Jarrett Mines is used to catering to discerning palates. As a self-taught private chef for the likes of Myles Garrett, Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, as well as other members of the Cavs and Browns, he’s had to carefully tailor menus to the appetites and nutritional goals of professional athletes. When he steps into his new role as head chef for Filter (named for social media filters), the upcoming restaurant in the Warehouse District, expect a roster of people-pleasing dishes served up in a sleek, contemporary setting that’s made for selfies. Here’s five things to know about the rising culinary star.
He’s a self-made man.Not being a classically trained chef hasn’t stopped Mines. After serving and bartending opened his eyes to the restaurant world, he was hooked. “I just got obsessed with food,” he says. “I cooked all the time. I would literally do all I could: watch cooking shows or go to the grocery store and buy potatoes to practice my knife skills. Then I started a meal prep [service] and it took off.”
He’s game for anything.
Being a personal chef is nothing like being head chef of a restaurant, but Mines can do either. “As a personal chef you cook based on individual goals and what they’re trying to do with their body and their health,” he says. “With a restaurant it’s more like you’re a machine and people want your product, and you have to be a consistent machine that delivers a great experience from service to food.”
Creativity is top of mind.
One of the things Mines loves about cooking is putting his own twist on established dishes, like one of his favorites, shrimp and grits. “It’s a simple dish using some of the cheapest ingredients, so being able to add some elegance to that, I think that’s what being a chef is about,” he says. “And really what life is about — literally making something from nothing.”
He likes to break the rules.Mines prefers to mix and match the flavors and dishes of different cultures. “I just take my chances with crossing cultures,” he says. “Why can’t we do jerk chicken and shrimp fried rice? You just smack somebody with all these flavors. It’s like, yo: that’s what makes food so dope — it’s art. There’s no limits on it.”
Expect the unexpected at Filter.
Mines describes the experience at Filter as “interactive.” “When your food comes to you, it may not be a regular plate,” he says. “You may have to open some things up to get to your food or you may have to work around some different things.”
If you enjoyed this story, dig in to the rest of May's Best Restaurants issue below.
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