Casey Thompson (chef)

Last updated
Casey Thompson
Born (1978-01-21) January 21, 1978 (age 47)
United States
Culinary career
Current restaurant(s)
  • Duchess, Fort Worth, Texas (2025–)
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)
Television show(s)

Casey Thompson (born January 21, 1978) 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] In 2025, she became the consultant chef at Duchess, a restaurant at the New Nobleman Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas.

Contents

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

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] [8] and, between June and November 2014, the owner of Aveline at the Warwick Hotel in San Francisco, which she named after her grandmothers. [9] [1] [10]

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. [11]

Thompson is a spokesperson for Terrazas de los Andes, a Moet-Hennessey brand. [6]

Folktable

Between December 2020 and November 2024, Thompson was the executive chef at Folktable, [12] a restaurant at Cornerstone Sonoma marketplace in Sonoma, California. [2] [13]

In September 2021, just over a year into Thompson's time at the restaurant, it was named a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand establishment. [14] It retained the accolade in 2022 and 2023. [15]

The restaurant closed in 2024, after four years in business. [16]

In 2025, Thompson became the consultant chef at Duchess, a restaurant at the New Nobleman Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas. [17] [18]

Personal life

Thompson has been married to Michael DeSantis, co-owner of Harumph Wines, [19] since 2008.

References

  1. 1 2 "Review: San Francisco’s Aveline, unparalleled California cuisine" – The Mercury News , August 7, 2014
  2. 1 2 "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 Thompson – BravoTV
  5. ↑ "Quizzing Brownstone's Casey Thompson On her Idols, Dead Trends and her Last Meal" – Dallas Observer , November 18, 2010
  6. 1 2 3 "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. ↑ "Restaurant at Fort Worth hotel to open with menu by Top Chef - CultureMap Fort Worth". fortworth.culturemap.com. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  9. ↑ "A ‘Top Chef’ Alum Puts A Texan Twist On California Cuisine" – Forbes Travel Guide , September 17, 2014
  10. ↑ "Casey Thompson Out at Aveline" – Eater San Francisco, November 11, 2014
  11. ↑ "Celebrity Chef Opens Take Out Restaurant at Cornerstone Sonoma – SonomaCounty.com
  12. ↑ Casey Thompson – Folktable
  13. ↑ "Harvest dinners, books and brews on tap for early September" – The Press Democrat , August 24, 2021
  14. ↑ 2021 California New MICHELIN Bib Gourmands – Michelin Guide
  15. ↑ "How Sonoma's Bib Gourmand restaurants maintain their Michelin ratings". Sonoma Index-Tribune. 2023-08-13. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  16. ↑ "A 'Top Chef' Star's Wine Country Restaurant is Closing" – San Francisco Chronicle , November 4, 2024
  17. ↑ Roy, Monique (2025-04-16). "Celebrity Chef Returns to Fort Worth with Duchess Restaurant at New Nobleman Hotel -" . Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  18. ↑ "New Duchess Restaurant To Open Inside The Nobleman Hotel". Fort Worth Magazine. 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  19. ↑ Casey Thompson [ usurped ] – Newport Beach Wine and Food
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