June 12, 2020 • 37 mins
Ever wonder if our careers are pre-destined for us? If our parents could possibly already know who we’re going to be by the experiences and flavors from our childhood? There could be a method to the madness, and Marc alongside Chef David Rose will explore it all. Growing up the youngest of eight kids, David reveals how his path to his culinary dreams became a reality. The two talk about the evolution of celebrity chefs and what the future of food festivals could look like.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Food three sixty, the podcast that serves up
some serious food for thought. I'm your host Mark Murphy.
Today it's my pleasure to have my friend, fellow chef
and TV personality, David Rose. Welcome to Food three. Let's
do it. David, I gotta tell you this is this
is a real, a real pleasure to see you. I mean,
(00:25):
I wish I could give you a big hug, but
I can't because you know we're on virtual hug. But
I want to. I want to just in my mind
and go back to a time when I was climbing
up this hiking up this mountain in Arizona, and I'm
walking and climbing and crawling and whatever I'm doing, and
all of a sudden, not here, hey, Mark Murphy. And
(00:47):
I look up and there you are. And you were
hiking with other people that I knew, and I feel
like I had I don't know if I had met
you before or if it was like my my brain
just sort of froze and I'm like, what is going on?
Who is this guy? And he it was like it
was after you passed. I was like, oh, yeah, that's David.
And and then we hung out all weekend at Bomac.
(01:08):
He does this great event, and I'm excited to hopefully
get back and do that again someday. I actually talked
to bout the other day. He's doing well at the sanctuary.
What it was, it was such a beautiful weekend, And
I gotta tell you this, those moments, I mean, I
want to just hop maybe right into talking about food festivals,
because I think that's when that's where you, you and
I sort of came together and met and and our
(01:29):
friendship bonded there and it was it was a beautiful moment.
I don't know if you remember, man, of course, it's like,
you know, the headn't separated, the sun shined down on us,
and it was glorious moment. That was our first time meeting,
you know, represent about the same management company, and that
you know, from the moment we said go and men
at that mountain top. Man, he's just been an amazing person.
(01:52):
Awesome dude, great drinking buddy. You had an amazing time,
awesome time that week. And uh, it's just so much
on a much simpler time as you said before, And
I'm just praying and hoping every day that we can
get back to some semblance of that sense of community
through food, through drinks. We had a couple of drinks
(02:14):
that week as well, a little and the couple and
just having having fun. Man. You know, to me, that's
what really makes it the most fun to me is
the sense of community, meeting new friends, reunited with old friends,
and just um spreading love and positivity through food, and
nothing like a food and lain festival can do that.
(02:35):
And it just breaks my heart. You know, all these
food and lawn festivals for the foreseeable future look to
be you know, kind of tabled and canceled as of now.
So hopefully you can get back to those times because
I enjoyed them and looking forward to making new memories,
especially with you my friends. I totally get it. And
and you know leash Rigor's actually he's sort of taking this. Uh.
(02:57):
He's still doing things and raising money and doing things
to the food festivals sort of virtually. I'm doing a
dinner next week where I cook and three d people
are zooming in and we're working together. And I mean, look,
I love the effort and I love these things are happening,
but it's like one of those things that I want to, uh,
I want to just be like, hey, I want to
uh you know, I don't want to do that the
(03:18):
rest of my life. I want to do it the
way we used to do it, where I can actually
see you and and and meet the public that loves
us on the shows. But let's let's let's let's get
to your to your background first of all. So you
got from a large, a large Jamaican family that grew
up in New Jersey. Now and and if I know
this correctly, you're the you're the baby, right, I'm the
(03:41):
youngest of a yes on the baby, I see. So
what was that like, was sir? What was it like
growing up as as as with eight kids in the family,
and it was there was and you were the youngest one.
How did you get any food? I mean you had
to like fight for it or what that It was
rough man pretty much. You know, it was a situation
where when mom's as dinner is ready, you better have
(04:01):
your butt down there asap because with eight kids, food
ain't lasting long. So she you know, kind of portion
out are separate, you know, portions of food according to size, appetite, age.
But whoever got there early, you know you might get
that extra piece of chicken, that extra piece of steak,
you know, transfer somebody's food from their plate to your plate.
(04:23):
So you gotta get in where you fit in when
you first, when you first in line, I could see
you being like I was always first inlive that I
wasn't a big appetite always. That is awesome. So but
and and and show you. But your mother and your
father were both chefs. Is that correct? Yes, that is correct.
MoMA and dad were both chefs. Mom was a chef
(04:43):
at a nursing home in New Jersey and dad was
also an executive chef at a villa for nuns. So
first things first, you know, Carideans, Jamaicans, as with anywhere,
we have an insatiable appetite for food and insatiable appetite
for alcohol, white woman especially, and just the the culture itself.
I've always loved food, but amplify that by my parents
(05:05):
both being chefs and kind of bringing me to work
with them at a very young age, just kind of
seeing from you know, the raw product, the eggs, the milk,
the bread, the bacon, and making these breakfasts, these lunches,
these dinners from from nothing, the creative process and the
admiration they got from the people they cooked for, just
kind of planting the seed at a young age. I
(05:26):
was like, you know what, this is pretty cool. I'm
a piss so I'm a creative type to begin with,
and um, it just kind of planted at that young
age that love for food and the love that translates
through food. So what what I got to go back
to this? I mean, I understand your mom was cooking
in a nursing home. I can imagine what I can
short of imagine what that's like. I never cooked in
(05:46):
a nursing home. But now a villa for nuns, What
did the nuns eat? What were the nuns eating? And
why was your dad cooking for nuns? The nuns cook
for themselves. I don't understand. You know what is you know,
these villas have like you know, upwards of you know,
three to five hundred people that live there on site,
and you know at the church, the cathedral, and they're
(06:06):
doing their none thing. You know, they're praying, they're organizing fundraisers,
they're hosting, you know, different nuns from overseas, Italy, France, Europe.
So the last thing they have time for is to cook.
So that's where dad comes in he had his team,
and you know, coming from Jamaica in the late seventies
early eighties, you know you kind of have to get
in where you fit in. And both parents always love
(06:28):
to cook, but they actually came to America as immigrants
from Jamaica and just kind of work there were up
the ladder and you know, cooking and chat positions. Um,
those are what kind of spoke hot to them first
and after they kind of landed. That's that's amazing. I
love the the immigrants stories and how people get themselves
into a country like this and get there and and um,
(06:51):
it was it was really a It's really a beautiful thing.
And it happens through food, which is what we obviously
do in love and love to do. And I think
that's fantastic. Um you uh so you I mean, besides
the love of cooking you got from your parents, but
what did you see the difference in like that type
of cooking and what you do now? I mean there's there.
(07:11):
I mean you obviously you say that a young age
you moved down to Atlanta. Obviously that must be influenced you,
uh in a lot a lot of ways. But your parents,
I mean, how how did all this come together you
the synergy. Um Um, I actually born and raised in
New Jersey, eight kids, the only one born and raised
New Jersey. So it just kind of dates back to
these huge Thanksgivings, these used Christmas is where my mom
(07:35):
is also one of thirteen and their kids have you know,
five six kids, and my dad is one of ten,
and that whole Tristate areas. You know, it's one big,
diverse melting pot, and we'd have you know, these Thanksgiving
Christmases and Fourth of the Last celebrations where it's upperings
of a hundreds and hundred pretty people and it's huge
(07:55):
pot lux where you have jerk chicken, you have curry go,
you have never rowning, you have five different kinds of
rice and peas, you have baked chicken. Um, you have
just so much plentiful food, fried plantings where you know, um,
we came to America, my family and they always had
that inherent love and educated themselves um via grandparents of
(08:18):
that food and also kind of you know interjected you know,
American classic foods. So you have that. And then the
Tri State area where I was born in Inglewood, raised
in tean Neck and also went to school in tenofly
where I've had friends from all walks of life, where
I remember, at nine years old having Korean pancakes for
the first time, um having Latka's and the filth fish,
(08:42):
having fag on patt We're a good friend of mine.
His mom was Italian and his dad was French and
they ran a bakery. So eating the squag all the
patte the Joki at ten eleven years old is tasting
these flavors that obviously are in addition of an art
um from Jamaica or indicative of Jamaican food, but tasting
(09:02):
these very diverse international foods. I didn't know what the
hell I was tasting, but I knew I loved it.
