Jason Stanhope is the Executive Chef of FIG (Food Is Good) in Charleston, South Carolina. He opens up about the tragedy that lead him to his path as a chef. We discuss younger brothers, commitment to a single restaurant, for over a decade and being a father. Chef Stanhope credits one of his #UnsungHospitalityHeroes, Jessica Slaughter, with keeping the entire team at FIG organized and her general ability to kick some ass!

Website - Eat At FIG

Facebook - /eatatfig

Instagram - @eatatfig, @jdstan2003

Company Name & Location

FIG (food is good) in Charleston, South Carolina

Where were you born / raised?

Topeka, Kansas

First job in the industry?

I didn't work in a restaurant until I went to culinary school in San Francisco. While I was there I did a bunch of catering gigs and worked at a cafe chain called Specialties.

Proudest moment of your career?

There was a moment when I was thrown into the fire in Peru. Best Chef Southeast, James Beard Foundation. And so many other small but memorable moments.

Two things most people don't know about you?

I wear a compression hose everyday. I love binge watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Food and/or drinks staples in your house?

Eggs, Rice, Mustard, & always a stash of Redbreast & St. George Single Malt.

Words to live by?

If you want to make friends, don’t be a leader. Sell ice cream.

Growing up in Topeka, Kansas, Jason Stanhope’s experience with great cuisine was reserved for special occasions. For his family, the ritual of cooking and eating together was more important than what was on the table, which helped fuel his life-long obsession with sourcing the highest quality ingredients. Cooking with his family also instilled the desire to put on a great show every night and make guests feel like they are a part of the restaurant family, which is a founding principle of his culinary philosophy.

Stanhope moved to San Francisco to pursue a culinary degree at Le Cordon Bleu, and fell in love with the kitchen immediately. During this time, he had the chance to work in Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru, for Michael Raas, where he seized every opportunity, including one to fill in for the fish cook at Hotel Monasterio. The former Division II college football player moved back to the U.S. to work with James Beard award-winning chef Debbie Gold at Forty Sardines in Kansas City. While on a vacation to Charleston, Stanhope fell for the city and its rich epicurean history, and moved East to join the team at Mike Lata’s acclaimed FIG, where he has worked his way through the kitchen during his six-year tenure, starting as chef-tournant to his current position of executive chef, which earned him the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2015. Under Lata’s mentorship, Stanhope has learned the restaurant’s timeless philosophies, including the founding principle of how to write a menu: start with the best possible ingredients and products available and then develop dishes from there. By creating new dishes using ingredients and products thoughtfully sourced from local farmers and purveyors who are meticulous about their standards, Stanhope also upholds FIG’s philosophy of serving cuisine that is relevant, approachable, technically driven, and seasonally inspired. A leader in the farm-to-table movement since opening FIG over a decade ago, Lata has developed long-standing relationships that Stanhope and team continue to foster.