cuisine
Secrets Of A Louisville Chef
Louisville knows him as a chef, restaurateur, founder of Bourbon and Bowties, supporter of myriad charitable causes, husband, father and the person you want in your corner during good times and bad. Dean Corbett is an affable sweetheart of guy who brings magic to everything he touches. By Nancy Miller • Photo by Jolea Brown 78 TOPS LOUISVILLE | October 2017
D
ean Corbett, the executive chef and owner of Corbett’s an American Place, Equus and Jack’s, doesn’t pull any punches. He’s as frank as they come: “I went to business school, started as a dishwasher at Red Lobster, worked in nursing homes and country clubs and at Pizza Hut...everything imaginable, I’ve been there,” says the five-star chef. “It’s a matter of hanging in. I have had more challenges in the last couple of years than ever because of the competition in the business,” says Corbett. “When I started, there were a handful of (local) fine dining restaurants. Now there are 40 or 50. Staffing has become a huge issue and maintaining clientele is a challenge. A lot of my customers are getting older so we have to bring in new folks.”