David Burke

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a student at Ecole Lenotre Pastry School in Plaisir, France. Burke worked with legendary chefs in France and New York such as Pierre Troisgros, George Blanc, Marc Meneau, Daniel Boulud, Charlie Palmer and Waldy Malouf. Burke’s mastery of French culinary technique and his unique American creativity were confirmed at the age of 26, receiving 3 Stars from the New York Times at The River Café. Burke was then chosen by his peers to represent the USA at The International Culinary Competition, where he won France’s coveted Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur, the only American to ever achieve this honor. Burke also won the Nippon Award for Excellence from the government of Japan, for overall skill and technique. Burke remained Executive Chef at The River Café till 1992.

Over the years, Chef Burke has become one of the most recognized chefs on television, including appearances on two seasons of Top Chef Masters, a guest spot on the Every Day with Rachael Ray show, NBC’s TODAY Show, Bloomberg's small-business television series The Mentor, and more. In addition, Burke has published two cookbooks, Cooking With David Burke (1999) and David Burke’s New American Classics (2006) co-written by Judith Choate. 01-20-2016

Featured once on Iron Chef America, he lost by a small margin to Bobby Flay. This show appeared during the second season, the thirteenth episode. The featured ingredient was lamb. In 2010, Burke was a competitor on the second season of Top Chef Masters, 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 with Orange Peel & Raspberry Sauce.

Burke has been honored with 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, naming him one of the nation’s most celebrated culinary innovators. In February 2012, Burke was honored by the culinary school at Johnson & Wales University with the Distinguished Visiting Chef Award, which is given to the world's most influential and celebrated chefs. 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 recognized by Restaurant Hospitality magazine as having one of the "Coolest Multiconcept Companies in the Land," a nod to Burke’s many original and enviable restaurant concepts.

In 1992, Burke opened the critically acclaimed Park Avenue Café with Smith & Wollensky CEO Alan Stillman, and then, in 1996, he became vice president of culinary development for the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group. In 2003, Burke branched out on his own to start his first ever proprietary and highly praised restaurant, davidburke & donatella. Throughout the past fifteen years, Burke’s wide-ranging and innovative restaurant concepts have included David Burke townhouse, David Burke at Bloomingdale’s, Fishtail by David Burke, and David Burke Kitchen (NYC); David Burke Fromagerie (Rumson, NJ); David Burke’s Primehouse (Chicago); David Burke Las Vegas (Las Vegas); and David Burke Prime (Foxwoods, CT). In 2015, Burke took on a new challenge, leaving his namesake restaurant group and joining forces with hospitality magnate Jimmy Haber at ESquared Hospitality. At ESquared, Burke is a consulting partner and spearheads culinary development and oversees new projects for the prominent restaurant group, which owns and operates the BLT restaurant brand. Currently, Burke and Haber are in the process of creating a new David Burke brand of restaurants under the ESquared umbrella.