DELIVERING TOP CUISINE

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Cordell graduate aims to win contest, win $50,000 prize

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  • DELIVERING TOP CUISINE
    DELIVERING TOP CUISINE
  • Alex Thomison, right, and some of his delightful creations (top and bottom). CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
    Alex Thomison, right, and some of his delightful creations (top and bottom). CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
  • DELIVERING TOP CUISINE
    DELIVERING TOP CUISINE
  • DELIVERING TOP CUISINE
    DELIVERING TOP CUISINE
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When Alex Thomison was growing up, all he wanted to do was work for the United States Postal Service.

“That was my big thing. I wanted to be a mail carrier,” Thomison said.

Now days, Thomison dreams about delivering world-class cuisine instead of letters.

The Cordell High School graduate works at White Dog Hill Restaurant in Clinton and aspires to open his own restaurant in Cordell and other locations.

Why the shift to cooking from his dream of being a mailman?

“I don’t really remember the exact moment where it kind of switched. And I was like, ‘Hey, I want to cook.’ But one day it just kind of clicked. And I was like, this is what I want to do. I enjoy working in the kitchen. It’s fun. It’s exciting. It’s fast paced,” Thomison said. “Ever since then, I just really haven’t been able to get out of the kitchen.”

If you don’t know Thomison, you may have seen him splattered across some of your social media feeds.

He’s in a competition on Favorite Chef, sponsored by Bon Appetit magazine, where he’s leading his group in chase of a $50,000 grand prize. The idea behind the contest is for chefs to garner support among the masses in the form of votes.

Thomison was subscribed to the magazine’s email list and would get occasional promotional offers for the magazine or other items.

“And then one day it just kind of popped up across my feed that they were sponsoring this big competition. And I was like, well, Why not enter it? I don’t have anything to lose. I might win. I may not win, but I don’t have anything to lose. So let’s try it,” he said.

$50,000 is a big prize dangling at the end of the line, but if somehow, he beat the odds and won, Thomison said the money would go a long way to opening his restaurant.

“That’s been my goal for a while now,” he said. “If I won that, it would be incredible.”

Thomison likes to dream big, and he doesn’t just envision one restaurant.

“I want to have a chain,” he said. Preferably, a chain of steakhouses with a very relaxed vibe, he added.

“I want, you know, people to come in, and not have to be all dressed up. They can sit down and enjoy a nice meal of a steak or burgers or something like that.”

He wants his first location to be in Cordell.

Besides dreaming of cooking perfect steaks, Thomison has dabbled in pastries for some time now.

He makes cakes for Slice 183 and has made them for other people and places in the past.

“I always try and do real unique, vibrant and different flavors that you don’t see too often in cakes,” he said.

Thomison enjoys making cakes so much that they will be featured in his restaurant when it opens up.

Cake making has helped get his name out there, he said. “So I don’t think I’ll ever be able to really let go of cakes.”

But he knows his future probably resides more as a savory chef than a pastry chef.

“I enjoy doing the savory side just a little bit more. Whenever you bake a cake, everything has to be so perfect on your measurements. There’s really no shifting the recipe around a little bit.”

He has more freedom to experiment on savory dishes.

“If I want to just do this insane, crazy twist to it, some sort of steak marinade or like a shrimp marinade, I can experiment a lot more,” he said.

But back to that contest.

Thomison plans to return the favor to those who vote for him.

“I’ve received so much support,” he said. “I’m planning on seeing how many restaurants I would be able to take a cake to and have them serve cake by the slice for free, just because of the sheer number of people that have voted for me in the amount of support that I’ve got. I want to in some way be able to return the favor back to the people.”

THOMISON FILE

You can vote for Alex Thomison in the $50,000 contest at https://favchef.com/2021/alexander-thomison

Here’s what he says on his profile.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN COOKING?

10 years! I first started when my mother was put on bed rest for her twin pregnancy and it evolved into my biggest passion!

WHAT IS YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?

Spanish shrimp quesadillas with roasted bell peppers and onions with a Mexican Hot Tomato sauce and pepper jack cheese.

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THE $50,000?

Finish opening my restaurant! I’m a few key components away from being able to complete my childhood dream!