About David
Chef David Waltuck
Executive Chef. Restaurateur. Instructor. Director of Culinary Affairs. Consultant.
Four-time James Beard Award Winner embracing an evolutionary approach to food and a commitment to community-building via culinary instruction
Always eager to share his expertise and passion for food, David is also a published author and contributor to numerous books, articles and other content about the culinary industry.
Guiding Philosophies
Stay grounded in the classics.
Mastery of technique and respect for tradition allows for creativity and improvisation.
Be taste-driven, not trend-driven.
Known for a down-to-earth sensibility, while insisting on excellence in all areas under his purview.
David married his partner (in business, as in life) Karen and together in 1979 they opened Chanterelle: a pioneer in the downtown dining scene, blossming from its origins in then-desolate SoHo.
After 41 years in various roles, today David is an Executive Chef Consultant, as well as Lead Instructor for two New York City culinary development programs where he fosters a natural inclination for teaching and mentorship.
Image credit: Maria Robledo
“David is the consummate professional. His culinary achievements speak for themselves. A wonderful collaborator, remarkably even-keeled and someone I learned (and continue to learn) a great deal from. A mensch.”
— Gary Jacobs
Jacobs, Doland Beer Food Service Design Firm
A skill set both expansive and deep, rooted in over 4 decades’ experience in the New York City culinary landscape.
It all began with a simple love of food.
David’s skill and originality have earned him international renown and numerous awards. He first began cooking in earnest while studying biological oceanography in Manhattan in the early 70s, following a bordering-on-obsession love of food as a child in the Bronx and a young adulthood steeped in fine dining experiences.
After a stint at The Culinary Institute of America, Waltuck spent two years as sous chef at La Petite Ferme in New York City. During a fateful 1978 trip to Paris as a newly-married couple, David and Karen were enchanted by the “gastronomic temples” Taillevent, La Pyramide, and the original Le Bernadin and set out to open what would become their first dining proprietorship: Chanterelle, a pioneering fine dining establishment in then-undeveloped SoHo. The rest is history.
“A pioneer who has never stopped getting better.”
— John Mariani
Food and Travel columnist for Esquire Magazine
Wine columnist for Bloomberg International News
Author of The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink; America Eats Out; The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink; How Italian Food Conquered the World
David in Upstate NY, tending his Quarantine Garden
With son Jake and an impressive forest find