I knew it tastes good. I never knew it tend
that that and goose liver could be so delicious. So
that's that gental curiosity of food, and that's the Tristate area.
Fast forward twenty one years twenty one years old, I
moved to Atlanta, Georgia at that point, and I'm kind
(09:25):
of trying to figure out what I want to do
with that point. I've been exercise science major and a
physical therapist trainer rather or a physical therapist and training
has always been a huge love of me as far
as fitness, and I've been a bartender, I've been a server,
I've been a bar back. I've worked every position in
front of the house up until that moment, and I
(09:46):
was trying to figure out my next movement life. I
was sitting down at one and saw a commercial I
can remember it as clearly as yesterday and said corn
on Blue, realize your culinary dreams. I don't know what
it his mark. At that very moment, something spoke to
me and said, go to the campus, check it out,
see what you think. And I was blown away by
(10:08):
the choruses, by the facility, by the kitchen, by the staff,
and right there and then at twenty one, standing in
that Lacord on Blue campus, I knew that I wanted
to be a chef. And then from there I know
over the program. Graduated top of my class, never been
a scholar, nobody had ever called me a scholar ever,
but graduated top of my class, smoo cum laude, straight a's.
(10:32):
And even though it's school per se um, I didn't
looking at the school. I looked at it this everyday
crafting and honing my skills from my purpose for my
career as a chef, where I learned proficiencies and ice carving, um,
international cooking, sushi, baking, guard mane, wine and beer knowledge,
(10:54):
and just from there it kind of took off. Man,
I just knew at that moment that being a chef
in culinary was the life for me. That is, that's
a beautiful story. And it's so funny because you you
talk about the beginning of your life, the influence from
your parents both being chefs, all the friendships you have,
which is another beautiful story of immigrants coming to this country,
and that a kid who was born in New Jersey
(11:16):
whose parents were from Jamaica was hanging out with the
people from France and Italy that had a bake shop.
I mean, that to me is just a beautiful painting, right.
But but but the funniest thing is is this is
how you know all of a sudden, your whole childhood,
basically from birth you were basically trained to be a chef,
and not until you're twenty one you go, oh, wait,
this is a job. I can do this, and I'm
(11:37):
gonna go to a school for it and kick some
Buddet school. That is that is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
I do want to get a little bit of information
(11:59):
from you, because right before you, we all got locked
up because of this pandemic. Your Instagram was blowing up
all over Europe. You you, you took a trip of
a of a lifetime. It looked like to me you
were in Italy, you went traveling, and the pictures you
were posting. I almost had to stop following you because
I was getting hunger. But watching it, watching that going down,
(12:21):
I was like, so was that how many was that
your first trip to Italy or what? What was the
what was that? What is the experience from you having
gone to conor school but all and then just boom
being there? Man, Prior to that, my only experience of
Europe in general was twelve years old in England and
prior to that, never been before them, and that's all
I really knew. So, you know, I was like, you
(12:43):
know what, let me go to Europe, let me check
it out. I was celebrating my thirty eight birthday, so
me and my girlfriend we went to Europe on this
cruise MSc cruise and we hit up Italy, Barcelona, Spain,
different ports that we actually said, but to see uh.
We went to our Sicily, Um, we went to I
believe I'm forgetting the other one. But also we've been
(13:06):
to Spain. We went to Malta and then wrapped back
around to Spain as well, so severn different ports. And
for me, you know, you read about these things and
books watching on TV uh and you just learned about
the history. But to actually be in Spain have authentic,
authentic paea, to be in Italy, you know, and have
(13:26):
authentic pasta. I can really say that going on this
little eurold trip it ruined forever domestic pasta and domestic
pia because once you have the best, the authentic, it's
it's really hard for the rest. So for me it
was really tickled my my culinary fancy bone, so to speak,
where I'm able to actually be there at the birthplace
(13:49):
of these huge, just you know, dynamic, powerful foods um
that I've only had prior experience having it here in America,
where that's a really really good pasta here in the state,
it's really really good pea until you have it in
the birthplace of those cuisines and those dishes. Well, that's
also it's also interesting that in the mind Uh. You know,
(14:11):
you could eat the exact same bowl of pasta sitting
in Antimilia overlooking the Mediterranean. You know, you could eat
the same pasta in the basement of of a building
a New York City, and you could be the exact
same ingredients, the exact same dish, but one is gonna
taste better. Let's put it that way, right, because you
got there, you got that whole thing. So I'm actually
thinking we should call we should call some of the
people that represent us, because we obviously we we work
(14:34):
with the same management company and we get represented by
the same people because now obviously the food world has
taken a little bit of a of a turn. Uh.
And I want to get into your ambassadorship with Nissan,
because I think that's a beautiful and an interesting thing.
But I think that after this we should start writing
a little show because I know you're a motorcycle guy
and I'm a motorcycle guy, and we should start at
the top of Italy. We'll start all the way up north,
(14:56):
right at the border. I speak Italian. We're gonna do
a show, you and I writing our motorcycles all the
way to the to the bottom of the boot and
we can eat the whole way. What do you think
you're in, Man, you had to meet motorcycles. Yeah, you
had me get motorcycles. I'm already here. That would do.
That would be a fun time. We could just bop
around Europe and eat and drink. I love the idea.
(15:18):
So so after you were I mean so obviously your
professional career, you went and you did you work in
a hotel for a little while. I've done everything. Actually
my first job I remember it specifically. I was thirteen
years old and I worked as a bar back and
buff boy at the Radisson Hotel on Route for Anglood,
New Jersey and thirteen years old. And I've just always
(15:39):
been a hospitality since then. And have you been back
to visit to your your old first job? Man? That
actually they actually knocked it down and made like two
three different hotels. And then so, okay, that was that
was a while ago. But then you got on you
got onto the Food Network and you you were in
season thirteen of the Next Food Network Star. Where's that?
The one? Yes? I was What was what was that?
(16:01):
How did you get there? What was that? Like? I've
never i mean I've competed on on food Network. But
I didn't. I didn't compete to get on the Food
I was just I see that show and I'm always
like jaw dropping up. Where do you find all these
characters where it was crazy? It was crazy? Man? Um
well as far as my four rayans and meeting Food Network, Um,
(16:22):
you mentioned motorcycles. Prior to that, you know, I did
a national international campaign with Harley Davidson back in two
thousand and ten to thirteen where they're doing a really
cool campaign. It was called Iron Elely and they were
highlighting you know, African American writers from all over the world,
that right, Harley. So they made a really cool patch
with me on a couple of videos. So I was like,
(16:43):
it's pretty cool. You know. I did a lot of
traveling with that. I was like, I would love to
combine my love and passion of motorcycles, which is awesome
in itself, and my love and passion of food and
just bring it together. Uh. So I started kind of
going by the Biker Chef and from there I was like,
you know what, I don't know anything about food, I
don't know anything about TV, but I'm gonna take a
(17:05):
business loan out and I'm gonna start capturing my own content.
So I started hiring videographers and producers and just traveling
the country talking to bikers who cook and chefs who
were bikers. And the initial concept title was bikes and Bikes,
motorcycles and food. And I just started to put my
own content on YouTube, Demo, Instagram, Facebook, and fast forward
(17:29):
a couple of years. Two years doing that, not knowing
what I was doing except shooting some cool footage, I
got the attention of a couple of exacts O rep
Food Network. Uh, they invited me in, started talking about
them from some potential concepts that we could work on,
and then from there, like, you know what, we love you,
We like your style, what you're doing. You're different, unique,
(17:49):
but our viewership does not know who you are. Would
you mind doing Food Network Star? And I'm not gonna lie, Mark,
I didn't jump right on it because you know, reality
TV is a reality you know, I'm CVS. I was like,
you know what, this is something I want to do.
I'm serious about doing this, so let's do it. And
then from there the rest of history. Man, Well I
(18:11):
got two things out of that. One, you're obviously a
really hard working guy, and you and you love to
make create opportunities for yourself, because it sounds like that's
what you did. And the other thing that I got
out of that was, I guess if we do that
trip to Italy will be on Harley's. Well I'm no
longer constractly, I'll get at the Harley. So you know, Italians,
(18:32):
I gotta tell you. Italians love of Harley's. They see
you driving down the street, now, Harley. I mean, I
have a BMW myself, but you know I can, I
can get behind any one of those things. And and
so we'll make I will make request no vests. I'm
too big for a vest. Yeah, well you know I
have one of those two. But that's just for bopping
around New York City. Let's put it that right. Um,
it's a three fifty. It does go fast, I'll tell you,
(18:54):
but it is. It is. It is strange because when
you're sitting on a vest but doing eighty miles, it's
like you're sitting on a chair on the highway and
it's just not very comfortable. It doesn't sound very comfortable there,
not at all. So interesting that so this obviously this
new world. The chef's you, You're you're represent Nissan. This
this one truck Titan. It's a very cool commercial. Are
(19:16):
you doing this? How did you get that gig? That
is beautiful? I'm gonna have to talk to Scott about that. Man.
