About the Chef
Zac Kellerman
Owner and Chef, Zac's Montana Kitchen
Zac Kellerman, one of Montana's premier chefs, specializes in cooking on the range, that is, the wide-open range of the great American West. Ever since his first cooking job at age 15 when he was hooked by the excitement and pride of cooking well, Zac has felt most at home serving people his delicious food. He studied chemistry at the University of Louisville in his hometown, and later at the University of Montana. While working at a lodge in Glacier National Park, Zac realized that what he really wanted to do was become a chef. The artistic impulse had grabbed him, and food was his medium.
Back in Louisville in 1988, Zac met the renowned chef, Dean Fearing, from The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas. As a result of that fortunate encounter, Zac moved to the Lone Star state a month later, and worked four years at The Mansion under Dean's tutelage. When not at The Mansion, Zac worked as a "freelance special event chef" for a high-flying and elite Dallas clientele. He credits those years with teaching him the most about quality, skill and finesse in the kitchen, not to mention the art of hospitality.
Yearning to return to the open space and lifestyle of Montana, Zac made his way back via a stint in Boston with respected chef, Steve Johnson, at the Blue Room. After some time as head chef at the Murray Hotel in Livingston, Zac earned the position of lead chef for Jewel's Catering, while expanding his private clientele base. In 2005, Zac bought the enterprise when Jewel decided to retire part time, and he re-named it Zac's Montana Kitchen.
Zac Kellerman has since established his reputation as one of the best-known caterers in Montana, recognized for his gracious ability to accommodate challenging requests from clients large and small, while maintaining the highest standards of quality. He prepares custom feasts for those who appreciate food that is as honest and grand as the West. Zac's Montana Kitchen isn't bound by convention, but is certainly bound to please.