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CHEFS OF INTEREST
BY DONNA CRARY
94
Chefs
ANTHONY INSWASTY
Stocks, owner of District Table & Bar and co-owner of CoLab Kitchen in Stuart,
enjoys preparing fine food that showcases the region’s cuisine.
For Jason Stocks, being a top chef is about making
a connection with people. He loves bringing joy
to his clientele by serving delicious food.
“Food is sustenance,” he says. “I like to give people
something that is special. I really enjoy when people
are having a great time and being happy — that’s what
I enjoy about being a chef.”
Stocks is the co-owner of CoLab Kitchen, which
recently opened in downtown Stuart. He is also the
owner and executive chef at the upscale District Table
& Bar.
A Stuart native, Stocks has been interested in cooking
since he was a child. At the age of 7, he began preparing
dishes following recipes from a kids’ cookbook.
While growing up, his cooking was influenced by his
two grandmothers — one who’s southern and the
other, German.
He credits his grandfather who pushed him to take
his cooking to the next level and attend Capital Culinary
Institute in Tallahassee. After graduating, Stocks
trained with many talented chefs in the industry from
Pennsylvania to Key Largo.
In 2013, he was ready to run his own restaurant, so
he moved back home and opened the District Table &
Bar in Stuart.
“I wanted to put out what I like to eat and my type
of food,” he says. “I wanted to prepare food that
wasn’t pretentious or stuffy; I wanted to have fun.
And I wanted to offer the best quality ingredients that
I could source that’s as local, in Florida or in the Southeast,
as possible.”
His Southern roots are reflected on the menu, as his
sweet tea fried chicken is a favorite among customers.
His blackened gulf shrimp, Belle Glade street corn, district
burger, and steamed bun are other popular dishes.
Recently, Stocks has partnered with Pamela Huizenga
Alexander, owner of CoLab Farms, to established
CoLab Kitchen in downtown Stuart. Their new
venture features a market with a European flair that
sells organic produce, select meats, fresh baked goods,
specialty foods, coffee and tea. It also has a spacious
restaurant that offers casual dining, a full bar, an outdoor
cocktail seating with a fire pit, a smokehouse and
a stage for live music.
“Our mission here is to offer really good food and
give people access to things that we make and grow
that are local, organic, and healthy,” he explains.
“Another mission is to put out a really good meal and
have a good time … to have that chill, hangout, family
environment.”
Stocks points out that a restaurant is “kind of a living,
breathing thing” that needs to evolve. He says that
every dish is made from scratch. He loves changing
and tweaking the menu, so he can provide his customers
with a top-notch culinary experience.
JASON STOCKS
Restaurant: District Table & Bar,
CoLab Kitchen in Stuart
Age: 41
Chefs
Background training: Graduated
from Capitol Culinary School in
Tallahassee; apprenticed at The
Greenbrier Resort; sous-chef
at 100 Hudson & the Georgian
Room in Sea Island, Ga.; executive
sous-chef at Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Pennsylvania and
Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo.
Most popular dish: Sweet tea fried chicken
Why I like being a chef: “I like making people happy and
bringing people together, and it revolves around food. I like to
be good at what I do. Being a chef isn’t just about cooking. I also
like mentoring people.”
Chefs
The SOUTHERN CULINARIAN