David Burke – Unplugged. Fearless Chef Continues to Push the Envelope
Published May 31st 2016
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- By Linda Kavanagh
“I’m not an artist, “assures renowned Chef David Burke during a recent visit I made to his ESquared Hospitality offices in Manhattan, “I can’t even sign my name the same way twice.”
But this is not about the artist David Burke – that will come later. This is about the Chef David Burke, who after 4
decades of rising to the top of the culinary field is now finding his inner Picasso in the form of collecting and creating art. After years of crafting art on a plate, Burke is enjoying the fruits of his labor; and that fruit bears a split from his former company, David Burke Group and its holding company, Watershed Ventures, LLC, and pursuits in the form of new restaurants on the horizon, a collection of jarred sauces (Steak, BBQ, “Mad”, and “Door”) set to make their way onto retail shelves this year, and the freedom to create his own brand of art, for both personal and public consumption.
Second acts aren’t something typically experienced by chefs after the name they’ve made for themselves becomes overshadowed by the next best thing, or worse, an inexperienced chef “personality” on the Food Network. For Burke, whose early years were spent soaking up knowledge fumes from the likes of Charlie Palmer, Thomas Keller, and Jean-Louis Palladin, his “celebrity” came by happenchance, and sans a publicist or agent. His fearless food preparations were matched by his bold plate presentations and his signature décor whimsy. Ahead of his time, Burke’s food style, considered to be sacrilege by some, and genius by others, is the impetus to his success. “Love him or hate him,” said one New York City food critic back in the 90s, “Burke is here to stay.”
I don’t have a story to tell about how as a child Burke grew up on a farm and learned from-scratch cooking from his
grandmother who taught little Davey how to cook from what they grew and butchered themselves on the farm. Nope. Little Davey is from Hazlet, New Jersey and he grew up on a typical modest Americana diet of grocery packaged meats and canned veggies. The story goes, during one of his shifts as an after school dishwasher at a local NJ hotel, Burke caught his first glimpse of a whole chicken being butchered by a white chef coat clad cook and was immediately intrigued. Such a revelation and appreciation for how food was prepared, Burke decided he would pursue the culinary arts upon graduating high school, thought it was not met with the greatest of enthusiasm from his folks.
“But who could blame them?” says a now knowing Burke, “Back then, being a chef wasn’t looked at like it is today. It was thought to be where the bad boys often ended up. It’s the opposite mentality now. Now we actually put words like “celebrity” in front of chefs’ names, “he says unable to control his laughter (mixed with discontent?).
Unfettered by his parent’s disapproval, Burke set out on a mission to soak up as much knowledge and gain as much experience as he could – and do so as quickly as possible. Formal training at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, NY was just the beginning. Burke would go on to travel to Norway where he gained tremendous knowledge of the fishing industry and fish preparations. In France he honed his French culinary techniques and pastry arts, all the while pushing his way into the kitchens of some of the most intrepid chefs of their time, learning from a broad mentor pool and eating his way across the country. This young chef would return home, ravenous for more, and wanting to create dishes that delighted and surprised his guests.
And the rest is history. Burke would go on to set the tone at such characteristic New York City restaurants as River Café, Park Avenue Café, and Smith & Wollensky’s, before laying down the foundation for his own restaurant brands, including; davidburke & donatella, and a myriad of “David Burke” eateries such as Townhouse, Kitchen, Prime Steakhouse, and Fishtales.
Whether it was his cheesecake lollipops, the beef consume served in a snifter glass, pretzel crusted crab cake, candied bacon, or his hallmark, the salt block presentation, Burke is motivated by simple pleasures; the love of food and the ability to not take himself, or the food, too seriously.
“It’s just food, “he states with the utmost respect for the art, “I’m not sure when it turned into anything else beyond the sheer enjoyment of a properly composed, fine quality dish presented in a manner that added to the overall experience,” he pauses, then quips, “My approach just has a more ballsy attitude!”
And he does indeed say that with respect, explaining that without the proper training and the ability to execute a properly prepared dish at its core, such liberties wouldn’t be possible. “As long as the integrity of the food comes first, the rest is fair game.”
This attitude is not so much daring (his friends growing up gave him the nickname “Imagine If Burkey”) as it is
exploratory, fulfilling a need to experiment, express himself, and cause a reaction. From the get-go, Burke fashioned random antiques as serving vessels, such as his popular mini wood-fired stove bejeweled with sweets. He was one of the first chefs to present dishes at the table in cast iron pans and copper pots. And his affinity for the egg created numerous playful uses for the underappreciated shell. Burke can find beauty, as well as usefulness, in the mundane, as well as the sensational.
