Our Crew

Matthew Meidinger, General Manager
Matt has spearheaded a top-notch list of restaurants and bars, bringing with him a unique brand of hands-on hospitality wherever he goes. He kicked off his career in Las Vegas as the manager of STACK, the Mirage's fine dining steak house, as well as BARE Pool Lounge and Diablo's Cantina at the Monte Carlo. Other restaurants he managed include StripSteak at Mandalay Bay, Michael Mina in the Bellagio and served as the General Manager of Nob Hill in the MGM Grand. His relationship with Michael Mina led him to San Francisco, where he took the helm as General Manager at Clock Bar in the Westin St. Francis (which is also where he met Kevin Diedrich, and together created a cocktail splash). Both Matt and Kevin went on to make names for themselves at the Burritt Room before bringing their talents to Jasper's.

Michael Ransom, Executive Chef
Born in Traverse City Michigan, Michael Ransom spent his childhood foraging for sumac and morels and tapping sugar maples. Raised amongst cherry and apple orchards, and by parents who were big gardeners, and ran a small maple syrup operation, Ransom was exposed to food in its basic and most natural state, and he learned to appreciate fresh, healthy, and organic food from an early age. It was based on this foundation and appreciation of food that would lead Ransom to three distinct U.S. cities and cooking a variety of different cuisines.

Ransom began his career at an Italian neighborhood restaurant during high school. Over the next few years, Ransom worked in a number of positions in a few local restaurants until he moved to Detroit in 2000. He took a position as a tournant cook in a local oyster and seafood house, floating to various stations such as grill, sauté, prep and butchering.

In 2007, Ransom enrolled in the prestigious Kendall Culinary Academy in Chicago. It was during this time that he had the opportunity to work at Chef Shawn McLain’s James Beard Award winning seafood and vegetable-focused restaurant, the Green Zebra. After graduating from Kendall Culinary Academy, Ransom joined Chef Susan Gross at the West Town Tavern. Here, he honed his meat fabrication skills and worked as a mentor for aspiring young chefs.

In 2010, Michael decided to make a cross country move to San Francisco to truly experience all he had heard about the Bay Area food scene. With his love for seafood and natural ingredients, San Francisco always seemed like a mecca to him. He took a position at Prospect, and moved on to become the Executive Chef at Bar Adagio, in Hotel Adagio. The following year, Ransom became the executive chef at Henry’s in Berkeley. He joined Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen in 2013.

In his free time, Ransom enjoys checking out the local food scene, and spending time listing to music.

Kevin Diedrich, Bar Manager
Recently named one of five Bay Area “Bar Stars” by the San Francisco Chronicle and one of Bourbon and Branch's original bartenders, Kevin graced the bar at the Burritt Room before joining us at Jaspers's. Previous gigs include critical time spent at both Michael Mina's Clock Bar (where he and Jasper's General Manager, Matt Meidinger, first teamed up) and at both Future Bar's Bourbon & Branch and Cask in San Francisco, as well as the renowned PDT and Clover Club in New York City. Prior to being in New York, Diedrich worked at Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak and the Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C.