Successful Denver Chef-Restaurateur Returns to her Alma Mater
Hyde Park, NY 鈥 Jennifer Jasinski, chef and owner of five acclaimed Denver
restaurants, spoke to graduates at the New York campus of
The Culinary Institute of America on June 14. The 1989 CIA graduate is the
first Denver chef to win the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef:
Southwest.
鈥淭he word 鈥榗hef鈥 describes someone who is proficient at the
culinary arts and cooking, but it also describes a chief and a leader,鈥 Jasinski told recipients of associate degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts.
鈥淭he leadership aspect of our job is the defining characteristic between good
and great chefs: being someone a brigade will follow, that is a leader.鈥
Chef Jasinski spent 11 years
working with Wolfgang Puck in Los Angeles, helping develop, open, and create
menus for more than 20 of his restaurants. She moved to Denver in 2000 and
opened her first restaurant, Rioja, four years later. Today her restaurants鈥擱ioja,
Bistro Vend么me, Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen, Stoic
& Genuine, and Ultreia鈥攅mploy 300 people and are
consistently rated among Denver鈥檚 best restaurants.
In addition to her James Beard Award, Chef Jasinski has been honored as both the Colorado Chef of the
Year and Western Region Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation,
named one of America鈥檚 Best Female Chefs by Thrillist,
and included as a member of the Restaurant
Business Power 20 list.
The author of the cookbook The Perfect Bite, Chef Jasinski was a
finalist on the Bravo cooking competition Top
Chef Masters in 2013.
The entire CIA commencement ceremony, including Chef Jasinski鈥檚 address, can be .
Photo Caption & Hi-Res Image:
Jennifer Jasinski 鈥89 with the graduating class of The Culinary Institute of America on June 14,
2019. Chef Jasinski delivered the commencement
keynote address at the CIA鈥檚 New York campus. (Photo credit: Al Nowak/CIA)
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Writer
845-451-1372
Jeff.Levine@culinary.edu
About The Culinary Institute of America:
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world鈥檚 premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers master鈥檚, bachelor鈥檚, and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.
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