Portola Hotel & Spa is excited to welcome new Chef de Cuisine, Daniel Williston! With a background in California coastal cuisine, Williston is thrilled to bring his expertise and passion to the hotel’s refined restaurant, Jack’s Monterey. Chef Williston will spearhead the culinary team in creating menus for specialty dinners at the Portola, including wine pairing and scotch pairing events.

In 2010, Williston began as a line chef at Aubergine in Carmel by the Sea, eventually working his way up to Executive Sous Chef and Chef de Cuisine over his seven years at the fine dining restaurant. He then moved to Los Angeles to assist in opening NoMAd as Sous Chef as well as the hotspot Otium, where he was also Sous Chef.

At Jack's Monterey, Chef Williston aims to tempt the taste buds at every visit and enhance the restaurant's reputation for serving sustainable and locally-sourced California Cultural Cuisine. Chef Williston fuses his love for seafood with flavors reminiscent of Japanese cuisine, using premium ingredients and minimalist plating while staying true to his California coastal influences.