Phillip Edwards

It all started in Springdale Arkansas...

Phillip Edwards was born and raised in The Ozarks Northwest Arkansas. His mother is from Southern California and his father, from Arkansas. His family farmed a variety of delights, from blueberries to okra to beef cattle and dairy.

Phil’s grandmother, Marlene, is still a strong culinary influence to him. Her family recipes are quintessential High Ozark Cuisine: cast iron cornbread, bean cassoulet, blueberry and peach desserts, pickled beets, and fried okra.

Phil enrolled at The School of Culinary Arts at The Colorado Institute of Arts in 1999, and earned his degree in 2001. His first position was Sous Chef for Washoe Medical Center in Reno, NV. It was here that his interest in nutrition, special diets, and high-volume production was developed.

His next adventure would take him to the edge of the earth, when he accepted the Sous Chef position at McMurdo Station Antarctica in 2002. He would return to Antarctica in 2003 to cook at the new South Pole Station.

After Antarctica, Phil worked in Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and then back to Minneapolis. In Chicago, Phil would refine his style and skills as Sous Chef for Levy Events Catering and McCormick & Schmick’s. The housing crisis in 2009 would move his young family to Fargo, ND. It was here that he took the helm at the Concordia College kitchen in Moorhead MN. Here, he competed in NACUFS/ACF culinary competitions where he would bring home a silver medal for Concordia from the NACUFS national conference in Boston MA in 2013.

In 2016, Phil was tapped by Sanford Health to develop the kitchens for the new Sanford Medical Center in Fargo ND. He later joined Essentia Health, then Power Plate Meals in Executive Chef roles.

Phil purchased a mobile kitchen trailer in 2022 and started a complete renovation. The Dakota Catering mobile kitchen was unveiled in Summer 2023. Dakota Catering is ready to meet the most rigorous catering challenges in North Dakota, throughout the year!