Personalities

JW Foster

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Executive Chef - Fairmont Hotel

jW Foster brings a passion for food and its relationship with the local environment and community to his role as Executive Chef of The Fairmont San Francisco. As Executive Chef, Foster oversees all of the landmark hotel’s culinary operations, including three restaurants –Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar, Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar and Caffè Cento – as well as banquets and in-room dining.

“I cannot imagine taking my shopping basket to a richer, more bountiful area. Northern California is truly a chef’s paradise. Working just steps away from the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market and in close proximity to artisan purveyors throughout the region, I showcase this extraordinary ‘marketplace’ on the menu. Only by working closely with local farmers and purveyors can I offer the most authentic San Francisco culinary experience to our guests,” comments jW Foster.

In one of his first moves as Executive Chef, Foster established a 1,000-square-foot Culinary Garden where he maintains four honey beehives. More than 100,000 honey bees now feast on the lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, chives and cilantro which grow in the garden. Guests can enjoy the home-harvested honey and herbs in the chef’s culinary creations.

Foster also offers hotel guests some of his favorite handcrafted foods including charcuterie, mustards, chutneys and preserves.

Regarding his culinary direction, Foster takes a fresh-market approach to the playful and evocative appeal of classic American cuisine, which he uses as an underpinning for his own interpretations of time-honored dishes. “I like to dance with the classics, spin them around and surprise guests with familiar flavors presented in new and exciting ways,” explains Foster.

Before joining The Fairmont San Francisco, Foster served as Executive Chef at The Fairmont Dallas, where he established a 3,000-square-foot herb and vegetable garden. His twenty years of culinary experience includes senior positions at renowned hotels such as The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto and several destination inns and restaurants in Ontario, Canada.