Tom Peacock has blended proper and ageless French culinary techniques with modern technology and the finest quality ingredients to create the best damn Downeast Barbecue, chicken rotisserie, and international comfort foods possible. Tom's culinary journey started on the docks of Nantucket. From there it was to Paul Smith's College in the Adirondacks for his Associates in HotelRestaurant Management.
Tom spent several years in boutique restaurants, then as Executive Chef and Food & Beverage director with Radisson Hotels and ultimately as Executive Chef at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. After 5 years of grueling academia, Sodexo selected Tom for the General Manager role at Creative Gourmet – Sodexo’s full service off-premises catering division. At Creative Gourmet Tom and team catered full-service events from intimate 7 - course dinner parties to college graduations for thousands.
In 1992 Tom became a Great Chef of America when he won an American Dairy Association Award for his hazelnut stuffed French Toast. He was flown to Chicago for ceremony and to have his portrait taken.
When State Street Financial announced plans for a new 35 story global headquarters and trading facility in Boston's Financial District, Tom was tasked as Sodexo's Project Manager for the build-out.
Tom took a 5 year hiatus to help Barb with her highly successful photography studio. In those 5 years they were able to work at home and participate in their two youngest boys’ high school years.
Not only were they able to go to every soccer, track and wrestling meet but Tom became the scout troop leader as well as president of The Westford Education Foundation.
In 2012 when Hurricane Sandy hit the shores of Rockaway, NY Barb & Tom heard there was no hot food being served. They put out a plea to their small community and the townsfolks responded by dropping off generous donations & funds. Barb and Tom rented a big gas grill, went to Costco, filled up their van with food, drove to NY and cooked up 500 hamburgers.
But, the draw of the culinary world overwhelmed Tom and pulled him back to Sodexo. This time as pre-construction project manager and General Manager/Food Service Director at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's newly announced Yawkey Center for Cancer Care in Boston. Through the course of 5 years, Tom and the Sodexo team created a showcase flagship account at Dana-Farber.
After 5 years and an empty nest it was time to change gears. With the kids out on their own Barb and Tom sold their home and moved to Portland!
While laying back and regrouping Tom bought a rotisserie attachment for his grill and began to bring his succulent chicken (and a few sides) to neighborhood parties.
It was unanimous among friends that the food was delicious and where could they get more? Tom noticed there wasn’t a Chicken Rotisserie restaurant in area and with the encouragement of family and friends the rest is history! All of Tom’s investors are folks from back home who enjoyed Tom’s food over the years at many fundraisers and private catering. Here Tom is with investor Mike who has a huge passion for food and is a great cook himself. Tom catered all three of investor Marcia’s children’s weddings.
Where did the name DIZZY BIRDS come from? While at Harvard Law School there was a rotisserie program. The common jargon in the kitchen while referring to the chickens was – ‘how many are getting dizzy’ – or how many need to get dizzy’….
As luck would have it, all 3 of Tom and Barb’s boys moved to thePortland area shortly after and joined Tom and Barb to open Dizzy Birds in March of 2019. Landon, the oldest has a painting degree from The School for the Museum of Fine Arts Bost and painted the large canvases in the dining room. He also is a carpenter/ builder and was part of the build-out.
Cameron applied his 5 years of management with Panera Bread as our GM.
And Connor brought artist abilities from studying at School of the Art Institute of Chicago and designed and painted the mural.
He also came with previous kitchen experience in Chicago and Massachusetts and became our Sous Chef. He now works at Honey Paw/ Eventide.
Barb used her experience at her families’ fine dining restaurant and built our bakery and pastry program. Tom blames her for creating the best cornbread any of us have ever had! Nephew Kevin opened Dizzy Birds straight from Deep Ellum in Boston. While the boys are each off in their own careers, they continue to get Dizzy by way of catering. Barb continues with our strategic planning & implementation, social media, catering, quality control. There aren’t adequate words to fairly convey what Barb means to Dizzy Birds.
