For more than 30 years, local chef Douglas Miller has been in the food industry, creating decadent meals and forming a strong network of fellow foodies.
“A lot of my clients are past people that I’ve met while working in this industry that have a lot of faith in me,” says Miller. “I’ve been cooking all my life, so I know a lot of people here in town. People I met 30 years ago, we still exchange recipes and ideas.”
His professional and personal network came in handy when he felt the time was right to purchase Tall Timbers. Nearly five years ago, Miller became owner and executive chef of the Reynoldsburg banquet and catering center with a few hundred thousand dollars raised from people that believed in him and his talents.
It’s no wonder the restaurant industry creates such tight relationships. Tall Timbers is family owned and operated, as Miller’s wife, Nancy Miller, helps manage the business, and several of their children and step-children assist in operations.
If you work with Miller, it’s likely one of the most important days of your life – your wedding. Tall Timbers serves as a one-stop shop for this meaningful event, by providing options and deals for nearby hotels, DJs, bakeries, limo drivers and everything between.
“It gives the clients a lot more control of what happens here within their wedding, they get to see it all first hand,” Miller says.
Miller occasionally takes the title of personal chef when he teaches intimate cooking classes for his client’s family and friends in their home. Participants can expect a live, detailed demonstration and a spectacular meal.
In all of his efforts, Miller is always working to improve classical dishes through modern twists. His employees are expected to continually research new cooking styles, so the banquet and catering center is regularly developing something new.
“As a chef, you have to do constant research to keep on top of new trends and products. Right now, we work on a lot of plant-based menu items,” Miller says. “We do a lot of modern technique cuisine. If we don’t, we become stale.”
At the heart of Tall Timbers is a commitment to freshness and quality for a gathering of any size.
“What I believe in is that everything is fresh. If we do a party for 200 or 20, it’s the same approach,” Miller says. “We use all the freshest ingredients and I use a lot of Ohio products.”
To learn more about Tall Timbers visit www.talltimbersonline.com.
Maggie Ash is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
