Suzanne Tracht

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Suzanne Tracht (born 1963) is an American chef from Phoenix, Arizona. She started cooking professionally at 19 with a three-year apprenticeship at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel under chef Siegbert Wendler, then worked at the Westin Century Plaza and the Hotel Bel-Air with George Morrone. In 1991 she became the sous-chef at Noa Noa in Beverly Hills, and in 1992 she joined Campanile as chef de cuisine, where she worked with Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel.

In 1996 Tracht opened Jozu, a Cal-Asian fusion restaurant, as executive chef. The success of Jozu helped her open Jar in 2001 in Los Angeles’ Beverly Grove, with Peel. Jar offers a modern take on a 1940s-style chop house and is famous for its pot roast and char siu pork. The restaurant has repeatedly appeared among Los Angeles’ top dining spots. In 2007 she opened Tracht’s in Long Beach, which later closed.

Tracht is widely recognized as one of the country’s leading female chefs and is known for her braising. She has earned several honors, including Food & Wine’s Best New Chef (2002); Angeleno’s Chef of the Year (2009); and induction into Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame (2007). Time Out called Jar a dining institution in 2022. She has appeared on TV shows such as Hell’s Kitchen and Top Chef Masters, and has spoken at events like the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. She supports local food charities SOVA and Project Angel Food, and she has two children.