Jacob Jasinski

The Climb

At Cara in Newport, Jacob Jasinski has been building a kitchen around blind-tasting dinner, New England seasonality, and coastal ingredients since 2019. The work is described as avant-garde cuisine with daily-changing dishes, and the underlying method is clear enough: keep the plate disciplined, keep it responsive, and let the region set the terms. Training at the International Institute of Culinary Arts in Massachusetts gave Jasinski a formal base, and a stagiaire period at Domaine de Clairefontaine in Rhone Valley, France added the tempo and pressure of a professional brigade. From there, his route moved through The Dining Room at Ritz-Carlton Buckhead in Atlanta, White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Salt Exchange Restaurant in Portland, Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and Castle Hill Inn in Newport (until 2014), before a run as Head Chef at Seasons at Ocean House in Watch Hill (2014–2019). The progression reads less like a single style imposed early and more like a set of kitchens that helped sharpen restraint, technique, and place-based cooking. Today, The Chanler at Cliff Walk / Cara and The Café has Jasinski in the Executive Chef role since 2019, with the restaurant identity tied to the coast and to a classic dining room format. The brief is straightforward: hold the standards of the house while keeping the menu in step with what the shoreline and season make available.

Today

Since 2019, Jasinski has served as Executive Chef at Cara in Newport, Rhode Island. There, the cooking uses the freshest local and sustainable produce to accentuate the natural qualities of each ingredient, allowing flavor to emerge with clarity rather than fuss. The result is cuisine that feels carefully composed but never overworked, with daily-changing dishes that keep the menu in conversation with the season. He has described the aim as “to create an experience that conveys a sense of place in a classic restaurant setting utilizing all the ingredients the area has to offer at their peak freshness.” That ambition reflects the connection between his Rhode Island roots and his approach to seasonal cooking: a belief that luxury can be grounded in locality, and that refinement is often strongest when it leaves room for the ingredient itself to speak.

Signature

Jacob's signature dishes include Crab Lettuce Wraps and venison meatballs garnished with chocolate. Together, they show a kitchen willing to work across freshness, richness, and a controlled element of surprise, using familiar formats without flattening them into sameness.

In Their Words “I grew up exploring small produce shops and farmers' markets in Rhode Island; and while my culinary experiences have taken me all over the world, New England has always been home.”

Recognition

Jacob's honors include Forbes Travel Guide fifth star for Seasons at Ocean House (2015).