Chef Cornell Coulon Purchases Basikneads Catering

Basikneads Catering purchased by Chef Cornell Coulon, former protegee of Chef Emeril Lagasse of Emeril's. Chef Coulon is the new creative force behind Basikneads' culinary team. He develops the menus, designing each dish with personal attention to your tastes as well as the flavors and colors of the season. He, or one of the other members of the team, will be at your event to ensure that the food has been staged to perfection.

Chef Coulon is a native of New Orleans and, like most people from the Big Easy, grew up with food being an integral part of his soul. He has cooked for as long as he can remember, at first mainly by hanging onto his grandmother's apron strings. Chef Coulon's dream of becoming a chef was born during his summer vacations from high school. The Great Chefs series on PBS began to open Chef Coulon's mind to his own culinary potential as he attempted to refine techniques learned on the show in his mother's kitchen. He subsequently took a job in a local restaurant working as a busboy initially, but quickly (and happily) made the move to the kitchen.

After a brief interlude majoring in Biochemistry at LSU, Chef Coulon returned to his boyhood dream of becoming a chef and decided to attend the Culinary Arts Institute of Louisiana. While in school he worked with local chef Greggory Payne at the Country Club of Louisiana. After graduating, he continued to develop his culinary skills as a prot�g� of the renowned Emeril Lagasse at Emeril's in New Orleans. He then spent the next few years traveling extensively throughout Alaska, Mexico, Texas, and South Florida, honing his unique style. Chef Coulon came to Washington DC in 2002 as the executive chef of Mendocino Grille in Georgetown. He was then invited to open the Dupont Grille restaurant at the Jury's Doyle Hotel as their executive restaurant chef.

Chef Coulon continues to refine his trademark style here in Washington DC. A typical Chef Coulon entree blends culinary influences from around the globe such as Pan Asian, Mediterranean, and Central American, carefully assimilating them with a French flair. And, true to his Louisiana upbringing, Chef Coulon imbues each one of his creative entrees with Southern flavor and soul.