Spencer Taylor Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser
Jeff Qualls
Jeff Qualls was born and raised just 30 minutes north of Mckinney in Sherman, Tx. He began
working in restaurants at the age of 14 and quickly decided the fast-paced, high-energy environment
ideally suited him. After making his rounds in the local restaurant scene, he decided to attend
school at the world renowned Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York training under
some of the best Certified Master Chefs in the world.
After graduating in the fall of 2001, Jeff moved to California’s fabled Napa Valley to study wine
and its vital interaction with various types of cuisine. While in Napa, Jeff trained at the Culinary
Institute of America at Greystone, the CIA’s sister campus. There he fine-tuned his skills in the
fields of patisserie and artesian bread baking.
Chef Qualls returned home in the winter of 2002. In the fall of 2004, Jeff joined the PGA Tour in
opening their latest project at the TPC Craig Ranch where he quickly became sous-chef under the
tutelage of Executive Chef Brain C. Luscher.
After more than a year with the PGA Tour, Jeff was asked to head the kitchen for a new restaurant
in downtown McKinney called Poppy’s Garden Café, where he was given 3 ½ stars by the Dallas Morning
News and was named one of the top five young chefs by D Magazine.
After almost two years at Poppy’s Garden Café, Chef Qualls headed south down Highway 75 and took
over as Pastry Chef for Neiman Marcus’ Zodiac Café. After a brief stint at Zodiac, Chef Qualls
was asked to come back to the The TPC at
Craig Ranch and take over the vacant Executive Chef’s position
for McKinney’s premier country club.
Jeff currently resides in west McKinney with his wife, Nomi, and their two daughters, Parker and Payton.
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