A Chef in the Making

Terrance Thomas might seem like any other 15-year-old Milwaukee native. You might think he spends his time playing games like Fortnite or creating funny videos on apps like Tik Tok or Snapchat, but you would be wrong. Terrance works at one of the country’s best restaurants, nestled in Milwaukee’s East Side: Ardent. Even more impressive, he has been working there since he was only 12.

I sat down with Terrance and his mother to talk about his passion for coking. During the conversation, I saw a lot of myself in him. For example, we both started cooking at the same age of seven, and we share the same nickname: T.J. One key difference is that Terrance found his true passion and is currently pursuing his dream at an age when I was still concerned with beating my high score in Super Mario Brothers.

How exactly did this young man end up in the kitchen of a James Beard Award-nominated restaurant? It all started with the show Iron Chef. At the time, Terrance loved art and drawing and was inspired by the presentation of dishes and variety of colors he saw on the program, and he wanted to learn how to create that himself.

Following his inspiration, his grandmother taught Terrance how to cook, starting with an all important skill: scrambling eggs. Terrance remembers his grandmother giving him a pan and some eggs and leaving him with the simple instruction of, “Get cooking!”

Even his mom, Deanna, saw his passion for food and encouraged him to hone his skill. For example, at a recent family reunion, Deanna was looking for her son outside with the other kids, but Terrance was in the kitchen helping prepare the meal.

At Christmastime, Terrance’s love of cooking is evident by his wish list. While other kids his age ask for Playstations, iPads and other gadgets, Terrance wants kitchen appliances and cookbooks. One year, his grandmother got him a KitchenAid Stand Mixer worth $300, about the same price as a new video gaming system. To be honest, I was kind of jealous. My parents wouldn’t even get me one of those Easy-Bake Ovens when I was young.

Then, at the age of 12 during a field trip, his teacher asked the students what they wanted to be when they grew up. When the teacher asked Terrance, he answered, “I want to be a chef.” By some stroke of luck, his teacher knew Justin Carlisle, the Chef/Owner of Ardent. The teacher decided to set up a meeting between Chef Carlisle and Terrance.

Before meeting Carlisle, Terrance prepared some cinnamon biscuits from his own recipe to exemplify his talent. When he arrived at Ardent, Carlisle gave him a tour, and Terrance asked a lot of questions. He shared his biscuits with Carlisle, and the Chef parted some helpful wisdom on how to improve the recipe. Carlisle then offered Terrance an internship right there on the spot.

Terrance’s mom Deanna said, “Really? He’s 12. You realize he’s 12!” After they left the restaurant, she told Terrance, “This is a big deal. You never hear of 12-year-olds getting an internship. Take advantage of every opportunity that they offer you,” and he did.

On his first day at Ardent, Terrance was asked to prepare ‘Family Meal,’ a meal that is served to the staff before the beginning of the evening’s service. Terrance made his own rendition of lasagna and garlic bread.

Terrance’s typical shift at Ardent starts with cleaning the back half of the restaurant and washing the dishes. One of his favorite tasks is to serve and explain the dishes to the patrons. He assists Carlisle with the preparation of meals like a recent trout dish, which he described to me in fantastic detail as if it were his own creation.

Carlisle is proud of Terrance’s work ethic and his willingness to learn. Carlisle says, “Standing back and thinking how to discuss projects and instructions to a person of that age is a great refresher in respect and patience. He has helped us as much as we have helped him. He gives me hope for the future of people that hopefully want to join our industry.”

When Terrance isn’t in the kitchen at Ardent, he can be found in his home kitchen where he prepares a majority of his family’s meals. One of his favorite dishes to make is Brunswick Stew, which happens to be my own father’s specialty. Terrance also makes a mean Tuna Melt, with a dill and parsley herbed tuna. He layers on gouda and cheddar and toasts it to melty perfection. If Terrance got the opportunity to meet one of his idols, Bobby Flay, he would serve him this signature sandwich.

Terrance’s dream is to become a chef and run three of his own restaurants. He also strives to attend culinary schools outside of the United States. I wanted to know what advice a young man with passion and dedication would give his peers, and he said, “Don’t stop. The most important thing is to focus on what you’re trying to do and always connect with other people that are in the same environment.”

On that note, make sure you remember Terrance Thomas, because you may see him take home a James Beard Award in the future.

Ardent

1751 N Farwell Ave

Milwaukee, WI 53202