From the Central Coast to the Top of the Mountain
Chef Jake Irwin is an acclaimed, award-winning American Executive Chef — 25 years crafting high-alpine style with rustic flair, southwestern fusion, and Santa Maria barbecue, from the Central Coast to the summit of Big Sky, Montana.
25 Years
Culinary Experience
From the Central Coast to Making It to the Top
Chef Jake Irwin is an acclaimed, award-winning American Executive Chef — creating high-alpine style with rustic flair and southwestern fusion food.
Jake's roots are on the Central Coast of California, where he started as a 15-year-old dishwasher at the San Luis Obispo Country Club, then went on to Alex's BBQ and McClintock's Steak House — learning the craft shoulder-to-shoulder with seasoned chefs.
You cannot call yourself a Chef until you go out and earn the title. It takes closer to a decade of genuine experience, something money cannot buy — extreme passion for food, drive, leadership, and a work ethic that survives the harsh hours and the pressure that drive most people out of the industry. Most don't stick it out as long as Jake did.
The Wild West Arizona Years
Jake's next expedition was northern Arizona, starting at The Palace — Arizona's oldest historic bar and steakhouse. A year later he moved to Talking Rock, a private master-planned country club, where at just 21 he ran food and beverage for the members while the twenty-million-dollar clubhouse was being built.
Bill Phalen, owner of Phoenix Home & Garden magazine, kept Jake busy with guests flying in from around the world. GM Jim Lisering was so impressed that he told him: "If you keep this kind of work up, someday you'll be able to write your own ticket in life."
After four years, Jake earned his first title as Sous Chef under Executive Chef Jeff Kincaid. In its first year, Talking Rock won Runner-Up for New Clubhouse of the Year in the World.
Summer in the Wild
After five years at Talking Rock, Jake spent a summer in the Alaskan wilderness as private chef at Lake Marie Lodge, a remote fishing lodge — caring for 15–20 new guests every week, plus the fishing guides.
The true challenge of a lifetime was still ahead of him — that one belonged to Everett's 8800.
His menu leaned on freshly sourced ingredients: wild-caught salmon, meats, and produce flown in a few times a week. Guests woke to crème brûlée banana oatmeal, huckleberry flapjacks, and eggs Benedict with caribou sausage — and came back to fresh-caught salmon and fresh-baked dinner rolls every night.
The Red-Hot Desert
After Alaska, Jake moved to Scottsdale, working first at Sierra Pointe, where menus changed nightly and Sunday brunch served roughly 300 guests.
But he missed the golf industry. In 2008 he moved to Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club — a dual 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed club ranked by the LPGA among the top courses in the world. Over six years he delivered wine pairing dinners, private events, weddings, member-guest weeks, and golf tournaments for the membership.
Working those events alongside him for five years was events coordinator Tracy Elliott — one of Jake's all-time favorite people to plan with.
All-Stars & Massive Events
During off-seasons, Jake worked under Executive Chef Jesus Cibrien at the Phoenix Convention Center, learning to execute massive events — including the 2011 Phoenix MLB All-Star Break for 45,000 people.
At Superstition Mountain he became friends with member Albert Belle — one of MLB's most dominant players of the 1990s — cooking private dinners for Albert and his wife Melissa, and remaining close friends to this day.
The Rainbow Ranch Years
Rainbow Ranch Lodge was one of Montana's most exclusive fine-dining restaurants — and known around the world for its beautiful destination weddings.
Executive Chef
After twelve years in Arizona, Jake was ready for Montana — where he had spent summers as a boy. In 2014 he took the Executive Chef job at Rainbow Ranch Lodge, arriving that May with 30 days to hire staff, write a new Montana-style menu, and open for the summer wedding season.
Celebrity Guests
Jake cooked for an extraordinary roster of guests — a special menu for Iron Chef Cat Cora's family, Chris Klein's wedding along the Gallatin River, and dinners for Melinda and Bill Gates and Dallas Cowboys legend Gil Brandt.
The Door to Big Sky
Molly Eckman — Rainbow Ranch's General Manager and events coordinator — was Jake's favorite GM he ever worked with. She helped open the door for Jake to Big Sky, Montana, and the two ran the lodge's wedding seasons together.
