David Gilbert

Raised in Dallas, 35 year old Executive Chef David Gilbert credits his family with first inspiring his love for cooking – Gilbert’s grandfather owned a butcher shop and taught him to cook with simple seasonings and the freshest ingredients. Gilbert enrolled in the culinary arts program at Johnson and Wales University where he worked to master his technique. After graduating in 1997, Gilbert moved to Europe and landed a spot at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Vermeer in Amsterdam with Edwin Katz.

In 1999, Gilbert returned to the U.S. to further his techniques at The Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead, Atlanta where he worked under Atlanta mentor chefs Michael Ganley and Joel Antunes and sharpened his leadership skills. Within a year was promoted to restaurant chef at The Ritz-Carlton in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. As Executive Sous at The Orient Express’s, The Inn at Perry Cabin, Gilbert became known for initiating a fresh farmer’s market menu, which received national recognition. In 2000, Gilbert won a bronze medal for his cooking at the Chaine des Rotisseurs junior commis competition, and the following year he took home the silver medal.

Gilbert continued honing his skills in locales across the country before being named chef de cuisine at St. Louis’ Eau Bistro. After a year at Eau Bistro, Gilbert left Missouri for California, where he served as Executive Chef of The Beverly Hilton’s landmark restaurant. There, Gilbert was the chef for the International Golden Globe Awards. At Luqa, Gilbert entertained the diners with his interactive dishes that involved table side activation of rosemary aromas, sucking mousses from tubes, and breaking a crème brulée caramel that hovers a few inches above its generally attached custard.

Gilbert was the proud recipient of the national 2007 Rising Star Chef award from Starchefs.com, and in 2009 h3 decided to take a year away from the stove and seek out new ingredients and techniques from around the globe. His travels took him through South East Asia, Southern Africa, and Europe, which started a cultural following of his website www.beyondthekitchen.com. In 2010, Gilbert was hand selected to be the Executive Chef to represent United States on a global platform at the World Expo in Shanghai, China. There, he showcased the movement in what he calls Modern American Cuisine.

Chef Gilbert was chosen by Chef Stephan Pyles to helm the state-of-the-art kitchen at the new Hotel Eilan Resort and Spa in San Antonio, Texas. Since departure from the hotel Gilbert has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation with a Best Chef nomination and made Antoinette Bruno’s Top Ten dishes of the year list.

In between traveling around the world Chef Gilbert has completed his first book, "Kitchen Vagabond," and he has also taken his passion for Southeast Asian street food and partnered with craft beer guru, Steve Newman. With their obsessions united they bring this first ever concept they call Tuk Tuk Taproom.