Foodie Bites

Guilty Pleasure Snack: White Cheddar Popcorn

Favorite Meal: I’m a Marylander so seafood is my weakness, scallops, shrimp, and crabs. Lots of memories as a child with family and friends around a table cracking crabs
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Essential Equipment: A sharp knife is very essential when working in the kitchen.

Favorite Condiment: My favorite ingredient, I use in a lot of dishes is garlic. It is diversely used across a lot of cuisines and has its own element.

Favorite spice: Sage, always adds an earthiness to a dish. 

Meet Chef Jason Renn

I am Jason, 28 years old, I live in Ranson WV with my fiancé, and our four children. Being a father is what I would say would be the best part of my life. The kids always keep me on my toes, keep me laughing, and they’re a huge part of my support system. They’re always in the kitchen cooking with dad or asking how I’m making their food. Its great to know here in a few years I will have a whole kitchen staff.

Finding a Love for Cooking

In my earlier years, my love of cooking and food came from my mom. She was always in the kitchen cooking delicious meals or making her own desserts and chocolates. I never strayed of helping her and trying all the creations. At age 15 I started working at Ledos Pizza, I saw my first dose of the fast-paced kitchen environment. After that I worked in a few different career fields; janitorial, warehouse, office, and mechanic I was trying to find my niche. Quickly I found nothing was as fufilling as the kitchen, the craziness, quick pace, the satisfying feeling of filling people’s appetites.

Grinding to the Top

I started working full time in kitchens here locally at The Anvil in Harper’s Ferry, as a kitchen helper doing prep, dish, line cooking, working my way to sous chef. After I left there I moved around to an array of different kitchen environments and learned different cooking styles . I found the from scratch methodology suited me best. Bringing all the ingredients together and creating a fresh from scratch dish and having fun while doing it. There’s very few times you won’t hear me singing and dancing while I’m cooking.

Striving to Provide Locally Sourced Menus

At Lilahs I see us running into a few challenges, but overall it would have to be the fluctuations in cost of goods. Contributing to the locally sourced has had its challenges because of supply and demand, sometimes you can’t consistently get the product you want or need. We will continue to strive to put seasonal locally sourced favorites on our menu.