Jonathan Eismann '84
Class Year:
1984
Degree:
A.O.S.
Major:
Culinary Arts
Biography:
Jonathan Eismann is chef/owner of the critically acclaimed Pacific Time in Miami, FL. Now located in the city’s Design District, the fine-dining restaurant combines the cool ambiance and enticing Pan-Asian dishes Chef Eismann is known for with a new palette of fresh contemporary American flavors and French techniques. Raised in a family-run hotel restaurant, Jonathan Eismann gravitated to the kitchen at a tender age. He earned his degree from The Culinary Institute of America in 1984, and his peers, recognizing his innovative ideas, voted him “most likely to succeed.” Chef Eismann’s professional career began in New York City at a time when the contemporary culinary scene was just taking wing.
From 1984 to 1992, his talent and passion brought him to the helm of many of New York’s finest kitchens, including Batons, Fandango, Mondial, and China Grill. In late 1992, Chef Eismann relocated to Miami, where he seized the opportunity to own his own restaurant on Lincoln Road, then an up-and-coming location. He opened the doors to the original Pacific Time in 1993, and it was an instant culinary landmark, contributing to the renaissance that catapulted South Beach to national fame in the early ’90s.
Chef Eismann was considered a member of the “Mango Gang,” a group of top South Florida chefs who came to prominence in the mid-1980s to mid-’90s. This talented group placed New World Cuisine on the international culinary map and into the lexicon of virtually every contemporary chef, food writer, and restaurant critic. Pacific Time’s original location was a celebrity magnet, attracting a stellar clientele that included Madonna, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Calvin Klein, Cindy Crawford, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others.
From 1984 to 1992, his talent and passion brought him to the helm of many of New York’s finest kitchens, including Batons, Fandango, Mondial, and China Grill. In late 1992, Chef Eismann relocated to Miami, where he seized the opportunity to own his own restaurant on Lincoln Road, then an up-and-coming location. He opened the doors to the original Pacific Time in 1993, and it was an instant culinary landmark, contributing to the renaissance that catapulted South Beach to national fame in the early ’90s.
Chef Eismann was considered a member of the “Mango Gang,” a group of top South Florida chefs who came to prominence in the mid-1980s to mid-’90s. This talented group placed New World Cuisine on the international culinary map and into the lexicon of virtually every contemporary chef, food writer, and restaurant critic. Pacific Time’s original location was a celebrity magnet, attracting a stellar clientele that included Madonna, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Calvin Klein, Cindy Crawford, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others.
An early sponsor of the Miami City Ballet and SOS/Taste of the Nation, the restaurant was also the see-and-be-seen dining destination of choice for Art Basel’s glitterati. Pacific Time received widespread acclaim and was cited as one of the best new restaurants in America by Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Esquire, and New York Magazine. Chef Eismann himself was honored in 1994 with the Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence. In addition to leading the kitchen at Pacific Time, Chef Eismann has been featured on the Food Network and the Great Chefs series on public television, and frequently participates in the Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
He is a licensed pilot, races cars, and is a member of the South Florida Alfa Romeo Owners Club. Chef Eismann has also served his alma mater as an alumni mentor to prospective CIA students.
He is a licensed pilot, races cars, and is a member of the South Florida Alfa Romeo Owners Club. Chef Eismann has also served his alma mater as an alumni mentor to prospective CIA students.
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