Award Winner
Jake's creativity earned him the "Most Creative" award at Big Sky Resort's prestigious Pairsine Fine Wine and Food Pairing Competition — "Battle of the Chefs" — against ten of Montana's top culinary talents. Judges included Master Wine Sommelier Jay Fletcher, Google Executive Chef Matt Giambastiani, and food critic Fred Dane. The win was covered by Explore Big Sky, and Planet Blue Adventure profiled him in a feature titled "Chef Jake Irwin: Raising the Bar."
Notable Guest: Andrea Eastman
Among Jake's guests was Andrea Eastman — casting director for Paramount Pictures and ICM, with credits including The Godfather and Love Story, and a top Hollywood talent agent who represented Sylvester Stallone, Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, and Richard Gere. She later offered Jake her guest house in exchange for caring for her three horses.
The Rainbow Ranch Years in Pictures
Making It to the Top Above the Clouds
Jake was recruited by longtime Big Sky chef Sunil Malhotra to the Boyne-owned Big Sky Resort. Everett's 8800 — a high-alpine fine-dining restaurant sitting at 8,800 feet — was in his sights. He knew that if he could carry it out, he would be in anyone's consideration for any executive position. If he failed, it would set him back for years. It was by far the biggest logistical challenge of his career.
Before the winter season opened, the restaurant hosted the Masters Wine Dinner, hosted by Google's Executive Chef Scott Giambastiani and America's first Master Wine Sommelier, Fred Dame — the first time Jake ever operated the kitchen at Everett's.
That winter debuted the world's first eight-bubble seated chairlift, the RamCharger, engineered by Doppelmayer. Guests arrived by riding it up or skiing down Andesite Mountain. With no roads for food trucks, a separate receiving crew hauled supplies in snowcat cargo containers — and if deliveries weren't at the loading dock before 6:30 AM, the shipment came the next morning. Jake led a team feeding over 1,000 guests a day, with weekly food orders reaching $100,000. It took 80–90 hour work weeks for two months to get the operation flowing.
On New Year's Eve he executed a sold-out six-course wine pairing dinner on top of the regular menu, generating nearly $40K in one night. A critic from Restaurants for Kings scored the meal 9.1 out of 10, declaring it would hold its own in any fine-dining capital in the world.
Everett's exceeded revenue projections by nearly $100K each month it operated. But when Covid-19 shut the resort down a month early and staff had ten days to vacate mountain housing, Jake faced a difficult decision — one that ultimately led him home.
Bucks T-4 & Chuck Schommer
Between Rainbow Ranch and Everett's, Jake spent two years working under Chuck Schommer at Bucks T-4 — a Big Sky chef of several decades, Yellowstone Club Executive Chef, James Beard nominee, and owner of Bucks T-4. Alongside local chefs Scott Mechura and Joe Mama, and events coordinator Haley Rowland, it remains Jake's favorite chef-owned kitchen: organized, skilled, and run right.
Brian Polcyn — Charcuterie Intensive
Chuck flew in Brian Polcyn — one of the world's foremost charcuterie experts — for a two-day intensive. Jake butchered a whole pig and prepared ingredients for 23 charcuterie dishes. Afterward, Brian told him: "You're in my circle now — if you ever need anything, let me know." Chuck also flew Jake and Scott to Chicago for the National Restaurant Association show.
Café 191 and the Delzers
In his last years in Montana, Jake stepped away from Everett's to help his best friends — the Delzer family, a long-standing Big Sky staple — make Café 191 into one of Big Sky's last remaining local favorites. He became close with Gavin and Joey DeGraw; the three of them and their dogs would take off on adventures through Big Sky country for backyard BBQ. Jake didn't believe Gavin could really sing until he saw him perform a Christmas duet with Colbie Caillat on the Central Coast — and learned firsthand why Gavin's debut album Chariot still holds one of the top first-week sales in American history.
Gil Brandt & the Cowboys
At the Café, Jake became close with Gil Brandt — Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame executive, VP of player personnel from 1968–1988, Tom Landry's right-hand man, and a Big Sky resident of nearly 40 years. Gil helped recruit ten Hall of Famers to Dallas, from Roger Staubach through Troy Aikman, and knowing Jake was a die-hard Cowboys fan, he would bring him gifts including a 1989 Super Bowl game ball. His final stop before flying home to Fort Worth for good was a last meal at the Café with Jake. The two stayed friends until Gil recently passed away.
