Our Team

Executive Chef

Jason Knibb

Jason Knibb joined the staff of NINE-TEN in September of 2003. He was formerly with Robert Redford’s Sundance Village, where he served as executive chef for all food & beverage operations located on the resort property, including the Foundry Grill and the renowned Tree Room restaurant.

Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica and raised in Southern California, Jason has trained under some of this country’s most celebrated chefs. He began his career working with Wolfgang Puck at L.A.‘s Eureka restaurant. He then assisted famed Roy Yamaguchi with the opening of Roy’s Kahana Bar & Grill in Maui. After returning to Southern California, he accepted the position of Chef Tournant under Hans Rockenwagner at Rockenwagner’s in Santa Monica and the popular Rox restaurant in Beverly Hills. Venturing north, Jason took over as Sous Chef at the San Francisco eatery, Moose’s Café. He left San Francisco to oversee the opening of Malibu in Warsaw, Poland, where he trained the restaurant’s kitchen staff and created its California Cuisine menus. He returned to the U.S. in 1996 to become Sous Chef at Joe’s Restaurant in Venice, California. Following a successful two-year endeavor at Joe’s, he moved to Sundance, Utah in 1998 to work under La Jolla’s own Trey Foshee at the famed Tree Room restaurant. Jason took over as the resort’s Executive Chef upon Foshee’s departure.

“Each of my mentors has a simple common philosophy about cooking, which translates into my style today,” states Jason. “We each create regional cuisine using the freshest, local products available. I find the most culinary pleasure in blending an eclectic mix of classic techniques with modern styles inspired by the ethnic diversities of San Diego. I couple that with my own vision of new American cuisine by taking traditional dishes and giving them a simple, elegant twist.”

A recognized name in culinary circles across the country, Knibb has amassed many awards and accolades for his style and cuisine, including: 2013 Zagat Survey® Food Score of 26 (extraordinary to perfection); 2012 Gayot Top 10 Molecular Restaurants in the U.S.; 2012 Zagat Top 10 Restaurants in San Diego; and a 2010 Rising Star Chef Winner/StarChefs (one of only 2 chefs in San Diego to be recognized for this coveted honor), to name just a few. He has also been featured in Food & Wine magazine, Sunset magazine and Jamaican Airlines Magazine’s in-flight publication, Sky Magazine and has frequently appeared as a guest chef at the James Beard House.

In November of 2011, Knibb was a contender on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America, battling Bobby Flay in a seafood/caviar showdown. This showing was the first time a San Diego chef had been invited to compete on Iron Chef, marking yet another significant milestone in Chef Knibb’s culinary career.

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