Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Walker.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nicholas. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My first foray into the culinary world began in Ohio at an early age while attending high school at Lorain County JVS Culinary Institute. I also spent time volunteering at The Culinary Vegetable Institute at The Chef’s Garden, an experimental vegetable garden in Milan, Ohio where I got to work alongside some really big names. I was hooked from then on.
Upon graduating from culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC, I went on to hone my skills and point of view on regional cooking in several hotel properties throughout California, North Carolina, Texas and most recently Miami, where I held executive sous chef positions at several notable restaurants including Asia de Cuba in The Mondrian Hotel and The Bazaar by Jose Andres at the SLS Hotel.
After moving to Dallas to accept the position of chef de cuisine at the acclaimed Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, I was able to really define my cooking style and technique. From there, I accepted the executive sous chef at CBD Provisions but was quickly promoted to executive chef at Front Room Tavern in The Lumen (our sister property). Today, I’m the executive chef at CBD Provisions, a mainstay in Texas dining located at The Joule.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not always an easy road. There are long hours and a lot of stress management required to make it in this profession. Like most, I’ve had my share of ups and downs. While living in Miami, I made the decision to take a step down in my career to learn more and accepted a sous chef position at SLS Hotel in South Beach to work with Jose Andres. This paid off and in turn became a career highlight – by taking a pay cut, I was able to enrich my culinary knowledge, learn new techniques and evolve my talents in the kitchen.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the CBD Provisions at the Joule Hotel story. Tell us more about the business.
Open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch on weekends, CBD Provisions is a modern Texas brasserie with a steakhouse alter ego. Located adjacent to The Joule, the restaurant celebrates the natural bounty and culinary traditions of Texas with a contemporary point of view, a commitment to local and sustainable sourcing, and a passion for making things in house with expert technique and superb ingredients. Dinner menu highlights include dry-aged and well-marbled Wagyu steaks, butchered in-house and bolstered by family-style sides. The cocktail program features updated classics with a regional spirit, while the wine list showcases outstanding small producers from Texas, California and France. The beer program is craft and draft focused with a particular emphasis on the best brewers in Dallas-Fort Worth.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Over the next 10 years, I see a lot of change in the culinary field. I foresee “approachable” food entering into a larger portion of the fine dining realm. Through high quality food product, executed with solid technique and being presented simply. Also, I see the extremely large tasting menus fading out soon. Reducing from the 15-20 course menus, down to 6-10 courses.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1530 Main Street, Dallas, TX 75201
- Website: http://www.CBDprovisions.com
- Phone: 214-261-4500
- Email: mailto: Eat@CBDprovisions.com
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