Like many true chefs, Chef Thomas Wolfe knew from a very young age, cooking was his passion. He decided to make his love for cuisine his career and attended Delgado University’s Culinary Arts Program.
After college, Chef Wolfe apprenticed in some of New Orleans’s finest restaurant, including Mr. B’s Bistro and Emeril’s. Chef Wolfe’s went on to open his flagship restaurant, Wolfe’s of New Orleans in 2000. Wolfe’s achieved several awards, including “Best New Fine Dining Restaurant in New Orleans” by Bon Appetite. To be recognized nationally in the same category as some of his former employers was a dream come true for this Louisiana native.
In 2004, Chef Wolfe was chosen to take over ownership of the award-winning restaurant, Peristyle, by his long-time friend Chef Anne Kearney. Since he has taken the reigns of Peristyle, he has continued the success and high standards of the fine-dining establishment, continuing to be recognized as one of the best restaurants in the city.
The following year, Marriott International invited Chef Wolfe to create a menu and concept for a restaurant and Wolfe’s in the Warehouse was born. Wolfe’s contemporary Creole cuisine is influenced by different nationalities, which appeals to the many visitors which travel to New Orleans.
With three restaurants thriving in the culinary giant of New Orleans, Chef Wolfe was sitting where only most could dream. Unfortunately after the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Chef Wolfe’s flagship restaurant, Wolfe’s of New Orleans, was lost. Since Hurricane Katrina Chef Wolfe continues to strive to create the best fare for his patrons and friends by using the freshest local ingredients.
In September of 2008, Chef Wolfe made the tough decision to close the doors of the famed Peristyle restaurant and open a new, but familiar concept… Wolfe’s on Rampart. Chef Wolfe made the bold decision to go back to his style of cooking, which devotes itself to the melting pot of New Orleans. The decision has been made to relocate Wolfe’s on Rampart to Pass Christian, MS where it will now be called Wolfe’s Gulf Coast Grill
Chef Wolfe not only exercises his culinary talent in the kitchen of his restaurants, but he has also won several Gold Medals for Food at the New Orleans Food and Wine Experience, hosted dinners at the James Beard House in New York and has been labeled as a “Rising Star Chef” and one of the five chefs to watch in the United States. When he is not in the kitchen, Chef Wolfe enjoys spending time with his wife, Tracy, and their two daughters, Madison and Megan; and serving as Chef Chair for the March of Dimes.