Ask Le Bouillon’s chef de cuisine Joel Walsh what his favorite menu item is, what he loves to cook at home, or what he gets really excited about finding at the farmers market, and he’ll give a grin in response, along with his answer to all three questions: “Well, what season is it?”
It’s a very apt response from a farm-to-table chef who delights in the food each season brings.
Guests attending a dinner party with Walsh and his girlfriend, Joyce Hwang, in the summer will likely enjoy grilled steaks and potatoes, eaten outdoors picnic-style. In the fall, it will likely be lamb with pomegranate molasses with freshly shelled beans. A winter meal would probably involve short ribs, onions, and mushrooms with a bottle of red wine and some crusty bread. In the springtime, it’s back to the grill for some squab, fresh greens, polenta, and a hard cheese. Like his menus at Le Bouillon, the food he cooks is always in season.
After spending a great deal of time cultivating strong relationships with local farmers, Walsh is undeniably compelled by the seasons. He changes the Le Bouillon menu four times a year, and “90% of the time, it’s inspired by seasonal produce,” he admitted.
He’s no stranger to farms, as he grew up helping out on his parents’ Fort Calhoun farm. He enjoys working with farmers and building relationships with them. “Community is really important,” he said. He has cultivated strong relationships with the farmers who supply Le Bouillon with the fresh ingredients that go into the restaurant’s dishes.
Walsh got his start in the kitchen by cooking for his large family—with his parents busy on the farm, it sometimes fell on him to feed his brothers and sisters. He followed recipe books and quickly discovered that he adored “the organization of it all.”
A graduate of the Arizona Culinary Institute, he spent some time in Los Angeles, where he worked at Bruce's Gourmet and catered for the Emmy, Oscar, and Grammy Awards, among others. He then moved to Las Vegas, where he owned Blue Hen Chicken Co. There, the eatery reached rankings within the top 20 restaurants in town—not an easy feat in Sin City. Chicken sandwiches are in his blood, he said. His grandfather once owned a chicken fried steak shop. He returned to Nebraska to help his parents on their farm and didn’t waste much time before landing at Le Bouillon.
Walsh makes claims to not be a very complicated guy. “I’m an open book. I love music. I love art. I’m a country boy. I like rodeos, line dancing, and spending time with family.” He admits to being very organized and particular when it comes to cooking, but is vigilant about not becoming one of those chefs who has temper tantrums in the kitchen. “I’m not an angry person. Chefs don’t need to kick and scream.” His staff likely agrees, as the retention rate at Le Bouillon is incredibly high for a restaurant.
“I love being a part of this team,” he said. “I couldn’t do it without them. They’re a strong team.”
When he walks through the dining room, he notices that diners seem happy with the food. “I think they’re loving the food,” he said. “I see a lot of smiles.”
As a successful chef on the Omaha food scene, Walsh offered some advice to aspiring chefs. “Get in a kitchen before you go to culinary school. Get your hands dirty.” He further suggested that prospective culinary students might want to “take that money you’d spend on tuition and go to Europe for a while.” He added that he’d probably be more likely to hire a young chef who spent time traveling abroad over one who went straight into culinary school, because taking a nontraditional route “takes courage. It’s admirable.”
Walsh feels like he’s on the right track, he said. His three-year plan will probably involve starting his own farm and maybe a trip to France with Hwang, where they will sample street food and pastries, and sip lots of wine. But until then, he’ll continue his seasonal magic at Le Bouillon.
For more information, visit lebouillonomaha.com.
This article originally appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
