Thomas Melvin

The Path

The line from dish pit to executive kitchen is plain enough here: Thomas Melvin started as a dishwasher at a local restaurant in Indiana, then moved into Corporate Executive Chef at Prime 47 and Executive Chef at Union 50 in Indianapolis, Indiana (2014–2017). Since 2017, that progression has been anchored at Vida in Indianapolis, where the role has held.

The Work Today

At Vida in Indianapolis, since 2017, the kitchen has been organized around a specific reading of Midwestern cuisine: one filtered through a global lens. Melvin has said the work begins with ingredients and moves from there into seasonality, which keeps the point of reference on what the produce and product will actually support.

In Their Words "As a young adult, my passion was fine arts, and I was set on following that passion. Along the way, I realized as a chef, I can create in a medium that not only fuels the fire, but also nourishes and transports." "I have always loved discovering new ingredients and naturally gravitated to learning how to manipulate them in the most delicious ways possible."