David Burke (born February 27, 1962) is an American chef and restaurateur, known for his appearance on the reality TV program Iron Chef America.[1]

David Burke
Chef David Burke (2023)
Born (1962-02-27) February 27, 1962 (age 62)
EducationCulinary Institute of America
Culinary career
Current restaurant(s)
    • David Burke Tavern
    • Woodpecker by David Burke
    • Drifthouse by David Burke
    • The King Bar and Red Salt Room by David Burke
    • David Burke Kitchen
    • David Burke Prime Steakhouse
    • Burke In The Box
    • BLT Prime by David Burke
    • Grand Tavern by David Burke
    • Ventanas
    • 1776 on the Green
    • The GOAT
    • SECOND
    • Red Horse (Bernardsville, NJ)
    • Red Horse (Rumson, NJ)
    • Red Horse (White Plains, NY)
    • Fox and Falcon by David Burke
    • Double Barrel Steak by Chef David Burke
Previous restaurant(s)
    • David Burke Townhouse
    • Fishtail
    • David Burke at Bloomingdale's
    • David Burke Modern American Cuisine
    • Cloudbar & Redsalt By David Burke
    • David Burke's Primehouse
    • Fromagerie
    • David Burke Fabrick
    • Grillhouse by David Burke
    • ONE CPS
    • David Burke at Orange Lawn
Television show(s)
Award(s) won
    • Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur
    • Nippon Award for Excellence
    • Robert Mondavi Award of Excellence
    • August Escoffier Award
    • Distinguished Visiting Chef Award (Johnson & Wales University)
    • Menu Masters Award
Websitewww.chefdavidburke.com

Early life

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Born in Brooklyn NY and raised in Hazlet, New Jersey, Burke is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and was a student at Culinary Institute Lenôtre in Plaisir, France. Burke has worked with chefs in France and New York such as Pierre Troisgros, George Blanc, Marc Meneau, Daniel Boulud, Charlie Palmer and Waldy Malouf. When Burke was 26, he received 3 stars from the New York Times at River Café. Burke was then chosen by his peers to represent the US at The International Culinary Competition, where he won France's Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur. Burke also won the Nippon Award for Excellence from the government of Japan, for overall skill and technique. Burke remained at The River Café until 1992.

Career

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In 1992, Burke opened the Park Avenue Café with Smith & Wollensky CEO Alan Stillman, becoming vice president of culinary development for the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group four years later. In 2003, Burke branched out on his own to start his first proprietary restaurant, davidburke & donatella. Since then, he has set up establishments in Chicago, Foxwoods Casino (CT), Las Vegas and in Rumson, NJ, as well as New York City.

As the principal of David Burke Hospitality Management, he operates or oversees the culinary direction of 20 restaurants in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, and in Saudi Arabia. In May 2022 Burke purchased the Dixie Lee Bakery in Keansburg, NJ.[2][3]

Burke has appeared on television, including two seasons of Top Chef Masters, a guest spot on the Every Day with Rachael Ray show, NBC's TODAY Show and Bloomberg's small-business television series "The Mentor". He has published two cookbooks, Cooking With David Burke (1999) and David Burke's New American Classics (2006) co-written by Judith Choate.

Burke was featured once during the second season of Iron Chef America in 2005, he lost to Bobby Flay. In 2010, he was a competitor on the second season of Top Chef Masters, but did not move on to the Champions' Rounds.[4]

Burke also competed on Top Chef Masters Season 5. He was eliminated on Episode 9 in the Teacher Tribute challenge with his Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflé with Orange Peel & Raspberry Sauce.

At the BLT Prime in the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C., Burke has cooked steak for President Donald Trump, and disputed allegations that the President ate his steak with ketchup.[5] He was rumored to be under consideration for the post of White House Executive Chef, but has said that he would likely not be interested in the position.[5]

Restaurants

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Burke operates twenty restaurants in New Jersey, New York and North Carolina. Those include:

  • David Burke Tavern (New York City, NY)[6]
  • Drifthouse by David Burke (Seabright New Jersey)[7]
  • The King Bar and Red Salt Room by David Burke (Garden City Hotel, Garden City, NY)[8]
  • Ventanas (Fort Lee, NJ)[9]
  • 1776 on the Green by David Burke (Morristown, NJ)[10]
  • G.O.A.T. Pizza (Cornelius, NC)[11]
  • The GOAT (Union Beach, NJ)[12]
  • Red Horse by David Burke at the Bernardsville Inn (Bernardsville, New Jersey)[13]
  • Red Horse by David Burke (Rumson, NJ)[14]
  • Red Horse by David Burke (White Plains, NY)[15]
  • Fox and Falcon by David Burke (South Orange, NJ)[16]
  • Port City Clubby David Burke (Cornelis, NC)<re>kelly, Lauren. "Dining at Port City Club\LKN Reviews".</ref>
  • Park Ave Kitchen by David Burke (New York, NY)[17]
  • David Burke KSA (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)[18]

