Meet Chef Jason Rutigliano aka the Headband Chef, a singing, dancing, larger than life personality who delivers joy and food comas in equal measure. Why the name “The Headband Chef?” That’s easy. You’ll never see Chef Jason in the kitchen without one of his signature colorful headbands. 

The Headband Chef is on a mission to reimagine your home dining experience by making good food accessible, fun, and easy for families. A fine dining chef trained by the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, Chef Jason has had the privilege of working alongside some of the world's most renowned chefs and restaurateurs, including Danny Meyer, Rick Bayless, and Michael White. He is well known for injecting fun into each and every culinary experience - all without sacrificing quality and service. In fact, it wasn’t rare to see Jason singing songs and telling jokes while serving guests at the prestigious Gramercy Tavern in New York City. Chef Jason has always been known to bring the good time, no matter where he’s serving up his dishes.

Whether in person or in your freezer, the Headband Chef is here to make your experience with food FUN and delicious. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Jason saw an opportunity. While families were at home working and learning - with limited time and access to high-quality, delicious food - he could safely deliver hand-crafted, chef-prepared packaged frozen foods. These tasty dishes reheat so well that you would think you had a private high-end chef in your kitchen. 

As restaurants closed, and supermarkets faced shortages, Chef Jason donned his signature headband and hit the street. He delivered joy and deliciousness in equal measure across Long Island, New York City, Westchester, New Jersey, and Connecticut. To the frontline workers keeping us all safe and to families at home, unable to leave. 

By snapping a delivery selfie wherever he went, his services sparked a word-of-mouth buzz on social media.  The Headband Chef’s line of small batch, handcrafted prepared foods you see today was born. The brand also offers private chef services including in-home meals prepared by Chef Jason himself, catering for special events, cooking classes, and more.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY, Chef Jason Rutigliano’s first position in a nationally recognized kitchen was at Chicago’s very own Frontera Grill, where he gained two years of extensive training as Rick Bayless’ first intern. In 2004, he returned toNew York City to join celebrated chef Michael White at Fiamma Osteria, quickly adopting White’s philosophy of cooking with soul and flavor. It was during his time with Michael White and his experience in 2004 at Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality that sparked a passion for learning the ins-and-outs of the entire restaurant business. Joining Gramercy Tavern as a Captain in 2007, Chef Jason dedicated five years to a front-of-house role to pursue his passion for learning what guests expect and how to anticipate their each and every whim.

In 2012, Chef Jason began to miss the hustle of the kitchen and refocused his efforts on private chef services, under the name Chef Wutig, where he created menus with an eye toward variety, quality, and availability of seasonal produce. Following his six-year tenure offering private catering and dinner parties as a private chef, Chef Jason joined hospitality start-up, Collective Retreats, as Head Chef of Three Peaks Lodge within Collective Retreats Governors Island - the island’s first overnight accomodations offering. 

In 2020, Chef Jason launched his brand Headband Chef, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Headband Chef caters to families looking for high-quality chef-prepared foods - whether stocked in their freezer or in-person for a private, socially-distanced compliant in-home meal.