Jon Shook &
Vinny Dotolo

Chef-Owners

animal, Son of a Gun, Jon & Vinny’s (Los Angeles, CA)

About Jon & Vinny

Chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo met in culinary school 15 years ago, where they first thought about opening a restaurant together. Eight years later, they unveiled animal, a wildly successful restaurant in Los Angeles. Then, they opened Son of a Gun, a seafood-focused spot that’s an homage to the fish shacks they grew up with in Florida. “My grandfather collected nautical antiques, and our walls are covered with items from his collection,” says Dotolo. Originally, the menu at Son of a Gun was meant to stay true to classic fish-shack style fare, but Shook and Dotolo couldn’t help but to experiment, elevating the menu dish by dish to showcase local ingredients and unexpected flavor combinations.