I've been the Nissan for about what two years now.
And the way it came about was chef Cory bar
He was actually on the same season of Food Network
Star as I was, and he just started this relationship
out and they were kind of introducing this new concept vehicle.
(19:38):
It was called the Smoking Titan, and pretty much you
know what it is. It is a super cool, super
decked out Titan truck where it's been outfitted with grills,
a smoker, a full service kitchen on there and have burners.
Who has sinks And they were trying to kick it
off with it's really cool event um called the Smoking
(19:59):
Tighten cook Off, I believe in Nashville, Tennessee, outside of
Nashville and the mountains, and essentially what it is it
was pairing Nissan employees against you know, different media people
and it was a barbecue competition. So I came on
as a judge from there, and you know what I mean,
I'm a people person. Now, we started talking we started drinking,
we started eating like you know what, David, you want
(20:20):
you as a part of this campaign, and then from
there did some really cool events with the smoking time
and where we drive around at that, we cook on it,
We grew on it at different outdoor events, different media events,
UM doing different types of social media and video content.
And it's a great relationship, so very organic, which a
lot of my opportunities are UM. But I'm all about networking.
(20:43):
It's all about relationships, it's all about connections. It's all
about that. It is and and I love I mean,
obviously everybody. You can just tell from this conversation you're
a people person and you can see what you do,
what you do and how you accept people and get
them into your lives. But the organic things like that
are much more sort of you know, they're big. I mean,
And I've had a few opportunities like that where somebody
(21:04):
hears me talking on an interview about something a product
I like, and I said, and they call you like,
oh you actually use that? It's like this is it's
not It's like really it's like good advertising in a
certain sense because you're getting people that actually used those
products to really do that. So why did you so
you when you you said you moved to Atlanta earlier
and you went to the Cordoon blow down there, which
is obviously but and you stayed down there and your
(21:24):
whole families in New Jersey, right, you got you got
what about six fifty relatives in New Jersey and you're
down in Atlanta? Are you? Are you just trying to
are you just trying to skip on the family reunions?
Are you? Why did you stay in Atlanta? You know
what's funny? Um actually brought me down here was my cousin,
He actually lived down here. First, he was the first
(21:44):
one out of our entire family came down, came to
moor House, and then from there, my older brother came down.
And I came down in oh three, February of oh three,
two thousand three, and I came down from my twenty
birds birthday and I was just blown away. Imagine single
twenty one year old David eyes wide open, the bars,
(22:06):
the clubs, the restaurants, the women, and I just had
a blast. Man, this is back with Atlanta. It kind
of resembled Bergen Street in New Orleans, where you could
walk around and just kind of you know this bounce
from bar to club and I was just smitten. You know,
I was over New Jersey. I was like, you know what,
I'm coming back. My cousin, my brother didn't believe me.
(22:29):
Fast forward to June of the same year. I packed
my little Cherry Red ninety eight must stand up, brought
all my stuff down and having left since since then,
sister came down, brother came down, cousins came down. So
it's like we're building a second New Jersey right now
down in Atlanta. Mom and dad are here also, and
(22:49):
I love it. Man. Yeah, Mom and Dad's down and
they've been down here for about four years. They retired
and moved down to Florida, and they're like, you know what,
we missed a kid who miss David. Let's move up
to Atlanta and been here for the last four years.
But slowly but surely, family keeps coming on down. So
it's it's a good portion about fifty people strong right
(23:10):
now now in Atlanta. Wow, you like started the migration.
That's that You're you're a big, big push to get
a right down there. Well, next time I'm in Atlanta, obviously,
definitely come in to your house. I'm gonna come by
and I want to eat some of that good food
you're making. Let's do it. So you said you were
(23:40):
a trainer. Physical fitness is something that obviously is something
that's that's very uh. And if anybody's ever obviously this
is a podcast, you can't see him. But let's tell me,
tell me. I mean, you stay very fit, But are
you buying the shirts smaller to look bigger, like like
Robert Irvine buying because because you know that that's that's
the way I see this. It's like, if you buy,
(24:02):
you look bigger, but you're a big guy and you
stay really healthy. And I think but that goes into
some conversation, not not just the funny part of it,
but is you know food and health, I mean those
are those things are directly related the whole the whole thing.
You can't trust the skinny chef is out the window. Now.
You gotta trust chefs that can know how to food
feed and feed you and feed you properly. And I
(24:23):
think that is that that you are obviously very very uh.
You know, a tune to even though you do want
to have your far grab every once in a while.
Oh of course, man, I really think It's about this
moderation and just kind of eating for your body type
as opposed to omitting carbs or omitting protein or effects.
It's all about moderation, man. Anything of too much is
not good for you. And actually, I don't know if
(24:46):
you noticed or not, I'm actually slimming down during quarantine
Robin kind of watching the watching the diet, watching the
intake and just kind of wanted to get more defined.
So I actually went down from to forty seven to
right now I'm sitting at like two thirty two to
thirty one. Uh. I feel great, you know, and I'm
(25:06):
more defined, So I like that aesthetic and I feel healthier. Um.
So it's all about just kind of doing what works
for you, um, not looking at a magazine on the
internet and just kind of click copying pasting what's on there,
but experimenting, but also you know, not going too far
left where you kind of have a robust appetite where
(25:26):
you're eating pasta and fried chicken and you know, pizzas
and all that. Like you know what this is on
the Monday on Friday, all salad and fruit. That's gonna
set you up for what we call a oaky dog.
And you're setting yourself up for failure. So just you know,
gradually introducing just healthier lifestyle, where as opposed to you know,
the five to six slices of pizza maybe just wanted to.
(25:50):
It's all about moderation. You're absolutely right, So when you're
gonna go have the But that's the thing in Europe,
I feel like you you eat it the meal times
and you're eating much better food and it just feels
if it feels healthier. Well, let's talk about cooking during
quarantine time, because i gotta say, I I've I'm living
in a house with there's six of us and we've
been here for about two months, and I'm basically I
(26:11):
feel like I work in a restaurant with a six
top every night. And but it's actually it's it's it's
sort of um, you know, it's what I love to
do anyway. So I feel like I'm very lucky because
I feel like I'm not bored. I'm planning meals, I'm
doing things and and and it's it's it's fun. Cooking
is fun. Let's not you know, we we levelling it.
We we love freeting things. And then the challenges, So
(26:35):
what it's what's it been like for you cooking and quarantine. Obviously,
cooking for yourself and your body and making yourself feel
better is important, and I think that's that's obviously you
know you can see that. But I, uh, you know,
I I've actually as well during quarantine, have lost a
little bit of weight because I'm just I feel like
I'm eating, I'm meeting, trying to eat healthy and and
and you know, keeping myself busy. But what's it been
(26:56):
like for you cooking? Actually? What have you been making?
First off, I do see that new vein right there
in your arms, so so kudos to you on that. Dude,
I definitely see the progression. But man, I'm just like you.
You know, me and my siblings and my parents, we
all live about in a ten mile radius, so heaven forbid,
I post something on Instagram or Facebook, I'll know within
(27:18):
two to three minutes of that post, when can I
come over? That look good? What is that? So when
we be over at our house with the food, So
you know, whatever I make, it's not just for me,
it's definitely for them also. And you know, I'm I'm
a big person, uh for always looking and finding the
silver lining in any situation so as crazy and it's
(27:38):
messed up and is off kill th what we're going
on right now. I I definitely try to make it
a positive. And what I've been doing is staying really
busy with different recipe creations, UM, trying new recipes, UM,
doing different variations and just I'm a creator. I love creating,
and it's really allowed me to even fall deeper in
love with food, getting super creative and just trying new
(28:03):
things out where I might not be able to you know,
touch hands and be out there is food and mont
events or be on you know, g M there Today's show.
