“As a child I came to these mountains on family vacations. When we would begin the drive home, I felt empty—had an ache in my gut. I didn’t want to leave. Back in Florida I daydreamed about living here, and, 57 years later, I finally call this place home.” Like so many whose yearning turned into settling in North Carolina’s high country, Chef Guy Thomas brought his unique talents and personality to blend into the palate of individualists who make up our mountain communities. Guy is the Executive Chef at the Meadowbrook Inn in Blowing Rock, and he just won two area chef’s competitions.

Winner of the 2011 (and 2009) Winterfest Chili Cookoff, Guy said that his inspiration this year was textures. Along with “bits ‘n’ fragments”. So, the 2010 winning chili contained bits ‘n’ fragments of pork, beef, duck, and Andouille sausage—and spices such as cinnamon sticks, cocoa, and cumin. He said that, even at his level of experience, he devours culinary magazines such as “Plate” and studies technique and current ideas online.

Guy grew up in central Florida and learned how to handle meats alongside his father and mother, who were both well-known cooks. His father worked the citrus business around DeLand, and outside his work hours he was a part-time butcher. As early as 6 years old, Guy helped his parents make sausage and helped butcher pork, beef, and venison. He grew up hunting, and his family was often called on to cook at huge fish fries or to fry quail, wild hog, and gator. His parents never used recipes—Guy learned to cook by watching them add a handful of one ingredient or a spoonful of another…and always by tasting. Chef Guy sums up his culinary philosophy, “Taste has always been the forefront of everything I prepare. Presentation is important, but taste is everything.”

As an adult, he worked for 8 years in commercial drywall. He stumbled into his first restaurant position at a place in Florida called The Miner’s Daughter. At dinner, the restaurant owner tried to recruit Guy’s young daughter, Rhonda, to appear in costume as Clementine herself. The owner explained that he had had a horrendous opening week—improperly-cooked food, staff members who didn’t show up for work. Guy did what so many great chefs do to get their first job—he “exaggerated” about his experience. He agreed to help the owner work through his restaurant opening, and a career in construction gradually turned into a culinary career.

Guy’s formal training opportunities started at Quail Hollow Country Club under Chef Oscar Bynum. He later took culinary classes at Central Piedmont Jr. College, advanced to coursework at the Culinary Institute of America, and then studied Restaurant and Kitchen Management through Cornell University. His studies yielded 30 years of positions at Grove Park Inn, Deer Park Estate at Biltmore, and executive chef positions both in Florida and North Carolina. He has created menus for and opened eight restaurants, and has experience both in country clubs and hotels. He won bronze and silver medals in ACF Competitions, and he captured the North Carolina State Chef’s Trophy in 1984.

Executive Chef Guy Thomas’ experience, training, and management skills are a great match with Meadowbrook Inn’s business model. “We can accommodate six events at the same time, and we can very comfortably handle three weddings a day,” says Vicky McLean, Meadowbrook’s General Manager. “One of the best things about Chef Guy is that he and his staff can produce an elegant buffet for 300, a biscuit breakfast for a board meeting, or tastes of chili for a thousand people. They do it all calmly and professionally, and the food is absolutely delicious!”

Executive Chef Thomas, along with Sous Chef Robbs Strange, won in the head-to-head competition against Westglow’s extremely talented culinary staff, in last week’s Chef’s Challenge at Crippen’s Country Inn. Both teams triumphed over the challenges of the secret ingredient—curry, and of interruption of propane fuel for cooking. The Meadowbrook Inn culinary team will compete in at Crippen’s in Round Two on March 22. “Come have a taste!”