I AM CHEF CASEY THOMPSON
Food has played a momentous role in my life, starting at a young age. I came from two very different family culinary backgrounds, southern style and French cuisine. It was here that I found cooking to be my calling. My professional start came as a prep cook at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas where I spent my hours peeling potatoes, killing lobster and tying corn husk bows. This was necessary to achieve the goals I had set in front of me. Soon I would be setting up a hot appetizer station as well as my pantry station…and then one after another, station by station I eventually achieved the title of sous chef under the Southwest Legend, Dean Fearing.
After several years at the Mansion, I began as an executive chef at Shinsei in Dallas. It was a Japanese influenced/open concept sushi restaurant. I moved to San Francisco to continue my education in food and wine. I spent 3 years working for various wineries pairing wines with foods selected from local farms.
I traveled a great deal to learn more about the cuisines of other cultures. I learned new techniques from chefs from all over.
I have spent years living in Napa, learning about food and wine pairings and developing relationships with local farms, artisans and purveyors. I am now consulting for restaurants and hotels lending my talents to many types of cuisines and styles of cooking. I enjoy the freedom of creativity for different locations and types of people.
“Thompson, who draws her inspiration from Southern cooking, reveres great produce, and she knows where to find it. Yes, her cheesy grits rock and she cooks up some smokin’ ribs, but it’s her way with that great produce that positively dazzles… Brownstone is one of the best restaurants to open in our area this year, and I applaud chef Thompson’s approach. Even if her reverence for produce evokes California cuisine… her cooking is emphatically Texan, executed with quiet confidence and a sense of fun.”
Casey likes:
Food: Seasonally Influenced American, focusing on sustainable proteins while utilizing fresh, organic, and local produce.
Color: Kelly Green because green reminds me of grass, vegetables, and life.
Inspiration: That the lives of today should use our resources to meet today’s demands and preserve our environment so that tomorrow’s generations can meet their needs.
Salad Dressing: Ranch…it reminds me of Texas and it contains mayonnaise. It is the glue that holds us together. And who doesn’t like herbs and mayonnaise together?