Meet our West Coast R&D Chef

Chef Holly Jivin has been with me for 16 years

Hello friends— I hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend full of time with your loved ones, and hopefully a bit of time outside as well!

With over 31 restaurants across the country, from L.A. to New York and The Bahamas, we bring together so many people from so many different backgrounds. This week, I want to introduce you to one of those incredible people…Chef Holly Jivin. Chef Holly is one of those team members that has again and again done more than what’s asked of her to help keep our restaurants new and exciting, and infusing traditional dishes with her unique perspective and creativity.

So today, I’d like to take a moment so you can get to know Holly. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, she came to us in 2008, the same year she moved to Los Angeles, and began working at The Bazaar as a line cook with the direction of Michael Voltaggio, who was Chef de Cuisine at the time. Did you guys know that Michael worked for me, many many years ago? And now look where he is!

Keep reading and hear from Holly in her own words…on how she developed her skills at our L.A. restaurants, what makes L.A.’s food scene so special, what inspires her, and what she cooks in her own time.

When did you arrive in L.A.?

I came to L.A. in 2008 to work at the original Bazaar. I had initially moved to West Virginia to work for Michael Voltaggio, but Chef brought us both out to L.A. to work at Bazaar. I started as a line cook and worked my way up the brigade to Chef de Cuisine. I absolutely thrived on the idea of fine dining…all that it requires…attention to detail, cooking with beautiful finesse. After Bazaar closed in 2020, I’ve been an R & D chef, traveling to where I’m most needed at the moment. I’m traveling as much as I can now, before the re-opening of Bazaar in L.A.—Bazaar Meat.

How has L.A. shaped your journey as a chef?

One of my favorite things about L.A.—and one of its greatest advantages— is that you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. There is an endless abundance of new places to try, and the ingredients are just incredible. I often rely on the Santa Monica farmers market on Wednesdays when I’m shopping for the restaurants, and I love the Hollywood Market on Sundays when I’m shopping for home. The markets have so much to offer, and nearly everything is in season all year round. Nothing is off limits. You truly have so much access to whatever you want.

What do you like to eat when you’re in L.A.?

Right now and always, it’s a lot of Korean BBQ and ramen. L.A. has one of the best Korean BBQ scenes in the country, so there’s always something new to try. As an ingredient, kimchi has influenced me a lot, to the point where we started making our own in house. We’ve also played with a Korean BBQ take on beef tartare. For ramen, right now I'm loving Daikokuya in Little Tokyo and AFURI ramen and Tsujita in the arts district. Noodles have always been comforting. The soup and the slurp are soothing to me.

What has been, to date, your favorite destination as a traveling chef?

I went to Japan a few years back when I was still at Bazaar LA to do a Wagyu tasting and tour. It was a tight 3 days of traveling, but the education and opportunity to get to experience another culture through food is what we as chefs thrive on. Also, I was recently in the Bahamas and loved it. I spent some time at our restaurant, Fish, in the Atlantis resort. The Bahamian ingredients there are amazing—spearfishing is a way of life, so you’re getting some incredibly fresh fish—grouper, snapper, even tuna or mahi-mahi.

How does your Southern background influence your food?

I grew up watching my mother, grandmother, aunts and uncles cook. You sort of had to stick your foot in the kitchen so you could learn how to do things yourself….you're there for the recipes, but also for the memories. Chicken and dumplings…that’s something we cooked together a lot. It’s still something I’ll cook for myself if I want a taste of home.

How do you find creative inspiration?

Eating around L.A and trying new places is still one of the best ways for me to find creative inspiration, and there are an endless number of places to try. I also love visiting farmers markets or reading a new cookbook. Walking the farmers market to see what inspires me is normally my favorite go-to. It could be cherry season starting, beautiful artichokes that I want to run as a special or put on the menu or sometimes just beautiful edible flowers or garnishes that could be unique.

How are you feeling about re-opening Bazaar in L.A.?

It's very full circle, since that’s really where I got my start! We're still creative, still playing around with new flavors, but people can expect to see some of their old favorites that will always be staples like the “Philly Cheesesteak”...maybe you’ll see a new version. Caviar cones and caprese were also a favorite. I’ll leave the rest for when you come visit me.

How has your experience with JAG influenced your career, and developed your skills as a chef?

I’ve known Chef Andrés for 16 years, starting with the big opening of Bazaar in L.A. As this restaurant world of ours has grown, it’s become a family. You’re welcome with open arms no matter where you are. I’m always running into individuals that have taught me and others I have nurtured myself over the years. I’m so grateful for the mentorship—it teaches you to always keep your eyes open, no detail is too small in the constant pursuit of perfection.