[ lifestyle ]
Chef Cody Thrasher.
In the
Chef ’s Corner
Cody’s Restaurant
MAGGIE MATSKO
TRACY A. TOLER PHOTOGRAPHY
When Cody Thrasher opened Cody’s
Restaurant in 2016, he had one goal in
mind: to modify the way people think
about Appalachian cuisine. “I think the
best way to describe my mindset is to
use this example: what is the difference
between an egg roll, burrito or the West
Virginia pepperoni roll? The answer is
that all are starch with meat, cheese or
vegetable filling,” he says. “This way of
viewing food allows me to revamp cuisines
based on local ingredients. The goal is less
to change and more to open the community
to new experiences, flavor contrasts and
dishes that are beloved worldwide.”
The inspiration for Thrasher’s dishes
comes from his love of travel. He has vis-
ited Thailand, Egypt, Israel, the British
Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Laos and Turkey,
and during these solo adventures, he has
met a lot of people along the way who
send him spices and glazes from around
the world. “Thirty-five percent of our
items are special order items, and when
I say special order, I mean things like
kaffir lime leaves from Thailand, red
chili kimchi sauces from Korea and dif-
ferent types of soy sauce from Japan,” he
says. “Some items I can get stateside, but
others are provided from individuals in
foreign lands.”
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
Thanks to Thrasher’s international
travels, his restaurant offers an ever-
changing menu that keeps his patrons on
their toes. “I change the menu based on
phases of seasons since it is essential for
our style of cooking,” he says. “It’s just
another step we take to present the best
possible product.”
While Thrasher is committed to incor-
porating exotic flavors into his dishes, he
is also dedicated to using locally sourced
ingredients, and he purchases his produce
from Green Acres Farm & Greenhouses,
LLC in Rock Cave, WV. Every plate cre-
ated from this combination of exotic and
local components aims to have a balance of
sweet, salty and sour. Guests can indulge
their taste buds with a lunch menu that
offers Baked Lobster Mac, Tokyo Sea-
weed Salad and the Buff Fellow Wrap. In
the evenings, patrons can get adventurous
with their palates, thanks to options like
Turkish Lamb, Seafood Risotto and the
popular Udon Street Noodle. Thrasher
has also created a brunch menu that makes
Sunday the best day of the week with
choices like Chicken Fried Steak Benny,
White Truffle Hash and the Ahi Bowl.
This fine-dining establishment also boasts
a unique seasonal cocktail menu with sig-
nature beverages like the Peach Sazerac,
Black Vieux Carré and Impossible Year.
Since his menus are full of flair and his
knowledge for flavor is vast, it’s hard to
believe Thrasher is a self-taught chef. He
found his calling while working at a local
pizza and hoagie shop at the age of 15
and forged his culinary path from there.
“During that time, I learned that a
line cook salary was hard to live on, so
I started immersing myself in the front
of house operations by both serving and
bartending,” he says. “Because I like in-
teracting with people, that helped give
me front of house experience as well as
an intense passion for food and learning.
You can’t grow one without the other.”
Thrasher decided to go into business for
himself in 2012 and opened a food truck
called Hash Browns and New Grounds.
The bright red truck, which is still in op-
eration, changes its menu daily and serves
the Morgantown community as well as
farmer’s markets in the area. The food
truck allowed Thrasher to further his cre-
ative endeavors and gave him the success
to expand his business while putting down
roots. “I opened Cody’s Restaurant three
years ago, and I thought Bridgeport was
the perfect location since the growth here
was so positive,” he says. “I like trying
new things, and opening this restaurant
provided me an outlet to learn, cook and
share with others.”
Cody’s Restaurant, located at 20 Shaner
Drive in Bridgeport, is open seven days
a week. The hours of operation are
Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
and 4-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday,
11a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-10 p.m.; and
Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.