Included in this belief is Burke’s take-no-prisoners approach, and his attraction to intoxicating décor and artwork that adorn his restaurants. He is drawn to arbitrary pieces of artwork, in all mediums, and is as fearless with his restaurant designs as he is with his more natural blank canvas – the plate. He’s a huge fan of the glass artist Dale Chihuly (and has even taken glass blowing glasses), has placed bronze statuettes of Humpty Dumpty in his restaurant, and is not adverse to mismatched colors, artwork, or textiles. It’s a style all his own.
Today, Burke is producing his “unplugged” performance, a greatest hits track that includes a few remakes of his classics along with a myriad of restaurant ideas that have been percolating for a while. When asked if this would be a more grown-up, sophisticated version of the David Burke critics and consumers have come to know, his bad boy grin makes a sinister appearance.
“I don’t hide from the past, or make excuses for it. I loved [and still do] that aspect of the business, “ he says of the high octane adrenalin rush chefs get when slingin’ food behind a hot steamy line while the dupe tickets keep piling up, “It’s not for everyone, but I enjoy the rush, the camaraderie, and the ‘Holy shit! Did we just do that?’ moment at the end of the night. It’s a work-hard-party-hard industry at times, and I enjoyed it…still do,” as that grin reappears.
Through it all, Burke knows it’s a business. His experience with owners, partners, investors, and the like, has been a learning curve throughout his career, yet, he’s managed to stay true to himself and his vision for his restaurants because one thing no company can ever question is Burke’s tremendous talent and intriguing persona. And while you can give a chef a high rise office, you can’t take the chef out of the kitchen – and that edginess that comes with it.
Watching Burke orchestrate his latest restaurant concept, it’s apparent that it’s a true ensemble performance with Chef wearing his producer hat. “It’s a collaboration of talent, “he says of his long time branding director and design team, “they get me. And while I know they try hard to appease me, they’re not afraid to disagree and tell me I’m out of my mind!”
Ultimately, the team comes together, and along with their fearless chef, the concept takes form. Finding art in the most peculiar of places, Burke is back at it, filling his restaurant with lighting and design fixtures made from antiquated kitchen equipment. There’s even a copper pot “chandelier” – which is to play off of New York’s most expensive chicken dish. But, you’ll need to visit the restaurant to truly understand the irony in the dish and Burke’s intrinsic ability to push the envelope, all with a wink and a smile.
Looking forward to his next great chapter, Burke is optimistic and continues to takes his cues from his gut, willing to put himself out there as he always has. Older and wiser? Perhaps. But that damn egg is back – this time it’s wearing a top hat and tails.
But this is not about the artist David Burke – that will come later. This is about the Chef David Burke, who after 4
decades of rising to the top of the culinary field is now finding his inner Picasso in the form of collecting and creating art. After years of crafting art on a plate, Burke is enjoying the fruits of his labor; and that fruit bears a split from his former company, David Burke Group and its holding company, Watershed Ventures, LLC, and pursuits in the form of new restaurants on the horizon, a collection of jarred sauces (Steak, BBQ, “Mad”, and “Door”) set to make their way onto retail shelves this year, and the freedom to create his own brand of art, for both personal and public consumption.Second acts aren’t something typically experienced by chefs after the name they’ve made for themselves becomes overshadowed by the next best thing, or worse, an inexperienced chef “personality” on the Food Network. For Burke, whose early years were spent soaking up knowledge fumes from the likes of Charlie Palmer, Thomas Keller, and Jean-Louis Palladin, his “celebrity” came by happenchance, and sans a publicist or agent. His fearless food preparations were matched by his bold plate presentations and his signature décor whimsy. Ahead of his time, Burke’s food style, considered to be sacrilege by some, and genius by others, is the impetus to his success. “Love him or hate him,” said one New York City food critic back in the 90s, “Burke is here to stay.”
I don’t have a story to tell about how as a child Burke grew up on a farm and learned from-scratch cooking from his
grandmother who taught little Davey how to cook from what they grew and butchered themselves on the farm. Nope. Little Davey is from Hazlet, New Jersey and he grew up on a typical modest Americana diet of grocery packaged meats and canned veggies. The story goes, during one of his shifts as an after school dishwasher at a local NJ hotel, Burke caught his first glimpse of a whole chicken being butchered by a white chef coat clad cook and was immediately intrigued. Such a revelation and appreciation for how food was prepared, Burke decided he would pursue the culinary arts upon graduating high school, thought it was not met with the greatest of enthusiasm from his folks.“But who could blame them?” says a now knowing Burke, “Back then, being a chef wasn’t looked at like it is today. It was thought to be where the bad boys often ended up. It’s the opposite mentality now. Now we actually put words like “celebrity” in front of chefs’ names, “he says unable to control his laughter (mixed with discontent?).
