Trailblazing Alta California chef Joshua Gil dies at 50
Key takeaways
- Joshua Gil, the former chef of groundbreaking Alta California restaurants including Mírate and Tacos Punta Cabras, died early this morning, according to his longtime partner Tharini Shanmugarajah.
- He also co-founded an underground supper club called the Supper Liberation Front in 2009 to democratize fine dining.
- He served vibrant, globally tinged Mexican cuisine such as tacos under crunchy chicharrón furikake; duck carnitas burritos; eggs Benedict with adobo hollandaise; and lamb flautas with feta and saffron-pickled fennel.
Chef Joshua Gil, who helmed groundbreaking L.A. restaurants and mentored decades of local chefs, died Monday morning. He’s pictured here in 2023 at the Level 8 grand opening party. (Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images for Level 8) By Stephanie Breijo Staff Writer Follow June 22, 2026 3:13 PM PT 5 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
Joshua Gil, the former chef of groundbreaking Alta California restaurants including Mírate and Tacos Punta Cabras, died early this morning, according to his longtime partner Tharini Shanmugarajah. The chef who helped recontextualize and reimagine Mexican food in L.A. had battled cancer for four years. He was 50.
A spiritualist as well as a chef, Gil spent years of his life using food “to help bring people back into their bodies and really provide them with the nourishment to be grounded.” He said he cooked for chakra dinners, shamanic journeys and ayurvedic practices. He also co-founded an underground supper club called the Supper Liberation Front in 2009 to democratize fine dining.