Matt Ford
Executive Chef, Billy Can Can | Dallas
December 2021
As a child in the Kansas countryside, Matt Ford was often tasked with helping his parents cook and tend to their greenhouse. In sixth grade, he took an aptitude test that pointed him towards either becoming a pilot or a chef. But when he showed his results to the guidance counselor, they peered into Ford’s glasses and told him he could never be a pilot with corrective lenses. So naturally, Ford embarked on a career in the food industry, pursuing a degree at The American Culinary Federation in Kansas City, Kansas.
During culinary school, Ford apprenticed at The American Restaurant where he worked under James Beard Award-winning Chef Celina Tio. After cooking with James Beard Award-winning chef Colby Garrelts at Bluestem post-graduation, a former coworker called Ford with an opportunity at Craft Dallas. He moved to Texas, joined Chef Tom Colicchio’s team, and remained there for six years. When Craft closed in 2012, Ford joined forces with Restaurateur Tristan Simon to help open CBD Provisions at The Joule hotel. Ford continued to work with The Joule as the executive chef of their Italian restaurant, Americano, before reconnecting with Simon in 2018 for his newest concept, Billy Can Can. As executive chef, Ford combines classic Texan flavors in a rustic, saloon setting with locally sourced ingredients and chef-driven dishes.
