Casey Thompson (chef)

Casey Thompson
Born (1984-01-21) January 21, 1984 (age 40)
United States
Culinary career
Previous restaurant(s)
    • The Mansion Restaurant on Turtle Creek, Dallas, Texas
    • Shinsei, Dallas, Texas (?–2008)
    • Brownstone, Fort Worth, Texas
    • Morada, Rancho Santa Fe, California (2017)
    • Aveline, San Francisco, California (2014)
    • Folktable, Sonoma, California (2020–2024)

Casey Thompson (born January 21, 1984) is an American chef and restaurateur from Dallas, Texas.[1] Between 2020 and 2024, she was the executive chef at Folktable, a restaurant in Sonoma, California.[2]

Thompson was a contestant on Top Chef: Miami, the third season of the television series Top Chef, in which she finished as runner-up and was voted Fan Favorite.[3] She also appeared in Top Chef: All-Stars (season 8) and Top Chef: Charleston (season 14), and was a guest judge in episode 7 of Top Chef Junior.[4]

Career

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Thompson's professional start came at Dallas' The Mansion Restaurant, at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, under head chef Dean Fearing,[5] where she worked her way up from a prep cook to becoming the sous chef.[6] She later became executive chef at Shinsei, a Pan-Asian restaurant in Dallas.

Thompson was formerly executive chef at Brownstone in Fort Worth, Texas,[7] and, between June and November 2014, the owner of Aveline at the Warwick Hotel in San Francisco, which she named after her grandmothers.[8][1][9]

In 2017, Thompson became executive chef at Morada, the restaurant at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe.[6]

She was due to open Georgette as a partner in late 2020, but it was put on hold due to COVID-19.[10]

Thompson has also been appointed the U.S. ambassador for Terrazas de los Andes, a Moet-Hennessey brand.[6]

Folktable

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Between December 2020 and November 2024, Thompson was the executive chef at Folktable,[11] a restaurant at Cornerstone Sonoma marketplace in Sonoma, California.[2][12]

In September 2021, just over a year into Thompson's time at the restaurant, it was named a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand establishment.[13] It retained the accolade in 2022 and 2023.[14]

The restaurant closed in 2024, after four years in business.[15]

Personal life

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Thompson's partner is Michael DeSantis, co-owner of Harumph Wines.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Review: San Francisco’s Aveline, unparalleled California cuisine"The Mercury News, August 7, 2014
  2. ^ a b "New restaurant coming to Cornerstone Sonoma"Sonoma Index-Tribune, August 28, 2020
  3. ^ Eisenberg, Dana (June 24, 2016). "Flashback Friday: A Look Back at Some of Our Favorite Female 'Top Chef' Contestants". Mediaite. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  4. ^ Casey ThompsonBravoTV
  5. ^ "Quizzing Brownstone's Casey Thompson On her Idols, Dead Trends and her Last Meal"Dallas Observer, November 18, 2010
  6. ^ a b c "Top Chef to bring new tastes, look to The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe’s Morada"Rancho Santa Fe Review, January 4, 2017
  7. ^ "17 Stellar Female Chefs Share What Advice They’d Give To Their Younger Selves"Forbes, March 18, 2020
  8. ^ "A ‘Top Chef’ Alum Puts A Texan Twist On California Cuisine"Forbes Travel Guide, September 17, 2014
  9. ^ "Casey Thompson Out at Aveline"Eater San Francisco, November 11, 2014
  10. ^ "Celebrity Chef Opens Take Out Restaurant at Cornerstone Sonoma – SonomaCounty.com
  11. ^ Casey Thompson – Folktable
  12. ^ "Harvest dinners, books and brews on tap for early September"The Press Democrat, August 24, 2021
  13. ^ 2021 California New MICHELIN Bib GourmandsMichelin Guide
  14. ^ "How Sonoma's Bib Gourmand restaurants maintain their Michelin ratings". Sonoma Index-Tribune. 2023-08-13. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  15. ^ "A 'Top Chef' Star's Wine Country Restaurant is Closing"San Francisco Chronicle, November 4, 2024
  16. ^ Casey ThompsonNewport Beach Wine and Food
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