I’ve cooked in restaurants around the world, but the tables I care most about are the ones at home — a dinner party for eight, a quiet weeknight meal plan for a busy family, a tray of hors d’oeuvres passed at a celebration. This is where I spend my days now, cooking privately across Los Angeles.
Where the food starts
Everything begins at the market. I shop the Southern California farmers’ markets for whatever is best that week, and I work directly with local fishermen and meat farms I’ve come to trust. That sourcing is the whole point: when the ingredients are this good, the cooking can stay simple and let them speak.
How a menu comes together
There’s no fixed menu. When you reach out, we talk about the occasion, who’s at the table, what you love, and anything you avoid. Then I build something around that — a dinner party curated to your taste, a week of meals that fit your household, or a spread for a crowd.
Before Los Angeles, my path ran through my family’s restaurant and bakery in Chicago, kitchens in New York, Noma in Copenhagen, and a sake house and DEN in Tokyo. More recently I developed the menu for Emmi’s Lake Geneva, carrying the same ingredient-driven approach into a full restaurant. All of it shows up, in one way or another, when I cook for you.
Let’s plan something
If you’re thinking about a dinner party, ongoing in-home cooking, or an order of prepared foods, send me a note or call (312) 203-8308. I read every message personally.
— Jacob