He’s the guru of the kitchen, the master of entrees, but Executive Chef Jason Cunningham has worked very hard to get those titles and accolades during his illustrious 20-year career at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club.
Growing up in Wisconsin, his culinary world started evolving when he was 14 years old working at a local restaurant as a dish washer. Jason Cunningham said, “My parents had a friend who owned a restaurant in a small town, and I just liked being in the kitchen.” He learned a lot from the head chef since he involved Jason in participating in the preparation and tasting of the dishes. The head chef made it a point in asking him if the sauce tasted well on many of his entrees.
Regarding his parents, “My mother and father and I vacationed in New England.” His mother inspired him to cook as well, including him in making tomato sauce, but it was always different every time she made it. “She would add meat, and I always asked her lots of questions when we cooked together,” said Cunningham.
Once he entered into college, his choice was Penn State as a pre-med student. “I was always good at science and math,” said Cunningham. Although his parents were thrilled, Cunningham was not and he hit a wall which caused him to leave school early. In his twenties, he traveled to Europe and worked for some chefs, but came back to New England, and became a chef at 21. This position was at the 5-star hotel called the Wheatleigh in Massachusetts which had more European style dishes. He also worked at the Blantyre Hotel for two years, and was their sous-chef for a year, but still needed to figure things out so he took a break in Hawaii after these jobs.
During this self-reflecting time, he moved to North Carolina and became a student at the Johnson and Wales culinary program, completing his schooling in 10 months. This taught him a lot about southern cooking in making grits and rice. After schooling, the former executive chef at Durham’s prestigious Washington Duke Inn was leaving so Cunningham was offered a six-month trial period as the new executive chef. “I kept saying to myself that I can do this job,” and he did, at the young age of 30.
As the years went on, Cunningham knew he had to control his kitchen that had a wide variety of employees from different ages and ethnicities, and create a solid menu that looked and tasted good while appealing to a vast number of guests. “Before COVID, I had 50 full-time employees, but things have changed due to the pandemic, and we plan on seeing more staff come back now that the summer is here. Everyone’s skill level is different because of the training levels so my approach has to be flexible with each person,” said Cunningham.
Cunningham’s favorite recipe book is called Southern Cooking by Bill Neal – it is a southern cookbook loaded with wonderful recipes, and Cunningham still uses it as a reference. His love for our community coupled with support from his family are what inspire him to cook delicious meals for his guests. One favorite dish that patrons request often at the Inn’s elegant Fairview Dining Room is the crab cakes, and Cunningham enjoys cooking fresh fish accompanied by succotash prepared in a medley of different ways.
After 20 years, Executive Chef Jason Cunningham’s menu features delectable entrees that keep guests come back year after year.
