THE STORY

JAMILAH NIXON-MATHIS

Born & raised in Northern California, I spent summers in LA learning to cook with my Mexican grandmother & Creole grandfather, which really sparked my love of food. I found my first restaurant job at a local Chinese joint taking to-go orders via phone + more importantly, making sure the chef had enough beer. I was hooked. Soon after, I followed my wanderlust to Thailand where I lived so far upcountry that nobody spoke English and most people had never even seen a person with fair skin + light eyes. I spent my time on a local shrimp farm learning to speak and cook Thai with the fabulous women in charge. I instantly fell in love with the great sense of community that was created around us cooking + feeding my new found family. Returning to the US, I worked in restaurants off and on through college, until having my amazing daughter in 2009. After two years at home, I jumped back into hospitality, opening a restaurant with two partners in Sebastopol, CA called Forchetta/Bastoni. The eatery built a super strong following , becoming a neighborhood staple for many. We were successful until the dissolution of the partnership in 2015. After closing, I re-evaluated my work life and decided to become a private chef, working in Northern CA for several years before helping to open Jam’s Joy Bungalow as the Chef. It is a joy to be part of such a great team. Our motto, “creating vibrant food for spirited people” is something we take seriously and I feel honored everyday to share my passion.

POP UP. SIT DOWN. GRAB-N-GO.

Jam’s Joy Bungalow launched with a food truck bringing our joy to private events all over Sonoma County and has now found homes at several local breweries, venues, and food truck meet ups. Check our CALENDAR to see where we will be popping up next. We will happily bring the truck to your next event as well, so CLICK HERE to learn more about booking the food truck. Want to enjoy our food without the fuss of a full on event? We now have super simple catering options for meetings, luncheons, and parties, so BOOK NOW. Lastly, COMING SOON is our latest venture…a sweet little cafe in Sebastopol with coffee + tea, grab-in-go eats, and a fun bungalow vibe.

VIBRANT FOOD FOR SPIRITED PEOPLE

Have you always wanted to work in a high paced, tiny, hot, kitchen on wheels? Are you passionate about long hours building small businesses for little money? Are you endlessly satisfied by cleaning? Do you love answering questions, smiling + making stupid jokes? Please apply here…