CHEF JASON HARLEY
JASON HARLEY IS A PRIVATE CHEF, SUCCESSFUL RESTAURANTEUR AND ENTREPENEUR. HIS WINNING PERSONALITY HAS MADE HIM AS MUCH A CELEBRITY AS THE A LIST CLIENTS HE HAS SERVED OVER A TWO DECADE CAREER IN HOLLYWOD AND BEVERLY HILLS.
FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS, JASON HARLEY, AKA CHEF J, HAS PERFECTED HIS SIGNATURE HEALTHY COOKING STYLE FROM NEW YORK TO EUROPE TO HOLLYWOOD. NUMEROUS CELEBRITIES INCLUDING CAMERON DIAZ, PAMELA ANDERSON, MATTHEW PERRY, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE AND BRAD PITT HAVE ALL DINED ON CHEF J'S HEALTHY MEALS PREPARED USING HIS HIGH STYLE BUT HEALTHY COOKING TECHNIQUES.
GROWING UP IN BROOKLYN, CHEF J LEARNED COOKING FROM HIS MOTHER SANDRA AND HIS GRANDMOTHER TILLY, WHO WAS FAMOUS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR HER CHEESECAKE. YOU COULD ALWAYS FIND JASON IN THE KITCHEN, AT TILLY'S SIDE, MEASURING AND MIXING. AT AGE 7 HE PREPARED HIS FIRST DISH - CHICKEN SOUP. SOON AFTER, HE WAS THE HOUSE CHEF PREPARING MEALS FOR HIS MOTHER AND BROTHER. WHEN THE FAMILY MOVED UPSTATE AT AGE 14, JASON STARTED WORKING AS A DISHWASHER AT THE TARRYTOWN HILTON. WITHIN WEEKS HE WAS PREPPING FOOD WITH THE CHEFS AND A YEAR LATER HE WAS WORKING THE GRILL STATION, THE YOUNGEST GRILL COOK THE HILTON HAD EVER HIRED. AS A SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL JASON DIVIDED HIS STUDIES
BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND COOKING CLASSES AT THE CULINARY ARTS TRADE SCHOOL EARNING DIPLOMAS AT BOTH. THE YOUNG CHEF WAS ACCEPTED TO THE PRESTIGIOUS CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA, IN HYDE PARK, POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, WHERE HE RECIEVED HIS FORMAL TRAINING IN CULINARY ARTS.
WHILE CELEBRATING HIS 19TH BIRTHDAY AT PETROSSIAN IN NEW YORK CITY, JASON ASKED TO SEE THE CHEF. THE FRENCH LEGEND CHEF MICHELE ATTALI APPEARED IN HIS APRON. IMMEDIATELY CHARMED BY JASON, ATTALI INVITED HIM TO BEGIN WORK THE NEXT DAY AS HIS SAUCIER. UNDER CHEF ATTALI'S FINE TUTELAGE, HE LEARNED THE ART OF CLASSIC FRENCH CUISINE AND SAUCE MAKING TECHNIQUES. CHEF J DISCOVERED THE IMPORTANCE OF TIMING IN MAKING SAUCES, FOR IF HE MOVED THE PANS TOO RAPIDLY, CHEF ATTALI WOULD RAP HIM ON THE KNUCKLES WITH HIS SPOON AND SAY "LET IT COOK! ZINK ABOUT IT!" FROM SAUCIER, CHEF J BECAME EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF. TRAINING CLOSELY WITH ATTALI FOR TWO YEARS, JASON SERVED NUMEROUS CELEBRITY CLIENTS INCLUDING: MADONNA, DAVID BOWIE, LIZ TAYLOR, CHRISTIAN PETROSSIAN, AARON SPELLING AND MANY MORE.
UPON COMPLETION OF HIS DEGREE AT CIA, CHEF J OPENED HIS FIRST RESTAURANT THE HARLEM YACHT CLUB - A SERENE NAUTICAL AMBIANCE WHERE THE MENU EXCELLED IN SEAFOOD AND HEALTHY CUISINE. HE MOVED ONTO CAPSUTO FRERE IN TRIBECA AND THEN TO CLUB METROPOLITAN NEXT DOOR TO CARNEGIE HALL. WHILE AT CLUB METROPOLITAN, CHEF J FINE TUNED WHAT BECAME HIS SIGNATURE HEALTHY COOKING STYLE - A BLEND OF CLASSIC FRENCH CUISINE WITH LIGHT JAPANESE PREPARATIONS.
NEXT HE OPENED TWO RESTAURANTS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO HOUSED IN A CHARMING TWO STORY CHURCH. ON THE FIRST FLOOR WAS VALERIANS, A FRENCH BISTRO, DESIGNED AROUND A CUSTOM ISLAND RANGE IN THE CENTER. MK'S UPSTAIRS FEATURED A MODERN FRENCH INSPIRED FISH, VEGETARIAN AND DAIRY KOSHER KITCHEN.
