Suzanne Tracht is executive chef and owner of Jar, a modern chophouse in the heart of Los Angeles, known for its familiar retro American dishes.

Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Chef Tracht’s journey began as a teenager when she apprenticed under renowned chef Siegbert Wendler at the four-star rated Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa. After three years, she moved to Southern California to pursue her culinary aspirations. She spent the late 1980s cooking in the kitchens of the Westin Century Plaza Hotel and Spa and the Hotel Bel-Air. In 1991, Chef Tracht became sous chef at Noa Noa in Beverly Hills and the following year, she accepted the offer to work under the guidance of Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton in the kitchen at Campanile. Soon named the restaurant’s chef de cuisine, she  polished her earthy style of cuisine.

In 1996, she became executive chef at Jozu, where her innovative menu of Cal-Asian dishes won a multitude of accolades and she developed a true following. In its debut year, Jozu ranked number two for “L.A.’s Best New Restaurants” in Los Angeles Magazine’s annual restaurant issue.

Chef Tracht opened Jar in 2001 and with her longtime Chef de Cuisine Preech Narkthong, she re-invented chophouse classics. The restaurant has earned glowing reviews in many publications, including Los Angeles, Angeleno and the Los Angeles Times, which gave it a four-star review.

In 2002, Food & Wine magazine honored Tracht as one of  the Best New Chefs of the year. The chef has been prominently featured in The New York Times Magazine, LA Weekly, Los Angeles Confidential, More, GQ, Elle, New York, Variety and InStyle. She  has appeared on the Today Show, the Food Network, Entertainment Tonight, Extra, E!, Fox News, and many radio programs. She was inducted into the Fine Dining Hall of Fame by Nation’s Restaurant News in May 2007.  2009 has been a busy year for Suzanne.  She was honored by the James Beard Foundation at the Women in Food Awards.  She was named 2009 Chef of the Year by Angeleno magazine.  And, she is slated to participate in Fortune Magazine's Most Powerful Women Summit.

Chef Tracht has plans to open another restaurant in Los Angeles, Suzpree, a modern oyster bar and noodle house, sometime in 2010.

The chef donates time to charitable events including SOVA, Project Angel Food, the Bon Appétit Wines and Spirits Focus, Cooking for a Cause, Planned Parenthood, the Culinary Winemasters for Cystic Fibrosis, the Environmental Media Awards, and Taste of the Nation for Share Our Strength.

She lives in Los Angeles with her two teenage children, Ida and Max.

Did You Know?
Chef Tracht is nationally known for her pot roast and offers regular classes for anyone who wants to know how to cook it at home. The dish is on the menus at Jar (deleted Tracht's) all year ‘round, which is a departure for the chef who is otherwise passionate about cooking with the seasons.

Competing for: JFS/SOVA Community Food and Resource Program