After a yearlong break, Jon Mathieson, executive chef of Tysons Corner’s Michel restaurant, is back to his old tricks: turning ingredients into savory treats. But as he reminisces about his year’s break, Mathieson says that it was all good, an amazing learning experience. “I was teaching myself about artisanal breads using natural starters and organic flours,” he said. “I have a passion for good bread, and my wife and kids loved it. I passed the extras on to neighbors or I would bring bread along as a party food.” That says a lot about the intelligence and dedication of this high-profile chef, who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and who entered the competitive culinary world as an apprentice in the kitchen with legendary chef, Seppi Renggli, at the Four Seasons in New York. Later he was hired as chef de cuisine at the very upscale L’Espinasse in Manhattan. “I have been very fortunate because I have worked for or alongside of many icons in the industry,” he explained.
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