Jack McDavid is an American Chef and Restaurateur based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ^[6] He has appeared alongside Bobby Flay on the 1990s Food Network show Grillin and Chillin. Jack is known for his signature look with his blue overall's and "good ol' boy" persona. ^[1]

Jack McDavid went to the University of Virginia where he studied accounting. To work his way through school, he first worked bookkeeping at a sandwich shop and made his way into the kitchen as well. ^[5] Jack would answer the call when the local Monticello Restaurant needed a chef and decided soon after that it would be his career path. ^[5]

Throughout the 1970s and early 80s, Jack worked in 115 restaurants honing his culinary craft.

^[6] At each restaurant, Jack learned a new skill. A Greek short order chef taught him how to sauté. Chef Charlie Yu, Chaing Kai-Shek’s former chef, taught him about knives and presentation. In addition, Jack learned classical French technique, as well as discipline, at Washington's bastion of French cuisine, Le Lion D'Or. ^[5] There, he bacame proficient at every station in the kitchen of Jean-Pierre Goyenvalle. ^[1] He also learned some of the rudiments of French technique from one of Marriott’s top chefs, Dietmar Salat. ^[5]

Jack McDavid moved to Philadelphia in 1984 to continue his culinary profession at the world-renowned Le Bec-Fin. In March of 1987 after being inspired but his colleague and friend, Georges Perrier, Jack opened his first restaurant Down Home Diner at the Reading Terminal Market. ^[6] He became known for his unique and inventive dishes like cornbread pizza with Tennessee ham and chicken-fried buffalo steak with red-eye gravy. In November 1989, he opened Jack's Firehouse in the Fairmount area of Philadelphia featuring "haute country" cuisine. ^[6]

Everything served in his restaurants, from mayonnaise and ketchup, to biscuits and chocolate chip cookies. are made by McDavid. He only uses products that are locally grown and raised and invests in local farms and greenhouses so that he can get perfect vegetables and herbs all year round. ^[6] In the early 2010s, Jack sold the Firehouse and retired. ^[5]

Shortly after opening Firehouse, Jack made his first national appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado and was named one of the "Best Chef's in America" by the magazine. ^[1] He has been invited six times to cook at the James Beard House in Manhattan which the culinary equivalent to playing Carnegie Hall. ^[6] In 1996, Jack was the co-host of the Food Network program, Grillin and Chillen, with Bobby Flay. ^[7] In 2014, he reunited with his former co-host for an episode of Beat Bobby Flay. ^[2]

Jack is married and the father of four.

^[6] In addition to his family and restaurants, Jack makes time for charities, having donated time and effort to the American Farmland Trust, March of Dimes, Meals on Wheels, Chef's Aid, Share Our Strength and many more. ^[1]

Celebrities With Cookbooks