Providing Hospitality is in his Blood

Chef Brandon Thrash provides hospitality, puts smiles on people’s faces, and gives his all to his craft

by JENNIFER JORDAN

photo by DR. ROBIN ROGERS

Brandon prepares salads for a special event at the Texarkana Convention Center.

The term “culinary arts” is defined as the preparation, presentation, and serving of food. Underneath this basic definition lies much more. As any cook can elaborate, cooking is both an art and a science. Not only do chemistry and mathematics come into play to prepare a dish, but the creation and delivery of a recipe from start to finish is a true art form. 

For professional chefs, the skills necessary to produce meals both flavorful and presentable on a regular basis, for multiple guests, can take years to hone. This career is not for the faint of heart. It requires long hours in a hot kitchen, the flexibility to handle problems quickly, and the courage to fail and get back on your feet. However, as Brandon Thrash can tell us, the rewards are worth it. 

 After graduating from Ashdown High School, Brandon earned a culinary degree with honors from Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky. He moved to Louisville at the age of 20 “with no real kitchen experience,” he comments. “After arriving, I began working at Napa River Grill with the intention to learn each and every station in the restaurant. I was able to master all stations in that kitchen aside from sauté. My thought was that if I was going to be in charge of my own kitchen someday, I ought to be able to handle even the busiest of nights by myself.”  

Brandon with his team and mentor, Robert Merrifield, at the James Beard House.

This perseverance earned Brandon a place at the renowned Polo Grill in Tulsa, where he eventually became Chef de Cuisine. While at the Polo Grill, Brandon and his fellow chefs hosted several Friends of James Beard events. His most exciting experience occurred around this time when the Polo Grill was one of 20 restaurants in the nation to celebrate Julia Child’s 90th birthday. This event gave Brandon “chill bumps.” He recalls, “Julia simulcast to each of the restaurants, thanking them for participating.  She might as well have been standing directly in front of me as the hair on the back of my neck stood up.” 

While in Oklahoma, Brandon also served as the private chef for Richard and Lindsay Roberts of Oral Roberts University. He began teaching in the culinary arts program at Oklahoma State University. During his three-year tenure at OSU, Brandon enjoyed being featured with Arista Winery at a James Beard House event in New York City. Soon after, Brandon was called home to begin a culinary arts program at Texarkana College. He served in this role for six years, becoming the Director of Culinary Arts. 

Brandon always enjoyed serving Bo and Donna Rasmussen who often dined at Windcreek Casino in Atmore, Alabama.

Brandon then extended his teaching skills to the Culinary Institute at Faulkner State Community College in Alabama for a few years. Sharing his passion for the culinary arts with students and novice chefs has helped Brandon learn “how to deal with people, motivated and nonmotivated, passionate and not.” His personal motto can serve to guide young chefs as they navigate their way in a kitchen: “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, diversity; in all things, charity.” 

Brandon recalls the advice of his friend and fellow chef, Robert Merrifield. “Robert has been an outstanding mentor to me in food, work, life, and spirituality. He took me under his wing as a young chef and taught me what it was to be a better person. He used to say, ‘Brandon, it takes 30 years to get a third Michelin star, it only takes one bowl of soup to lose it. You’re only as good as the last meal that you served.’ No pressure, right?” Brandon quips.

At the Texarkana Convention Center, Brandon’s breadth of experience enables him to oversee a staff that prepares daily meals as well as caters large events in a variety of cuisines. For his personal cooking, Brandon “tends to favor Indian and Thai curries, but I like to think of myself of somewhat versatile in any type of cuisine.  Whenever I am cooking ethnic cuisines, I try and hold true to the traditions of the cuisine and elevate the dish so that it is a celebration of what has been given to us by others.” 

When someone else cooks for him, Brandon savors braised beef short rib. “I had my last Thanksgiving meal sitting directly in front of the Colosseum in Rome ... that was a pretty awesome meal,” he remarks. When cooking for himself, Brandon really enjoys the world of “Garde Manger,” which involves the curing, preserving, and smoking foods under a refrigerated process. Brandon adds, “I also forage mushrooms throughout the year.  Morels in the spring, chanterelles in the summer, and a handful of others over winter. Walking along the creek side looking for Nature’s free candy is very rewarding.”  

In the wake of the apparent recession of COVID-19, Brandon maintains a positive outlook for the culinary world. “This too shall pass. Diners will return,” he asserts. “Restaurateurs will recover.  We’ll probably never have a new normal again, but a new version of normal.” In this new version, diners in Texarkana can look forward to delicious fare created by a chef who gives his all to his craft.