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Traci Des Jardins

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Traci Des Jardins
Traci Des Jardins with Gary Danko in the background
Born15 November 1965
Firebaugh, California, U.S.
Culinary career
Previous restaurant(s)
  • * Public House, San Francisco (2010–2024)
    * School Night, San Francisco (2018–2019)
    * Mijita, San Francisco (2004–2019)
    * Jardinière, San Francisco (1997– 2019)
    * Commissary, San Francisco (2014–2021)
    * Arguello, San Francisco (2014–2021)
    * Transit Cafe (2015–2019)
    * El Alto, Los Altos (2022–2022)
Television show(s)
  • "Guy's Grocery Games"
Award(s) won
Websitewww.tracidesjardins.com

Traci Des Jardins is an American chef and restaurateur who previously owned Jardinière, a French influenced California fine-dining restaurant in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, California.[1]

Biography

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Des Jardins was raised on a farm in Firebaugh, California, near Fresno.[2][3] Her father is of French Acadian descent, and her mother's family is from the Mexican state of Sonora.[3] Her maternal grandparents, Angela and Miguel Salazar, lived in a small house nearby, and Des Jardins has many strong childhood memories of her grandmother preparing flour tortillas.[4][5] The Des Jardins' dinner table featured produce from the garden and game from the land in dishes which reflected her family's Mexican and Louisianan-French Acadian heritage.

Des Jardins apprenticed at several three-star French restaurants, including La Maison Troisgros, and was executive chef at Joachim Splichal's Patina in Los Angeles.[4] Later, she worked at notable San Francisco restaurants Aqua, Elka, and Rubicon before opening Jardinière in 1997.[6]

Philosophy

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Des Jardins (left) with Karen Ross, J. Stacey Sullivan, and Joy Sterling, CEO of Iron Horse Vineyards in 2017

Des Jardins uses locally sourced, organic, seasonal ingredients whenever possible, and prefers sourcing from smaller, sustainable farming and ranching operations.[7]

Awards

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In 2007, Des Jardins won the James Beard Foundation Award for best chef in the Pacific region. In 1995, she was named the James Beard Foundation's "Rising Star Chef of the Year". She has won Food & Wine magazine's "Best New Chef" title, and San Francisco magazine's "Chef of the Year" award. Jardinière was named Esquire magazine's "Best New Restaurant", and was also nominated as a "Best New Restaurant" by the James Beard Foundation.[citation needed]

Television appearances

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Traci Des Jardins competed on season 3 of Top Chef: Masters, which debuted April 6, 2011; she was a runner-up. She also appeared on an episode of Iron Chef America in 2005, in which she defeated Mario Batali.[8] Later, she competed in The Next Iron Chef but was eliminated in the first episode.[9]

Traci Des Jardins was also a judge on season 18 of Hell's Kitchen during a challenge in episode 4.[10]

Traci Des Jardins has also appeared as a judge on Guy's Grocery Games - $12 Meal Showdown.[11]

Restaurants

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Active

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Closed

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  • Jardinière (September 1997–April 2019), San Francisco[12]
  • Public House (2010–2024), Oracle Park, San Francisco[3]
  • School Night (2018–2020), Dogpatch, San Francisco
  • Mijita Cocina Mexicana (2004–December 29, 2019), Ferry Building, San Francisco[13][14][15][16]
  • Mijita (2010–2015), Oracle Park, San Francisco[14][16]
  • Commissary (May 2014–2021), Presidio, San Francisco[17][18]
  • Arguello (2014–2021), Presidio, San Francisco
  • Transit Café (April 2015–November 2019), Presidio, San Francisco,[19][20] closed for the construction of the Presidio Tunnel Tops project.
  • El Alto (2022), State Street Market, Los Altos, California[21] (Vacated in 2023)[22]

References

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  1. ^ Severson, Kim (June 22, 2005). "The Chef: Traci Des Jardins; A Comforting Breakfast Starts With Salsa". The New York Times. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  2. ^ "The Interview: Traci Des Jardins". The Nob Hill Gazette. 2018-03-01. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  3. ^ a b c Saria, Lauren (2022-02-28). "Acclaimed Chef Traci Des Jardins' Much-Anticipated Silicon Valley Restaurant Opens March 24". Eater SF. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  4. ^ a b Severson, Kim (2005-05-25). "The Chef: Traci Des Jardins – Tortillas Let a Cook Come Home Again". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-06-02.
  5. ^ Friend, Nina (July 23, 2020). "How Chef Traci Des Jardins Cooks at Her Lake House". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  6. ^ Severson, Kim (2005-06-08). "The Chef:: Traci Des Jardins; Listening for the Wisdom of the Carrot". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-06-02.
  7. ^ Severson, Kim (2005-07-06). "The Chef: Traci Des Jardins – A Steak Brought Up Well, Please". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-06-02.
  8. ^ Ganahl, Jane (August 12, 2005). "S.F. crowd cheers on chef Traci Des Jardins as 'Iron Chef' airs on big screen at Jardiniere". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 2011-06-02.
  9. ^ Lee, Cindy (2007-10-10). "What's New: Traci Des Jardins off 'Next Iron Chef'". SFGate.com. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 2011-06-02.
  10. ^ "Traci Des Jardins". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  11. ^ "Traci Des Jardins". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  12. ^ Bauer, Michael (1997-11-09). "Dining Out -- Jardiniere Brightens Civic Center / Sophisticated ambience and chef Traci Des Jardins' wonderful food a winning combo". SFGATE. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  13. ^ Wu, Kim Severson, Carol Ness, Karola Saekel, Judy (2004-08-25). "What's New". SFGate. Retrieved 2022-04-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ a b Batey, Eve (2020-01-06). "Traci Des Jardins' Mexican Restaurant in the Ferry Building Is Closed". Eater SF. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  15. ^ "Chef Traci Des Jardins Plans New Mexican-Inspired Restaurant on the Peninsula". SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports. 2021-07-08. Archived from the original on 2022-01-23. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  16. ^ a b Bitker, Janelle (2020-01-06). "Traci Des Jardins closes Ferry Building Mexican restaurant Mijita". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  17. ^ Lucchesi, Paolo (2014-05-23). "Des Jardins opens Commissary in the Presidio". SFGate. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  18. ^ "Traci Des Jardins Opens the Commissary This Week". Inside Scoop SF. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  19. ^ Fort, Ellen (2015-01-28). "Traci Des Jardins Crowned Queen of the Presidio, Adds Third Dining Concept El Alto (2022–2022), State Street Market, Los Altos, California Closed over night". Eater SF. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  20. ^ Felch, Trevor. "Traci Des Jardins Expands in the Presidio". SF Weekly. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  21. ^ Wells, Madeline (2022-09-26). "Celebrity chef's new Bay Area restaurant suddenly closes". SFGATE. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  22. ^ "Los Altos: A Cal-Med favorite will move into restaurant space vacated by chef Traci Des Jardins". 2024-02-16. Archived from the original on 2024-02-16. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
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