David Burke (chef) facts for kids
Chef David Burke (2023)
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| Born | February 27, 1962 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| Education | Culinary Institute of America |
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Current restaurant(s)
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Previous restaurant(s)
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Television show(s)
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Award(s) won
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David Burke (born February 27, 1962) is a famous American chef and restaurateur. He is well-known for his amazing cooking skills and for appearing on TV shows like Iron Chef America.
Contents
Early Life and Cooking Journey
David Burke was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Hazlet, New Jersey. He studied cooking at the Culinary Institute of America and also in France at Culinary Institute Lenôtre.
When he was only 26 years old, David Burke earned three stars from the New York Times for his cooking at the River Café. This was a huge achievement for such a young chef!
His cooking skills were recognized internationally. He represented the U.S. in a big cooking competition in France. There, he won the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur. He also received the Nippon Award for Excellence from Japan for his overall cooking talent.
David Burke's Career Highlights
In 1992, David Burke helped open the Park Avenue Café. He later became a top chef for the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group.
In 2003, he started his own restaurant called davidburke & donatella. Since then, he has opened many restaurants in different cities. These include places in Chicago, Las Vegas, and New York City.
Today, David Burke manages or guides the cooking for about 20 restaurants. These restaurants are in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, and even Saudi Arabia. In May 2022, he bought the Dixie Lee Bakery in Keansburg, NJ.
TV Appearances and Cookbooks
David Burke has been on several TV shows. He appeared on two seasons of Top Chef Masters. He was also a guest on the Every Day with Rachael Ray show and NBC's TODAY Show.
He has written two cookbooks. These books are Cooking With David Burke (published in 1999) and David Burke's New American Classics (published in 2006).
Competitions on Iron Chef America
David Burke competed on Iron Chef America in 2005. He faced off against Chef Bobby Flay in a cooking battle.
He also competed on Top Chef Masters in 2010 and again in Season 5. In Season 5, he was eliminated in Episode 9 after a challenge where chefs paid tribute to their teachers.
David Burke has cooked for important people, including President Donald Trump. He once cooked steak for him at BLT Prime in Washington, D.C.
David Burke's Restaurants
David Burke currently runs many restaurants. Here are some of them:
- David Burke Tavern (New York City, NY)
- Drifthouse by David Burke (Seabright, New Jersey)
- The King Bar and Red Salt Room by David Burke (Garden City Hotel, Garden City, NY)
- Ventanas (Fort Lee, NJ)
- 1776 on the Green by David Burke (Morristown, NJ)
- G.O.A.T. Pizza (Cornelius, NC)
- The GOAT (Union Beach, NJ)
- Red Horse by David Burke at the Bernardsville Inn (Bernardsville, New Jersey)
- Red Horse by David Burke (Rumson, NJ)
- Red Horse by David Burke (White Plains, NY)
- Fox and Falcon by David Burke (South Orange, NJ)
- Port City Club by David Burke (Cornelius, NC)
- Park Ave Kitchen by David Burke (New York, NY)
- David Burke KSA (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Awards and Recognitions
David Burke has received many awards for his cooking. He won Japan's Nippon Award of Excellence and the Robert Mondavi Award of Excellence. He also received the CIA's August Escoffier Award.
In 2003, Time Out New York called him the "Best Culinary Prankster." In May 2009, the James Beard Foundation added him to their "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America."
In February 2012, Johnson & Wales University honored him with the Distinguished Visiting Chef Award. The New Jersey Restaurant Association named him Restaurateur of the Year in November 2012. He also won the best chef award at the Concierge Choice Award in New York City that same month.
In 2013, David Burke's company was recognized as one of the "Coolest Multiconcept Companies in the Land" by Restaurant Hospitality magazine.
Other awards include:
- 1991 Chefs in America - "Chef of the Year"
- 1995 Culinary Institute of America - "Auggie Award"
- 1996 & 1997 Robert Mondavi - "Culinary Award of Experience"
- 1998 The Vatel Club - "Chef of the Year"
- 1998 Chef Magazine - "Chef of the Year"
- 2023 Honorary Doctorate from Johnson & Wales
Cool Food Inventions
David Burke is known for creating new cooking techniques and food products. Some of his famous inventions include Pastrami Salmon, which he created in 1988. He also came up with flavored oils and tuna tartare.
He invented GourmetPops, which are ready-to-eat cheesecake lollipops. David Burke also works with culinology, which mixes cooking with food science.
In 2011, he received a special patent for a way to dry-age steaks using pink Himalayan salt. He also created Burke Flavor Spray and Flavor Magic, which are products to add flavor to food.
