Wednesday, July 7, 2021 – Chef Tiffany Derry

Today is my 71st birthday. I ate tonight with some friends at a new restaurant in Farmers Branch — Roots Southern Table — owned by Chef Tiffany Derry. She is an alum of the TV show Top Chef which I watch regularly. I just watched the 18th season of the Top Chef competition, and many of the alums were featured — including Tiffany Derry. So, I just watched her on a TV show, then I walked into her restaurant tonight and took this photo of her in person. Very exciting! A few years ago, I ate at a casual restaurant she had in Plano, Roots Chicken Shak. The fried chicken sandwich melted in your mouth. The food tonight did not disappoint. I ordered Texas peaches with pecans, prosciutto and crème fraiche for all of us to try as an appetizer. My dish was halibut with lima beans, okra, corn, spring onions and roasted tomatoes. Delicioso! Plus, one of my friends brought a small birthday cake complete with candles to celebrate. All in all, a lovely evening. Let’s learn more about Chef Tiffany Derry.

According to Wikipedia, Tiffany Derry is an American chef based in Dallas, Texas, who is well known for her appearances on “Top Chef” and “Hungry Investors” in 2014. She was born on December 26, 1982 in Beaumont, Texas. She graduated from The Art Institute of Houston in 2003 with an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts.

Beaumont, Texas

According to Alexandra Cronin’s Dec. 14, 2018 article “Breakfast with Tiffany: Celebrity chef Tiffany Derry on roots and reality TV,” it was a big deal when Beaumont, Texas got its first IHOP. Since it was a small city with relatively few choices, a new restaurant close to its only mall was cause for celebration. One morning, however, one of the line cooks didn’t show up for work, leaving them critically short-staffed during the busiest times of the day. When the manager wondered what they were going to do, the other guys in the kitchen looked at each other. “Go get Tiffany,” one of them suggested.

Tiffany was a 16-year-old high school student, and one of the more popular servers. She’d been among the first to apply for a job there, and originally had wanted to work in the kitchen. Tiffany settled for server because, at the time, IHOP didn’t employ women as cooks. Nevertheless, on her breaks and whenever there was a lull in traffic, she’d pop back to the kitchen and bounce around the different stations, asking to be shown how to fold omelets and fry bacon. Bright and expressive with a loud, honest laugh, she was immediately likeable and a quick study. Officially, she wasn’t trained. But unofficially, Tiffany Derry had learned anyway, and she’d been waiting for her opportunity.

She worked her first-ever shift on expo, the most complicated position in the restaurant and the heart of the kitchen. She called all the tickets, “dropped” all the pancakes, and took charge of the pace of the entire restaurant. Since it was the International House of Pancakes, pancakes alone were the largest job. At any time, a server might rush up with a correction to a dish already in progress, and Tiffany would have to slot it into an already moving train. Sometimes even the most prolific chefs who can work magic with nothing but a carrot can’t harness a chaotic expo.

“You have to be able to communicate effectively and be on top of everybody. Can you imagine? I’m 16, learning the hardest part of the kitchen first,” she recalls and smiles. “It was amazing. I loved it.”

While still in high school, Tiffany received her seafood training from Houston's Pesce Restaurant. After graduation, she became the executive sous chef of Grotto Cucina.

Career

According to Wikipedia, Derry competed in “Top Chef” season 7 in Washington, D.C. and won "fan favorite" after placing fifth. She also competed among the All-Star chefs in season 8 and finished fourth as a finalist.

She was the chef and owner of "Private|Social" in Dallas from 2011 to 2013. In 2012, she founded her professional website promoting her culinary career and her restaurant, "Private|Social." In 2013, she expressed interest in opening her own restaurant in her hometown of Beaumont. She appeared on an episode of Spike TV's “Bar Rescue” in June 2013 and has appeared in a commercial promoting her alma mater, "The Art Institute of Houston."

In November 2013, Derry was the day's winner on an episode of Food Network's “Cutthroat Kitchen” and she started to appear on the Spike TV series “Hungry Investors,” which debuted in 2014.

She is also working with the Dallas Independent School District to improve their school lunch program in order to provide healthier options.

She opened Roots Chicken Shak in Plano in 2017.

Derry, partnering with Tom Foley of T2D Concepts, opened Roots Southern Table June 2021 in Farmers Branch, TX as an expansion concept to Roots Chicken Shack. The concept is chef-driven, and the menu consists of high-end twists to the classic southern recipes she grew up with.

According to bravotv.com, Tiffany knew her purpose was to be in the kitchen from an early age. Growing up on her family’s farm in the South, farm-to-table eating wasn’t a trend; it was a way of life — eating with the seasons, canning and preserving fresh-picked fruits and vegetables, fresh pies on the counter, never letting anything go to waste. Her grandmother always welcomed guests to her kitchen with love and taught Tiffany that cooking is more than just putting a few ingredients together — it’s a passion.

Tiffany then decided to break out on her own and founded Tiffany Derry Concepts in 2013, a company established to support her business and culinary ventures including television shows, brand partnerships and a fast-casual concept, The Cupboard by Tiffany Derry.

In 2016, Tiffany and her business partner Tom Foley, Esq. founded T2D Concepts, which operates her current restaurants and her spice and apparel line. Fueled by a spirit of service and a deep-rooted hunger to drive social change, T2D aims to bridge the gender and racial wealth gap in the hospitality industry through the power of good food and meaningful dialogue around the table. Outside of her restaurants, Tiffany is a fierce advocate for social justice and equity across gender, race and food access. She spends much of her spare time lobbying politicians to pass sustainable and healthy food policies; she was integral in getting the farm bill updated in 2013. Tiffany serves as a member of Les Dames D’Escoffier, a spokesperson for the James Beard Foundation’s sustainability efforts, an ambassador for diabetes organization Novo Nordisk and sits on the board of directors for Food Policy Action.

Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, sliced thin

1 cup red bell pepper, sliced thin

¼ cup green onions, sliced

½ cup parsley, chopped

¼ cup pistachios

2 T orange juice

1 T lemon juice

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 T vinegar

2 T dried cherries

¾ t salt

1 T black pepper

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and set aside in refrigerator or room temperature if serving soon.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 121

Total Fat 7.4 g

Saturated Fat 1.0 g

Cholesterol 0

Sodium 451 mg

Total Carbohydrates 13.4 g

Dietary Fiber 4.7 g

Sugars 4.4 g

Protein 3.2 g

Vitamin A 19 %

Vitamin C 187 %

Iron 10 %

* Based upon a 2,000 calorie diet