John, affectionately called Chef Johnny Vee, grew up in Rochester, New York. After graduating in 1975 with a degree in Restaurant Management, Chef Vee moved to New York City, where he worked in Soho’s Greenstreet, Tribeca’s Odeon, and Larry Forgione’s An American Place.

In 1985, Johnny Vee moved to the land down under, Sydney, Australia. There, he opened the Arizona Bar and Grill, a chain of Southwest-flavored restaurants. It was this project that first brought Johnny Vee to Santa Fe, on research trips to the area. Santa Fe’s charms stayed with him, and in 1998 he settled here. A one-year stint as the Cooking School Director for The Jane Butel Cooking School in Albuquerque helped feed Johnny’s appreciation for the unique place food holds in the history and culture of New Mexico.

Johnny joined the Las Cosas team in December 1998 and immediately developed a following with budding chefs and seasoned veterans eager to learn new cooking skills and gain equipment knowledge. As word spread about the fun and entertainment our hands-on classes offer, the roster of classes grew.

Major chefs from across the state have joined us for our guest chef series.
As an observer and commentator on the diverse culinary adventure his career has led him on, John continues to explore the wonderful world of food and shares that adventure with his students. He marvels daily at how much good food there is out beyond the horizon! Come and join one of our eclectic classes today!

Visit Las Cosas here.