For certain famous men like Burt Reynolds, Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott, their mustache is an indelible part of their image. You can add our 2014 Fort Worth, Texas magazine Top Chef Todd Phillips to that celebrated list.
Phillips has been sporting that mustache since the day he left Fort Worth for Lubbock to play football at Texas Tech. After college he followed his passion for food to the Culinary Institute of America. Upon graduation he had stints at Canyon Ranch Health Resort & Luxury Spa in Tucson and the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Florida, as a chef de cuisine. Being a Fort Worthian (Southwest High School), Phillips longed to come home to share his culinary skills with the city of cowboys and culture.
In 1997 he did just that, taking the reins at Reata as the executive chef, where he honed his Southwestern cooking skills for eight years. In 2005 Phillips became the executive chef at J.R.'s Steakhouse (now J.R.'s Steak & Grill) in Colleyville.
Some say a mustache provides luck. I suspect Phillips realized his good fortune when Jon Bonnell, the head judge of the Fort Worth, Texas magazine Top Chef competition, called out the two secret ingredients of beef brisket and lobster at our finals challenge. After all, he calls his J.R.'s cooking style "new-que," which is a mixture of barbecue and Southern cuisine elevated to a higher standard.
What better way to raise the standard of a piece of meat generally used in the South for barbecue than to pair it with a butter-poached lobster tail and sides of cheese grits, quartered Brussels sprouts and grilled red onion? This was his winning dish that had the judges asking for seconds.
It is clear that Todd Phillips has a passion for what he does for a living. In talking with him about what it means to be an executive chef, he spoke of it like a Marine would talk about his time in the service. He used words like brotherhood and camaraderie. He referred to working in a restaurant as a lifestyle that is only available to those who have earned it and who are part of the restaurant fraternity.
When he's not in the kitchen, he spends time with his wife and son. True to most executive chefs, Phillips says he doesn't have time for many side interests. When time does allow, he enjoys motorcycles, tattoos and dreaming up new culinary masterpieces. If you're hungry for more details about this year's competition, turn to page 44.
