Chef Casey Thompson Leaves Shinsei Restaurant

Posted on July 31st, 2008 11:28am by Nancy Nichols
Filed under Festivals, Restaurant News, Wine & Spirits

Ding, dang I take part of the morning off to pay bills and the world continues on without me. I know it’s all over town, but I’m going on the record here: chef Casey Thompson sent out this e-mail this earlier:

“My years as executive chef of Shinsei have been a wonderful experience. At this time, I am currently exploring a variety of culinary opportunities. I appreciate the opportunities provided to me at Shinsei and wish them all of the best for the future.”

Methinks she’s got something in the bag because, let’s face it, the future isn’t looking to good to the majority of us. Perhaps she’s leaving town. I don’t know. I will, however, do my best to find out. I think Shinsei should hire Lisa Garza.

37 comments

  1. Do you think she needs a shoulder to cry on? Someone to make her a late-night sandwich? A married 40-year-old bald man? I’m just throwin’ that out there.

    @ 11:43 am on July 31, 2008

  2. Hire Lisa Garza?! Why do you want to ruin Shinsei?!

    @ 11:46 am on July 31, 2008

  3. Eric-
    She doesn’t need a shoulder to cry on, we all know that she is headed up the ladder!

    @ 11:49 am on July 31, 2008

  4. hot

    @ 11:51 am on July 31, 2008

  5. Yes, hot!

    @ 12:07 pm on July 31, 2008

  6. Ditto.

    @ 12:11 pm on July 31, 2008

  7. Yes, “I am currently exploring a variety of culinary opportunities” — the culinary equivalent of the political “I want to spend more time with my family.”

    @ 12:14 pm on July 31, 2008

  8. Spamboy, it could also mean: I had no choice but to say I am exploring a variety of opportunities because the gig I had went away. IJS. Could happen.

    @ 12:16 pm on July 31, 2008

  9. My money is that she’s moving to California to be with her long-lost-love C.J. Ranch up!

    @ 12:31 pm on July 31, 2008

  10. Sounds like a nice kiss-off for being informed there’s no more gig. Save the Fearing face!

    @ 12:47 pm on July 31, 2008

  11. ‘I am currently exploring a variety of culinary opportunities’ usually means “my head is too big now because I was on T.V. and my job performance sucks because I think I am too good for the restaurant business”. I imagine that she is disappointed because the casting agents are not beating down her door.

    @ 12:52 pm on July 31, 2008

  12. There is another Marcus? I’m not happy about this.

    @ 12:58 pm on July 31, 2008

  13. I was here first…LOL!

    @ 1:02 pm on July 31, 2008

  14. add this to the list of other changes going on at ShinSei (expansion plans)

    @ 1:23 pm on July 31, 2008

  15. Christina Applegate??

    @ 1:40 pm on July 31, 2008

  16. Here’s a really good idea, why doesn’t everyone stop speculating and just wait until she announces what she is going to do. For all you know she is going to go be a missionary in Africa!

    And Marcus, you really should meet someone and get to know them before assuming things about them. Your assesment of her personality based on being on a TV show is not even close to the truth. If it was, she would have been gone a long time ago.

    @ 1:54 pm on July 31, 2008

  17. Maybe she and Tre will go in halfsies on something new.

    @ 1:56 pm on July 31, 2008

  18. Sorry, I meant “joint ownership” or “equity split” or some such lawyerly nonsense.

    @ 1:57 pm on July 31, 2008

  19. Wow…when she and I were chatting the other week, she hadn’t mentioned anything about making a change. We’ve known each other a while, even before her Top Chef days. Looks like I need to call the girl and find out what her plans are.

    @ 2:06 pm on July 31, 2008

  20. Hmmm. A revolutionary idea, Nate, calling the source of an e-mail or news release to find out the truth. Don’t reporters and editors normally do that?

    @ 2:14 pm on July 31, 2008

  21. Courtney- This is a blog. People speculate on blogs. They also can share their opinion freely. Like I just did.

    @ 2:18 pm on July 31, 2008

  22. Certainly, feel free to share your uninformed opinion freely.

    @ 2:41 pm on July 31, 2008

  23. Freud: shouldn’t you be asking things regarding relationships to mothers or something? Or are you just slipping today?

    @ 2:54 pm on July 31, 2008

  24. …yep – Still Hot.

    @ 3:25 pm on July 31, 2008

  25. She probably wanted more money than Rathbun and Fearing thought she was worth. She can proabably find financiers willing to invest her own venture where she’ll make more money. Of course, owning your own place is a hell of a lot more challenging than just working at someone else’s place.

    @ 4:20 pm on July 31, 2008

  26. Casey is one of the sweetest most dignified people I have ever had the privaledge of being close to. She not only is beautiful and talented, she has a heart of gold. Granted this is a blog- but people on here should not speak about her if they dont know her personally. I think everyone should just wait and see what she has in store…. trust me, its big!

    @ 4:46 pm on July 31, 2008

  27. Maybe she can be executive chef at Prosper’s new Panda Express.

    @ 4:54 pm on July 31, 2008

  28. Holla-I second that! The world has not seen the last of Casey Thompson-believe me…

    @ 5:02 pm on July 31, 2008

  29. True dat!!!

    @ 5:05 pm on July 31, 2008

  30. Lisa Dum-Dum Garza should be hired at Shisei?
    Yeah, great idea. I’m sure Rathbun and Fearing will be falling over themselves running to the phone trying to catch ‘ol squinty before she leaves for her yogurt class or whatever dum-dums do. Maybe they could use her as a Romulan lamppost in the entrance way (only they would have to figure out a way to shut her up).

    Sorry Casey, this should have been about you and all the beautiful work you did at Shinsei and how you’ll be missed.

    Thanks Nichols for the brillant idea of slopping Garzas’ name into the mix.

    @ 7:09 pm on July 31, 2008

  31. I wish her the best. For all the “she’s got big head-itis” conspirators out there, she filled in for Kent at a cooking class we did at Abacus on Sunday. Showing up on a Sunday gratis to help her old bosses husband out (who was unexpectedly called out of town) wouldn’t seem to be the actions of someone that is bitter or too big of a deal for the people that launched her career. I’m sure the offers have been numerous since T/C so perhaps the right one finally came along.

    @ 9:18 am on August 1, 2008

  32. Me thinks she has a gig.. at her dream job. French Laundry? Only time will tell.

    @ 9:36 am on August 1, 2008

  33. To Casey – I wish you all the best! I can’t wait to see what you have in store next! Don’t forget us “little people” when you do something huge. :-)

    @ 9:42 am on August 1, 2008

  34. Please do not go to central 214…open your own place!

    @ 1:44 am on August 6, 2008

  35. Nice implants.

    LOL @ Rick

    She’s not good enough to be a sous at anything Keller owns.

    @ 12:36 pm on August 7, 2008

  36. Ha ha @ Kevin. Me thinks those are REAL!
    Did you notice her Fan Site Blog is gone and yet the new site does not load up? The Media Portal I put it is functioning though. (Thank you Casey!)

    @ 7:01 pm on August 24, 2008

  37. ..Although.. The ChefCasey site is now gone too. Pressure from a Dallas trademark company that Casey has hired. Don’t be a fan, publicly.

    @ 5:51 pm on December 15, 2008