Chef
David Jackman
- Discipline
- Chef
Made By record
Awards & recognition
1 total
verified records
Portrait of David Jackman
i. Biography
David Jackman has been Head Chef and owner of Wildweed in Cincinnati since 2024. At Wildweed, the work reads through the menu: wildcrafted local ingredients, seasonal produce, and ingredients foraged by Jackman, alongside sourcing from local farmers and cheesemakers. The result is a kitchen language built from the land around Cincinnati, with dishes that track the moment, the weather, and the region’s quieter abundance.
The Climb
Today, David Jackman is chef/owner of Wildweed. The title is straightforward; the discipline behind it is not. At the restaurant, Jackman’s approach is rooted in place, with foraging and seasonality setting the pace of the menu. Instead of building for effect, he works from what is freshest and most immediate, letting local ingredients do the leading.
Today
At Wildweed, the goal is to put local ingredients to work as the frame for Midwestern flavors. That gives the restaurant its shape: restrained, but not severe; playful, but not loose. Jackman describes the place plainly: "We like to describe the place as “fun-dining.” It’s fine-dining, sure, but with all the unnecessary frills stripped away." The result is a room and a kitchen that stay polished without becoming formal, aimed at diners who want precision without stiffness.
Career - Chef/Owner — Wildweed, Cincinnati, Ohio
Recognition
Recognition for Wildweed has become, for Jackman, part of a larger argument for Cincinnati itself: that the city’s restaurants deserve broader notice, and that work outside major metropolitan centers should be read on equal terms. That position matches the ethos he has built at Wildweed since 2024—local, specific, and controlled—now brought into wider view. He is the winner of the One to Watch Award, as part of North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026.
FAQ What is David Jackman's current role? As of 2026, David Jackman is Head Chef and Owner. What is David Jackman known for? Foraging and seasonally focused dishes. What recognition has David Jackman received? James Beard Award, Best Chef Great Lakes Region semifinalist (2025).
