Corey Hudson
“It might surprise you to learn that he’s thrilled to trade the rockstar hours of a chef for a more reasonable life at a law firm.”
Corey Hudson
Meet Corey
Corey is Cape Fear’s newest paralegal. He is entering the legal profession with a fresh perspective having spent the last 10 years in the restaurant business.
It might surprise you to learn that he’s thrilled to trade the rockstar hours of a chef for a more reasonable life at a law firm. Sadly, his kitchen colleagues will miss their after-work breakfasts as he joins the rest of the working world in the daylight. He’s still adjusting to the concept of weekends off.
The Early Days
Growing up, he led the life of an army brat without any ties to the actual military. That is to say, he counts various places in New York, Texas, West Virginia, and now North Carolina as home. The Hudsons moved for various reasons, including the simple joy of exploring new places. Who says you can’t replace your neighbors every once in a while?
As an only child, Corey had a lot of time to sit back and contemplate the world and his place in it. Not having to guard your stuff from sibling thievery saves a lot of time and effort.
He idolized Isaac Asimov, a popular science fiction writer and Boston University biochemistry professor of the early 1900s, and is a big fan to this day.
“He’s the only person to have written a book in every section of the Dewey Decimal system,” he says offhandedly. “He’s definitely a big role model for me.”
What started as a dream to fly through the skies in a cockpit—or, if we’re being honest, a spaceship—later morphed into a dream of flying through the kitchen with purpose. Dreams change. The desire to eat good food does not.
Corey started his culinary career early on, as he discovered he could actually get paid for the service he was tossing around at home for free. As a young, impressionable 17-year-old, he started work as a dishwasher at a local restaurant.
Upon graduation, he moved into a full-time role, continuing his education through a wide range of experience, working many jobs in both the front and back of the house: dishwasher, server, host, every station in the kitchen, and eventually sous chef. There are countless happy customers who walked away from the sushi restaurants and steakhouses he worked in with that food-coma daze on their face.
At Home
Needless to say, this former chef uses his skills at home, too. No mac and cheese in this household unless it’s made from scratch and elevated with truffles. What’s his favorite cuisine? You guessed it! Sushi, with Spanish dishes taking a close second, especially paella. In fact, his go-to restaurant in Wilmington is Spanish steakhouse True Blue Butcher and Table.
When he’s not cooking up a storm, Corey prefers being active. He enjoys shooting his friends with paint or joining them in a game of bowling. The latter is getting so serious, there are discussions of signing up for a league. Let the competition begin!
For him, a perfect day starts with some quiet time on a lake or river, fishing pole in hand. Later, there is a good meal in the works for friends and family. When asked if he would be dining out or manning the kitchen, his response is instant: “Oh, I’m definitely cooking.”
The Future
So what else is on his life list?
“I would love to do an Anthony Bourdain-style backpacking food trip.”
He’s particularly interested in seeing Australia. Not having had much of a chance to travel yet, he looks forward to jumping on a plane and eating his way around the world. Both hole-in-the-walls and Michelin starred experiences are fair game. If you’re looking for him, he’ll be the one hanging up his suit when he arrives at the hostel.
In the meantime, Corey is a realist who focuses on what he can do in the here and now. Despite his love for sci-fi, he’s never considered what he would choose if granted a superpower.
“You think these are things people would have thought about before, [but] I’ve never put any thought into it.”
His work in hospitality has already given Corey the power to put great care into making every interaction pleasant for guests, a valuable skill he brings with him every day at Cape Fear. He’s excited to join the team and looks forward to working hard for clients to make difficult times a little less stressful. There’s no doubt they’re in good hands.
