Thomas Edinger

Dining Services

Chef Thomas Edinger grew up in the Inland Northwest, Eastern Washington. His culinary journey began by helping his mom cook at home, as well as helping her with prep work and washing dishes at restaurants where she worked. Chef Tom started his first professional kitchen job in 2005 at a Denny’s truck stop near Spokane, where he worked as a dishwasher and graveyard cook. He developed his culinary chops by working his way up in a few restaurants in downtown Spokane, before moving to Pullman to study science and engineering at WSU. While pursuing his degree, he began working in local restaurants, including Swilly’s Bistro, an international fine dining kitchen, and Southfork Public House. While working in Pullman, he realized his passion for the food, the people, and the environment of the professional kitchen, and he has been dedicated to expanding his culinary knowledge and skills ever since. His favorite cuisine to cook is comfort food, and he is also interested in what he calls ‘international comfort food.’ Having grown up in farm country, Chef Tom is passionate about supporting local farmers and providing the freshest quality food for students and the community.