Jill Vedaa

Career At Salt, Jill Vedaa has served as Executive Chef and co-owner since 2016. The role has required a kitchen language built on pace, grit, restraint, and control of the plate’s balance: simple ingredients, careful texture, color, and globally inspired flavors, all held in check rather than pushed past themselves. In 2025, she added Vice President of Culinary Operations at Buildings and Food, extending that same point of view to a larger operation without changing the underlying discipline. “I have a deep passion for food, from preparing it to enjoying it. The opportunity to do so on a larger scale and to mentor talented individuals is truly a dream job.” Jill has said.

Signature

Pork Secreto, Grilled Mango Salsa, Lime, Cilantro appears as one of Jill Vedaa’s signature dishes. The combination points to the way her cooking is described: vivid, tightly composed, and built on contrast, with richness set against brightness and freshness rather than buried beneath excess.

Recognition/etc James Beard Award semifinalist is the recognition attached to Jill Vedaa. The honor sits alongside a body of work defined less by flash than by control, visual clarity, and a consistent insistence on doing more with fewer moving parts.