JOE FONTELERA

Boonie’s Filipino Restaurant

Chef Joe Fontelera is the chef/owner of Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Boonie’s Filipino Restaurant in Chicago, known for its refined take on Filipino American food and culture. His work at Boonie’s blends heritage, nostalgia, and storytelling to create meaningful experiences. 

A lifelong Chicagoan and second-generation Filipino American, Joe’s culinary journey has taken him through some of the city’s most respected kitchens, but Boonie’s is the project closest to his heart. Inspired by family, community, and the desire to carve out space for Filipino American identity in the culinary world, Joe brings deep personal roots and playful precision to his food. Outside of the kitchen, he enjoys spending time with his partner, Joyce and their cat Jasmine, training in jiu-jitsu, and lifting heavy things for fun. His work is driven by a desire to honor his elders and offer a home for others in the Filipino diaspora to feel seen, fed, and celebrated.