Janos Wilder
Chef
Wilder is chef/owner of Janos, a trend-setting restaurant set in a historic home in Tucson that dates from 1865, and Wild Johnny’s Wagon, an innovative lunch spot that doubles as a catering kitchen. The author of Janos: Recipes and Tales from a Southwest Restaurant, Wilder was a pioneer in growing his own produce and finding local farmers to grow what he could not. He was nominated for Best Chef of the Southwest by the James Beard Foundation in 1994, 1995 and 1998.
Update: Wilder was named winner of the James Beard Award as Best Chef: Southwest in 2000. In 2011, in addition to Janos at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, he also has opened J BAR and Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails, also in Tucson.