12 August . 2024
Resident chef Devin Walline shares his love of cooking with Canyon Falls neighbors
With nearly two decades of experience as a chef in upscale luxury hotels, Devin Walline has lately been cooking in a more laidback setting: the Canyon Falls Club.
A Canyon Falls resident since 2021, Devin is becoming well-known to his food-loving neighbors. His recent pasta-making and wine-and-cheese pairing classes have drawn large crowds, and he’s been working with Canyon Falls Lifestyle Director Melissa Rodriguez to turn up the heat on the calendar of classes.
Coming up, Devin will be teaching classes on baking sourdough bread, making a crowd-pleasing pot of chili, and brining and cooking a perfect Thanksgiving turkey. Future classes may draw on his favorite cuisines, including Southern fine dining, steak and seafood.
Devin’s new role as Canyon Falls’ ambassador of good taste pairs perfectly with new directions in his career and family life.
Devin and his wife, Jennifer, moved to North Texas from Nashville in 2021, when he was part of the opening staff for Hotel Drover in the Fort Worth Stockyards.
With a two-year-old son and eight-month-old daughter, Devin recently retired from the long, grueling hours of being a hotel chef, so he could spend more time with his young family.
He traded in his chef’s hat to work as a sales consultant for Buckhead Meat & Seafood of Texas. It’s a job that also allows him more free time to do things he really enjoys, like teaching classes at the Canyon Falls Club.
“As a chef, I was always in teacher mode, showing other managers how I wanted something done, or teaching a new staff member how to cut or cook an ingredient,” he says. “For amateur chefs, or people who haven’t cooked much at all, I try to show them that cooking doesn’t have to be a scary or daunting task. I try to make it approachable and enjoyable.”
When he’s not cooking or working in his sales job, Devin likes to enjoy the outdoors with his family.
“We’re very fortunate that our home is across the street from the new Canyon Falls Park,” he says. “Our kids love the splash pad.”