After many years at Circa 1886, Executive Sous Chef Matt Pleasants is moving over to Rutledge Ave to take on the role of Sous Chef at the highly-anticipated addition to Spring Street, Xiao Bao Biscuit. Taking his place is friend and Circa 1886 team member, Jason Culbertson.
Jason is a Charleston transplant, born in Minnesota and raised in Florida. Much like Executive Chef Marc Collins, Jason’s original intent was not to be a chef. Jason was an athlete in high school, on a path to college athletics. That plan needed some back up after Jason broke his leg on the field during recruitment season. Not sure what Plan B was, Jason started school at the nearby Valencia College and began an externship in the restaurant of Orlando’s Peabody Hotel. Jason recalls his near three years at The Peabody “not even feeling like work.” He had found a new passion. Jason was quickly on a career path through the kitchens of fine dining restaurants and hip breakfast and lunch spots in Vail, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The Atlantic Ocean called Jason back last fall. He moved to Charleston and landed a spot on the line at Circa 1886. Just shy of his year anniversary, Chef Collins promoted Jason to Executive Sous Chef in recognition of his dedication and talent. Jason’s move to Charleston brings him closer to his family in Florida and finally reunites him with the beach. When not in the kitchen at Circa 1886, Jason is in his own kitchen, cooking for (and with) friends: a throwback to the frequent and informal dinner parties he left behind in Vail.
Jason draws culinary inspiration from his tour of the west coast. While in the foodie haven of San Fransisco, he met and took cooking lessons with the husband and wife duo behind his favorite blog, Ideas in Food. Jason is also influenced by British Chef Marco Pierre White and James Beard Award Winning Chef Grant Achatz. See his full bio here.
Stay tuned. In just a few weeks, Circa 1886 will debut a new late fall menu. Be sure to stop in for dinner and meet Jason yourself. Take a peek at the Circa 1886 blog and stay up to date with regular happenings