Troy Downing & Rob Riggle
Montana State Representative and Air Force officer Troy Downing became a friend at the Café, coming in often for the dry-aged bison skillet — and often bringing high-profile guests. One morning he brought Rob Riggle, the Hollywood comedian who had served as a Marine Colonel alongside Troy. Jake prepared his dry-aged bison ribeye skillet and eggs, then joined the two for breakfast at the bar. Rob told him: "This is the best, most creative, innovative breakfast dish I've ever had. You hit it out of the park, Chef."
Life at the Top of Big Sky
Home on the Central Coast
After nearly two decades away, Jake missed home and his family — and decided it was time to head back to the Central Coast with his two German Shorthaired Pointers, Wiley and Quigley. Big Sky had changed, longtime locals were moving away, and he chose to move on from Everett's to save a spot for the people who made it what it was.
Within two weeks of returning he was opening two new restaurants, working with an owner who ran several Central Coast concepts. Once those were finished, he stepped back into a lower-key role at the Morro Bay Golf Course — the perfect place to reset after nearly a decade of proving himself as one of Big Sky's most acclaimed Executive Chefs.
There he networked with locals and cooked private events throughout the community — until he realized this is what he had to do. With a 25-year résumé and endless beautiful venues across the Central Coast, American Expeditioned Chef Catering was born.
Jake specializes in large-scale weddings from June through October, deliberately limiting how many he takes per month — wedding contracts are typically booked a year in advance. Through the winter he works with local wineries and smaller private dinners. His signature format is Santa Maria-style BBQ cooked low and slow over red oak, with beef tri-tip as the Central Coast's signature cut.
Intimate Dinners
15–20 guests
Large Events & Weddings
Up to 200 guests
Awards & Honors
"Most Creative" Chef
Won the prestigious Pairsine Fine Wine & Food Pairing Competition — "Battle of the Chefs" — at Big Sky Resort, competing against ten of Montana's top culinary talents. Judges included Master Wine Sommelier Jay Fletcher, Google Executive Chef Matt Giambastiani, and food critic Fred Dane.
9.1 / 10 Rating
Reviewed by Restaurant for Kings chief editor Fredrick Flipisson — an anonymous critic who reviews Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide. The review declared Everett's 8800 would hold its own in any fine-dining capital in the world.
Iron Chef Champion
Teamed up with another chef and two high school students from the local MSU mentorship program to win an Iron Chef-style competition at Montana State University, showcasing Jake's commitment to mentoring the next generation of culinary talent.
Clubhouse of the Year
As Sous Chef at Talking Rock Golf & Country Club under Executive Chef Jeff Kincaid, the newly opened facility earned Runner-Up for New Clubhouse of the Year in the World in its first year of operation (2007).
Media Features
Profiled in Explore Big Sky, featured in Planet Blue Adventure ("Chef Jake Irwin: Raising the Bar"), and published in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle's At Home magazine (Winter 2014 edition) for holiday cooking tips.
Culinary Mentorship
Volunteered with the Bozeman MSU program, mentoring high school students in the culinary arts during his free time — giving back to the next generation and sharing the craft that shaped his own career.
The Making of a Chef
You cannot call yourself a Chef until you go out and earn the title. It takes closer to a decade of genuine experience — something money cannot buy. You've got to have extreme passion for food, drive, strong leadership skills, and a serious work ethic. The hours are harsh; your nights and weekends are history. Anyone can write a menu — the reality is you have to be able to execute it.
"Being called Chef for the first time — I felt accomplished. I realized I had done it, with all the years and countless hours I worked for it."
Across 25 years Jake has worked with amazing individuals and locations — whoever gave him a chance, or the keys to the operation, he never let them down. He's experienced hundreds of large-scale exclusive events: weddings, golf events, private dinners, and wine dinners, always adapting to whatever fresh resources were around him and working with experienced chefs and the best food purveyors across the country.
You find the beautiful location for your special event — you call Jake, you meet up, and together you'll plan the menu and get it going. Through his specialty chef purveyors he has access to anything in season you want, and with the shortage of chefs carrying his kind of experience and knowledge, he'll make your event one of a kind. If the suggested menu doesn't fit your needs, he'll accommodate what you need.
Let's Start Planning Your Event
Tell Jake about your event and he'll personally follow up with ideas tailored to you.
Jake & His Clients
From athletes and actors to celebrated chefs and discerning hosts — here's a look at a few of the events Jake has had the privilege of being part of.
With Albert Belle & Hamilton Mee
Private Event
With Brian Urlacher
Private Chef Engagement
With Chef Cat Cora
Industry Event
With Google Executive Chef Scott Giambastiani
Masters Wine Dinner