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Millions of fans around the country recognize Dave
Martin as the inimitable and beloved chef from Bravo
TV's "Top Chef" Season One. Undeniably the most
popular chef on the show, he won viewer's hearts and
palates with his intense layering of flavors and vivid
descriptions of his dishes. His approachable yet
sophisticated take on old classics, like his signature
Black Truffle Mac 'n' Cheese, made him a hit
from the streets of NYC to the shores of St. Tropez.
And, of course, Dave has forever secured a place in
pop culture and Wikipedia with his hit line: "I'm not
your bitch, bitch." His line of t-shirts bearing the
phrase has been the top seller on the bravotv.com
website and sold out several times over.
There's no doubt that Dave is on the "it" list in
Hollywood! Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen hired him to
cater their 20th birthday party, where he served a
vegetarian and seafood menu. He's recently been
spotted on the red carpet with Charlize Theron,
Russell Simmons, Lindsey Lohan, Ivanka Trump, Rachel
Bilson and Chef Yossi (Dustin Hoffman's personal
chef), and his catering company was hired to cater the
star-studded L.A. Philharmonic/Hollywood Bowl's annual
summer launch party. He also served his tasty morsels
at the Extra TV's exclusive Emmy suite in August 2006.
It's not just viewers and celebs who love Dave, his
passionate and infectious personality also endeared
him to judges and guests on "Top Chef". After winning
a multi-faceted challenge that showed off his
outstanding recipes and people skills, Dave was
hand-picked by restaurant mogul Jeffrey Chodorow's
(Social) to cook with his team at the Cannes Film
Festival. Along with Jeffrey and celebrity chef
Michelle Bernstein (Michy's), Dave prepared delectable
dishes at an exclusive party for executives from Jimmy
Choo, Halle Barry and Hugh Jackman on Social's $30
million yacht.
Dave's background is diverse and his rise to "chefhood"
was not without its roadblocks. After pursuing a
degree in English at the University of Redlands, Dave
ran a successful hi-tech recruiting firm in Newport
Beach. When the technology market crashed in 2000, he
made the choice to start over again, change careers
mid-life and to pursue his true passion – cooking.
Dave chose to attend culinary school at the Le Cordon
Bleu in Pasadena, CA, and graduated with honors. While
still enrolled in school, he formed his own catering
company,
As You Wish
Catering,
and took on the Executive Chef role at XO Wine Bistro
in Manhattan Beach, CA. He soon built a strong local
following of customers that enjoyed his multi-regional
cuisine that ranged from Southern BBQ to Southeast
Asian and beyond. It was then that Dave won a coveted
spot on Bravo's "Top Chef" over thousands of hopefuls.
Dave now resides in New York where he is busy with his
new restaurant 'Crave on 42nd', teaching
classes at The Culinary Loft in Soho, and traveling on
the road for various events. The new year is stacking
up nicely for Dave with a Latin American/Southwestern
and New Mexico fused restaurant concept called
Bandolero set to open in Los Angeles. Additionally,
he will be launching a new web based cooking program
on devour.tv, giving lectures at The Natural Gourmet
Institute, and consulting with students at Stern/NYU
on a new fast casual concept for the city.
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