Executive Chef Darin Nesbit

It begins like a story you’ve heard time and time again…a trip to New Orleans for the Jazz and Heritage Festival made someone fall in love with Creole cuisine and the city. That someone is Darin Nesbit, and his infatuation caused him to pursue a new career. A career that led him to his current position as Executive Chef of two critically acclaimed Dickie Brennan restaurants: Bourbon House and Palace Cafe.

Shortly after his New Orleans experience, he enrolled in the Culinary Program of Kendall College, in Chicago. At Darin’s request, his externship requirement landed him back in New Orleans, under the tutelage of then Executive Chef Jamie Shannon at Commander’s Palace.

Upon gradation, Darin returned to Commander’s Palace and for the next four years gained invaluable lessons in the art of New Orleans cuisine. He was part of the team that included Chef Gus Martin and current Bourbon House chef, Neil Mockovak. And it wasn’t luck that led this team to win the Outstanding Restaurant in America award for Commander’s Palace from the James Beard Foundation in 1996.

Darin followed Chef Gus Martin to Palace Café in December of 1997 to assume the role of Executive Sous Chef. To help home cooks recreate Palace Café’s famed cuisine, Darin worked closely with Chef Gus Martin on the restaurant’s cookbook, Palace Café: The Flavor of New Orleans. Darin developed dishes and played a crucial role in the creation of the book.

In 2003, Darin took command of the Palace Café kitchen. His focus on food presentation, his keen understanding of culinary technique, and his zeal for flavorful Creole cooking make Darin Nesbit an instrumental asset to Palace Café and its cuisine. Hurricane Katrina presented a completely uncharted environment to run a restaurant. Darin’s success in rebuilding his team, and strong commitment to supporting his sister restaurants, made him the natural choice to oversee the Bourbon House kitchen. In August of 2007, Dickie Brennan asked Darin to assume the position as Executive Chef of Bourbon House, in addition to his role at Palace Café.

His most meaningful accomplishment, however, is likely his mentoring skills which attract serious culinary students from around the world. Under Darin’s direction, the best local produce is used to create seasonal, contemporary Creole dishes with great depth of flavor. All stocks, soups and sauces are housemade. Ducks are dry-aged and bacon is cured in-house. Specialty breads and desserts are all made from scratch.

Thankfully, Darin is willing to share his secrets with others. He was featured as a Guest Chef at the world renowned Cal-A-Vie Spa in Vista, CA, The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, AL, the James Beard House and has appeared on the Today Show. Chef Darin frequently conducts culinary demonstrations for audiences ranging from ten to more than one hundred. He is comfortable on camera, and in person, sharing his love of cooking.