Chef Michelle Brown Bio
Jag’s Steak and Seafood opened its doors in January of 2003 to a much needed community for a fine dining establishment. As the original Executive Chef, Michelle Brown and her team have awed not only the community of West Chester but also Cincinnati and Dayton.
Originally from Cincinnati, Brown attended the University of Cincinnati and looked forward to a future in teaching. Discovering she had a flair for cooking, she began charting a career in the restaurant business. She explains, “When I was growing up, there wasn’t the Food Network and all the hype and glamour of being a chef.” “I never really thought about who was cooking my food when I dined out.” “I was at the Banker’s Club as a valet attendant. Walking into the kitchen to clock-in, my first day, I knew found my calling.” “The white jackets, the stern looking chef, the camaraderie….I fell in love. It took me a couple months to be hired in the kitchen, and then Executive Chef Jon York took me under his wing and still today, he is my mentor and friend.”
Brown proceeded to spend three years in San Francisco honing her skills before returning to Cincinnati to become the Executive Chef of Beckett Ridge Country Club. Now at Jag’s she feels she got the best of both worlds in terms of her goals. She creates menus, works with charitable organizations and teaches and mentors several future chefs. When asked why she is involved in helping with the community, Brown says “It feels good to have the power of helping people. I look forward to the various charity events that I’m involved in because it gives me the opportunity to mingle with the community and work with some of the great chefs in the city….and all for a good cause!”
When asked what Brown loves about being a chef, “The stress, the pace, the camaraderie, the heat, the learning, the food, the love, the mentoring….. the glory. I couldn’t imagine any other lifestyle.”
