Chef Joe Domina

About

Chef Joe has cooked for some pretty impressive VIPs, including several presidents! He’s cooked at major events like Belmont Stakes (the famous horse race in New York), the Toronto Grand Prix, and many events at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis where he was employed as a corporate chef.

Chef Joe got his start as a teen in the mid-1970s, working in hotels on the Las Vegas strip and learning from some of the era’s finest chefs while still in high school. After earning his associate degree from the Culinary Institute of America and a bachelor’s degree in Hotel & Restaurant Administration from the University of Nevada, Chef Joe was ready to embark on an impressive career. 

He has done it all—from dishwasher and prep cook to vice president of culinary and executive chef. He became executive chef of the Portland Hilton Hotel at the age of 24—the youngest executive chef in Hilton’s history. After 19 years at Hilton, he moved on to other opportunities, including starting his own restaurant, The Angry Donkey, in Michigantown, Indiana. 

Chef Joe is a Certified Culinary Administrator® (CCA®) and Certified Executive Chef® (CEC®) from the American Culinary Federation. He’s also a member of the American Academy of Chefs, a culinary honor society.   

His accolades include two silver medals and two bronze medals from ACF competitions. He also won a high silver medal with his team in the Grand Buffet competition.