Executive Chef and partner

Ollie K.C. Liedags

Executive Chef and partner, Hilda and Jesse, San Francisco, California

Discipline: Executive Chef and partner

Portrait of Ollie K.C. Liedags

i. Biography

Ollie K.C. Liedags built his cooking on the old trade equation: technique first, then interpretation. The early instruction came at FIG, where Liedags says, “I had the good fortune to land in the kitchen at FIG under the tutelage of Chef Mike Lata. That line is doing real work. It marks FIG as the place where the vocabulary of the kitchen was learned and where the frame widened enough to make room for a more elastic style. The result is a cook whose food stays anchored in discipline while making space for risk, play, and nontraditional forms.

The Climb

Training at FIG and then returning there as a cook put Liedags back in a kitchen that had already served as a proving ground. From there, the work moved through a set of Bay Area rooms that each demanded a different kind of control. At Atelier Crenn, he served as executive sous chef; at Mosu, he was sous chef; and at Avery in the San Francisco Bay Area, he was Head Chef until 2023. By 2021, he had also taken on the role of Executive Chef and partner at Hilda and Jesse. The sequence it traces a progression from learning the line to holding more of it.

Today

At Hilda and Jesse in San Francisco, California, the title of Executive Chef and partner means Liedags is responsible for both the cooking and the broader shape of the restaurant. The work carries fine dining technique, but it does not stay formal for its own sake. His food lands in the space where classic structure is recognizable and then bent, where familiar forms are allowed to shift without losing their frame. That balance is the core of the line: control on one side, invention on the other. The North Beach setting gives the kitchen a specific context, and it places Liedags’ work inside a neighborhood with its own pace and texture. In that room, his role is straightforward: partner, chef, and the person shaping the table. The cooking reflects that combination of training and latitude, staying technically sound while leaving room for surprise.

Career - Executive Chef and partner — Hilda and Jesse, San Francisco, California (2021–present) - Cook — FIG - Executive sous chef — Atelier Crenn, San Francisco Bay Area - Sous chef — Mosu, San Francisco Bay Area - Head Chef — Avery, San Francisco Bay Area (until 2023) Education: FIG

Signature

Ollie's signature dishes include Avocado Toast with Tempura Sweet Potato and Sour Cream–Onion Dip.

In Their Words “My food is rooted in technique, but it’s playful, nontraditional, and pushes boundaries.” “I had the good fortune to land in the kitchen at FIG under the tutelage of Chef Mike Lata.”

Recognition

Ollie's honors include James Beard Semi-Finalist, Best Chef: California (2024) and Michelin star (2024).

FAQ What is Ollie K.C. Liedags's current role? Ollie K.C. Liedags is Executive Chef and Partner. What recognition has Ollie K.C. Liedags received? James Beard Semi-Finalist, Best Chef: California (2024).

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