Matthew Beard has come home. The Oberlin native is executive chef at Coushatta Casino Resort after training at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin, Texas, and receiving his Bachelor of Science at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“I grew up five minutes from the casino and have a deep connection to this area,” he said.

He’s made his mark by introducing some new food concepts to the property. People who never play the odds and families enjoy dining at Coushatta.

“Diner 165, named that because we’re located on Hwy. 165, was designed to be an old-fashioned burger diner,” Beard said. “Where we used to have a sandwich shop, we’ve adopted the food court layout called Lagniappe where we have something for everyone.”

Noodles is the property’s newest eatery and offers all things Asian from pho to fried rice. Red snapper, sesame shrimp, General Tso chicken and Beef & Broccoli are popular choices.

“My favorite dish is Noodles Bo Luk Lac, loosely translated as shaking beef,” Beard said. “It’s starts with marinating beef cubes. These are stir-fried with garlic and onions and served over Udon noodles.

Udon is a chewy Japanese noodle made from wheat flour.

“The sauce is sweet, with a bit of black pepper and savory from the onions and garlic, a beautiful way to get steak and noodles in a new way. I enjoy mine with extra chili peppers.”

Other dining options are Gumbeaux’s, Terrace Café, Bar 7, Starbucks, Corner Bar & Deli, Eagle Bar & Grill and Big Sky Steakhouse.

“We have to have options for all tastes and all ages,” he said. Beard says his late father, Phil Beard, encouraged him to get his culinary education after he went to work at the casino right after high school.

“Some of my best memories are watching him marinate and cook steaks,” Beard said.

His mother, Regina, never discouraged Beard’s efforts in the kitchen and he’s happy to pass along a tip to help others prepare a better steak at home.

“Most people don’t get the pan hot enough and end up steaming the steak,” he said. “To get the ideal reaction – that crispness on the outside – the steak has to be seasoned well beforehand and the pan has to be hot. Of course nothing beats the flavorful, juicy and tender steaks at Big Sky Steakhouse. I think the secret behind it is the custom cuts and aging process.”

Beard’s at goes beyond the kitchen. Part of his studies at Le Cordon Bleu included ice carving.

“I created a four-foot tall vase that held flowers for the 23rd and 24rth anniversary of the casino,” Beard said.