Casey Thompson

Biography: This self-taught chef came to cooking via a very different route. A business major who attended the University of North Texas, Casey at one point marketed jet fuel to NASA, while running a catering business in Houston. Her first position in a high-end restaurant was as prep at The Mansion on Turtle Creek Restaurant in downtown Dallas, but she worked her way up through the ranks to sous chef under the tutelage of Dean Fearing, then Executive Chef. Now Executive Chef at Shinsei Restaurant, Casey will bring this same perseverance to the competition.