After hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine at the age of seventeen, Chef Jason Pfeifer developed a passion for foraging, farming, and cooking. Jason graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and went on to work at Gramercy Tavern and Thomas Keller’s Per Se before joining the opening team at Maialino, where he became Executive Chef in 2016. Jason opened Manhatta as Executive Chef in 2018.

Tom Mackenzie is the General Manager of Manhatta, Union Square Hospitality Group’s restaurant located atop the 28 Liberty building in Lower Manhattan. He was most recently at The Modern, a two Michelin-starred restaurant in the Museum of Modern Art. Before moving to New York City, Tom held managerial positions at some of London’s most well regarded restaurants. He served as the Assistant General Manager at J Sheekey Restaurant and Atlantic Bar during which time he was named “30 Under 30” by CODE Hospitality. Tom first got his start in the hospitality industry working for Chris Corbin & Jeremy King as a Maitre d’ Hotel at The Wolseley and ultimately played an instrumental role as House Manager in the opening of The Colony Grill at the Beaumont Hotel.

Originally from the UK, Tom graduated from The University of Leeds with a bachelor’s degree in geography. After working at a private equity firm for two years, he decided to fulfil a lifelong dream to travel the world. He jumped into the hospitality industry shortly after his return to London. Tom loves exploring new places and credits his South African heritage for his love of sun, surfing and biltong.

Matt Whitney is the Beverage Director at Union Square Hospitality Group’s Manhatta located on the 60th floor of 28 Liberty in Lower Manhattan. At Manhatta, he is responsible for all aspects of the beverage program, overseeing a staff of sommeliers and bartenders, and training the front of house team. Having moved to New York City in September 2017, Matt previously served as Sommelier at The Modern. Most recently, in March of 2018, Matt completed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced Sommelier Exam in addition to receiving the prestigious Rudd Scholarship as the highest scoring candidate.

Matt began bartending in Boston, MA and was immediately hooked on working in the beverage industry. In February 2014, he took a position behind the bar at Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, where he quickly worked his way up to Wine Director in 2016. It was here that he developed a balanced and approachable wine list and deepened the cellar with a diverse selection of producers, varietals and vintages.

At the heart of Matt’s zeal for beverage is his love of history and travel, which has led to his various tastings and explorations across the globe. Outside of the restaurant, Matt spends his time exploring his new city while always rooting on his beloved Boston sports teams. A Worcester, MA native, he was previously a competitive hockey player before venturing into the hospitality industry.