River Twice welcomes Johnny Spero of Reverie for the first evening of Christmas in July, July 22nd
Born and raised in Maryland, Spero began cooking at 16. Early, he worked alongside James Beard winner Johnny Monis, learning great restaurants fine-tune every detail. Two years later he staged at Noma in Copenhagen, transforming his approach to sourcing and ingredients. Back in the U.S., he cooked at John Shields’ Town House before becoming Executive Chef at José Andrés’ Minibar, which earned a four-star Washington Post review, and Spero was named Eater’s “Chef of the Year.” He later competed on Netflix’s The Final Table. Staging at Mugaritz, known for playful creativity, inspired him to open his own place. In 2018, he opened Reverie, earning a Michelin star in 2022. That year, he opened Bar Spero, a seafood bar and grill, a James Beard semifinalist featured in Robb Report, Bon Appétit, and Esquire before closing in 2023.