Chef Jared Simons, a San Diego native, got his first taste of hospitality during high school where he worked back-of-house at a local restaurant. He then went on to enroll at the California Culinary Academy and subsequently at 22 years-old, precocious Simons opened his first restaurant concept in Carlsbad, CA. Looking to establish his style of cuisine in a new city, Simons made the move to Los Angeles after seeing an ad for a restaurant space in West Los Angeles. He opened a casual small-plates eatery, named Violet, on an up-and-coming stretch of Pico Boulevard which helped establish him in the Los Angeles dining scene and earned him recognition from Food & Wine and The Los Angeles Times.
In 2008, Simons signed on to create the menu for Hollywood’s Bardot. The nightclub experience afforded him the opportunity to bring to life a focus on engaging diners through shareable small plates, as opposed to “marrying” them to the flavors of a single entrée and encouraging a social dining experience. Simons then went on to collaborate with restaurateur Steven Arroyo at popular tapas destination Cobras & Matadors, and its sister sandwich spot, Potato Chips.
In March 2012, Simons joined the team at Lexington Social House in Hollywood, bringing his distinct dining philosophy to the venue. Later that year, Simons left Lexington Social House to help steer Arroyo’s La Otra Escuela Taqueria and re-conceptualize the original location of Escuela Taqueria. In September 2013, Simons teamed up with music manager Bryan Ling to open No Name on North Fairfax Avenue in West Hollywood. The supper-club style restaurant spotlights Jared’s play on American classics and seasonal cooking as a prelude to the clandestine-style cocktail bar and performance venue known for nurturing an artistic community.
2021 brought the opening of Taco Vega, a plant based restaurant, which Simons co-founded and conceptualized a menu which he hopes to help people make or more healthy and sustainable food choice through tacos.
Outside of the kitchen, Simons is an avid endurance athlete. Having most recently completed his 6th Ironman triathlon, Simons follows a plant-based diet to help fuel his swimming, biking, and running. He is also the founder of the hand-crafted soap line, Whitechapel Soap Co., where he uses the finest natural and sustainable oils to create cold-processed soaps.
