Jeffrey Lizotte

At Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Jeffrey Lizotte learned the shared grammar of hospitality and kitchen discipline. He then pressed that foundation against French practice, staging first at La Tupina in Bordeaux, France, and then at La Bastide St. Antoine in Grasse, France. Those rooms sharpened his approach: process mattered, restraint mattered, and ingredients were strongest when handled with clarity. Back in the United States, Jeffrey Lizotte led the kitchen at ON20 in Hartford, Connecticut, where he served as Head Chef from 2009–2012 and then as Executive Chef from 2012.

There, the cooking was exacting and seasonal, built for a dining room that could read precision without confusing it for severity. Today, Jeffrey is director of The Foundry and chef and owner of Present Company.

As of 2025, Jeffrey is director at The Foundry in Hartford, Connecticut, while also working at Present Company in Tariffville, Simsbury, Connecticut. The work follows the same line as the training: French technique filtered through Connecticut produce, with attention paid to timing, flavor, and when to stop. The result is innovative American seasonal cooking that stays grounded. A line he has shared about cooking at home points to the same instincts that shape the rest of his work: “Pasta Carbonara – everyone likes a good pasta dish. It is simple and one of my favorites.” The draw is in the plainness of it, where heat, timing, and restraint do the work.

Jeffrey’s honors include Silver medal, Bocuse d'Or USA and Valrhona Best Pastry, Trophee Passion.