Meet The Executive Chef

Chef Tim Eckard

Tim Eckard is the Executive Chef at the Flagship Uptown Park McCormick and Schmick’s in Houston, Texas. Drawn to cooking from an early age, Eckard attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Oregon and graduated at the top of his class. Simultaneously jumping into the culinary industry, working his way through some of the finest kitchens on the west coast including Fenouil, Bluehour, Headwaters, The Heathman Restaurant & Bar, and in Oregon wine country at Jory located inside The Allison Inn & Spa. 

As a Sous Chef under Rising Stars & James Beard Best Chef NW Nominee Sunny Jin at Jory, Eckard mastered farm-to-table cooking, creating seasonal tasting menus, and utilizing the on sight one-acre chef’s garden. In 2016, James Beard Best Chef NW Winner Vitaly Paley elected Eckard to take the reins at his flagship seafood restaurant Headwaters. There, he mastered seafood, working with countless fisherman, cultivators, foragers and farms. Under his leadership the restaurant had an extensive collection of seafood and was named certified sustainable by the James Beard Smart Catch Program. 

In late 2018, Eckard moved to Houston and accepted the Executive Chef position with the legendary seafood pioneers McCormick and Schmick’s. At M&S Uptown Park Chef Eckard’s seafood-forward menu showcases the diversity and bounty of the world’s rivers, coast lines, forests, and farmlands while attempting to pay homage to Texas traditions and it’s rich history.