Unfettered by his parent’s disapproval, Burke set out on a mission to soak up as much knowledge and gain as much experience as he could – and do so as quickly as possible. Formal training at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, NY was just the beginning. Burke would go on to travel to Norway where he gained tremendous knowledge of the fishing industry and fish preparations. In France he honed his French culinary techniques and pastry arts, all the while pushing his way into the kitchens of some of the most intrepid chefs of their time, learning from a broad mentor pool and eating his way across the country. This young chef would return home, ravenous for more, and wanting to create dishes that delighted and surprised his guests.
And the rest is history. Burke would go on to set the tone at such characteristic New York City restaurants as River Café, Park Avenue Café, and Smith & Wollensky’s, before laying down the foundation for his own restaurant brands, including; davidburke & donatella, and a myriad of “David Burke” eateries such as Townhouse, Kitchen, Prime Steakhouse, and Fishtales.
Whether it was his cheesecake lollipops, the beef consume served in a snifter glass, pretzel crusted crab cake, candied bacon, or his hallmark, the salt block presentation, Burke is motivated by simple pleasures; the love of food and the ability to not take himself, or the food, too seriously.
“It’s just food, “he states with the utmost respect for the art, “I’m not sure when it turned into anything else beyond the sheer enjoyment of a properly composed, fine quality dish presented in a manner that added to the overall experience,” he pauses, then quips, “My approach just has a more ballsy attitude!”
And he does indeed say that with respect, explaining that without the proper training and the ability to execute a properly prepared dish at its core, such liberties wouldn’t be possible. “As long as the integrity of the food comes first, the rest is fair game.”
This attitude is not so much daring (his friends growing up gave him the nickname “Imagine If Burkey”) as it is
exploratory, fulfilling a need to experiment, express himself, and cause a reaction. From the get-go, Burke fashioned random antiques as serving vessels, such as his popular mini wood-fired stove bejeweled with sweets. He was one of the first chefs to present dishes at the table in cast iron pans and copper pots. And his affinity for the egg created numerous playful uses for the underappreciated shell. Burke can find beauty, as well as usefulness, in the mundane, as well as the sensational.Included in this belief is Burke’s take-no-prisoners approach, and his attraction to intoxicating décor and artwork that adorn his restaurants. He is drawn to arbitrary pieces of artwork, in all mediums, and is as fearless with his restaurant designs as he is with his more natural blank canvas – the plate. He’s a huge fan of the glass artist Dale Chihuly (and has even taken glass blowing glasses), has placed bronze statuettes of Humpty Dumpty in his restaurant, and is not adverse to mismatched colors, artwork, or textiles. It’s a style all his own.
Today, Burke is producing his “unplugged” performance, a greatest hits track that includes a few remakes of his classics along with a myriad of restaurant ideas that have been percolating for a while. When asked if this would be a more grown-up, sophisticated version of the David Burke critics and consumers have come to know, his bad boy grin makes a sinister appearance.
“I don’t hide from the past, or make excuses for it. I loved [and still do] that aspect of the business, “ he says of the high octane adrenalin rush chefs get when slingin’ food behind a hot steamy line while the dupe tickets keep piling up, “It’s not for everyone, but I enjoy the rush, the camaraderie, and the ‘Holy shit! Did we just do that?’ moment at the end of the night. It’s a work-hard-party-hard industry at times, and I enjoyed it…still do,” as that grin reappears.
Through it all, Burke knows it’s a business. His experience with owners, partners, investors, and the like, has been a learning curve throughout his career, yet, he’s managed to stay true to himself and his vision for his restaurants because one thing no company can ever question is Burke’s tremendous talent and intriguing persona. And while you can give a chef a high rise office, you can’t take the chef out of the kitchen – and that edginess that comes with it.
Watching Burke orchestrate his latest restaurant concept, it’s apparent that it’s a true ensemble performance with Chef wearing his producer hat. “It’s a collaboration of talent, “he says of his long time branding director and design team, “they get me. And while I know they try hard to appease me, they’re not afraid to disagree and tell me I’m out of my mind!”
Ultimately, the team comes together, and along with their fearless chef, the concept takes form. Finding art in the most peculiar of places, Burke is back at it, filling his restaurant with lighting and design fixtures made from antiquated kitchen equipment. There’s even a copper pot “chandelier” – which is to play off of New York’s most expensive chicken dish. But, you’ll need to visit the restaurant to truly understand the irony in the dish and Burke’s intrinsic ability to push the envelope, all with a wink and a smile.
Looking forward to his next great chapter, Burke is optimistic and continues to takes his cues from his gut, willing to put himself out there as he always has. Older and wiser? Perhaps. But that damn egg is back – this time it’s wearing a top hat and tails.
