David Burke (born February 27, 1962) is an American

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

and

restaurateur A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspe ...

, known for his appearance on the reality TV program ''

Iron Chef America ''Iron Chef America'' is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's ''Iron Chef'', and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed ''Iron Chef USA'' that aired in 2001. The show is produced by Food Network, wh ...

''.

Early life

Born in Brooklyn NY and raised in Hazlet, New Jersey, Burke is a graduate of the

Culinary Institute of America The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is a private culinary school with its main campus in Hyde Park, New York, and branch campuses in St. Helena and Napa, California; San Antonio, Texas; and Singapore. The college, which was the first to ...

and was a student at Culinary Institute Lenôtre in Plaisir, France. When Burke was 26, he received 3 stars from the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' 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

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. Burke has appeared on television, including two seasons of Top Chef Masters, a guest spot on the Every Day with

Rachael Ray Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author. She hosted the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program '' Rachael Ray''. Other programs to her credit include ''30 Minut ...

show, NBC's

TODAY Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'') is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television ...

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 ''

'' in 2005, he lost to

Bobby Flay Robert William "Bobby" Flay (born December 10, 1964) is an American celebrity chef, food writer, restaurateur, and Television presenter, television personality. Flay is the owner and Chef de cuisine, executive chef of several restaurants and fr ...

. In 2010, he was a competitor on the second season of

Top Chef Masters ''Top Chef Masters'' is an American reality competition series that aired on the cable television network Bravo (American TV network), Bravo, and premiered June 10, 2009. It is a spinoff (media), spinoff of Bravo's hit show ''Top Chef''. In the ...

, but did not move on to the Champions' Rounds. 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 A soufflé () is a baked egg dish originating in France in the early 18th century. Combined with various other ingredients, it can be served as a savoury main dish or sweetened as a dessert. The word ''soufflé'' is the past participle of the Fr ...

with Orange Peel & Raspberry Sauce. At the BLT Prime in the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C., Burke has cooked

steak A steak is a cut of meat sliced across muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally Grilling, grilled or Pan frying, fried, and can be diced or cooked in sauce. Steaks are most commonly cut from cattle (beefsteak), but can also ...

for President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

, and disputed allegations that the President ate his steak with

ketchup Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and sour flavor. "Ketchup" now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes for different varieties contained mushrooms, oysters, mussels, egg whites, grapes, or walnuts, amon ...

. 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.

Restaurants

Burke operates twenty restaurants in New Jersey, New York and North Carolina. Those include: * 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 The Garden City Hotel is a historic hotel on Long Island, in Garden City, New York. Founded in 1874, it is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024. The current structure is the fourth to bear the name, and opened in 1983. History The first G ...

, 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 Clubby David Burke (Cornelis, NC) * Park Ave Kitchen by David Burke (New York, NY) * David Burke KSA (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

Awards

Burke has received Japan's Nippon Award of Excellence, the Robert Mondavi Award of Excellence and the CIA's August Escoffier Award. 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. 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. In February 2012, Burke was honored by the culinary school at Johnson & Wales University with the Distinguished Visiting Chef Award. In November 2012, he was named Restaurateur of the Year by the New Jersey Restaurant Association. 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. And in 2013, the David Burke Group was described by Restaurant Hospitality magazine as having one of the "Coolest Multiconcept Companies in the Land". 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

Products

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, flavored oils and tuna tartare and GourmetPops, 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. Burke is also responsible for Burke Flavor Spray and Flavor Magic.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, David 1962 births Living people Culinary Institute of America alumni American male chefs École Lenôtre alumni People from Hazlet, New Jersey American restaurateurs