IN 1997, CHEF J WAS CHOSEN OVER 400 OTHER CHEFS TO WIN THE COVETED HEAD CHEF POSITION AT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CANNES FILM FESTIVAL IN THE AMERICAN PAVILLION. CHEF J STAYED ON THE SOUTH OF FRANCE TO HONE HIS COOKING TECHNIQUES WITH SOME OF THE LEADING CHEFS OF FRANCE. HE THEN WORKED AS A CHEF ON A PRIVATE YACHT IN THE CARIBBEAN AND PERFECTED THE ART OF FRESH SEAFOOD PREPARATION. CHEF J STUDIED WITH PHILIPPE D' ORANGE, ONE OF THE TOP 20 CHEFS IN EUROPE.
AFTER HIS TIME THERE, CHEF J CAME TO LA FOR A ONE WEEK VACATION AND DURING HIS STAY, HIS RESUME WAS CHOSEN BY BOB DALY, CHAIRMAN OF WARNER BROTHERS, FOR AN INTERVIEW AND COOKING EVALUATION. HE WAS ASKED TO PREPARE DINNER FOR BOB DALY AND HIS GUESTS THAT EVENING. THE GUEST LIST FOR THAT PARTY INCLUDED BARBARA STREISAND, HENRY WINKLER, MICHAEL JACKSON AND ELIZABETH TAYLOR, EACH HAVING A UNIQUE DIET OR CULINARY REQUEST. HIS COOKING WAS A HIT AND HE SUCCEEDED, BECOMING THE PERSONAL CHEF FOR BOB DALY. JASON'S UNIQUE ABILITY TO ADAPT RECIPES TO THE SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS OF CELEBRITIES BECAME HIS TRADEMARK. CHEF J ALSO WORKED AS THE PERSONAL CHEF TO JOHN TRAVOLTA, AARON SPELLING AND TOMMY LEE, EARNING THE MONIKER "CHEF TO THE STARS". WHEN CELEBRITIES BEGAN REQUESTING HIS SERVICES FOR THEIR PERSONAL PARTIES AND EVENTS, CHEF J CREATED CHEF J'S KITCHEN CATERING & EVENTS. SINCE ITS LAUNCH, CHEF J HAS PRODUCED NUMEROUS PARTIES INCLUDING JOHN TRAVOLTA'S PERSONAL HALLOWEEN PARTY (1999), THE 2000 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION PARTY HOSTED BY POLITICALLY INCORRECT'S BILL MAHR AT CBS, THE "ROCK FOR HOPE" BENEFIT FROM THE CITY OF HOPE, THE CHARLIE'S ANGELS MOVIE PREPARTY, THE INTERNATIONAL DESIGN "BLUE" PARTY FOR WEST WEEK AT THE PACIFIC DESIGN CENTER FOR 1500 GUESTS, PINK'S PRE-TOUR PARTY, BROOKE SHIELD'S VALENTINES DAY PARTY AND OTHERS.
IN ADDITION TO COOKING FOR CELEBRITIES AND EVENTS, CHEF J TURNED TO HIS ROOTS WHEN HE BEGAN TO MASS DISTRIBUTE HIS OWN VERSION OF GRANDMA TILLEY'S CHEESECAKES. HE CREATED A LOW CARB CHEESECAKE (11 GRAMS OF PROTEIN, 3 GRAMS OF FAT) THAT BECAME THE MOST FAMOUS DESERT ON THE ZONE DIET.
DURING HIS CAREER AS A RESTAURANTEUR, CHEF TO THE STARS, EVENT PRODUCER, CATERER AND CHEESECAKE KING, CHEF J HAS BECOME ADEPT TO COOKING FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF CLIENTS. HE TAKES PRIDE IN HIS ABILITY TO CUSTOMIZE THEIR PERSONAL PREFERENCES FROM VEGETARIAN AND KOSHER TO LOW FAT AND LOW CARB, FROM CLASSIC FRENCH TO MODERN NEW YORK AND JAPANESE. CHEF J'S DEBUT RESTAURANT IN HOLLYWOOD WAS BLACKSTEEL, A ROCK AND ROLL FINE DINING CELEBRITY SHOWPLACE. NEXT UP CAME PARC AND PICI ENOTECCA. TODAY YOU CAN EXPERIENCE CHEF J'S LATEST VENTURE IN DTLA, BIRDIES. THE CONCEPT IS SIMPLE: FRESH, FUN, ALL NATURAL FOOD SERVED FAST. ARTISINAL DONUTS MADE HOURLY AND FREE-RANGE FRIED CHICKEN ON A SIMPLE MENU OF AMERICANA CLASSICS REIMAGINED WITH A MODERN TWIST.