Jennifer Jasinski

Crafted Concepts

A James Beard Foundation award winner for Best Chef Southwest in 2013 and nominee for Outstanding Chef in 2016, Jasinski opened her first restaurant, Rioja, in Denver’s Larimer Square to critical acclaim in 2004 featuring a Mediterranean menu influenced by local and seasonal products. She and business partner Beth Gruitch acquired Bistro Vendôme, a French bistro in 2006, opened Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen in 2010 and their homage to seafood, Stoic & Genuine, debuted at Denver’s historic Union Station in 2014. Her newest is Ultreia featuring the foods of the Iberian Peninsula, also in Union Station.

“Chef Jen” was a finalist on the 2013 season of Top Chef Masters and won the Denver tour stop of Cochon 555 in 2014. She was named 2004 Colorado Chef of the Year and 2005 Western Regional Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation. Rioja is consistently listed among Denver’s top restaurants by the 5280 Magazine and The Denver Post and Rioja has been annually awarded four stars by AAA since 2010.

Jasinski’s impressive restaurant credits include stints at Wolfgang Puck restaurants including Postrio, San Francisco; Spago, Las Vegas; Granita, Malibu; Spago, Chicago; corporate chef at Wolfgang Puck Food Company.

Jen lives in Denver with her husband Max MacKissock (also a chef) and their three dogs.