Thomas Marlow at Flatiron Kitchen (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Thomas Marlow has cooked at big restaurants, worked as a personal chef, and studied cooking in Asia. Now, at 25, the Johnson & Wales trained chef is taking over the kitchen at Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse in Davidson.

He’s making his debut just as Flatiron gets ready for the Queen’s Feast, working on new lunch and dinner menus and cooking up new ways to reach diners in north Mecklenburg and south Iredell. He comes to Flatiron from Mimosa Grill in Charlotte, where he worked as sous chef under Jon Fortes.

Mimosa is a successful and popular spot in downtown Charlotte, and considerably larger than Flatiron. Mr. Marlow said he was attracted by the chance to bring the same quality of food to diners who want “an ingredient driven menu.” He brings a variety of relationships with local farmers and said he’s excited to work with Flatiron’s existing local farms as well as new ones.

He also hopes to gain inspiration from the Davidson Farmer’s Market. He’s even talking about putting in a small herb garden behind the Stowe’s Corner building. As he tweaks the menus, he plans to add ingredients and specials where “we’re connecting the guest to the farmers.”

QUEENS FEAST NEXT WEEK

First up is Queen’s Feast, the local restaurant promotion week that runs Jan. 20-29. The Flatiron will offer a $30 three-course dinner that includes entree choices of Norwegian Steelhead Trout, Confit of Ashley Farms Chicken, Painted Hills All Natural Sirloin or a veggie pasta – Cremini and Portobello Pansotti. Starters will include a Low-Country She-Crab Soup and the restaurant’s popular local Calico Farmstead Warmed Goat Cheese Dip. (Here’s Flatiron’s Restaurant Week menu)

Next week, Mr. Marlow will introduce a new lunch menu, as the Flatiron works to boost its lunch business. That menu will include a changing weekly featured burger using proteins from local farms. Flatiron also is developing soup specials so it can offer weekly locally inspired soups. Look for a new lunch menu after Restaurant Week, in February.

Besides the burger specials, the new lunch menu will include pork sliders, a black bean burger, salmon entree and salad, shrimp and grits, and a chicken club sandwich, as well as salads.

FROM NY TO CHARLOTTE

Mr. Marlow is a native of Fairport, N.Y., near Rochester, and came to Charlotte to attend Johnson & Wales. He has an associate’s degree in culinary arts and a bachelor’s degree in food service management. After college he traveled to Asia, studying at culinary schools in Singapore and Thailand, where he learned a deeper philosophy about food.

“They pay so much respect to the ingredients they can get,” he said. One teacher in Chang Mai, taught him to pay attention to his mental state as he cooked. “Make sure you’re smiling, and happy about your food,” the chef told his students. Mr. Marlow has taken that to heart, and tries to make sure that when he’s “in the weeds” on a busy day, he maintains his focus.

He also said he hopes to pay attention to the local foods he can get, and says diners could see menu changes as the seasonal availability of ingredients changes.

After returning from Asia, Mr. Marlow had a variety of gigs, including making granola out of his house for local yogurt shops and working as a personal chef for an NBA basketball player. He finally settled at Mimosa Grill, where he became a top assistant to Mr. Forties, both in the restaurant and at special events. (One special event last year was a daylong effort to serve 1,800 lunches here in Davidson at the inauguration of Davidson College President Carol Quillen.)

In announcing his hiring last month, Flatiron’s owners said they hope Mr. Marlow will help them find “the right mix” for the area dining audience.

“He’s young, very energetic and we feel he will really be able to energize the Davidson crowd,” said Chad Hollingsworth, Flatiron’s co-owner.

Mr. Marlow replaced Andres Arboleda, who been Flatiron’s chef since February 2011.

Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse is at 215 S. Main St. in Davidson. Details: www.flatirononmain.com/