If you are not familiar with Chef Jason Stratton, it is probably because you don’t watch Top Chef. Either that or you have not been visiting some of Seattle’s most ballyhooed eateries over the past decade. It doesn’t really matter if you’re a hardcore foodie or not, you just need to know that a kickass chef just joined the team at Seattle’s Standard Brewing.
I’m guessing he doesn’t like being called a rock star, but there it is. Jason Stratton is most-recognized for… I don’t know where to start. In 2010 he was named Best New Chef by Food and Wine magazine. He’s a five-time James Beard Award semi-finalist. Around Seattle, he’s worked his magic at places like Mamnoon, Spinasse, Artusi, Le Gourmand, Cafe Juanita, and other acclaimed restaurants. And of course, a lot of folks recognize him from his appearance on Bravo TV’s Top Chef season 13 (2015).
He is something of a rock star in the world of chefs. The dude has chops, for sure. Yesterday, Standard Brewing announced that Jason Stratton was joining the team.
In a post on Instagram, Standard Brewing (@therealstandardbrewing) said, “When we were making plans to add food to Standard almost 3 years ago, we didn’t know what kind of food we wanted to incorporate, but we knew exactly how we wanted you to feel about it. In concert with the way we approach beer, the goal was to bring you something surprisingly delicious, perhaps way beyond your expectations for a brewery.”
“When we teamed up with David Gurewitz to design and open the kitchen, we felt lucky to have someone with as much experience as he had, and the skill he brought to the job set the tone in our fledgling kitchen perfectly. When David left to open La Dive, we hit a home run again with Evan Bolling, who took our tiny and creative kitchen toward tacos and a myriad of smoked delicacies. He recently left to chase an amazing opportunity in Austin…”
“The thought of replacing Evan was a stressful one, but we’re thrilled to tell you that we’ve struck gold a third time. After a long search for an apt successor, we’ve brought in Jason Stratton to run our kitchen. If his tenures at mBar, Mamnoon, Spinasse, Artusi, Vespolina, Aragona, Le Gourmand and Cafe Juanita don’t speak volumes to you, his accolades should. Named “Best New Chef” by Food and Wine in 2010, he’s been a semi-finalist (5 times!) for James Beard’s “Best Chef: Northwest”. He’s even been a contestant on Top Chef, but beside his delicious food, what we like most about him is his ego-free thoughtfulness.”
“He’s a perfect addition to the wonderful crew we have at Standard. We’ve been quietly introducing him for the last couple weeks, so you may have had his food and not even known it, but we want to formally welcome him and let you all know that our kitchen is in great hands. Welcome, Jason!”
On Instagram, Jason shared the news as well. “Excited to announce that I’ve taken over the chef role @therealstandardbrewing I’ve long been a big fan of their beer and look forward to developing the menu. Come enjoy some tacos and beer on the heated covered patio or order to go. I can’t wait to see your smiling eyes!”
