One Kennett Square Chef is Bringing New Meaning To the Term Dinner Party

By Leslie Weinberg

Once upon a time, in a square not so far away, gourmet chef Jason Ziglar started to transform private dinners, family meals and dinner parties into enchanting evenings and unforgettable meals with  Once Upon The Palate.

Once Upon The Palate ‘s private chef services include cooking classes and demonstrations, theme dinners, hor d’oeuvres at cocktail parties and private dinners for anywhere between two to fifteen people.

Before preparing the meal, Jason learns his clients’ needs including food likes and dislikes, party size and how many meals are needed. He even take food allergies into consideration. Once the menu has been created, Jason shops for the food, prepares the meal in the customer’s kitchen and cleans up afterward. During dinner parties, as each course is served at the table, he explains where their food came from, and why he paired them together.

Jason’s menus are centered around what’s sustainable and seasonal, but he is willing to adjust the menus to anything the customer desires. He has a wide repertoire of dishes he can create, whether a customer wants chicken pot pie or braised short ribs, Jason will do it with a friendly demeanor.  Regardless of what the customer chooses, all of Once Upon The Palate’s dressings, breads, pastas and all foods are crafted from scratch. Even though Once Upon The Palate creates high end fare, it doesn’t come with an extravagant price tag.

“I can give people an experience they will never forget. I will guarantee, I will give them one of the best meals they have ever had. I stand by my word 100 percent,” said Jason.

Once Upon The Palate wants to take the stress out of the back to school season. Parents can spend more time with their kids while Jason cooks up healthy meals for a busy family. He can walk clients step by step through the cooking process or he can leave a fully stocked fridge (with cooking instructions) while parents maintain their busy lifestyles. He can prepare several days worth of meals to be frozen and used as needed.

Two years ago, as part of a charity auction, Jason donated his services to cater a private dinner for 10 people. He sat down with the highest bidder, Michelle Braden, and planned out a six-course meal for her dinner party. The guests and hosts both loved Jason’s cooking and Jason realized being a personal chef could serve as an avenue for a unique business and allow him to do what he loves.

The Bradens have now held two multi-course farm to table dinners, a Spanish tapas themed dinner and French themed dinner. Once Upon The Palate is booked to do the Braden’s third farm to table dinner in September. Michelle plans on hosting another dinner after that because his dinners are so sought over amongst her friends. Michelle loves to cook and learns new tricks with every dinner. Hosting these dinners allows her family and guests to combine a fine dining experience with the comforts of being at home. The Bradens also enjoy the fact that Once Upon The Palate cleans up after the event, leaving the kitchen as clean as when he began.

“If you are a foodie, it’s really fun. They serve you like you are at a restaurant. You feel like you are getting a five star experience and it’s definitely worth it,” said Michelle. “Now I have people who want to come to my house for these dinners.”

Chef Jason’s motto includes keeping it simple and supporting the “buy fresh, buy local movement” as often as possible. That means purchasing quality ingredients from the Kennett Square Farmer’s Market and supporting local Kennett Square businesses. Jason graduated from the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in 2001 and was the executive chef at The Whip. He has also worked at State Street Grill and Nectar.

To learn more about bringing Once Upon The Palate to your next function,  contact Jason directly at 610-513-0606 or [email protected].