Are you on Food Network? We're able to kind of
you know, be there with people. But through social media,
through the Instagram, live, through the Facebook, through the stories,
I'm still able to get that engagement and you know,
(28:24):
share that excitement and positivity through food. UM. So I'm
cooking four or five meals a day over here and
I'm loving it. As you know you said before, the
kitchen really is my my asylum. It's my happy place
where I might not be able to control what's in Minnesota,
New York, New Jersey, or even Atlanta, Georgia. But what
(28:46):
happens in my kitchen is something I create with these
two things right here, in these two hands, and I
love it, and it gives me a sense of peace,
calm and tranquility and good as food. So there is something,
there is something into cooking and just the putting on
some tunes and relaxing and and just getting exulted in it.
And I find and I'm sure that it must be.
(29:08):
I mean, my classical French training. I worked in Paris,
I worked in all these different places and fancy restaurants
and stuff. But it must be funny. Do your parents,
who were then obviously cooking for three hundred nuns or
a lot of people in the homes, and then you
went to cooking school. You went to cooking school where
they probably taught you to cut all the carrots exactly
the same size like little soldiers, right your parents? I mean.
(29:29):
And I have friends of mine that sometimes when I'm
just like down in the kitchen, like I'm like doing
things like that, people walk by the kitchen. Up, what's
wrong with this guy? Why is he making every care
at the exact same size, look at the same like,
that's not what care? And you find yourself sometimes You're like, Okay,
I gotta bring it back a bit because I'd go
a little too French and to t honed in like that.
It's kind of funny, it is, man, It's crazy because
(29:50):
even now, even though I'm cooking for myself and my
family and I still focus on presentation. Man, Like you know,
I have that drilled in my psyche, in my training,
where you know, people you eat with your eyes first.
The first, the food first and foremost has to taste good,
but it also has to look appetizing and be beautifully playing.
So I find myself making breakfast, you know, a couple
(30:11):
of poached eggs, some wheat, toast and fruit, and I'm
like putting garnishes and like you know, Mittley's and like
little moose bouche on the side of like cut. You know,
like what am I doing? This is? This is just
for me. But I wouldn't trade I wouldn't trade it
for the world, because you know, that's the pride you
(30:32):
have as a classically trained chef, even removing you know,
calling every school, just you know, being in a great restaurant,
having great mentors. Were some of the greatest chefs I
know who just kind of cut their teeth in restaurants.
It's just that sense of refinement, that sense of you know,
quality presentation and just having that pride and the plate
of dish, whether it for you or And you see
(30:54):
it in a lot of chefs right now. They're cooking
at home just for their families, but they're yeah, they're
just putting stuff up. I don't know. One of my
favorite two people that I've been really loved following right
now Danielle Ballud and Eric Repair, who obviously very classically
French trained chefs, but watching them cook for their families
has always been it's always it's been. It's so interesting.
Who have you been liking on Instagram recently that you've
(31:16):
been watching? Man, Honestly, I'm not just saying that because
I'm talking to you right now. You're one of my
favorites because like you're you're like me. You're a liably engaging, fun,
love and dude and that comes to wonder food. So
you're one of them. Uh, Scott Scott con it's a
good dude, like watching his stuff, and Karla Hall another
person just super engaging, super over the top, super great personality.
(31:38):
So you three, I've been watching a lot. Man. You
guys are awesome, some great people, some great people, and
let's you know, I want to just finish up on
a on another one of the the other things that
I know that you're very enthusiastic about. And I've I've
dibbled and dabbled in it, and I'm trying to get
into it a little bit more. But cigars, this is
something that you're passionate about. And I love a good cigar.
(31:59):
And and and actually, at one time I asked my doctor.
This is a while ago, and he knows my lifestyle.
It's I'm always going a hundred ten miles an hour,
trying to keep do a lot of things. And I
was like, you know, so what do you think about cigars?
And he goes for you, Mark, if you can actually
sit down and stop for like the twenty minutes or
half hour it takes to smoke a cigar, the negative
(32:19):
benefits of smoking, or we're gonna be positive about you
actually just chilling for a minute. So I've been trying
to do that once or twice a week. I'm going
out and sitting in a chair reading a book and
smoking a cigar, having a cup of tea and you're
you're you're into those two, right, Yeah, I'm usually into those.
Man is everything, you know, everything in moderation, You'll be okay,
I'm not gonna smoke, you know, five cigars back to
(32:41):
back to back Monday through Sunday, although sometimes I'd like to,
but you know, I'll do maybe one or two every week.
And just to me, the stress is far deadlier than
the actual cigar itself. You know, stress as a killer man.
So I can take that thirty or forty minut it's
a hour. Sometimes, give me a nice you know, burden
(33:03):
and nice scotch glass of red wine and just sit
on my patio and just kind of watch the stillness
of life and enjoy that cigar. It'll save me from
a lot more stuff or something might be pressing on
my mind in my life where I can just sit down,
smooth that cigar. Same thing with motorcycles. It's a hell
of a lot cheaper than a therapist, and you know,
(33:25):
it's something that I actually enjoy doing. So with cigars,
it dates back to I think I was one again
that same trip coming down to Atlanta. We went to Miami,
and I think that's where my love of cigars was
kind of born me and my cousin just enjoying my
twenty one in Miami on the strip smoking some Cubans,
(33:45):
and ever since then, I've always kind of looked at
cigar as the fourth course. You have your appetizing, your salad,
you have your entrere, you have your dessert, and then
you have your cigar to where you know, you know
you've had now your meal. You're letting the meal die jest.
You're having a nice apperti garoppo, sambuca, camparion ice, whatever
you have, and that's enjoying that cigar and allowing the
(34:07):
meal to just do its thing and just relaxing and
taking the whole experience down so much so that I
brought cigars now into my culinary point of view and
career where I started think about eight years ago an
event I branded as TLC. TLC stands for Tastings, Libations
and Cigars, where I'm paired with different alcohol companies, different
(34:29):
cigar companies, and different food companies where the cigar is
the star and the highlighting platform of the entire meal.
So you have the cigar and from there I break
down the flavor composition of the cigar and then based
every single course of the food on that. I did
that for a while and actually, you know, became friends
(34:50):
with the folks over at davit Off in Camacho and
going on now four years, I do events for them
and video and social media content offered Camacho know where
I'm now international brand ambassador for them and do the
same thing I've been doing for years now on a
bigger international level. And it's again speaking back to those
organic relationships. If you have love for something and are
(35:12):
doing it for pure reasons out of just money. Of
course you need money, that's obvious, but the passion and
true love for it, eventually you you know, gain the
recognition and attention of you know, the right people, and
the right relationships are formed because it's something I truly
enjoy doing and it's organic when I talk about it
or do something, so you can say I like a
(35:34):
little bit. I guess so, no, you definitely be painted
that picture for me. But you know it is true
that it is true that you have a I think
the world's like that. If you find something you're passionate about,
you love it, it's gonna give it back to you.
It's like it's like good karma and I found that
thing where I found it with cooking, where I just
fell in love with cooking. I didn't make much money
(35:54):
when I started cooking, but then as the years go on,
you just do it for the love of it. Then
the money comes later, and then it's sort of the
same thing you're talking about, like organic relationships with different
companies or different products or different different venues. And and
I love I love your your sort of glass half
full look on life. And I think there should be
more people like like you out there in the world
(36:14):
and looking at the world that way, because it is, uh,
you know, we should all be trying to have fun
while we're going we're going through this that are spending
our time here on this planet. So it's been it's
been great. But listen, man, I'm so happy that I
finally got to have you on my podcast. Thank you
so much. And uh, all the success in the world,
I don't have to wish that on you, because you're
doing a fine job of it on your own. And listen,
(36:36):
I'd love to maybe we could do one of those
cigar dinners together one day when things open up. I
got a place downtown in Tribeca, New York. We could
do a little cigar diener there, or hell, maybe I'll
get on my motorcycle come down and meet you down
there and we'll do it there. Man. I would absolutely
love that. And thank you so much for having on me. Man,
I'll have me on the show. I really appreciate it.
I know it's been a while since I've seen you,
I think, grantedge, But even though you know it's virtual,
(36:58):
it's great to see your smiling face and be talking
to you and cigars and motorcycles all of that. I'm
down for the trip and Italy we're riding. I'm down
for the cigar dinner and Tribeca. Um, let's do it, man,
do it. I didn't realize before I started looking into
you and really like I mean, I knew you and
this and that, but you know, we have a lot
more in common than I thought I would get. Cigars, motorcycles,
(37:20):
this is this is great another another friend, uh flourishing.
