Chef John Tesar
John Tesar
Owner/Executive Chef, Spoon Bar & Kitchen, Knife, Oak
Hometown: New York City, NY
Currently Resides: Dallas, TX
Age: 54
Culinary Education: La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine, Paris, France, 1982
Known for his stylish, modern American cuisine prepared with classic European techniques, Chef John Tesar’s innovative culinary perspective and charismatic personality have garnered much acclaim throughout his 20+ years in the restaurant industry. Since receiving classical French training at La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris, Tesar has cooked in top-notch kitchens across the country accumulating several prestigious awards and accolades along the way.
Tesar started his culinary career at Club Pierre in Westhampton, followed by stints at 13 Barrow Street, 44 & Hell’s Kitchen, Vine and the Supper Club in New York where he cooked with Anthony Bourdain (tales of which are documented in Bourdain’s books, Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw). After New York, Tesar headed to Las Vegas to work with Chef Rick Moonen at RM Seafood.
In 2007, Tesar moved to Dallas to take the helm at The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, one of the city’s most esteemed restaurants. While there, his forward-thinking cooking earned two five-star reviews and a nomination for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef Southwest” Award.
As a highly sought-after consultant, Tesar is the genius behind the menus at The Cedars Social, The Commissary, as well as DRG Concepts’ Dallas Chop House, Dallas Fish Market, Wild Salsa and Chop House Burger.
Tesar has received nods from Esquire, Food & Wine, New York Magazine, and The New York Times, and has appeared on The Today Show and The Early Show. In 2011, Tesar competed on the inaugural season of the Food Network’s Extreme Chef, beating out competing chefs for the title.
Tesar is currently gearing up for the opening of Spoon Bar & Kitchen, a seafood-focused fine dining establishment set to open in Dallas’ Preston Center in Fall 2012. Though still in the early stages of construction, Eater National has already declared it one of “The 25 Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings of 2012.”
http://www.oakdallas.com/
http://www.knifedallas.com/
