Johnny Ray Zone

Coming Up

In kitchens defined by pace and pressure, executive chef at La Poubelle in Hollywood and chef at Husk in Nashville, Tennessee (2014) gave Johnny Ray Zone the room to build speed into method. Those positions, in two different settings, developed a way of working that reads as direct and disciplined: move cleanly, keep the room steady, and make each pass count. That foundation leads into Howlin' Ray's, where Johnny has served as chef and owner since 2015, turning early momentum into a durable house style.

Where They Are Now

At Howlin' Ray's, the work sits with chef and owner since 2015, a title that carries both operation and responsibility. The job is not just to run a kitchen but to hold its shape day after day, keeping the identity intact through service. The path from La Poubelle in Hollywood to Husk in Nashville, Tennessee (2014), and then to Howlin' Ray's shows an accumulation of practice rather than flash: successive rooms, repeated service, and a point of view sharpened by use.

In Their Words “I wanted to become an expert on this dish.” That sentence describes craft as study. It points to repetition, close attention, and the kind of discipline that comes from returning to the same subject until the work is familiar at the level of detail. For Johnny Ray Zone, the line frames expertise as something made through focus, not assumed by title. It is a direct statement of method: learn deeply, refine steadily, and stay with the dish until the hands know it.