Chef
Jenn Castaneda-Jones
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Washington DC, Washington DC, United States
- Venue
- Apéro · Restaurant
i. Biography
The Path
Execution in a demanding kitchen is built title by title, and Jenn Castaneda-Jones moved through that ladder at Marcel's in Washington, DC until 2024: Line Cook, Junior Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef, and Head Chef. Recognition arrived in parallel with that progression. Jenn Castaneda-Jones received a RAMW — Rising Culinary Star nomination (2024), a marker that placed her work in view of her peers as she advanced through one of Washington, DC’s more exacting kitchens. The nomination sat alongside the climb rather than apart from it, reflecting momentum already visible on the line. By 2024, Jenn Castaneda-Jones had completed her tenure at Marcel's in Washington, DC and moved into the Executive Chef role at Apéro in Washington, DC. The shift kept her in the same market while placing her in a position defined by continuity of standards and greater control over the kitchen’s direction.
The Work Today
Since 2024, Jenn Castaneda-Jones has led Apéro as Executive Chef. The work centers on pace, organization, and the discipline that comes from having passed through the hierarchy of a kitchen rather than entering at the top. That background at Marcel's in Washington, DC (until 2024) shapes the way the role reads now. Line Cook, Junior Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef, and Head Chef are not separate credits so much as a record of accumulated responsibility, each one requiring a firmer hand on service and a broader view of the brigade.
Acclaim
Jenn Castaneda-Jones was nominated for RAMW — Rising Culinary Star nomination (2024), a distinction that tracked with her rise through Marcel's in Washington, DC and her move into the Executive Chef role at Apéro in Washington, DC.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Jenn
What is Jenn Castaneda-Jones's current role?
As of 2026, Jenn Castaneda-Jones is Executive Chef.
