Senate Resolution 27

(As Adopted by Senate)

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE OUTSTANDING CAREER AND CULINARY SUCCESS OF MISSISSIPPI CHEF EXTRAORDINAIRE NICK WALLACE.

WHEREAS, Chef Nick Wallace's modern Mississippi cuisine highlights his mission to remain focused on the beauty of food. Gifted, talented and inspired by nature are just a few adjectives used to describe Mississippi's resident Chef and Master Culinary Artiste; and

WHEREAS, voted Jackson Free Press Best of Jackson 2020: Best Chef, featured on the list of "Best Chefs America" in 2013 and 2017, Nick has appeared in the pages of Southern Living and on "Comfort Nation" Season 2, was honored to be Mississippi's first Food Network's "Chopped" Champion, Alton's Challenge and featured on Food Network's Cutthroat Kitchen; and

WHEREAS, born and raised in Edwards, Mississippi, Wallace possesses the creativity, innovation and drive to deliver exceptional cuisine of the highest quality, redefining the Southern food experience by blending his family-farm origins with sophisticated French techniques to create exceptional dining experiences, and crediting his grandmothers, Queen Morris and Lennel Donald, for nurturing his innate talent for culinary arts perfection; and

WHEREAS, with a desire to take on any challenge the culinary world has to offer, Wallace's drive to deliver exceptional cuisine of the highest quality reflects his culinary philosophy and passion, which trend towards a healthier lifestyle by working with local farmers to create unique farm-to-table dining experiences that are exceptionally pleasing to the palate; and

WHEREAS, Nick has served as Chef for some of the largest and most prominent museums and hotels in the State of Mississippi, including the Mississippi Museum of Art, Marriott Hotels, and the historic King Edward Hotel. Chef Wallace, through these positions, has been able to hone his leadership skills and push the limits for continuous and flourishing innovation; and

WHEREAS, currently Founder and Executive Chef of Nick Wallace Culinary, and Nick Wallace Catering and Creativity Kitchen, Chef Wallace has moved his culinary talent and innovative methods into Jackson Public Schools through his nonprofit organization, Creativity Kitchen, enabling him to work closely with the chefs in the Jackson Public Schools to provide better tasting and healthier food for scholars; and

WHEREAS, in November 2019, Creativity Kitchen partnered with Whole Foods 5% Community Giving Program and put the money back into the community by donating a certain percentage of it to one of the local elementary schools; and

WHEREAS, a five-time presenter for the James Beard Foundation, Nick's "Southern Hospitality" dinners hosted in New York demonstrate the expanse of his culinary knowledge of flavor and technique, which can be experienced in three restaurants in Natchez, Mississippi, and through Crooked Coffee retail branded coffee; and

WHEREAS, Nick has participated in Flavored Nation's 2019 50 States – 50 Chefs in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is a rare talent of exceptional caliber, whose gift can soon be witnessed on a Canadian food television show slated to air in 2020; and

WHEREAS, Chef Wallace, who has also formed a partnership with Mississippi's own first female Iron Chef Cat Cora, continues to perform community outreach by forging partnerships with such organizations as: the American Cancer Society, which recognized him as one of the 2019 Real Men Wear Pink; Share the Gulf, which named him co-chair; and the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize and commend the remarkable talent of Chef Wallace, whose mastery of his craft has bestowed renowned national acclaim upon himself, his community and the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize the career and culinary success of Mississippi chef extraordinaire Nick Wallace, and extend best wishes for continued success in all his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Chef Nick Wallace and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.