Local Ocean Seafoods Chef in Residence: Jacob Harth
We’re excited to share that Chef Jacob Harth has joined Local Ocean Seafoods as our Chef in Residence. Former chef and owner of Erizo in Portland and a 2019 Eater Young Gun, Jacob has built his career around Oregon caught seafood and close relationships with the people who harvest it.
During his residency in Newport, Jacob will help lead the next chapter of our culinary journey as we continue expanding the variety of Oregon seafood and coastal dishes featured on our menu. Guests can expect thoughtful new preparations, deeper exploration of underutilized species, and menus that celebrate the incredible diversity of our working waterfront.
As we celebrate 20 years on the Newport Bayfront, this isn’t a reinvention of Local Ocean — it’s an evolution rooted in the same values that have guided us from the beginning: transparency, integrity, sustainability, and direct relationships between fishermen and guests.
Jacob’s residency also comes as he prepares for the future opening of his upcoming project, Bayocean Oyster House, creating an exciting opportunity for collaboration, creativity, and shared storytelling around Oregon seafood.
“Bringing Jacob to the Newport Bayfront emphasizes the story we tell our guests every day: that Oregon’s ocean, its species, its harvesters, and its seafood culture deserve to be honored on the plate. We look forward to sharing the evolving seasonal menu he helps shape while staying true to the values that have made Local Ocean a destination for two decades.” -Tony Bixler, Local Ocean Seafoods
“First and foremost, it is an honor to be in this role. Local Ocean has done important work for a long time, particularly around transparency and traceability. That level of direct connection to fishermen and sourcing integrity has always inspired me.” -Jacob Harth, Chef in Residence, Local Ocean Seafoods
About Local Ocean Seafoods
Founded in 2005 on the Newport Bayfront, Local Ocean was created to strengthen market opportunities for Oregon fishermen and to give diners a clear, transparent link to the people harvesting their seafood. Today, Local Ocean operates as an employee-centered perpetual purpose trust, aligning its long-term success with people who power the business and the coastal communities it serves.
For 20 years, our restaurant and seafood market has highlighted Oregon species including albacore tuna, Dungeness crab, rockfish, lingcod, pink shrimp, and a wide range of shellfish. By working closely with local boats and suppliers, Local Ocean has helped build economic resilience for coastal communities while setting a statewide standard for seafood traceability.
As we enter our third decade, we continue to build on that foundation, investing in innovation, whole fish utilization, and the next generation of Oregon seafood leadership.
“To step into a kitchen that already has those relationships firmly in place is incredibly meaningful. My goal is not to reinvent what they do well, but to contribute to the mission and help strengthen an already excellent seafood program. I’m excited to help showcase more of what Oregon has to offer in a way that fits the Local Ocean concept and supports the fishermen who are already bringing in diverse species.” - Jacob Harth, Chef in Residence, Local Ocean Seafoods
About Chef Jacob Harth
Chef Jacob Harth grew up in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley, and also spent 5 years of his childhood in Tillamook country, in a family deeply connected to food and the outdoors. His grandmother owned a restaurant, and his father was an avid fisherman and forager. From foraging morels and chanterelles to fishing and spending time along the Oregon coast in Neskowin and Lincoln City, his early experiences shaped a lifelong respect for wild ingredients and the people who harvest them.
As chef and owner of Erizo in Portland, Jacob Harth became known for highlighting Pacific seafood with a focus on Oregon clams, commercially foraged shellfish, and underutilized coastal species. During the pandemic, he worked on a dive boat out of Garibaldi and obtained a commercial license to harvest cockles and gooseneck barnacles, deepening his understanding of the labor, seasonality, and logistics behind seafood sourcing.
Jacob later traveled the East Coast before settling in Brooklyn, where he joined the team behind the Michelin starred Oxalis as Chef of Place des Fêtes. He went on to collaborate on SARDE in Mexico City, before moving to California to work at the three Michelin starred Manresa.
Following Manresa’s closure, he led the Ritual at Manresa series, hosting extended residencies with internationally acclaimed teams including Atomix, Aponiente, Ikoyi, The Clove Club, The Jane, and DOM. He has since returned to the Oregon coast, bringing with him a global perspective shaped by some of the most innovative kitchens in the world.
His cooking centers on natural flavors, ethical sourcing, and honoring the full story of each ingredient. Those familiar with his seasonal pop-up at Netart Bay’s former Nevør Shellfish Farm will recognize his thoughtful approach to ocean products and his ability to translate them into dishes that feel both refined and deeply rooted in place.
“When guests sit down at Local Ocean, we want them to lean in and say, ‘What is that?’ in the best possible way. Jacob brings that kind of curiosity and excitement to the kitchen.” - Laura Anderson, Founder, Local Ocean Seafoods
At Local Ocean, Harth will collaborate with the existing culinary team to expand species diversity, refine seasonal preparations, and explore in-restaurant whole fish utilization through the restaurant’s 100% Fish innovation efforts.
“I am also deeply enthusiastic about the 100% Fish innovation program and look forward to collaborating with that team. In the restaurant, we have the flexibility to explore whole fish utilization in creative ways through specials and seasonal dishes. Local Ocean has already created space for this work, which is rare in restaurant kitchens.” -Jacob Harth, Chef in Residence, Local Ocean Seafoods
What Guests Can Expect
Expanded species diversity, including butter clams, cockles, skate wing, gooseneck barnacles, and other underappreciated local seafood
Continued leadership in traceable, Oregon-caught sourcing
Increased focus on in-restaurant whole fish utilization through creative seasonal specials
A collaborative culinary program that builds on Local Ocean’s established favorites while looking toward the future of coastal dining
“One of the most exciting opportunities for me at Local Ocean is diversifying the species being used in the restaurant. Oregon’s coastal waters offer far more than what typically makes it onto menus, and I am eager to showcase that range. That includes species that are already being caught by Newport fishermen but are often underutilized or exported. I’m especially excited to highlight butter clams, cockles, skate wing, and other lesser known Pacific species. Skate wing is an exceptional product that is frequently exported despite being caught here. I would love to see more of it celebrated locally.” - Jacob Harth, Chef in Residence, Local Ocean Seafoods.
Chef Jacob is already developing dishes that bring this vision to life, including preparations featuring Tillamook Bay clams, gooseneck barnacles, Oregon coast mackerel, and (soon!) invasive five-spine green crab. These offerings will debut through the Chef in Residence menu, a rotating format designed to highlight lesser-known species while complementing the existing Local Ocean experience.
The menu leans into a raw bar format with a mix of composed crudos, shellfish, and small plates, which will allow guests to explore a range of Pacific species in a more flexible, shareable way. The star of the show will be the Captain’s Platter, a tiered shellfish experience that brings together the full expression of the menu alongside limited, off-menu specialties depending on availability.
In the background, Chef Jacob will also be developing a future culinary project in Tillamook called Bayocean Oyster House. Learn more about that project at bayoceanoysterhouse.com.
At 20 years old, Local Ocean is focused on the future. By welcoming a chef whose career has been shaped by Oregon’s waters, forests, and working coastline, we are reaffirming our commitment to the fishermen, harvesters, and guests who have defined its first two decades, while expanding what Oregon seafood can look like on the plate in the decades ahead.