This is what's happening here, And thanks so much for
being here. Brother,
Welcome to Food three sixty, the podcast that serves up
some serious food for thought. I'm your host Mark Murphy.
Today it's my pleasure to have my friend, fellow chef
and TV personality, David Rose. Welcome to Food three. Let's
do it. David, I gotta tell you this is this
is a real, a real pleasure to see you. I mean,
(00:25):
I wish I could give you a big hug, but
I can't because you know we're on virtual hug. But
I want to. I want to just in my mind
and go back to a time when I was climbing
up this hiking up this mountain in Arizona, and I'm
walking and climbing and crawling and whatever I'm doing, and
all of a sudden, not here, hey, Mark Murphy. And
(00:47):
I look up and there you are. And you were
hiking with other people that I knew, and I feel
like I had I don't know if I had met
you before or if it was like my my brain
just sort of froze and I'm like, what is going on?
Who is this guy? And he it was like it
was after you passed. I was like, oh, yeah, that's David.
And and then we hung out all weekend at Bomac.
(01:08):
He does this great event, and I'm excited to hopefully
get back and do that again someday. I actually talked
to bout the other day. He's doing well at the sanctuary.
What it was, it was such a beautiful weekend, And
I gotta tell you this, those moments, I mean, I
want to just hop maybe right into talking about food festivals,
because I think that's when that's where you, you and
I sort of came together and met and and our
(01:29):
friendship bonded there and it was it was a beautiful moment.
I don't know if you remember, man, of course, it's like,
you know, the headn't separated, the sun shined down on us,
and it was glorious moment. That was our first time meeting,
you know, represent about the same management company, and that
you know, from the moment we said go and men
at that mountain top. Man, he's just been an amazing person.
(01:52):
Awesome dude, great drinking buddy. You had an amazing time,
awesome time that week. And uh, it's just so much
on a much simpler time as you said before, And
I'm just praying and hoping every day that we can
get back to some semblance of that sense of community
through food, through drinks. We had a couple of drinks
(02:14):
that week as well, a little and the couple and
just having having fun. Man. You know, to me, that's
what really makes it the most fun to me is
the sense of community, meeting new friends, reunited with old friends,
and just um spreading love and positivity through food, and
nothing like a food and lain festival can do that.
(02:35):
And it just breaks my heart. You know, all these
food and lawn festivals for the foreseeable future look to
be you know, kind of tabled and canceled as of now.
So hopefully you can get back to those times because
I enjoyed them and looking forward to making new memories,
especially with you my friends. I totally get it. And
and you know leash Rigor's actually he's sort of taking this. Uh.
(02:57):
He's still doing things and raising money and doing things
to the food festivals sort of virtually. I'm doing a
dinner next week where I cook and three d people
are zooming in and we're working together. And I mean, look,
I love the effort and I love these things are happening,
but it's like one of those things that I want to, uh,
I want to just be like, hey, I want to
uh you know, I don't want to do that the
(03:18):
rest of my life. I want to do it the
way we used to do it, where I can actually
see you and and and meet the public that loves
us on the shows. But let's let's let's let's get
to your to your background first of all. So you
got from a large, a large Jamaican family that grew
up in New Jersey. Now and and if I know
this correctly, you're the you're the baby, right, I'm the
(03:41):
youngest of a yes on the baby, I see. So
what was that like, was sir? What was it like
growing up as as as with eight kids in the family,
and it was there was and you were the youngest one.
How did you get any food? I mean you had
to like fight for it or what that It was
rough man pretty much. You know, it was a situation
where when mom's as dinner is ready, you better have
(04:01):
your butt down there asap because with eight kids, food
ain't lasting long. So she you know, kind of portion
out are separate, you know, portions of food according to size, appetite, age.
But whoever got there early, you know you might get
that extra piece of chicken, that extra piece of steak,
you know, transfer somebody's food from their plate to your plate.
(04:23):
So you gotta get in where you fit in when
you first, when you first in line, I could see
you being like I was always first inlive that I
wasn't a big appetite always. That is awesome. So but
and and and show you. But your mother and your
father were both chefs. Is that correct? Yes, that is correct.
MoMA and dad were both chefs. Mom was a chef
(04:43):
at a nursing home in New Jersey and dad was
also an executive chef at a villa for nuns. So
first things first, you know, Carideans, Jamaicans, as with anywhere,
we have an insatiable appetite for food and insatiable appetite
for alcohol, white woman especially, and just the the culture itself.
I've always loved food, but amplify that by my parents
(05:05):
both being chefs and kind of bringing me to work
with them at a very young age, just kind of
seeing from you know, the raw product, the eggs, the milk,
the bread, the bacon, and making these breakfasts, these lunches,
these dinners from from nothing, the creative process and the
admiration they got from the people they cooked for, just
kind of planting the seed at a young age. I
(05:26):
was like, you know what, this is pretty cool. I'm
a piss so I'm a creative type to begin with,
and um, it just kind of planted at that young
age that love for food and the love that translates
through food. So what what I got to go back
to this? I mean, I understand your mom was cooking
in a nursing home. I can imagine what I can
short of imagine what that's like. I never cooked in
(05:46):
a nursing home. But now a villa for nuns, What
did the nuns eat? What were the nuns eating? And
why was your dad cooking for nuns? The nuns cook
for themselves. I don't understand. You know what is you know,
these villas have like you know, upwards of you know,
three to five hundred people that live there on site,
and you know at the church, the cathedral, and they're
(06:06):
doing their none thing. You know, they're praying, they're organizing fundraisers,
they're hosting, you know, different nuns from overseas, Italy, France, Europe.
So the last thing they have time for is to cook.
So that's where dad comes in he had his team,
and you know, coming from Jamaica in the late seventies
early eighties, you know you kind of have to get
in where you fit in. And both parents always love
(06:28):
to cook, but they actually came to America as immigrants
from Jamaica and just kind of work there were up
the ladder and you know, cooking and chat positions. Um,
those are what kind of spoke hot to them first
and after they kind of landed. That's that's amazing. I
love the the immigrants stories and how people get themselves
into a country like this and get there and and um,
(06:51):
it was it was really a It's really a beautiful thing.
And it happens through food, which is what we obviously
do in love and love to do. And I think
that's fantastic. Um you uh so you I mean, besides
the love of cooking you got from your parents, but
what did you see the difference in like that type
of cooking and what you do now? I mean there's there.
(07:11):
I mean you obviously you say that a young age
you moved down to Atlanta. Obviously that must be influenced you,
uh in a lot a lot of ways. But your parents,
I mean, how how did all this come together you
the synergy. Um Um, I actually born and raised in
New Jersey, eight kids, the only one born and raised
New Jersey. So it just kind of dates back to
these huge Thanksgivings, these used Christmas is where my mom
(07:35):
is also one of thirteen and their kids have you know,
five six kids, and my dad is one of ten,
and that whole Tristate areas. You know, it's one big,
diverse melting pot, and we'd have you know, these Thanksgiving
Christmases and Fourth of the Last celebrations where it's upperings
of a hundreds and hundred pretty people and it's huge
(07:55):
pot lux where you have jerk chicken, you have curry go,
you have never rowning, you have five different kinds of
rice and peas, you have baked chicken. Um, you have
just so much plentiful food, fried plantings where you know, um,
we came to America, my family and they always had
that inherent love and educated themselves um via grandparents of
(08:18):
that food and also kind of you know interjected you know,
American classic foods. So you have that. And then the
Tri State area where I was born in Inglewood, raised
in tean Neck and also went to school in tenofly
where I've had friends from all walks of life, where
I remember, at nine years old having Korean pancakes for
the first time, um having Latka's and the filth fish,
(08:42):
having fag on patt We're a good friend of mine.
His mom was Italian and his dad was French and
they ran a bakery. So eating the squag all the
patte the Joki at ten eleven years old is tasting
these flavors that obviously are in addition of an art
um from Jamaica or indicative of Jamaican food, but tasting
(09:02):
these very diverse international foods. I didn't know what the
hell I was tasting, but I knew I loved it.
I knew it tastes good. I never knew it tend
that that and goose liver could be so delicious. So
that's that gental curiosity of food, and that's the Tristate area.
