Chef John Ondo of Lana Restaurant and Bar
“Mediterranean Fare & Southern Flair” is the tagline for Lana Restaurant and Bar. When you meet Chef John Ondo and read over the menu, you’ll know that’s a perfect fit. Ondo is a personality who’s been on the Charleston culinary scene for some time now, and with his larger-than-life hair and a penchant for motorcycles, well, he’s hard to miss.
Ondo is a true Charlestonian, a claim that few of us can make. “Bishop England [High School] was one of the finer institutions I was asked to leave,” he jokes. He graduated from St. Andrews High School, and studied at Trident Technical College’s respected Culinary Institute of Charleston. As a young chef, Ondo “worked like a dog for two years” to save up every cent for his four-plus month “cook’s tour through Europe.” During his adventures he fell in love with Spanish food and German breakfasts (Ondo’s version of Nirvana!).
He’s worked in some of the finest restaurants Charleston has to offer, and added Lana to that long list. “It’s my baby, my child,” he says. Blood, sweat, and tears went into Lana’s corner space at Rutledge and Cannon Streets. Ondo himself spent two solid days applying 13 layers of polyurethane to their beautiful wine rack, made from reclaimed heart pine.
Ondo crafts the menu at the beginning of each season, which changes four to eight times a year. Just one look at each dish’s ingredients tells you this is a man who knows his game. Lana has an awesome happy hour (at the bar only) and also features a prix-fixe dinner menu year round, with three courses for just $33!
When asked about his motorcycle reputation, Ondo admits, “I’m a gear head, yeah…my wife calls my ’71 BMW my German mistress, and my late model Ducati my Italian girlfriend,” he jokes. Fortunately, he is a helmet wearing biker. “You only get one coconut—besides, I don’t wanna damage the goods!” Ondo says, as he playfully ‘Vogues’ his face. We love a chef with a sense of humor.
Visit Lana for lunch or dinner, and you’ll likely see Ondo yourself. Make sure you say hi, and tell him that we sent you!
words: Stacy Huggins
images: Helene Dujardin
210 Rutledge Avenue
843.720.8899
lanarestaurant.com
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