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Owen Tilley began cooking at age 9 when his parents separated. He and his older sisters had to take a crash course in food preparation, as their mother worked late and did not return home in time to cook dinner. Owen quickly became inspired to take over in the kitchen after his sisters prepared a meal of sliced luncheon meats in cream gravy. By age 14 Owen was cooking at his Grandfather’s tavern in rural Texas during the summer. It was a small local operation, and before long, Owen was skilled enough to be the sole cook at the restaurant, putting out every last menu item entirely by himself. Owen got away from cooking after that summer and put all of his energies toward his second love, music. He spent the next 10 years pursuing a musical career, studying at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX, where he focused on general music with an emphasis on vocal performance and Latin percussion. At age 24, Owen decided to get back into the restaurant industry and took on a formal apprenticeship at The Classic Cup Bistro in Kansas City, MO under Chef Dan Sweeney, (current Executive Chef of Lydia’s KC.-Owner Lydia Bostanovich is of the famed Café at Chez Panisse, and former pasta maker for Alice Waters). In 1995 Owen opened his first restaurant “Auggie Joe’s”, in Kansas City, as Owner/Executive Chef, where he served contemporary Italian cuisine. Auggie Joe’s received such acclaim as Three Stars by the Kansas City Star. After a year, Owen decided to move on and sold his share in 1996. Owen then moved down to Houston, TX to help Joe Abuso open his famed Abuso Catering Company in 1996. Owen’s dessert creation, a Ginger Shortcake with Fresh Berries and Ginger Mascarpone Cream, took the cover of Food & Wine Magazine in July of 97. During his time at Abuso Catering, Owen had the opportunity to work with such chefs as James Beard Award winners Robert del Grande of Café Anne in Houston, TX, and Dean Ferrin of Mansion on Turtle Creek, in Dallas, TX. Owen then returned to Kansas City in 1997 as Corporate Chef de Cuisine of Novamira Restaurant Group, where he was in charge of two restaurants, Zola and Harry’s Bar and Tables. A few years later Owen came up to the North East to help out a Chef friend, and was soon was asked to take over as Executive Chef of the wildly popular East Coast Grill in 1999, where he worked under James Beard Award Winner, Chris Schlesinger. Owen stayed on at the East Coast Grill for two years before moving down to Vieques, Puerto Rico to open two other restaurants. In March of 2005, Owen accepted the position of Executive Chef at Tremont 647 and has already wowed both the devoted regulars and first-timers alike, with his own brand of Owner Andy Husbands’ Adventurous American Cuisine. Owen’s new menu will emphasize his passion for cuisine from the “hot zone” with many Latin and Caribbean inspired dishes like his slow roasted 1/2 chicken with yucca fries and black bean salad.
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