A Washington State native, Forrest moved to California to attend the California School of  Culinary Arts in Pasadena. After graduation, he started his career working under Michelin starred and James Beard award-winning chef Michael Cimarusti. 

Moving back to the pacific Northwest, Forrest continued his career in Seattle and over the next several years, worked for many of the city’s top chefs, including five James Beard award winners. Always looking for a new challenge, he took a break from cooking to attend the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. After earning a business degree with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, Forrest found his way back into the kitchen, as executive chef overseeing several restaurants in Seattle. 

Forrest’s last adventure in the Seattle area was owning and operating Wet Buns, a popular food truck serving classic French dip and hot Italian beef sandwiches.  In 2020, Forrest teamed up with his longtime Seattle friends, Walter and Cindy Edward, to open Chasing Sage in Charleston, SC. The  modern American restaurant serves clean, hyper-seasonal small plates, with an emphasis on vegetables, and opened in March 2020  at 267 Rutledge Avenue in the burgeoning Cannonborough / Elliotborough neighborhood.