Blazing a Trail in the Food World
The list of chefs Jason Pfeifer has worked for reads like a “Who’s
Who” of culinary giants—Michael Anthony at Gramercy Tavern, Thomas
Keller and Jonathan Benno ’93 at Per Se, and René Redzepi at Noma.
Now he’s joined his own prestigious list, having been named one of Forbes
magazine’s “30 Under 30” for 2014 in the Food category, a list the
magazine says “represents the entrepreneurial, creative, and
intellectual best of their generation.” And Jason certainly fits that
criteria.
He was just 18 when he completed a 2,174 miles, five-month hike of
the Appalachian Trail, creating gourmet meals with foraged ingredients.
Jason then spent time maintaining two organic farms at an inn in his
native North Carolina, and decided to turn his passion for food into a
career.
When he enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America, the course was charted for his future success. “The CIA prepared me
with the basic skills and expectations I would need to enter the
culinary world,” he says. “It was the first conscious choice I made to
set myself on the path of becoming a chef, and it has been invaluable in the trail I’ve taken.”
While at the CIA, Jason took his externship at Union Square
Hospitality Group’s renowned Gramercy Tavern in New York City, and did
so well, he ended up joining the team there after graduation. He
followed that up with a chef de partie position at Per Se, then traveled
to Denmark for an apprenticeship at Noma.
Back in the U.S., he returned to Union Square in New York as the
opening sous chef at Maialino, a Roman-style trattoria whose name
translates to “Little Pig.” Named chef de cuisine in 2013 and executive
chef in 2016, Jason adds his own spin to a menu that features roast
suckling pork and other central Italian delicacies.
His reaction to the “30 Under 30” announcement shows just how much
Jason has appreciated his many mentors along the way. “Being on the Forbes list is a testament to the hard work I’ve put into my career and hopefully also to the chefs I have worked with—at the CIA and elsewhere—who have taken the time to teach me.”