Austin Chef Profiles: James Ramsey of Fore
James Ramsey
Welcome to the inaugural entry in our new series: Chef Profiles. The idea is to give you an up close and personal look at some of your and our favorite chefs in Central Texas.
Our first subject is James Ramsey, exec at Fore in Lakeway. I am somewhat responsible for James’s hiring since I provided the initial recommendation on him to owners James Dinwoodie and Ose Edebor. Clearly, I was already a Ramsey fan, and nothing that’s transpired since his arrival at Fore has done anything to diminish my initial opinion. The guy can cook!
James was born in Galveston and lived in Houston and eventually Georgetown. Unlike many chefs that I meet, Ramsey was not set on a career in the kitchen at a very early age. He did enjoy cooking, inspired by an aunt who had worked in restaurants, but his initial love was architecture and he headed off to Texas Tech to become the next Frank Lloyd Wright. But over a few years, his architectural interests waned and he switched majors to Hotel and Restaurant Management. He worked summers at a place called Divine Desserts that specialized in wedding cakes.
He graduated and took a management job at Texas Land and Cattle on Mopac and much to the chagrin of upper management, also took an occasional turn in the kitchen. Ramsey left TLC in 2002 and opened a catering company in Georgetown. He then decided he needed more hands-on cooking training and enrolled at the then Texas Culinary Academy (now le Cordon Bleu). Working and studying left him precious little spare time but he was determined to follow his path. After graduating from TCA, he put the catering firm on hold and took a job at the former 4th St. Station in Hutto, which was an eclectic little joint that was unfortunately ahead of its time.
That meant a jump to another eclectic restaurant closer in, Main St. Grill in Round Rock. He was Chef de Cuisine and later supervised the opening of the sister restaurant Monica’s 701 in Georgetown (which like many decent restaurants around the square in downtown Gtown did not deserve its fate).
The next move was to downtown Austin and McCormick and Schmick’s. Ramsey’s presence there made a huge contribution to the food and manager Rich Everett was a big fan. James then opened the M&S location at the Domain and stayed there until he was ready to make his long anticipated move into ownership.
That desire culminated in the beautifully appointed and well-designed (that architectural training) Silver and Stone on the 4th floor of an office building across from Monument Café. Ramsey did all the build-out himself and the result was a very accommodating and popular restaurant that had a three-year run. I loved Silver and Stone and named it to our Top 20 on Dining Out with Rob Balon.com. The theme was fine dining with an incredible venison (not at all gamey) and quail dishes, juicy steaks and a variety of delightful choices. The Pate du Foix Gras was another favorite. Ramsey showed imagination, flair, and most importantly, consistency of quality. I was extremely disappointed to learn that the almost inevitable financial crunch that besets almost every owner-operated restaurant in the critical first five years had forced Ramsey to reluctantly close shop in June of 2011. The Georgetown fine dining curse had struck again. And the incomparable Silver and Stone was gone.
Ramsey called me with the bad news which no fan of fine dining wants to hear. Luckily, I had just heard from James Dinwoodie that he and Ose were planning to open an upscale casual venue in Lakeway and were in desperate need of a quality chef. The timing couldn’t have been better. Ramsey met the owners and saw immediately that they were on the same page with regard to building a great restaurant. Fore opened to strong reviews on October 26th, 2011 and Ramsey has since built a strong kitchen staff which turns out some truly good chow.
James is a skilled young man and takes the art of cuisine very seriously. To say he is meticulous would be an understatement. He told me something when I first met him that was very revealing into his style and demeanor: “Until you’ve mastered what’s already been done, you have no right to try to make something new.” Thus, it’s no surprise that his personal favorite preparations are retro classics like Chateau Briand and Beef Wellington. While those probably won’t grace the menu at Fore, customers can rest assured that every dish on the menu (including the delightful Italian Sausage and Pepper sandwich and the Root Beer Pork Ribs) are thoughtful Ramsey creations that are thoroughly based in the present but which include a nod to the past.
At just 35, James Ramsey has already had a career that would on the surface make him appear much older. But with daughter Layla and son David, aged six and two respectively, and a busy restaurant to run, he needs the energy of a younger man. And that he appears to have in abundance.
He’s introspective, thoughtful and devoted to his family and his career. I see nothing but upside for this talented young man. You can check out his work at Fore on RR 620 in Lakeway.
