Q&A with Dorothy Hall

Where did you grow up?

San Diego County, California

What brought you to Arkansas?

My husband and I both attended John Brown University.

What was your favorite food when you were 5?

Fresh strawberries with a bowl of granulated sugar for dipping, eaten from the coffee table.

What’s your favorite food now? 

Lacinato kale. I know. That makes me sound like a health snob, but I am salivating now just thinking about it.

Is there any food you won’t eat?

I’m horrified by high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and colors, and anything that no longer resembles any living things. That said, I won’t turn down a Krispy Kreme donut warmed in the microwave. It was MFK Fisher who said that one should balance the day not the meal.

What is your go-to meal when you’re exhausted from a long day’s work? 

Plain Greek yogurt with almonds and honey if I’m feeling ambitious. Earl Grey tea with bourbon if I’m truly done.

Did you do formal culinary training? Who taught you to cook?

As a little girl, I helped my mom in the kitchen with the typical muffins and pancakes, and when I was in high school I started cooking several nights a week. Once I had a family of my own, I began to take my role as cook more seriously. I have not had any formal culinary training, and my time at 28 Springs has been a steep learning curve when it comes to restaurant cooking. I see myself as a lifelong student; I research constantly, but mostly, I’m not afraid to try new things.

How did you come to be chef at 28 Springs?

I never planned to become a chef. I was a dedicated, full-time mom with two young boys. I began rethinking my role when my husband decided to go back to school. I was looking for employment at the same time that 28 Springs was getting ready to open. Casey and I were friends, and I soon found myself assisting the pastry chef. I continued as the pastry chef until the head chef position opened last March. It was a gutsy transition for me, and even more so for the rest of the kitchen.

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?

I like to think of myself as a Jane of all Trades. I have been a competitive figure skater, a circus performer, a lifeguard, a library clerk, a florist, a seamstress, a gardener, a wordsmith, a mother and wrangler of mud-covered boys, and I’ve roofed a house, tiled a shower, and wired an electrical panel. I also think I would have made a great trauma surgeon.