james wegner

Palace Rooms is proud to introduce our Resident Chef, Tulsa's James Wegner of Mother Road Market's Bodhi's Bowl. From Canada to meteorology, his journey to the kitchen has been a winding and rewarding road and we are thrilled to have him as part of the Palace Rooms team!

A life-long Canadian and Meteorology graduate of the University of Alberta, Wegner and his wife moved to Tulsa for her work as a trauma surgeon. Wegner soon discovered the longevity of Tulsa meteorologists…We know, Travis Meyer isn't going anywhere! So, James chose the opportunity to completely shift his life's path and go to culinary school in which he became a graduate of the Culinary Arts Program at the Oklahoma State University Institute. You can even see his meteorological camera-prowess in this cooking segment where he teaches viewers how to make their own sweet potato chutney. https://youtu.be/XE2m4YoY3YM?t=31

After landing a coveted role at La Villa Restaurant at the Philbrook Museum, Wegner had the opportunity to work under numerous chefs, helping establish them as one of Tulsa's best restaurants. Shortly thereafter, Wegner learned of the Kitchen 66 program founded by the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation, which helps restaurants launch new concepts, and found the perfect opportunity to forge his own path. 

Wegner is the driving force and founder of Bodhi's Bowl, which has made its home at Tulsa's Mother Road Market since 2019 and stands at a perfect 5-star review-rate on Facebook. After working on several projects over the years with Palace Rooms owners, Adrienne and David Kallweit, a plan began to come together for Wegner to help develop the Palace Rooms menu. 

Wegner has already begun traveling in to train kitchen staff to produce his delectable recipes. He'll help oversee the menu and come in frequently to work with his kitchen staff and continually look for new flavors and concepts to add to the Palace Rooms menu. 

Palace Rooms' field to table dishes range from appetizers to sandwiches and salads to flatbreads and more, all from scratch and handmade. When asked what he thinks the star of the menu is right now, Wegner said, "The French Dip, for sure. We're going to do a rubbed and rested pot roast in a slow cooker over night, so when you come in, the place is going to smell amazing. Then we'll slice it, mind you it will be incredibly fresh, tender and perfect on a local baguette. I think it's going to be a hit."