Timberline Lodge

Chef Jason Stoller Smith is returning to Timberline Lodge where he once worked in the kitchen, nearly 10 years ago. “I am thrilled to be back at Timberline,” says Smith. “It is like coming full circle. I know Timberline and its kitchens well, and I even know a lot of the members of the excellent culinary team we have there. I really look forward to working with them and carrying on the tradition of excellence that this Oregon icon provides its many visitors. It’s a perfect fit for me. It’s like coming home”

Smith, 38, began his career at the young age of 16, working in kitchens all along the Pacific coast. He developed a passion for cooking with fresh, local ingredients and at a relatively young age, he landed the job of executive chef at Budd Bay Cafe’ in Olympia, Washington. In 1999, he moved to the National Historic Landmark, Timberline Lodge to further hone his culinary skills and gain more practical management experience under the leadership of the Lodge’s long-time chef, Leif Eric Benson, who retired from Timberline last month. Smith later moved to Oregon’s wine country to become chef and partner at The Dundee Bistro, where he went on to really make a name for himself. In 2004, he was invited to present at the James Beard Centennial Dinner in New York City. In 2005 the Oregon Restaurant Association awarded him a scholarship to study food and wine pairing at Greystoke in Napa Valley, and in 2006 he twice went on to be the featured Willamette Valley chef in Napa. He became the go-to guest chef and long-time board member for the renowned International Pinot Noir Celebration, held each year in McMinnville, Oregon. He is now regarded as one of the northwest’s premier chefs, focusing on northwest regional cuisine, and specializing in utilizing locally grown, sustainable products in a quality, high volume restaurant environment.

Chef Jason Stoller Smith’s reputation, and his support of Oregon farmers, ranchers, vintners, and fishermen has nurtured the northwest’s recent notoriety for fresh, farm-to-table cuisine. His culinary excellence in this endeavor was most recently recognized by President Obama, when Smith was chosen for a special White House Picnic for 2000, held last week. Chef Jason Stoller Smith represented the Pacific Northwest on the national stage by working with White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford, and coordinating, ordering, and overseeing the preparation and cooking of fresh Copper River Salmon in a custom fire pit that was temporarily built for the occasion on the White House lawn.

“Jason has always impressed us here. He has stayed in touch with us over the years as his career progressed to this most recent exciting accomplishment at the White House,” said Jeff Kohnstamm, Timberline’s president and area operator. “We are thrilled to have Jason return to Timberline Lodge where he will lead our culinary efforts in all of our food and beverage outlets. We are certain that he will take our program to new heights, and we can’t wait to share the tasty results with our many guests!”