BUSINESS JOURNAL PHOTOS | Marcus R. Donner

Chef Jason Wilson, in the kitchen of his Seattle restaurant Crush, is also designing menus for Google’s Bothell and Kirkland offices.

Celebrated chef Jason Wilson was enjoying tacos at Bimbo’s in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle in February of last year when a friend let him know about a rare opportunity at Google .

His friend, Brian Petoletti, is the general manager at the Kirkland Google campus. Petoletti suggested Wilson’s cooking style and priorities — supporting locally grown produce and naturally raised meat — would be a good fit for a company known for employee amenities and free food.

Wilson, the owner and chef of Capitol Hill’s Crush restaurant, was instantly intrigued.

“We spoke primarily about the food philosophy and the commitment to organic and sustainable cuisine,” Wilson said, “and it was really in line with my cooking.”

The 48-hour-braised Painted Hills beef short ribs with potato purée, horseradish and parsley served at Seattle restaurant Crush inspired a rib dish that chef Jason Wilson serves Google employees.

By June, he was designing menus for the search giant’s Kirkland and Bothell campuses — where more than 1,100 people each day eat his food.

Soon, suckling pigs on the rotisserie and other Wilson-created delicacies became temptations dangled by Google as part of its effort to hook top talent.

Meanwile, while the fare isn’t free at Microsoft, the company subsidizes on-campus meals by Executive Chef Craig Tarrant who, officials said, is “leading a culinary revolution” at Microsoft by focusing on preparing dishes from scratch.

Putting more emphasis on creative and sustainable menus, the Redmond software colossus also has a 3-year-old chefs’ guild that meets regularly to plan meals and bring in occasional guest chefs such as local food moguls Tom Douglas, Ethan Stowell and Kathy Casey. At such times, Microsoft picks up the tab.

For my complete article on chef at tech companes, go to the PSBJ web site.