Fast forward twenty one years twenty one years old, I
moved to Atlanta, Georgia at that point, and I'm kind
(09:25):
of trying to figure out what I want to do
with that point. I've been exercise science major and a
physical therapist trainer rather or a physical therapist and training
has always been a huge love of me as far
as fitness, and I've been a bartender, I've been a server,
I've been a bar back. I've worked every position in
front of the house up until that moment, and I
(09:46):
was trying to figure out my next movement life. I
was sitting down at one and saw a commercial I
can remember it as clearly as yesterday and said corn
on Blue, realize your culinary dreams. I don't know what
it his mark. At that very moment, something spoke to
me and said, go to the campus, check it out,
see what you think. And I was blown away by
(10:08):
the choruses, by the facility, by the kitchen, by the staff,
and right there and then at twenty one, standing in
that Lacord on Blue campus, I knew that I wanted
to be a chef. And then from there I know
over the program. Graduated top of my class, never been
a scholar, nobody had ever called me a scholar ever,
but graduated top of my class, smoo cum laude, straight a's.
(10:32):
And even though it's school per se um, I didn't
looking at the school. I looked at it this everyday
crafting and honing my skills from my purpose for my
career as a chef, where I learned proficiencies and ice carving, um,
international cooking, sushi, baking, guard mane, wine and beer knowledge,
(10:54):
and just from there it kind of took off. Man,
I just knew at that moment that being a chef
in culinary was the life for me. That is, that's
a beautiful story. And it's so funny because you you
talk about the beginning of your life, the influence from
your parents both being chefs, all the friendships you have,
which is another beautiful story of immigrants coming to this country,
and that a kid who was born in New Jersey
(11:16):
whose parents were from Jamaica was hanging out with the
people from France and Italy that had a bake shop.
I mean, that to me is just a beautiful painting, right.
But but but the funniest thing is is this is
how you know all of a sudden, your whole childhood,
basically from birth you were basically trained to be a chef,
and not until you're twenty one you go, oh, wait,
this is a job. I can do this, and I'm
(11:37):
gonna go to a school for it and kick some
Buddet school. That is that is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
I do want to get a little bit of information
(11:59):
from you, because right before you, we all got locked
up because of this pandemic. Your Instagram was blowing up
all over Europe. You you, you took a trip of
a of a lifetime. It looked like to me you
were in Italy, you went traveling, and the pictures you
were posting. I almost had to stop following you because
I was getting hunger. But watching it, watching that going down,
(12:21):
I was like, so was that how many was that
your first trip to Italy or what? What was the
what was that? What is the experience from you having
gone to conor school but all and then just boom
being there? Man, Prior to that, my only experience of
Europe in general was twelve years old in England and
prior to that, never been before them, and that's all
I really knew. So, you know, I was like, you
(12:43):
know what, let me go to Europe, let me check
it out. I was celebrating my thirty eight birthday, so
me and my girlfriend we went to Europe on this
cruise MSc cruise and we hit up Italy, Barcelona, Spain,
different ports that we actually said, but to see uh.
We went to our Sicily, Um, we went to I
believe I'm forgetting the other one. But also we've been
(13:06):
to Spain. We went to Malta and then wrapped back
around to Spain as well, so severn different ports. And
for me, you know, you read about these things and
books watching on TV uh and you just learned about
the history. But to actually be in Spain have authentic,
authentic paea, to be in Italy, you know, and have
(13:26):
authentic pasta. I can really say that going on this
little eurold trip it ruined forever domestic pasta and domestic
pia because once you have the best, the authentic, it's
it's really hard for the rest. So for me it
was really tickled my my culinary fancy bone, so to speak,
where I'm able to actually be there at the birthplace
(13:49):
of these huge, just you know, dynamic, powerful foods um
that I've only had prior experience having it here in America,
where that's a really really good pasta here in the state,
it's really really good pea until you have it in
the birthplace of those cuisines and those dishes. Well, that's
also it's also interesting that in the mind Uh. You know,
(14:11):
you could eat the exact same bowl of pasta sitting
in Antimilia overlooking the Mediterranean. You know, you could eat
the same pasta in the basement of of a building
a New York City, and you could be the exact
same ingredients, the exact same dish, but one is gonna
taste better. Let's put it that way, right, because you
got there, you got that whole thing. So I'm actually
thinking we should call we should call some of the
people that represent us, because we obviously we we work
(14:34):
with the same management company and we get represented by
the same people because now obviously the food world has
taken a little bit of a of a turn. Uh.
And I want to get into your ambassadorship with Nissan,
because I think that's a beautiful and an interesting thing.
But I think that after this we should start writing
a little show because I know you're a motorcycle guy
and I'm a motorcycle guy, and we should start at
the top of Italy. We'll start all the way up north,
(14:56):
right at the border. I speak Italian. We're gonna do
a show, you and I writing our motorcycles all the
way to the to the bottom of the boot and
we can eat the whole way. What do you think
you're in, Man, you had to meet motorcycles. Yeah, you
had me get motorcycles. I'm already here. That would do.
That would be a fun time. We could just bop
around Europe and eat and drink. I love the idea.
(15:18):
So so after you were I mean so obviously your
professional career, you went and you did you work in
a hotel for a little while. I've done everything. Actually
my first job I remember it specifically. I was thirteen
years old and I worked as a bar back and
buff boy at the Radisson Hotel on Route for Anglood,
New Jersey and thirteen years old. And I've just always
(15:39):
been a hospitality since then. And have you been back
to visit to your your old first job? Man? That
actually they actually knocked it down and made like two
three different hotels. And then so, okay, that was that
was a while ago. But then you got on you
got onto the Food Network and you you were in
season thirteen of the Next Food Network Star. Where's that?
The one? Yes? I was What was what was that?
(16:01):
How did you get there? What was that? Like? I've
never i mean I've competed on on food Network. But
I didn't. I didn't compete to get on the Food
I was just I see that show and I'm always
like jaw dropping up. Where do you find all these
characters where it was crazy? It was crazy? Man? Um
well as far as my four rayans and meeting Food Network, Um,
(16:22):
you mentioned motorcycles. Prior to that, you know, I did
a national international campaign with Harley Davidson back in two
thousand and ten to thirteen where they're doing a really
cool campaign. It was called Iron Elely and they were
highlighting you know, African American writers from all over the world,
that right, Harley. So they made a really cool patch
with me on a couple of videos. So I was like,
(16:43):
it's pretty cool. You know. I did a lot of
traveling with that. I was like, I would love to
combine my love and passion of motorcycles, which is awesome
in itself, and my love and passion of food and
just bring it together. Uh. So I started kind of
going by the Biker Chef and from there I was like,
you know what, I don't know anything about food, I
don't know anything about TV, but I'm gonna take a
(17:05):
business loan out and I'm gonna start capturing my own content.
So I started hiring videographers and producers and just traveling
the country talking to bikers who cook and chefs who
were bikers. And the initial concept title was bikes and Bikes,
motorcycles and food. And I just started to put my
own content on YouTube, Demo, Instagram, Facebook, and fast forward
(17:29):
a couple of years. Two years doing that, not knowing
what I was doing except shooting some cool footage, I
got the attention of a couple of exacts O rep
Food Network. Uh, they invited me in, started talking about
them from some potential concepts that we could work on,
and then from there, like, you know what, we love you,
We like your style, what you're doing. You're different, unique,
(17:49):
but our viewership does not know who you are. Would
you mind doing Food Network Star? And I'm not gonna lie, Mark,
I didn't jump right on it because you know, reality
TV is a reality you know, I'm CVS. I was like,
you know what, this is something I want to do.
I'm serious about doing this, so let's do it. And
then from there the rest of history. Man, Well I
(18:11):
got two things out of that. One, you're obviously a
really hard working guy, and you and you love to
make create opportunities for yourself, because it sounds like that's
what you did. And the other thing that I got
out of that was, I guess if we do that
trip to Italy will be on Harley's. Well I'm no
longer constractly, I'll get at the Harley. So you know, Italians,
(18:32):
I gotta tell you. Italians love of Harley's. They see
you driving down the street, now, Harley. I mean, I
have a BMW myself, but you know I can, I
can get behind any one of those things. And and
so we'll make I will make request no vests. I'm
too big for a vest. Yeah, well you know I
have one of those two. But that's just for bopping
around New York City. Let's put it that right. Um,
it's a three fifty. It does go fast, I'll tell you,
(18:54):
but it is. It is. It is strange because when
you're sitting on a vest but doing eighty miles, it's
like you're sitting on a chair on the highway and
it's just not very comfortable. It doesn't sound very comfortable there,
not at all. So interesting that so this obviously this
new world. The chef's you, You're you're represent Nissan. This
this one truck Titan. It's a very cool commercial. Are
(19:16):
you doing this? How did you get that gig? That
is beautiful? I'm gonna have to talk to Scott about that. Man.
