Suzanne Tracht

Suzanne Tracht (born 1963) is an American chef. In 2002 Food & Wine named her to their Best New Chefs.

Early life
Tracht was born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1963 and was raised there. At 19 she began a three-year apprenticeship at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel with Siegbert Wendler.

Career
After her apprenticeship Tracht worked at the Westin Century Plaza and then the Hotel Bel-Air, where she worked with George Morrone. She moved to Noa Noa to become sous chef in 1991.

In 1992 Tracht moved to Campanile, where she became chef de cuisine, working with Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel and then opened Jozu as executive chef. During her time at Jozu she worked with Preech Narkthong, who would become her chef de cuisine when she opened her first restaurant.

Tracht opened Jar, an acronym for "just another restaurant", in 2001 in Los Angeles's Beverly Grove neighborhood with Peel. The Wall Street Journal described it as "a modern take on a classic, 1940s-style chop house". It is known for its pot roast and char siu pork.

In 2007 Tracht opened Tracht's in Long Beach. She closed it after a few years.

Reception and awards
According to the Wall Street Journal, Tracht "has become nationally known for her pot roast", which has been on the menu continuously since Jar and Tracht's opened. In 2014, Jonathan Gold said, "She should be winning national awards, but she is content with making a great wedge salad and the best pot roast in town." In 2022 Time Out called Jar "a dining institution" in Los Angeles.

In 2002, after she opened Jar, Food & Wine named her one of their Best New Chefs. In 2007 she was inducted into Nation's Restaurant News's Fine Dining Hall of Fame.

Philanthropy
Tracht has supported local food resource center SOVA and Project Angel Food, which delivers meals to people with serious illness.

Personal life
Tracht has two children.