About Chef David

From small town farmstands to a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Local farmers market

Childhood

Food has always been a central part of David Kirschner’s family and upbringing. David’s early life centered around visiting local farm markets and having fresh food on the table every night. The memories of his Bubbe making homemade kreplach, pierogi, and other Ashkenazi delights have helped shape his devotion to “from scratch” cooking.

Training & Education

At the age of 15, David got his first job working in a local catering hall, helping out wherever needed. This started him on a path of numerous service industry positions and eventually graduating from Johnson & Wales University.

In college, David trained in the kitchens of local restaurants and spent his summers in some of New Jersey’s top kitchens including Stage Left and Restaurant David Drake. After completing an internship at Per Se in NYC, David had a very clear vision of his career path and his true passion. Once he completed a B.S. in Culinary Nutrition, he accepted a Chef de Partie position with Michael Mina to open SeaBlue at the Borgata in Atlantic City.

Local farmers market

Chef David Kirschner and Chef Marcus Samuelsson

David then became Sous Chef and worked on two more restaurant openings with The Mina Group. He rejoined Chef David Drake as the Executive Sous Chef to open Daryl Wine Bar in New Brunswick, NJ, where the team worked to open a modern small-plates restaurant and in turn achieved a James Beard nomination for “Best New Restaurant in America”.

David then accepted a Sous Chef position at Zylo at the W Hotel in Hoboken, NJ. After just one year, he was named Chef de Cuisine and was a featured chef at the NJ Food and Wine Festival. At Zylo, David honed his craft, making seasonal fresh pastas, working with local farmers, and modernizing rustic Italian cooking. He reveled in managing this large property but had a strong desire to return to NYC. After a couple of years, David accepted a position at Bar Boulud, Daniel Boulud’s French bistro. In short time, he became a Sous Chef and then Private Dining Chef. He worked closely with the Executive Chefs of Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud, cultivating the unique private dining program and executing menus that represented the styles of each restaurant.

In 2012, David joined the food media company Tasting Table to run their private dining loft in Soho. There he established his market inspired cuisine, entertained clients of the company, conceptualized events with their partner brands, and created editorial content.

Chef David Kirschner and Chef Marcus Samuelsson

Chef David Kirschner putting the final touches on a Middle Eastern-inspired lamb chop dish

Chef & Entrepreneur with a Vision

Today, David owns and runs dineDK, a boutique private dining company that specializes in custom culinary experiences.

dineDK is David’s platform for showcasing his commitment to seasonal “market” inspired cooking, working with local farmers, and cultivating intimate events in order to elevate his clients’ culinary and entertainment needs.

He is the coauthor of Matzo: 35 Recipes for Passover and All Year Long with Michele Streit Heilbrun. Matzo is a cookbook with Jewish recipes for enjoying matzo during the eight days of Passover. Streit’s supported David and Michele’s venture to modernize how we think about and use matzo.

Chef David Kirschner putting the final touches on a Middle Eastern-inspired lamb chop dish