Hotel Vue
Five minutes with Chef Tori Loomis of Hotel Vue’s Pilot House Restaurant
Sponsored by Hotel Vue
On the bluffs of the Mississippi in Natchez sits the aptly-named Hotel Vue, and inside is its Mark Twain-inspired restaurant, the Pilot House. Chef Tori Loomis, a Miss-Lou area native and alumna of Louisiana Culinary Institute, has been at the helm since her 32nd birthday in February.
How would you describe your culinary approach?
I have a big heart for what I call hunting and gathering. I’m a big outdoors person and appreciate the idea of taking things in their natural state and making them enjoyable. I enjoy letting people try things they didn’t know they’d like or have never tried before. I’m an artist too, so I pay lots of attention to detail. I don’t care what anyone says—people eat with their eyes first. And if you can hit that nail on the head, you’re doing what you need to do.
You just released a new brunch menu. What are your favorite items on it?
I tried to stick with some of Mark Twain’s favorite foods. He had a deep appreciation for food in the wilderness—that American classic, hunter-gatherer style. He loved oysters and home-cooked food. I love the buttermilk biscuit with tomato gravy, fried oysters, and pork belly.
And I got really excited about the Johnny Cakes. My dad, whose name is Johnny, would make them for us when we were little; my whole life, I thought they were named after my dad. I did some research on them: a Johnny cake is a cornbread pancake with syrup, and it’s basically a firmer type of pancake that you could stuff in your pocket, so it was used in cowboys-and-Indians times, and during wars. I dressed it up a lot—it’s somewhere between a fluffy pancake and a cornbread, and it’s served with candied pork belly and bourbon-infused cane syrup.
What is your favorite dish on the dinner menu? Why is it special to you?
Definitely the duck. For one, because I love duck. I think that duck, when cooked perfectly, can hit the spot for anyone, and ours is accompanied by brussels sprouts with bacon and onions, and sweet potato grits topped with housemade pepper jelly. The kitchen staff mastered it before I got here.
What sets Pilot House apart from other restaurants in the area?
Initially, the view—Hotel Vue is the first hotel on the bluff when you’re on the bridge. I can be having a bad day and look out the window here and my day gets better. When I started here, the whole property, as well as Natchez, were in a transition period for the good. There are new concepts opening, bringing new things to the table, and forcing people to get out of their comfort zones. When we started here—myself and my Sous Chef, Kate Brasher—we were sitting around talking about all these great ideas and putting menus together, and customers just started walking in. It’s been crazy, but in a good way! So, what sets us apart? We’re still on the path to that.
The Pilot House Restaurant at Hotel Vue
130 John R. Junkin Dr.
Natchez, Ms.
(601) 442-9976