With 15 years of culinary experience, Executive Chef JV Hernandez brings a diverse background rooted in American cuisine with European and Japanese influences, as well as personal touches inspired by his childhood with a fine dining twist.

Originally from Puerto Rico, the love for cooking runs in JV's family as his father and grandmothers were chefs. Initially working in sales and revenue management, JV took a leap of faith to follow in his family’s legacy and pursued a career in gastronomy, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in 2012

Since then, his career has spanned high-level roles working and learning alongside prestigious chefs, including a Chef de Cuisine role at Mercantile Dining & Provision in Denver, where he cooked alongside James Beard award-winning Chef Alex Seidel and Chef de Cuisine at The Joule Hotel in Dallas where he was mentored by Chef Junior Borges, a James Beard Semi-Finalist for Outstanding Chef. Most recently, JV was Culinary Director at Rear View Mirror Concepts where he oversaw kitchen operations for Community Supper Club’s upscale casual French-American dining and Birdhouse’s casual dining concept in Lafayette, CO.

At Bambara, JV focuses on creating seasonal menus that highlight local ingredients, building relationships with nearby farms to craft unique culinary experiences with a local connection – something he’s very passionate about.

When he’s not leading a kitchen, JV loves spending time outdoors with his dog, Truffle, and enjoys activities like mountain biking, hiking and snowboarding.