Cooking started for Chef Jan Mendelson as an act of self preservation. With his father a strict vegetarian and his mother flitting from one fad diet to another, he was left with only one option—to cook for himself.

Chef Mendelson found that he both really enjoyed life in the professional kitchen and exceled at it, receiving critical acclaim and rising rapidly through the ranks. His first position as Executive Chef came in 1988, at Sacramento’s Chinois East West, and for the next six years Chef Mendelson split his time between the restaurant and the University. Always one to finish what he started, he completed his graduate studies, receiving his Ph.D. in 1994, but turned down teaching and research positions to continue in his passion for cooking.

Turning from Asian cuisines to the flavors of Latin America and Mexico, Jan honed his skills on the west coast at restaurants like Cocina del Sol in Portland, BOCA in Seattle, and Habanero Cava Latina in Sacramento, before returning home to New York City where he was born and raised. He took over as chef of Chelsea’s landmark Rocking Horse Café in May of 2002.

Chef Mendelson combines both his academic background and his passion for traditional cuisines in his work at Rocking Horse. “I take a rather academic approach to cooking, exploring the origins of a dish in traditional cookbooks to get a feel for its essential elements, and then trying to expand upon this core in ways which, while they may not be traditional, remain true to the essence of the dish.”

“For me, dining out is about adventure, the opportunity to explore the unknown and taste the unexpected, to travel the world without leaving home... I want people to leave Rocking Horse not only feeling satisfied and happy with their meal, but intrigued by the food and the menu, looking forward to coming back again to try something new and different, anticipating their next adventure...”