Former semi-pro football player makes points as the new Chef de Cuisine at Eagle’s Trace

By Tim Bracken
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Chef Wayne Webb is a true snowbird. After years in upstate New York where he played a little semi-pro football, earned degrees in both business management and culinary arts, and honed his cookery at four-star restaurants, he migrated south in search of a warmer climate.

Landing in Houston, Chef Wayne quickly went to work furthering his culinary skills in a number of top eateries, including P.F. Chang, the Hilton Americas downtown hotel, and A Fare Extraordinaire catering.

Now, at Eagle’s Trace, he has found a kitchen he can call his own, and the veteran chef is enjoying both the promise, and the challenge, of cooking for the community.

“With my background in major hotels and restaurants, I have a unique understanding of the responsibilities of being the chef at Eagle’s Trace,” says Webb. “There are many different palettes to satisfy, so it’s a challenge, but I truly enjoy working with the residents and seeing them enjoy the food.

“We have been introducing new recipes because the residents have indicated that they want more regional cuisine. I’ve had requests for more Tex-Mex, more Louisiana-Cajun – recipes with more zing.”

What’s for dinner?
Because Chef Wayne knows that some of the best cooks in Texas live at Eagle’s Trace, he’s asked residents to dust off their recipe cards, and submit some of their favorites for consideration as possible additions to the menu.

In November, the first Resident Recipe Contest yielded a crowd pleaser: Tex- Mex Cheesy Chicken submitted by Janice Linsenmayer, and selected by the resident committee.