Chef Spotlight: Amber Carr of BT Prime Steakhouse

"Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” That’s the mantra Amber Carr lives by and it shows. The years she spent honing her cooking and leadership skills properly prepared her to oversee culinary operations at Nesbit’s Bonne Terre, which includes several event venues, a bed and breakfast, and one of DeSoto County, Mississippi’s, finest restaurants – BT Prime Steakhouse.

Let’s get to know Amber, shall we? Born into a military family, she lived in Germany, Japan and Korea as a child and spent many years soaking up the culture in all three countries and everywhere in between. The result? A big love, passion and curiosity for all things food.

Fast forward several years to when Amber found herself in Memphis, Tennessee, just right across the stateline from DeSoto County. She enrolled in L'Ecole Culinaire and graduated with honors (of course!) and with an associates degree in flambé arts. After that, Amber began an impressive career. She spent time as a sous chef at Horseshoe Casino where she supervised a team of more than 50 and at The Westin in Downtown Memphis. The latter required her to cater for NBA teams staying in town to face the Memphis Grizzlies. No pressure! Over the years, Amber has worked under well-known and successful chefs like Kelly English, Erling Jensen, Jimmy Gentry and José Gutierrez, all of whom played a role in preparing her for where she is today.

Now, it’s time to talk about the delicious dishes Amber serves guests at Bonne Terre’s BT Prime Steakhouse. One fun fact is that there’s never a non-functional garnish on Amber’s plates. Everything is edible! When you visit, we recommend starting with the Bacon Tasting. It includes five slices of thick-cut bacon all flavored differently. Then, move on to one of her flavorful entrees that range from pasta to seafood and steak. Speaking of steak… it’s the star of the show, of course. Choose from a New York strip, wagyu filet or a ribeye. You can’t go wrong with any of these cuts of meat all cooked to perfection. Be sure to save room for dessert, too, because Amber’s bread pudding is like no other.

When Amber is away from the kitchen, she enjoys baking cakes, planning parties (yep, she has a side hustle!), spending time with her five children and serving as the vice president of Horn Lake Middle School’s Junior ROTC program. The next time you find yourself with a craving for a *nice* meal, head to Bonne Terre in Nesbit to enjoy just that courtesy of Amber at BT Prime Steakhouse. It’ll be an experience you won’t soon forget.