Chef News

Dallas restaurant Up On Knox lures in celeb chef from L.A. for Parkies

This guy looks, I mean, cooks good.

Courtesy photo

In what has become a bit of a revolving door situation, a Knox-Henderson restaurant has a new chef in the house.

Up On Knox, the restaurant on Knox Street that's very popular with the Park Cities set, welcomes chef Wes Whitsell, a Texas native who is returning to Dallas after stints in Los Angeles and elsewhere, as the restaurant's new culinary director.

Whitsell, who has 15-plus years of experience, began his cooking career in Los Angeles. He worked at restaurants such as Osteria La Buca, Blair's, and Gjelina, then headed to the kitchen at Soho House New York.

In 2016, he opened his first concept, an L.A. restaurant called Manuela, but left that in 2017. He's kind of a celebu-chef, having scored a fashion profile on Lucky Jeans website that includes a photo of his jeans-clad behind.

His handle on Twitter, which he no longer uses, is "@wessiepoo22," so he gets points for that.

According to a release, Whitsell's approach complements that of Stephan Courseau, owner-founder of Up On Knox, and they have already revamped the menu. "I'm excited I have found somebody who's just as passionate about what I'm doing," Whitsell says in a statement. "We share a singular vision, and both have high expectations."

The release also says that Whitsell grew up with a passion for the farm to table experience.

"It was here in North Texas where my father taught me how to live off the land," he says. "We grew our own vegetables, fished our local lakes, and hunted the land."

Whitsell represents the fourth high-profile chef that's signed up for duty at Up On Knox. The restaurant opened with chefs Melody Bishop and Dennis Kelly, then formed a short-lived partnership with chef Junior Borges. But it's probably just a coincidence. One of those things that happens.

Chef turnover certainly hasn't impacted business one bit. The Park Cities crowd loves loves loves this place. Try and get into for weekend brunch. No nevermind, don't, because it's nuts.

Whitsell aims to take the restaurant to a new level of sustainability, striving to find local sources as well as companies that give back to the earth, which is one of the pillars for Courseau's team.

Courseau says he feels lucky to have met Whitsell, calling him "the real deal…creative, driven but humble at the same time."

"He just wants to serve great food prepared with the best ingredients. It sounds simple, but it requires real talent," Courseau says.

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Charitable Event

Volunteers wanted for H-E-B's free holiday feast at Fair Park Dallas

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

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H-E-B and its family of brands, including Central Market, Joe V’s Smart Shop, and Favor, will bring back the annual Feast of Sharing dinner this holiday season to both Dallas and Fort Worth.

The two events are as follows:

Dallas Feast of Sharing is on Thursday, November 20 from 3-7 pm at Centennial Hall in Fair Park
Fort Worth Feast of Sharing is on Wednesday, November 12 from 3-7 pm at Dickies Arena

Both events will feature a Texas-style holiday meal alongside a festive celebration complete with a kid’s zone, live entertainment, health and family services, Santa greetings, and more. Meals are FREE and open to the public (first come first serve).

Anticipate preparations to serve meals to 10,000+ people, music, family activities, wellness screenings, and visits from Santa.

Volunteers
The organizers are seeking 1,000 volunteers in each city to assist with serving meals, clearing tables, hosting, and supporting the kid’s zone area during the four-hour events. All businesses, civic organizations, churches and schools are encouraged to sign up at www.centralmarket.com/community.

“We couldn’t bring this event to life without the dedication of our volunteers,” said Mabrie Jackson, managing director of public affairs, H-E-B/Central Market. “The holidays are about giving and community, and this year we’re proud to make a meaningful difference by sharing a delicious holiday meal with more families.”

The event, which has been held in Dallas since 2006 and Fort Worth since 2011, typically serves 10,000-15,000 residents in each city. In addition, more than 40 social service agencies are on hand with representatives to provide information and resources.

Since 1989, Central Market’s parent company, H-E-B, has invited people to celebrate the holidays with food, music, and good cheer at its Feast of Sharing events. The free holiday feasts, which are held in more than 34 cities in Texas and Mexico, bring together family, friends, and neighbors, and provides H-E-B an opportunity to give thanks to its loyal customers, regularly serving more than 340,000 meals.

In the more than three decades H-E-B has held these celebrations, more than 375,000 volunteers have helped serve nearly four million meals. This initiative is a part of H-E-B’s Hunger Relief Program, which works year-round to prevent hunger in the more than 300 communities H-E-B serves. Last year, H-E-B’s Hunger Relief Program donated 33 million pounds of food to families in need. Since 1982, the year the program was founded, H-E-B has donated more than one billion pounds of food to 5,500 non-profit organizations in Texas and Mexico.

Dallas Feast of Sharing – 19th Annual Holiday Dinner. Thursday, November 20, 2025, 3-7 pm, Fair Park – Centennial Hall, 1001 Washington St.
Fort Worth Feast of Sharing – 13th Annual Holiday Dinner. Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 3-7 pm, Dickies Arena (Lower level – southeast side of arena)1911 Montgomery St.

charity h-e-b holidays