After sharpening his culinary skills working for Michelin-star chefs Bradley Ogden and Gerard Pangaud, Chef Jon became the Executive Chef of Samar by Stephan Pyles, which offered guests three very different menus to choose from – Spanish, Turkish, and Indian. As Executive Chef, Jon held a critical role in earning Samar a 4-star review, winning the title of Best New Restaurant in Dallas by the Dallas Morning News, as well as being nominated for Best New Restaurant in the Nation by the James Beard Foundation. A few years later, Jon again collaborated with Pyles to create Stampede 66, an ode to Texas fare whose menu included award-winning honey fried chicken, mouth-watering brisket, and melt-in-your-mouth street tacos. Stampede 66 earned Thompson another 4-star review, and like Samar, was included in Esquire Magazine’s Best New Restaurant List. He then went to work for José Andrés, the world-renown Michelin-starred chef, as the Head Chef of Zaytinya Frisco where he delighted North Texans with an amazing Eastern Mediterranean menu.  Most Recently Jon had lent his talents to Miami-based Yardbird Southern Table and Bar and brought their James Beard Award nominated concept to Downtown Dallas.