Hi! I'm Chef Tim W!

It doesn't matter where you come from. A great plate of food and the story behind it brings people together in a way that almost nothing else can. That belief is at the center of everything I cook.

My Style

My food is rich, hearty, flavorful, and — yes — spicy. Think seafood gumbo, Taiwanese beef noodle soup, pho, Midwestern chili with cornbread, birria with homemade salsa, warm beef stew on a cold winter day. The kind of food that wraps around you. I love bold flavors from across cultures, and I love finding the thread that connects them all: real ingredients, real technique, and real care.

My Story

I grew up in Elburn, Illinois — small, rural, just west of Chicago — where my very first cooking lesson came from my mom making scrambled eggs. From there it grew: cooking for friends in college, taking it seriously after graduating during the pandemic, and landing at a local BBQ brewery that turned out to be the beginning of a real career.

One step led to the next, and eventually I found myself as Sous Chef at a two-Michelin-starred restaurant. That experience challenged me in every direction — learning to lead and motivate a team, hold exceptionally high standards, travel nationally and internationally to showcase food, and stay steady when things don't go according to plan. It made me the chef I am today.

What keeps me going in the kitchen are the small moments: the sound of a knife hitting the cutting board, food sizzling in a pan, the smell of a live-fire grill, and the silent rhythm of working alongside someone who already knows your next move. There's a sense of structure, purpose, and connection in cooking that I haven't found anywhere else.

Beyond the Kitchen

When I'm off the clock, I'm at the gym, reading, cooking for the people I care about, or unwinding over video games with friends. I fell in love with Italy on a past trip and fully intend to go back. East Asia is next on my culinary travel list.

And fair warning: if you hear me say "You betcha buckaroo!" — that just means you've caught me in my natural habitat.