January 4-29, 2009 (Sunday - Thursday)

Jared Wentworth - Chef

Chef Jared Wentworth brings to AMA AMA Oyster Bar & Grill more than 12 years of executive chef experience preparing cutting edge foods and his extensive knowledge of French, Japanese and Mediterranean cuisines.

Raised in Cape Cod, Mass., Wentworth worked his way west while honing his culinary skills in New York (Aureole, Park Avenue Café), Chicago (Charlie Trotter's, Atlantique, Tizi Melloul) and as Chef de Cuisine at Quinn's on Seattle's Capitol Hill.

Wentworth has also worked alongside such acclaimed chefs as David Burke, Keith Korn, John Hogan, Charlie Trotter and David Bouley. Wentworth credits Chef Burke as a standout inspiration, whose creativity merited him as one of America's best chefs. While many cooks have battle scars made from their own accidents, Wentworth also bears a large scar on his head from the late, great Chef Korn, who used a sauté pan to drive a point home; the point stuck, Wentworth humbly notes. Wentworth also carries fond memories of watching his grandparents cook.

Despite his high-profile culinary experiences, Wentworth adheres to a simple approach: Use fresh wholesome ingredients dictated by the changing seasons. Wentworth also shares AMA AMA's belief that creative, high quality food doesn't have to be expensive. Menu ideas usually form from his own curiosity, or from the enjoyment of eating and pairing new combinations. If this is telling, five ingredients Wentworth is always using are foie gras, chocolate, sea salt, butter and "pig." The freedom to create and an always-varied experience in the kitchen keeps him drawn to the cooking profession.

Wentworth is married with two school-aged children and the proud canine keeper of a Mastiff. He enjoys fishing, playing guitar, tasting wine and when at home entertaining friends in Magnolia, prefers to work the backyard barbecue.