The Chef

Jason Zygmont

Flora, Jason’s grandmother, introduced him to Emeril Live when he was just 9. From that point on he was hooked. Through his teen years, Jason was obsessed with Iron Chef and the CIA cookbook. After studying Philosophy at the University of Georgia, Jason took the plunge, with no experience, and sent emails to anyone he could think of: just hoping for an opportunity. The Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill, NC was just that opportunity and Jason began his career.

Over the next 15 years, Jason travelled the world cooking at some of the world’s best restaurants. He moved to New York City and worked for Marco Canora at his second restaurant, Insieme, and helped it to earn a Michelin Star. He moved on to Spain and worked at Drolma, the classic Michelin starred restaurant led by Fermi Puig in Barcelona. With an empty bank account and a hunger to use the knowledge he had gained, Jason returned to his hometown of Atlanta, GA and got to work. First under Kevin Gillespie (Top Chef season 6) at Woodfire Grill, then under Linton Hopkins (Restaurant Eugene) and Hugh Acheson/Ryan Smith (Empire State South).

Feeling the need to expand his base of experience Jason left again for Europe: this time heading to the number one restaurant in the world, Noma. Under renowned chef Rene Redzepi, Jason flourished and spent 3 months of his time in the service kitchen working with the international crew to prepare the revolutionary menu. Rene and the senior chefs selected Jason to work with them in the Test Kitchen for an additional 3 month stint helping to develop new dishes, techniques and flavors for the service kitchen to execute. At end of the term of his work visa, Jason made arrangements to return to the United States. This time he was headed back to NYC to work for one of the chefs that Jason had obsessed over his entire career: Thomas Keller.

Jason spent his time at Per Se like it was graduate school. While a notoriously difficult kitchen to survive, the skills and refinement that Jason learned while within the hallowed halls of Keller’s 3 Michelin star restaurant. Clean flavors, perfect product and exceptional technique were the mantra and everything could always be better.

Feeling the pull to go back home yet again, Jason accepted his first Executive Chef position under a familiar name: Hugh Acheson. Jason ran 5&10, Hugh’s flagship restaurant for 2 years and garnered regional and national recognition for his accessible, yet boundary pushing menu. This attention pushed Jason to move into a bigger market and Headed to Nashville.

Taking over the operations at the Treehouse in the historic Five Points in the heart of East Nashville opened Jason up to a wider audience. Over the next three years, he took what was a neighborhood gem and opened the Treehouse up to regional and national acclaim. Jason was named the Eater Chef of the Year in 2016 and was featured on the Food Network’s “Late Night Eats”. Widely considered one of the top restaurants in Nashville, Jason ran the kitchen, front of house and wine program and created a singular restaurant without comparison in Nashville.

Jason’s next move was ownership. After three and a half years at the Treehouse, Jason struck out on his own by opening Setsun Pop-up. Originally operating out of Sky Blue Cafe and later Vandyke Bed and Beverage, Setsun was awarded with the “Best Tasting Menu” in Nashville, written up in Bon Appetit and named one of the “Top 5 New Restaurants in the South” by John Kessler in Garden and Gun Magazine. It has been the most fulfilling aspect of his career. Jason relocated to Dallas with his wife and has most recently been the consulting chef of Sassetta: the now reopened restaurant in the Joule Hotel.

Whether you are looking to have an eight course tasting menu prepared for you and your closest friends or a private pasta making class, Chef Zygmont is the best in Dallas.