Lawrence Weeks

 Lawrence Weeks is the Executive Chef of both North of Bourbon and Ensō in Louisville, KY. Raised in Louisville, Weeks dedicated himself to cooking when he was a child and was heavily influenced by his parents’ international travel and his extended family’s Creole and Cajun roots. After culinary school, his professional career began in 2014 when Weeks worked under James Beard-recognized chef Todd Richards in Atlanta, where Richards encouraged him to find his roots in food. Following Richard’s inspiration, Weeks returned to his home state of Kentucky, where he started LocalsOnly in Louisville, a pop up that focused on local people, products, and food. In 2019, Weeks moved to Lexington and worked at Honeywood under Chef Ouita Michel for several years before moving to Louisville to open North of Bourbon, where he draws menu inspiration from his family in Louisiana and Texas, as well as from his time in Kentucky. In 2023, Weeks and the North of Bourbon team opened Ensō, a restaurant influenced by the cuisine and techniques of Japan, which is also located in Louisville, KY. In 2024, Weeks was named a James Bread Foundation Awards Semifinalist for Emerging Chef.