Awards

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Burke has received Japan's Nippon Award of Excellence,[19] the Robert Mondavi Award of Excellence and the CIA's August Escoffier Award.[20] Nation's Restaurant News named Burke one of the 50 Top R&D Culinarians and Time Out New York named him the "Best Culinary Prankster" in 2003.[21] In May 2009, the James Beard Foundation inducted Burke into the "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America" and Nation's Restaurant News presented him with the Menu Masters award.[citation needed] In February 2012, Burke was honored by the culinary school at Johnson & Wales University with the Distinguished Visiting Chef Award.[citation needed] In November 2012, he was named Restaurateur of the Year by the New Jersey Restaurant Association.[citation needed] In the same month, he was honored with a Concierge Choice Award, celebrating the elite in New York City hospitality, winning the best chef award.[citation needed] And in 2013, the David Burke Group was described by Restaurant Hospitality magazine as having one of the "Coolest Multiconcept Companies in the Land".[citation needed]

Other awards include:

Products

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Burke is also responsible for the creation of several innovations and new techniques used by not only himself, but other restaurants. A few of those include Pastrami Salmon in 1988,[22] flavored oils and tuna tartare and GourmetPops,[23] ready-to-serve cheesecake lollipops. Additionally, Burke is involved with culinology, an approach to food that blends the culinary arts and food technology. In 2011, Burke received a United States patent for a process which uses pink Himalayan salt to dry-age steaks.[24] Burke is also responsible for Burke Flavor Spray and Flavor Magic.[25]

References

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  1. ^ Fabricant, Florence (9 November 1988). "New Wave in the East River: David Burke". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  2. ^ Levin, Eric (21 May 2022). "Chef David Burke Buys Keansburg Bakery: 'I've Always Wanted a Pastry Shop'". New Jersey Monthly. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  3. ^ Baldwin, Carley (19 May 2022). "Keansburg's Dixie Lee Bakery Taken Over By NJ Celeb Chef David Burke". Middletown, NJ Patch. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  4. ^ Karps, Aynsley (February 11, 2010). "Weighing the Top Chef Masters". Zagat.
  5. ^ a b Ebner, Tim (September 19, 2017). "What Trump Really Eats For Dinner, According to Chef David Burke". Vox Media. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  6. ^ Fabricant, Florence (4 October 2016). "David Burke Opens an Upscale Tavern on the Upper East Side". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Chef David Burke to open Sea Bright restaurant". App.com. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Celebrity chef to take over food service at LI hotel". Newsday.com. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  9. ^ Davidowitz, Esther (5 March 2019). "$3M Ventanas Restaurant and Lounge now open with celebrity chef David Burke at the helm". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  10. ^ McDonald, Tara Jean (25 August 2022). "Celebrity Chef and Jersey Native David Burke brings his magic to Morristown with a side order of fun". Dining Out Jersey. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  11. ^ Hamm, Jeff. "GOAT Pizza in Cornelius Dining Like a Champ/".
  12. ^ Griesemer, Sarah. "David Burke opening new restaurant The GOAT in Union Beach next month". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  13. ^ Red Horse by David Burke
  14. ^ Murray, Nicole (24 May 2022). "Enjoy A David Burke Meal That Is Severely Discounted In Rumson". 94.3 The Point. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  15. ^ Turiano, John Bruno (19 February 2023). "Meet David Burke, the Top Chef Behind Red Horse in White Plains". Westchester Magazine. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  16. ^ Amato, Jennifer (13 April 2023). "Celeb Chef David Burke on the Garden State of Food". NJ Family. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  17. ^ McCart, Melissa. "A Restaurant Opens in Midtown With Swinging Tomahawks and Flaming Bacon/".
  18. ^ Corder, Josh (1 September 2021). "David Burke on introducing Saudi to flamboyant American cuisine". Caterer. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  19. ^ "David Burke Interview Questions". The Fresh Market. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  20. ^ "CHEF DAVID BURKE". VENTANAS Restaurant & Lounge. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  21. ^ Lowery, Tim (17 September 2019). "Celebrity chef David Burke talks his career, disliking bagels, more". Time Out New York. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  22. ^ Glazer, Fern (9 January 2017). "Sausage of the sea: An alternative take on charcuterie". Restaurant Hospitality. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  23. ^ Cruz, Karlo Sta (25 November 2022). "Happy Accidents Led These Famous Chefs to Their Signature Dishes". Business Traveler USA. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  24. ^ US patent 7998517B2, David Burke, "Meat aging process", published 2010-12-09, issued 2011-08-16 
  25. ^ "Celebrity Chef David Burke launche New Flavor Spray(TM)". .foodingredientsfirst.com/. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
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