I've been the Nissan for about what two years now.
And the way it came about was chef Cory bar
He was actually on the same season of Food Network
Star as I was, and he just started this relationship
out and they were kind of introducing this new concept vehicle.
(19:38):
It was called the Smoking Titan, and pretty much you
know what it is. It is a super cool, super
decked out Titan truck where it's been outfitted with grills,
a smoker, a full service kitchen on there and have burners.
Who has sinks And they were trying to kick it
off with it's really cool event um called the Smoking
(19:59):
Tighten cook Off, I believe in Nashville, Tennessee, outside of
Nashville and the mountains, and essentially what it is it
was pairing Nissan employees against you know, different media people
and it was a barbecue competition. So I came on
as a judge from there, and you know what I mean,
I'm a people person. Now, we started talking we started drinking,
we started eating like you know what, David, you want
(20:20):
you as a part of this campaign, and then from
there did some really cool events with the smoking time
and where we drive around at that, we cook on it,
We grew on it at different outdoor events, different media events,
UM doing different types of social media and video content.
And it's a great relationship, so very organic, which a
lot of my opportunities are UM. But I'm all about networking.
(20:43):
It's all about relationships, it's all about connections. It's all
about that. It is and and I love I mean,
obviously everybody. You can just tell from this conversation you're
a people person and you can see what you do,
what you do and how you accept people and get
them into your lives. But the organic things like that
are much more sort of you know, they're big. I mean,
And I've had a few opportunities like that where somebody
(21:04):
hears me talking on an interview about something a product
I like, and I said, and they call you like,
oh you actually use that? It's like this is it's
not It's like really it's like good advertising in a
certain sense because you're getting people that actually used those
products to really do that. So why did you so
you when you you said you moved to Atlanta earlier
and you went to the Cordoon blow down there, which
is obviously but and you stayed down there and your
(21:24):
whole families in New Jersey, right, you got you got
what about six fifty relatives in New Jersey and you're
down in Atlanta? Are you? Are you just trying to
are you just trying to skip on the family reunions?
Are you? Why did you stay in Atlanta? You know
what's funny? Um actually brought me down here was my cousin,
He actually lived down here. First, he was the first
(21:44):
one out of our entire family came down, came to
moor House, and then from there, my older brother came down.
And I came down in oh three, February of oh three,
two thousand three, and I came down from my twenty
birds birthday and I was just blown away. Imagine single
twenty one year old David eyes wide open, the bars,
(22:06):
the clubs, the restaurants, the women, and I just had
a blast. Man, this is back with Atlanta. It kind
of resembled Bergen Street in New Orleans, where you could
walk around and just kind of you know this bounce
from bar to club and I was just smitten. You know,
I was over New Jersey. I was like, you know what,
I'm coming back. My cousin, my brother didn't believe me.
(22:29):
Fast forward to June of the same year. I packed
my little Cherry Red ninety eight must stand up, brought
all my stuff down and having left since since then,
sister came down, brother came down, cousins came down. So
it's like we're building a second New Jersey right now
down in Atlanta. Mom and dad are here also, and
(22:49):
I love it. Man. Yeah, Mom and Dad's down and
they've been down here for about four years. They retired
and moved down to Florida, and they're like, you know what,
we missed a kid who miss David. Let's move up
to Atlanta and been here for the last four years.
But slowly but surely, family keeps coming on down. So
it's it's a good portion about fifty people strong right
(23:10):
now now in Atlanta. Wow, you like started the migration.
That's that You're you're a big, big push to get
a right down there. Well, next time I'm in Atlanta, obviously,
definitely come in to your house. I'm gonna come by
and I want to eat some of that good food
you're making. Let's do it. So you said you were
(23:40):
a trainer. Physical fitness is something that obviously is something
that's that's very uh. And if anybody's ever obviously this
is a podcast, you can't see him. But let's tell me,
tell me. I mean, you stay very fit, But are
you buying the shirts smaller to look bigger, like like
Robert Irvine buying because because you know that that's that's
the way I see this. It's like, if you buy,
(24:02):
you look bigger, but you're a big guy and you
stay really healthy. And I think but that goes into
some conversation, not not just the funny part of it,
but is you know food and health, I mean those
are those things are directly related the whole the whole thing.
You can't trust the skinny chef is out the window. Now.
You gotta trust chefs that can know how to food
feed and feed you and feed you properly. And I
(24:23):
think that is that that you are obviously very very uh.
You know, a tune to even though you do want
to have your far grab every once in a while.
Oh of course, man, I really think It's about this
moderation and just kind of eating for your body type
as opposed to omitting carbs or omitting protein or effects.
It's all about moderation, man. Anything of too much is
not good for you. And actually, I don't know if
(24:46):
you noticed or not, I'm actually slimming down during quarantine
Robin kind of watching the watching the diet, watching the
intake and just kind of wanted to get more defined.
So I actually went down from to forty seven to
right now I'm sitting at like two thirty two to
thirty one. Uh. I feel great, you know, and I'm
(25:06):
more defined, So I like that aesthetic and I feel healthier. Um.
So it's all about just kind of doing what works
for you, um, not looking at a magazine on the
internet and just kind of click copying pasting what's on there,
but experimenting, but also you know, not going too far
left where you kind of have a robust appetite where
(25:26):
you're eating pasta and fried chicken and you know, pizzas
and all that. Like you know what this is on
the Monday on Friday, all salad and fruit. That's gonna
set you up for what we call a oaky dog.
And you're setting yourself up for failure. So just you know,
gradually introducing just healthier lifestyle, where as opposed to you know,
the five to six slices of pizza maybe just wanted to.
(25:50):
It's all about moderation. You're absolutely right, So when you're
gonna go have the But that's the thing in Europe,
I feel like you you eat it the meal times
and you're eating much better food and it just feels
if it feels healthier. Well, let's talk about cooking during
quarantine time, because i gotta say, I I've I'm living
in a house with there's six of us and we've
been here for about two months, and I'm basically I
(26:11):
feel like I work in a restaurant with a six
top every night. And but it's actually it's it's it's
sort of um, you know, it's what I love to
do anyway. So I feel like I'm very lucky because
I feel like I'm not bored. I'm planning meals, I'm
doing things and and and it's it's it's fun. Cooking
is fun. Let's not you know, we we levelling it.
We we love freeting things. And then the challenges, So
(26:35):
what it's what's it been like for you cooking and quarantine. Obviously,
cooking for yourself and your body and making yourself feel
better is important, and I think that's that's obviously you
know you can see that. But I, uh, you know,
I I've actually as well during quarantine, have lost a
little bit of weight because I'm just I feel like
I'm eating, I'm meeting, trying to eat healthy and and
and you know, keeping myself busy. But what's it been
(26:56):
like for you cooking? Actually? What have you been making?
First off, I do see that new vein right there
in your arms, so so kudos to you on that. Dude,
I definitely see the progression. But man, I'm just like you.
You know, me and my siblings and my parents, we
all live about in a ten mile radius, so heaven forbid,
I post something on Instagram or Facebook, I'll know within
(27:18):
two to three minutes of that post, when can I
come over? That look good? What is that? So when
we be over at our house with the food, So
you know, whatever I make, it's not just for me,
it's definitely for them also. And you know, I'm I'm
a big person, uh for always looking and finding the
silver lining in any situation so as crazy and it's
(27:38):
messed up and is off kill th what we're going
on right now. I I definitely try to make it
a positive. And what I've been doing is staying really
busy with different recipe creations, UM, trying new recipes, UM,
doing different variations and just I'm a creator. I love creating,
and it's really allowed me to even fall deeper in
love with food, getting super creative and just trying new
(28:03):
things out where I might not be able to you know,
touch hands and be out there is food and mont
events or be on you know, g M there Today's show.
