After beginning his career in his native San Luis Obispo County, Chef Jason Ryczek’s love for restaurants took him up and down the California coast, from San Diego to Los Angeles, before landing in San Francisco and making a home in the city’s seafood scene. After spending years working with sustainable seafood at the famous Waterbar, Ryczek became Executive Chef at the powerhouse seafood restaurant Farallon, which frequently graced the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top-100 list during its 23 years of business. Next came a stint at Alameda’s Alley & Vine as chef and co-owner. While at Alley and Vine, Ryczek also acted as chef and consultant for Smiley’s Saloon in Bolinas, perhaps the oldest continually running saloon on the West Coast.

Hand-selected to helm the legendary Pappas Restaurant group’s first chef-driven concept in over 50 years of business, Ryczek made the move to Houston in 2022. 

Ryczek helped hone the Little’s concept and crafted a menu that celebrates and honors Gulf Coast seafood, leading his team with passion and exceptional detail. His treatment of seafood is thoughtful and reverent to the type of fish and the local palate, creating an unparalleled experience that has topped local lists of best restaurants – including taking home the #1 spot on Houston Chronicle’s Top 100 restaurants of 2023 in the city’s diverse and expansive restaurant scene just 5 months after opening. He makes an annual trek to the Sacramento Delta to biopsy White Sturgeon at the world’s first sustainable caviar company, hand-selecting the fish that will produce the caviar he’ll serve at the restaurant the following year. After arriving in Houston, he also dove into community impact, quickly championing organizations like the Southern Smoke Foundation that work diligently to improve the food and beverage industry.