, some traditional, some exotic, prepared with a Southwestern/Louisiana-style flair, such as pepper-crusted buffalo and elk tacos. Similar to what Tim Love was doing at Lonesome Dove, Bonnell served his unique dishes in a five-star, luxurious atmosphere.
Service seems modeled after his own personal attributes: warm, friendly, gracious. Unmistakably Fort Worth.
Which makes perfect sense, given Bonnell’s upbringing. The Fort Worth native was exposed to fine dining at a young age. His first steps into this world were taken at Old Swiss House, The Carriage House, and Le Chardonnay.
“When I was a kid, my parents never shied away from taking us to nice restaurants,” says Bonnell, the youngest of three. “We learned the basics of table manners and never ordered from the kids’ menu. The only rule was, ‘If the menu says “market price” instead of a number, don’t order it.’”
Bonnell’s pursuit of the culinary arts came later in life, though. After graduating from Vanderbilt University in 1994, he taught science and math to middle and high schoolers. During a summer break, he killed time watching television cooking shows and soon began trying to replicate some of the dishes he saw on TV.
“During an episode of the ‘Great Chefs’ series on PBS, I remember the narrator saying, ‘The chef graduated from culinary school before working at the esteemed….’ and something in my mind just clicked. Culinary school.”
Eager to enroll, Bonnell approached several culinary schools around the country. Since he lacked experience, one school recommended he take a summer job in a restaurant before making a life-altering decision. “I worked at Mediterraneo Restaurant for chef David Holbin, and after two months of hardcore kitchen work, I never looked back,” he says.
While studying at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont, he came up with the idea for Bonnell’s. “One of our assignments was to create a complete restaurant concept from scratch,” he says. “I began researching farms and ranches around Fort Worth and found that we had some incredible game farms, and the idea began to take shape. When I turned the assignment in, one of my instructors asked if this was a copy of an existing restaurant, to which I replied, ‘Not yet, but it’s what I plan to open eventually after I graduate.’ Three years later, I did just that.”
In addition to Bonnell’s, the chef has opened two locations of Buffalo Brothers, a gastropub that specializes in New York-style bar fare; the fine-dining seafood restaurant Waters; and Jon’s Grille, a burger and barbecue spot that pays homage to his longtime friend Jon Meyerson.
That he would open a restaurant in honor of another Fort Worth restaurateur should surprise no one. When asked what has been his most significant accomplishment in Fort Worth’s culinary scene, his reply has nothing to do with food — and everything to do with people.
“There seems to be a real sense of community in our industry,” he says. “And I like to think I had some part in nurturing that.”
Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine
4259 Bryant Irvin Road
