Chef Returns to His Roots

Forrest Parker's professional cooking career has taken him all across the country in the last 15 years or so, but his latest position at the in Mount Pleasant, brings him fairly close to full circle.

"I really had a formative period in my career while working for Louis Osteen on Meeting Street in Charleston," said Parker, the Post House's new chef de cuisine, referring to his first exposure to professional cooking.

From Charleston, Parker spent time as a chef in Central Michigan and in Minnesota. Most recently, he was the executive chef at Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

But after the city's epic 2009 floods, Parker and his fiance decided it was time a move.

"I stayed on to help redesign and rebuild Opryland," he said. "And my fiance got a job here at a local hospital in Mount Pleasant."

He arrived in the Charleston area in August and started the new job at the Post House in January.

"Chef de cuisine oversees the daily operation of the restaurant, special events, banquets," Parker said. "I really try to place a personal role in the food that is going out, being the last person looking at the plate."

Nestled in Mount Pleasant's Old Village, the Post House offers upscale dishes in a cozy, historic setting. The Post House also has a six-bedroom inn and meeting spaces.

"Our focus is to provide that great neighborhood experience," Parker said. "Increasingly, people are willing to make the trip across the bridge to the Old Village for dinner."

Unlike years before when Southern chefs were known for their reliance on deep fryers and butter, Parker aims to make the Post House's food a combination of healthy and tasty.

"There's some nice, bright flavors and offerings" in the spring menu, he said. "We're putting our focus on reduced fat and reasonable portions."

The new chef is also a proponent of local ingredients. He's such a fan of promoting local offerings that he plans monthly cooking demonstrations at the Mount Pleasant Farmers' Market.

"I'm going to be demonstrating what we can do with some of the great produce and product we get in the Lowcountry," Parker said.

He plans to be present at the market on the fourth Tuesday of the month. The Farmers' Market opens its season April 10.

Parker said he is honored to join the Post House, partly because its executive chef, Frank Lee, has been such a leader in the Charleston food scene.

"He's been such a leader for the industry in Charleston for such a long, long time," Parker said.

Chef Lee oversees all four Maverick Southern Kicthen properties — Old Village Post House, Slightly North of Broad and High Cotton in both Charleston and Greenville.

Choosing Parker for the Mount Pleasant job just made sense, Lee said.

"Chefs nowadays have a lot more on their plates besides just cooking," Lee said. "We need people who have skills beyond just being able to cook, and certainly with Forrest's skills, he's someone who can manage a kitchen, inspire a team and interact with the community."