Using food as a medium to tell a story, Jonathan Harris—the head chef at Linden on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood—weaves together flavors and memories from his Caribbean and East Coast heritage to extend diners the opportunity to engage with the intricate tapestry of his background. As a third-generation chef who grew up working in his father’s restaurant on Long Island, Harris has a deep reverence for local ingredients, using his dishes as a catalyst to invigorate conversations amongst those fortunate enough to dine at his table.

Bringing his culinary philosophy to the desert, Harris curated a dinner party for Outstanding in the Field at Coachella, a dinner series set in the festival’s VIP Rose Garden. The event slowed down the fast-paced nature of the music weekender, creating a communal dining experience that brought strangers together for an unforgettable evening. Sourcing produce from regional farmers and thoughtfully considering the etymology of Coachella itself, Harris paid homage to the valley’s meaning—“little shell”—with a dish featuring local clams. His menu inspired dialogue about the place, its history, and the memories created among the guests.

As Chef Harris evolves, so does his menu at Linden, now featuring new dishes such as the fusion-inspired, indulgent Fish Nahgril. Notably attentive to his guests’ requests, Harris is committed to evoking both nostalgia and novelty in every bite. In our conversation, Harris shares his approach to menu curation, his experience cooking outside his restaurant, how he incorporated his background into a quintessential California event, and his vision for the future of Linden.

Can you speak a bit about how you curated the dinner for this specific day at Coachella, and what was important to you to keep in mind while curating?

The most important thing on my mind for Outstanding in the Field was the conversation the food could start. I wanted to focus on the origin of Coachella and all the local farmers who provided the produce.

What are the main challenges you were presented with when curating this particular menu?

One of the main challenges was being properly prepared so far away from the restaurant (in Hollywood, CA), where I’m used to having everything on hand.

There is obviously a lot of communing with strangers going on at Coachella, but the experience of actually breaking bread with people in a private setting at Outstanding in the Field was really special. How do you factor in the social experience of a meal as well as the taste---either at Outstanding in the Field, or more broadly as a chef in general?‍

I always start with storytelling, and that’s what creates a dish that leads to a great food experience. For Outstanding in the Field specifically, “Coachella” means “little shell.” With that in mind, I wanted to use a clam of some sort – in this case, cockles – to represent the idea of a “concrete beach.” In general, every dish at Linden tells a story and draws from my roots as a third-generation chef, my Caribbean heritage, and the time I spent cooking in Long Island, New York, and Rhode Island. The result is a menu that blends East Coast soul with global influence, rooted in personal history, and designed to create meaningful, memorable dining experiences.

Coachella is a quintessentially Californian experience. You have spoken about Linden being a culinary melting pot, specifically because of your own New York upbringing. How did you bring that proverbial melting pot into the desert?

I wanted to bring a New York vibe by adding smoked pastrami and rye croutons, pulling from the classic flavor profile of Katz’s Deli in Manhattan, while also incorporating a bit of Caribbean flavor into our salad course with jerk duck.

What's next for you, and what can guests expect at Linden in the forthcoming year?

We are working on keeping up with our guest requests and in the last few weeks, we debuted a few new options on the menu including:

• Lamb Tartare: A reimagining of the classic tartare, featuring lamb paired with a unique Luxardo cherry chutney (inspired by the nostalgia of a Cherry Coke), mint, fennel, and cured egg yolk. Served with house-made focaccia.
• Concrete Beach: A "Linden-style" surf and turf that merges the sea (Manila clams) with the land (smoked pastrami). It’s a nod to the meaning of Coachella (“little shells”) combined with New York deli influences like rye croutons and a pilsner-based broth.
• Fish Nahgril: A vibrant cultural fusion of fried kingfish served over a plantain and yucca hash. This dish is a map of the diaspora, bringing together influences from Jamaica, Haiti, and Costa Rica on a single plate.
• Cali-Flower: Created in response to the high demand for plant-based options, this dish showcases cauliflower in four ways—puréed, grilled, pickled, and fried—finished with a Southern-inspired collard green verde.
• The Return of Favorites: Back by popular demand are the Sweet Corn & Pea Agnolotti, and the Rice Over Lamb, Chef’s elevated, 24-hour braised homage to the iconic "53rd and 6th" Halal Street food memories of New York.
• German Chocolate Tart: A dark chocolate creme set in a house-made sable crust, finished with a coconut pecan topping, fresh chili cream, and a dusting of powdered sugar.