The Next Course: Celebrated Chef Marc St. Jacques Joins Philo Ridge Farm
After an extensive national search to find the ideal culinary leader for our next chapter, Philo Ridge Farm is thrilled to welcome Marc St. Jacques as our Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef.
With a career spanning acclaimed restaurants across North America, Marc brings talent, vision, and energy to our dining program. Most recently the chef-owner of Bar Bête in Brooklyn, Marc has also served as Executive Chef at Restaurant Michael Mina in Las Vegas and The Breslin Bar and Dining Room at the Ace Hotel in New York. His background includes developing farm and butchery programs and directing large-scale hospitality operations during his tenure as Culinary Director for Pearle Hospitality.
Now based in Shelburne, Vermont, Marc is ready to apply his passion for seasonal, ingredient-driven cooking to create thoughtful, community-rooted food experiences at Philo Ridge Farm. He and the culinary team will welcome guests beginning Summer 2025, with the dining areas open Wednesday through Saturday, the Market open Wednesdays through Sundays, and special Sunday events throughout the summer. The Market will re-open on June 18, dining will re-open on July 4, and our first “Sunday on the Ridge” is slated for July 13.
We sat down with Marc to discuss his culinary philosophy, what drew him to Vermont, and his plans for the dining experiences at Philo Ridge Farm.
How would you describe your culinary philosophy?
I am a big believer in bright bold flavors delivered in clean and straightforward dishes. Earlier in my career, I was focused on showing all my techniques, flavors, and culinary tricks on every plate. I was learning my craft and how to create dishes. Now, I've evolved to a place where I cook much more with my heart and stomach.
I love the little details that can make a dish delicious. Are we sweating the garlic to make it sweet, or browning it to bring out toasted notes, or just grating it raw at the end to keep it spicy? Add any one of these to simply cooked spinach and you have three distinct dishes. I love cooking things à la minute — food that's hot, just out of the pan, going onto a plate.
When you bite into our roasted vegetables or perfectly seared meat, that immediate, vibrant flavor is what makes the difference between a good meal and an exceptional one. Caring about each step in the cooking process is an extension of the hard work that our farm teams put into growing the vegetables and animals with so much care.
At Philo Ridge Farm, our cooking will be rooted in European technique — it will lean to English and New England cooking with touches of French, Italian and Spanish country cooking. It will have rustic vibes, but as I mentioned, rooted in details. I love things standing for themselves. Not garnishing with too many things on top. Finding the beauty in each ingredient. Turnips are pretty… let them shine!
What can guests expect when Philo Ridge Farm reopens this summer?
We are excited to create dining experiences that you would likely find on a family farm, from outdoor grill outs, to lunches at a picnic table, to sitting down for a beautifully cooked meal in the dining room. I love the idea of our community being on the farm to celebrate all types of life's moments.
The Market will be open Wednesday through Sunday, offering our pasture-raised meats, garden-fresh produce, and locally curated goods. We will be kicking off with baked goods in the morning to go with your coffee and seasonal picnic lunches made with ingredients harvested that morning.
We'll have dinner service Wednesday through Saturday evenings, presenting a menu that changes based on what's at its peak. We are looking forward to energizing the space with the same excitement as when we are cooking. I'm particularly looking forward to the new Summer Barn, which will offer an extension of our dining experience where guests can stop in without a reservation. The menu follows the lead of the main dining room, but is a bit more selective. We wanted people to be able to pop in on your way home without having to plan too far ahead. Think, a great place for a spontaneous plan where you can have snacks or a glass of wine or two or three…
Lastly, we are excited to roll our Sundays on the Ridge. A fun day for families and friends! Outdoor grilling, chilled beer, and farm-friendly games. Sundays are where you meet up with on your way home from a hike or a day on the lake. The name of the game is casual family fun.
Tell us about some of the experiences that influenced your approach to food.
Like a lot of people, my greatest influences are eating, laughing, and cooking with my family growing up. I was fortunate to have a big family with different backgrounds and life experiences. We spent summers and holidays with my mother’s family on their 150-acre farm (I learned a lot of life lessons!); hile my grandparents on my father’s side would take us out to restaurants and city clubs in downtown Montreal. Suit, tie, and fancy food as a little boy. I learned to just order what dad was getting. He ate well.
When my wife Debbie and I started our own family, we wanted food and community to be a cornerstone. We felt that opening our own restaurant, Bar Bête, would let us create that life. After years of working in other people's kitchens, I finally had the chance to create something that was truly my own.
Bar Bête became known for its seasonal, ingredient-focused approach, but with a level of refinement and technique that set it apart from typical neighborhood spots. But, most importantly the goal was to create a great neighborhood restaurant that was also just a fun place to go where you can enjoy your night out. A center point for our family and friends to connect. We developed a devoted following of guests who appreciated both the flavors of the food and the warmth of the experience. We want to bring that same energy and excitement to Philo Ridge Farm.
Your career has taken you across the country. How has that influenced you?
I've worked in kitchens from Ann Arbor to Chicago to Las Vegas and many places in between. For whatever reason I never felt compelled to travel abroad to cook. I didn’t just want to visit a place, I wanted to live there. What was great about that journey was experiencing the incredible diversity of food cultures we have in America. In each place, I worked with people who knew the local food scene intimately, giving me a deep appreciation for regional cuisines and cooking traditions.
These experiences shaped me and gave me a profound respect for American foodways and techniques that I bring to every kitchen I lead.
What attracted you to Philo Ridge Farm?
When I first came to the property, everything about it felt like me. It connected to my experiences growing up. After meeting with Diana and Peter, I found myself excited about their vision, and they were equally as enthusiastic about my ideas.
What really stands out to me is the incredible people here. There's a genuine commitment to quality and sustainability that runs through everything the farm does. The chance to work with ingredients grown right here, to collaborate with the Garden and Land & Livestock teams, and to help realize the founders’ vision for what a farm can be — it's a rare opportunity that I couldn't pass up.
Marc St. Jacques is an accomplished chef and restaurateur with over 15 years of experience leading celebrated kitchens across North America. Most recently the chef-owner of Bar Bête in Brooklyn, Marc has also served as Executive Chef at Restaurant Michael Mina in Las Vegas and the Ace Hotel in New York. His background includes developing farm and butchery programs and directing large-scale hospitality operations during his tenure as Culinary Director for Pearle Hospitality. Marc brings a deep passion for seasonal, ingredient-driven cooking and a commitment to building thoughtful, community-rooted food experiences.