Meet Chef Jacob Arnold!

This article is the second in a series spotlighting chefs in Washington

Chef Jacob Arnold of The Bank Bistro has had a love of cooking from a young age. Having worked in the restaurant industry for over sixteen years, he was delighted when The Bank Bistro, located in downtown Washington, recently asked him to step into the role of head chef.

A Greenville native that has worked up through the ranks and learned from some of the region’s most innovative chefs, Arnold says his first job was in a restaurant. "The more I worked in the industry, the more I fell in love with it, and it just fell into place."

Arnold says he has always felt at home in a kitchen, cooking. "I grew up watching my mom and Grandma cook. I even took home economics classes in school. All this instilled a love for feeding people great food."

In designing the menus for The Bank, Arnold collaborates with co-owner Joan Meyland as well as his sous chef, Jose Gonzales. Meyland says when Arnold and Gonzales are in the kitchen, it’s magical. "They really make a great team. Their culinary skills and knowledge of ingredients really compliment each other."

Arnold says that he tries to replicate the spirit of his mother’s and grandmother’s cooking and finesse in the kitchen. Meyland’s husband and partner, Roger Meyland agrees wholeheartedly. "We’re very lucky to have both Jacob and Jose back there. I’d say it’s one of the strongest kitchens in Beaufort County and surrounding areas. It can get stressful. You have to have a team that can communicate with a look or a tap on the back. We are fortunate to have that here."

Arnold says that they source local products as much as possible. "We use Coastal Plains Produce, Locovore Farms, and all our cheeses and seafood are local and regional." Arnold stresses the importance of sourcing local to support small businesses and to use the freshest ingredients possible. He feels that emphasis on local ingredients would make his grandmother proud.

The most popular dishes at The Bank are the shrimp and grits and the shrimp-scallops fettuccine. "We sell multiples of those every night." Arnold says that popularity is because of the freshness of the product as well as the execution in the kitchen. He feels that his technique is at its best when he’s busy. "The busier it gets, the more I precise I get. If the pressure is on me, I just get faster, while maintaining quality."

The Bank Bistro has been open for nine years, an impressive record in an ever-challenging industry. Chef Arnold wants to continue to use quality products to create superior dishes that customers have grown accustomed to at The Bank. "I really bring the whole team in for input on the menus. I think that collaboration is what sets us apart."

The Bank Bistro is located at 216 West Main Street and is open Tuesday-Wednesday 4-9pm and Thursday-Friday 4-10pm.