Best New Chef in the Southwest
by: Steven C. Newcomb, Editor-in-Chief
Here at the newsletter, we are always talking about our favorite chefs (I know you’re shocked), and our content often reflects just how fortunate we are here in Dallas/Fort Worth to have some of the best culinary talent in the world. Now it’s time for all of us to step up and show the rest of the world just how proud we are of our own.
It is time once again for the editors of Food & Wine Magazine to name the Best New Chef from each of ten part of the country. The difference this year is that they are actually asking for input from those of us who dine in those parts of the country on a regular basis. We have been designated part of the Southwest Region, and they have nominated ten relatively new chefs from which we can submit our choice for who should be the winner.
Since we know just how amazing our chefs are in DFW, it is only fitting that two of the ten nominees from the entire region would be from Dallas/Fort Worth.
First is Tim Byres, Chef and co-owner of SMOKE in Dallas. This highly anticipated restaurant replaced the Cliff Café at the historic Belmont Hotel in late 2009 and has been a hit with the locals ever since. You might remember Chef Byres from his previous Dallas posts as Executive Chef at Stephan Pyles or Chef de Cuisine at The Rosewood’s Mansion on Turtle Creek. However, we think he has truly established his presence with SMOKE. His culinary values could not be more in line with those of the editorial staff here at The Dallas Life Newsletter. Pretty much everything at SMOKE is made completely from scratch. He serves all-natural hormone-free meats slow cooked either over mesquite on the grill or barbecue pit or in his Appalachian cold smoker with hickory, pecan, and charcoal. He is a firm believer in working with local ingredients, often turning to independent farms or his own vegetable garden behind the restaurant. His “bloom where you are planted” approach to cooking has also become part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s national campaign to raise awareness in school across the country about how food plays an import role in healthy lifestyles, as Chef Byres adopted James Hogg Elementary School in Dallas and brought an entire team of volunteers such as fitness experts, gardeners, local farmers, and nutritionists to work with the students and build a foundation for the rest of their lives. I bet you didn’t know all this about Tim Byres. If you’ve been to his restaurant, then I know you already want to vote for him. If not, head out there tonight so you can cast an informed vote when you get home.
The second chef to be nominated from our area is Casey Thompson of Brownstone in Fort Worth. Brownstone was opened in 2010 by Sam Sameni’s Sameni Entertainment Group, and Chef Thompson serves as Executive Chef. Chef Thompson has a long culinary tradition in Dallas, having worked her way up from prep cook to sous chef under Dean Fearing at The Rosewood’s Mansion on Turtle Creek before serving as Executive Chef at Shinsei and appearing on the third season of Bravo TV’s Top Chef, where she was a finalist and received the award as America’s favorite. Although she abandoned us for San Francisco, she came to Fort Worth last year to take the helm at Brownstone where she serves a southern inspired menu. Her celebrity status has brought flocks of first-time visitors to Brownstone, and her incredible food has kept them as regular customers. If Brownstone is one of your favorites, then you’ll want to cast a vote for Casey Thompson. If you haven’t tried it yet, then it’s time to head to Fort Worth.
If I stopped right now and published this article, I would immediately start getting e-mails asking for whom I cast my vote. Although I think each of you should make your own decision, I’ll go ahead and tell you. I truly admire and appreciate both Tim and Casey. They are incredible chefs, and we are very fortunate to have them in the metroplex. However, when pushed to make a choice, I had to go with Tim Byres. His commitment to fresh natural ingredients, and his involvement in our community put him over the top in my book. The best way to make your own decision is to immediately go try both restaurants. I’m sure Chef Byers or Chef Thompson would love to meet you, and either one of them will truly appreciate your vote.
Let’s show Food & Wine Magazine how much we believe in our own culinary talent. Click on the logo at the top of this article to cast your vote now.
