Small Bites:
Healthy snacks, no shortcuts. Joon Pistachios are real food from a family that’s been doing it right for generations. Fall in love with all their flavors: Dill Pickle, Original, and Salt & Pepper. 👉 Grab a bag for your family
Jason Dady on Running Kitchens and Raising Kids
For more than two decades, Chef Jason Dady has been at the center of San Antonio’s chef-driven restaurant movement, introducing everything from family-style Tuscan at Tre Trattoria to finger-licking pit ‘cue at the award-winning Two Bros BBQ Market (a Texas Monthly Top 50 in the World pick). Today, the Jason Dady Restaurant Group spans multiple concepts, but at the heart of it all, Jason still describes himself first as a dad, husband, and mentor.
You may recognize him from Iron Chef Gauntlet, Beat Bobby Flay, or Man, Fire, Food, but when One Potato sat down with Jason, we focused on what we’re passionate about: families and food. The conversation was all about what he cooks for his kids at home, how his family inspires his food, and why his team is like an extension of that family (well, he does run his restaurants with his wife and brother…). In this conversation, he shares the four-bite acid-and-salt taste test he uses to teach seasoning, and the lunchbox moment that made a teacher laugh: “Jumbo shrimp, really?”
From mentoring the next generation of chefs to grilling with his own children, Jason’s approach is equal parts Texas roots and global curiosity. As he says: explore your palate.
A message from our partner Joon Pistachios:
Family Heritage Meets Healthy Snacking
At One Potato, we’re all about real food, shared traditions, and passing good habits from one generation to the next. That’s why we’re excited to introduce you to Joon Pistachios—a family-owned brand rooted in a 300-year-old family recipe, and dedicated to bringing high-quality, no-nonsense snacks to your table.
Just like Chef Jason Dady, who honors food traditions while creating something new, Joon is reimagining what a family snack can be: wholesome, delicious, and made to share (they’re non-GMO, no seed oils, without artificial flavors or dyes). Perfect for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, or that 3pm pick-me-up, Joon Pistachios keep fueling your family—simply and naturally.
👉 Discover Joon Pistachios, and snack with the confidence that generations of care are packed into every bite.
A Conversation with Jason Dady
Introduce Yourself: I’m Chef Jason Dady, based in San Antonio, Texas. At home, I’m a dad to three kids, ages 21, 20, and 15.
I’ve been a chef and restaurateur here for more than two decades, and I’ve opened everything from a Texas barbecue spot to Northern Italian restaurants—and even a snow cone stand. As for my kids, my middle one is just heading off to college, so it’ll be me and my youngest, my little buddy, at home for a few more years.
What’s a food memory from childhood that shaped the way you cook today?
I grew up in central Nebraska in a very hospitality-driven family. My mom was one of 13 siblings, and my dad’s parents owned a bar and tavern for 50 years. My grandfather was a butcher. So whether I was in my grandma’s kitchen, underfoot with my aunts, or hanging out at the tavern, food was always the hub. At the time, I didn’t realize how much it stuck, but looking back, it’s clear that family and hospitality were baked into everything we did.
Is there a recipe from your childhood that still inspires you?
Thanksgiving was always the big one for me. On my mom’s side, it was the classic turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and gravy. On my dad’s side, it was prime rib and cheesy potatoes. I got the best of both worlds, and those flavors are still what make the holidays feel real to me. If I don’t have both, it doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Have you passed any of those traditions down to your kids?
What’s cool is that each of my kids has taken ownership of something. My oldest daughter has become the appetizer queen—she’s all about charcuterie boards and starters. My middle daughter owns mashed potatoes every holiday; nobody else is allowed to touch them. And my youngest, who’s 15, insists he makes the best scrambled eggs… though, honestly, they’re terrible and he refuses to take my advice. That’s our ongoing father-son battle. But I love that they all have their place in the kitchen—it keeps the traditions alive.
How old were they when you started involving them in the kitchen?
Honestly, from the time they were old enough to sit on a stool, but I never wanted them growing up in my restaurants. It’s a hard business, and I didn’t want them to feel pressure to follow me into it. But at home, the kitchen has always been central. Even if it was something small, like stirring a bowl or fetching ingredients, I wanted them to feel part of it. And now, funny enough, my son—the one who avoided the kitchen the most as a little kid—probably cooks more at home than anyone.
What’s your advice for busy families trying to make family dinners happen?
Keep it simple: just get your kids involved. Let them stir, set the table, grab ingredients, basically anything that makes them feel like they’re contributing. When kids see their work in the final meal, they’re more invested. That said, some days you just want to bang out dinner and be done, and that’s fine too. But when you can, make it a family project: put on music, cook together, and enjoy the time as much as the food.
Did becoming a dad change how you think about food and hospitality?
Without a doubt. I always say, thirty years from now no one’s going to remember a bad Yelp review but my kids will remember if I wasn’t around. Being a dad has always been the top priority, and I think my restaurants are stronger because of it. It forced me to give my team more autonomy instead of micromanaging, and it gave me more time to be present at home. That balance is really tough in this industry, but it’s the most important thing I’ve learned.
You run your restaurants with your wife and brother—how has that shaped things?
We’ve grown slowly and organically, and we’ve never had outside investors, so every decision, good or bad, comes down to us. It means we ride the ups and downs together, but it also means we stay true to ourselves. It’s really a family business in the purest sense, and that keeps us grounded.
You’ve also stepped into the spotlight with TV shows like Iron Chef Gauntlet. How did your family feel about that?
My wife and brother are more reserved, so I’ve always been the loud, outgoing one. It balances us out, meaning, we each have our roles. They’ve always been supportive of me doing shows because they know it’s good for the restaurants, which means it’s good for all of us. My kids? They’re a mix of proud and embarrassed. They love watching, but if someone asks me for a photo at the grocery store, they roll their eyes like, “Really? This dork?”
Any food memories from when your kids were little that stand out?
One that always cracks me up is when my oldest was nine months old she could put away mussels like nothing. And all three of my kids had these over-the-top school lunches. I’d pack things like jumbo shrimp, quail, even duck confit, and their teachers would just shake their heads, like, “What is this kid eating?” Those are the moments I love remembering.
What’s one cooking skill every home cook should have?
Two things: balance and heat. First, understanding the relationship between acid and salt—it’s the key to good seasoning. And second, learning how to control heat. For example, knowing how to make a stainless steel pan nonstick just by getting it to the right temperature. Those two fundamentals will completely change how you cook.
You talk a lot about exploring your palate. What advice do you give to home cooks teaching themselves how to cook? And even teaching their kids how to cook alongside them?
I always tell people to experiment with acidity, especially vinegars and fresh citrus. One simple at-home exercise I love: boil four pieces of salmon or steak in plain water. Try one piece plain and you’ll realize it’ll taste dry and bland. Then add lemon to the second, salt to the third, and both salt and lemon to the fourth. That last bite will blow your mind—it completely changes how you understand balance. Do that once and you’ll never season the same way again.
Any last advice for parents feeding families?
Don’t over-plan. I think people box themselves in with meal planning. Once a week, go to the store with no list and see what inspires you. What looks fresh, what’s on sale. Build a meal from that. And don’t stress if it doesn’t turn out perfect, that’s how you learn. Recipes are just guidelines, not rules. At the end of the day, it’s your food, your palate, your family. Trust yourself.
