Kent Rathbun

Dallas, Texas

Executive chef and proprietor of two of Dallas’ most talked about restaurants, Abacus and Jasper’s. Rathbun’s achievements demonstrate how his creativity, dedication and range of delectable dishes have made him a renowned and impressive chef. At the early age of 17, he began as an apprentice at La Bonee Auberge, a five-star French restaurant located in Kansas City, Missouri. This opportunity accelerated his career enabling him to move from kitchen to kitchen, working with some of the best chefs in the country.

Working at many well-established restaurants, including Mr. B’s in New Orleans, American Restaurant and Milano in Kansas City and The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Rathbun then landed at the Landmark Restaurant in the Dallas Melrose Hotel. While at the Landmark Restaurant, Rathbun was able to make annual trips to visit restaurant owners in Bangkok, Thailand. During his visits, he was asked to cook for the flagship of the Dusit Hotel Company in Bangkok where he was able to use his creativity to craft a blend of Texas cuisine with a hint of local flavors. Through extensive research and experimentation, Rathbun developed a spectacular style of Contemporary Global cuisine, drawing on Southwestern, Mediterranean, American, Cajun/Creole and Pacific Rim influences. This eclectic and distinct style is reflected in the Abacus menu today.

Drawing from this eclectic and distinctive style, in 1997, Rathbun decided to follow his dream and establish his own world-class restaurant, Abacus. In order to design the look and feel he desired, Rathbun along with the Engstrom Design Group, researched for two years a variety of kitchen and restaurant designs from California and New York to Paris and Italy. By visiting the top restaurants in each city, Abacus was born, featuring a contemporary, yet warm and elegant setting. Since its opening in 1999, Abacus has received numerous accolades, including Mobile Four-Stars; AAA Four Diamonds; Five Stars from the Dallas Morning News; Bon Appetit’s Best of the Year 2001 issue which named Abacus’ Chef’s tasting menu a “Top Pick;” “Best Chef” by D Magazine; and “One of the Top Meals Around the World” by USA Today.

Four years after the opening of Abacus, in 2003, Rathbun decided to open a second restaurant, Jasper’s. Again, he spent two years planning and researching the opening of his new concept and decided to create a unique design featuring a “modern outdoors” theme. Jasper’s menu is focused on the best of America’s regional cuisine, including steaks, chops, fish, rotisserie chicken, salads, pasta and pizza. After being open just a few months, Jasper’s was named one of Esquire Magazine’s Top 20 Best New Restaurants in America and was given Four Stars from the Dallas Morning News. It was this show of support that helped kick-start Rathbun’s idea of expanding the concept to additional locations. In Fall of 2005, Jasper’s second location opened in The Woodlands, TX while several other units are currently under contract. The concept’s growth potential is strong and Rathbun plans to enter into several new markets over the next few years. Jasper’s will continue to expand and impress all who enter.

Rathbun has made a name for himself in the world of fine dining. He has cooked at the James Beard House in New York on several occasions and was nominated as the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Southwest in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Rathbun has repeatedly appeared on a number of TV shows, including the TV Food Network’s “Chef du Jour”, Cooking Live with Sara Moulton, Ready Set Cook, the CBS Early Show, the Rosie O’Donnell Show and twice on NBC’s Today Show. In addition, Rathbun has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Rosie Magazine, Bon Appetit, Southern Living Magazine, Nation’s Restaurant News, Elle, Veranda Magazine, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire Magazine, The New York Times and the Dallas Morning News.

Rathbun also was honored to be one of the featured chefs for the Bush 2001 Inaugural Ball and has participated in the Pre-Super Bowl Event, “Taste of the NFL” for the past four years.