Chef Celtin Hendrickson Jones grew up in Sacramento, California, but the strongest influence on his cooking came from his maternal grandmother in Alabama. Family meals, especially large Sunday gatherings filled with dishes like creamed corn, fruit salad, and fried chicken, introduced him early to the idea that food is meant to bring people together.
“My grandma taught me how to make her ‘special eggs’ when I was small enough to need to stand on her dining chair to reach the counter,” he recalls. “Since then, I have fallen in love with telling stories and making people happy through food.”
Hendrickson Jones pursued that interest professionally at Johnson & Wales University, graduating in 2015 before returning to California to begin his career at Morimoto Napa. There, he worked as a sushi apprentice under chef Dustin Falcon, developing a foundation in precision and discipline that would shape his approach in the kitchen.
From 2016 to 2019, he cooked at the two-MICHELIN-starred Commis in Oakland under chef James Syhabout, progressing from chef de partie to executive sous chef. The experience exposed him to rigorous technique and a philosophy rooted in personal responsibility, craftsmanship, and respect for ingredients.
In 2019, Hendrickson Jones moved to Tulum, Mexico, where he served as chef de cuisine at Verdant, a garden-driven, zero-waste restaurant led by chef Benjamin Coe. Working closely with tropical ingredients and shifting microseasons broadened his perspective on sustainability and adaptability in the kitchen.
He later returned to California, launching a sandwich pop-up before joining Picco in Larkspur as executive sous chef and eventually becoming chef de cuisine at MICHELIN-starred Niku Steakhouse in San Francisco.
Prelude marks Hendrickson Jones’ debut as an executive chef, bringing together his Southern heritage, technical training, and belief that thoughtful cooking should feel both soulful and welcoming.