Are you on Food Network? We're able to kind of
you know, be there with people. But through social media,
through the Instagram, live, through the Facebook, through the stories,
I'm still able to get that engagement and you know,
(28:24):
share that excitement and positivity through food. UM. So I'm
cooking four or five meals a day over here and
I'm loving it. As you know you said before, the
kitchen really is my my asylum. It's my happy place
where I might not be able to control what's in Minnesota,
New York, New Jersey, or even Atlanta, Georgia. But what
(28:46):
happens in my kitchen is something I create with these
two things right here, in these two hands, and I
love it, and it gives me a sense of peace,
calm and tranquility and good as food. So there is something,
there is something into cooking and just the putting on
some tunes and relaxing and and just getting exulted in it.
And I find and I'm sure that it must be.
(29:08):
I mean, my classical French training. I worked in Paris,
I worked in all these different places and fancy restaurants
and stuff. But it must be funny. Do your parents,
who were then obviously cooking for three hundred nuns or
a lot of people in the homes, and then you
went to cooking school. You went to cooking school where
they probably taught you to cut all the carrots exactly
the same size like little soldiers, right your parents? I mean.
(29:29):
And I have friends of mine that sometimes when I'm
just like down in the kitchen, like I'm like doing
things like that, people walk by the kitchen. Up, what's
wrong with this guy? Why is he making every care
at the exact same size, look at the same like,
that's not what care? And you find yourself sometimes You're like, Okay,
I gotta bring it back a bit because I'd go
a little too French and to t honed in like that.
It's kind of funny, it is, man, It's crazy because
(29:50):
even now, even though I'm cooking for myself and my
family and I still focus on presentation. Man, Like you know,
I have that drilled in my psyche, in my training,
where you know, people you eat with your eyes first.
The first, the food first and foremost has to taste good,
but it also has to look appetizing and be beautifully playing.
So I find myself making breakfast, you know, a couple
(30:11):
of poached eggs, some wheat, toast and fruit, and I'm
like putting garnishes and like you know, Mittley's and like
little moose bouche on the side of like cut. You know,
like what am I doing? This is? This is just
for me. But I wouldn't trade I wouldn't trade it
for the world, because you know, that's the pride you
(30:32):
have as a classically trained chef, even removing you know,
calling every school, just you know, being in a great restaurant,
having great mentors. Were some of the greatest chefs I
know who just kind of cut their teeth in restaurants.
It's just that sense of refinement, that sense of you know,
quality presentation and just having that pride and the plate
of dish, whether it for you or And you see
(30:54):
it in a lot of chefs right now. They're cooking
at home just for their families, but they're yeah, they're
just putting stuff up. I don't know. One of my
favorite two people that I've been really loved following right
now Danielle Ballud and Eric Repair, who obviously very classically
French trained chefs, but watching them cook for their families
has always been it's always it's been. It's so interesting.
Who have you been liking on Instagram recently that you've
(31:16):
been watching? Man, Honestly, I'm not just saying that because
I'm talking to you right now. You're one of my
favorites because like you're you're like me. You're a liably engaging, fun,
love and dude and that comes to wonder food. So
you're one of them. Uh, Scott Scott con it's a
good dude, like watching his stuff, and Karla Hall another
person just super engaging, super over the top, super great personality.
(31:38):
So you three, I've been watching a lot. Man. You
guys are awesome, some great people, some great people, and
let's you know, I want to just finish up on
a on another one of the the other things that
I know that you're very enthusiastic about. And I've I've
dibbled and dabbled in it, and I'm trying to get
into it a little bit more. But cigars, this is
something that you're passionate about. And I love a good cigar.
(31:59):
And and and actually, at one time I asked my doctor.
This is a while ago, and he knows my lifestyle.
It's I'm always going a hundred ten miles an hour,
trying to keep do a lot of things. And I
was like, you know, so what do you think about cigars?
And he goes for you, Mark, if you can actually
sit down and stop for like the twenty minutes or
half hour it takes to smoke a cigar, the negative
(32:19):
benefits of smoking, or we're gonna be positive about you
actually just chilling for a minute. So I've been trying
to do that once or twice a week. I'm going
out and sitting in a chair reading a book and
smoking a cigar, having a cup of tea and you're
you're you're into those two, right, Yeah, I'm usually into those.
Man is everything, you know, everything in moderation, You'll be okay,
I'm not gonna smoke, you know, five cigars back to
(32:41):
back to back Monday through Sunday, although sometimes I'd like to,
but you know, I'll do maybe one or two every week.
And just to me, the stress is far deadlier than
the actual cigar itself. You know, stress as a killer man.
So I can take that thirty or forty minut it's
a hour. Sometimes, give me a nice you know, burden
(33:03):
and nice scotch glass of red wine and just sit
on my patio and just kind of watch the stillness
of life and enjoy that cigar. It'll save me from
a lot more stuff or something might be pressing on
my mind in my life where I can just sit down,
smooth that cigar. Same thing with motorcycles. It's a hell
of a lot cheaper than a therapist, and you know,
(33:25):
it's something that I actually enjoy doing. So with cigars,
it dates back to I think I was one again
that same trip coming down to Atlanta. We went to Miami,
and I think that's where my love of cigars was
kind of born me and my cousin just enjoying my
twenty one in Miami on the strip smoking some Cubans,
(33:45):
and ever since then, I've always kind of looked at
cigar as the fourth course. You have your appetizing, your salad,
you have your entrere, you have your dessert, and then
you have your cigar to where you know, you know
you've had now your meal. You're letting the meal die jest.
You're having a nice apperti garoppo, sambuca, camparion ice, whatever
you have, and that's enjoying that cigar and allowing the
(34:07):
meal to just do its thing and just relaxing and
taking the whole experience down so much so that I
brought cigars now into my culinary point of view and
career where I started think about eight years ago an
event I branded as TLC. TLC stands for Tastings, Libations
and Cigars, where I'm paired with different alcohol companies, different
(34:29):
cigar companies, and different food companies where the cigar is
the star and the highlighting platform of the entire meal.
So you have the cigar and from there I break
down the flavor composition of the cigar and then based
every single course of the food on that. I did
that for a while and actually, you know, became friends
(34:50):
with the folks over at davit Off in Camacho and
going on now four years, I do events for them
and video and social media content offered Camacho know where
I'm now international brand ambassador for them and do the
same thing I've been doing for years now on a
bigger international level. And it's again speaking back to those
organic relationships. If you have love for something and are
(35:12):
doing it for pure reasons out of just money. Of
course you need money, that's obvious, but the passion and
true love for it, eventually you you know, gain the
recognition and attention of you know, the right people, and
the right relationships are formed because it's something I truly
enjoy doing and it's organic when I talk about it
or do something, so you can say I like a
(35:34):
little bit. I guess so, no, you definitely be painted
that picture for me. But you know it is true
that it is true that you have a I think
the world's like that. If you find something you're passionate about,
you love it, it's gonna give it back to you.
It's like it's like good karma and I found that
thing where I found it with cooking, where I just
fell in love with cooking. I didn't make much money
(35:54):
when I started cooking, but then as the years go on,
you just do it for the love of it. Then
the money comes later, and then it's sort of the
same thing you're talking about, like organic relationships with different
companies or different products or different different venues. And and
I love I love your your sort of glass half
full look on life. And I think there should be
more people like like you out there in the world
(36:14):
and looking at the world that way, because it is, uh,
you know, we should all be trying to have fun
while we're going we're going through this that are spending
our time here on this planet. So it's been it's
been great. But listen, man, I'm so happy that I
finally got to have you on my podcast. Thank you
so much. And uh, all the success in the world,
I don't have to wish that on you, because you're
doing a fine job of it on your own. And listen,
(36:36):
I'd love to maybe we could do one of those
cigar dinners together one day when things open up. I
got a place downtown in Tribeca, New York. We could
do a little cigar diener there, or hell, maybe I'll
get on my motorcycle come down and meet you down
there and we'll do it there. Man. I would absolutely
love that. And thank you so much for having on me. Man,
I'll have me on the show. I really appreciate it.
I know it's been a while since I've seen you,
I think, grantedge, But even though you know it's virtual,
(36:58):
it's great to see your smiling face and be talking
to you and cigars and motorcycles all of that. I'm
down for the trip and Italy we're riding. I'm down
for the cigar dinner and Tribeca. Um, let's do it, man,
do it. I didn't realize before I started looking into
you and really like I mean, I knew you and
this and that, but you know, we have a lot
more in common than I thought I would get. Cigars, motorcycles,
(37:20):
this is this is great another another friend, uh flourishing.
This is what's happening here, And thanks so much for
being here. Brother,
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