No Fish Out of Water- Suzanne Tracht

There are two places celebrity chef Suzanne Tracht feels at home. Her restaurant and the water.   Suzanne has been on the restaurant scene in Los Angeles for nearly twenty years, the last ten on Beverly Blvd., where seven nights a week she cranks out delicious meals for her hungry admirers.  Her restaurant is Jar,  which stands for “just another restaurant.”    Its anything but. 

The life of a chef is a grueling one,  and Suzanne escapes to the pool for many of the reasons we all do. Exercise, sunshine and decompression. I showed up at her restaurant early this morning to take her second portrait. It was overcast and we were both tired, but more importantly, we had to wait for the arrival of our real star—the whole sea bass which was on route to the restaurant from downtown Los Angeles.

While we waited, Suzanne, the consummate hostess, offered coffee and grilled meats. The smells were divine. And sure enough,  as we waited the sun appeared and the fish showed up.

As if on cue, some of her regulars drove by and waved while I took her picture holding the fish.   Suzanne smiled just as naturally as when I took her portrait at the pool. 

Suzanne is no diva chef. In a culture that seems to admire bad behavior, it was a pleasure to meet a real pro who is comfortable being professional  without the antics.  A sign of a true pro.

Suzanne Tracht 

Check out Suzanne's wonderful restaurant:  Jar