Hi!
We are Sam & Jon. We’ve devoted the bulk of our adult lives to connecting with others through food and cooking. We’re thrilled at the chance to care for, foster independent thought in, and share tools with a child to help them navigate an imperfect world with grace, fueled by joy, humor, and plenty of good food.
As chefs and once restaurant co-owners, we are used to working in sync. In and out of the kitchen, the love and mutual respect that has defined our 14 years of marriage extends to the people who enter our orbit, whether family, friends, or kitchen colleagues. We’re thrilled to welcome a child–and their birth family in whatever capacity they desire–into that world.
We met in our early 20s in Madison when Sam frequented the coffee shop where Jon worked. Sam recalls one day when Jon took his break at her table to chat, and she had the realization that Jon was going to be her best friend. Soon we became constant companions, in love and friendship. We each independently chose a similar path in food (Jon, savory and Sam, pastry) which allowed us to work side-by-side and be able to easily understand each other’s motivations and challenges.
After almost a decade growing our culinary careers in Philadelphia, we returned to Wisconsin three years ago to be closer to family and to grow our own. Here we’ve built a home in Green County that reflects our desire for comfort and a connection to nature, but also easy access to the color and energy of a city. Jon cooks in a restaurant in Madison, and Sam works for a nonprofit focused on local food and equitable access to healthy food, with opportunities to cook on the side.
We have always viewed adoption as a beautiful way to build our family, and have experienced it firsthand watching our 6-year-old adoptive nephew grow into a spirited young boy. We believe that adoption is a community built on reciprocal trust and respect between adoptive family, birth family, and child, with the ultimate goal of a loving and joyful life for the child. We appreciate the chance to build that community with you.
Thank you,
Sam & Jon
We love an opportunity to be near the ocean. Here we’re visiting Jon’s parents in Florida.
preparing ingredients from our garden
cooking together for a pop-up dinner
Jon reading with our nephew, Owen, on a visit to our home.
Sam gets to meet people from all over Dane Co. through her work with a food-focused nonprofit organization.
Sam’s sister and her husband adopted their son, Clark, at birth, and we love to watch him grow into a spirited young boy.
Jon is an accomplished ceramicist and has all of the tools to share those skills with a child.
Sam’s favorite hobby is gardening-both vegetables and flowers.
We grew so much running our own small restaurant in Philadelphia, and can’t wait to share both rural and city life with a child.
