Q&A with DL Cuisine Founder David Locke – Part 1

Welcome to the first official DL Cuisine blog post! I’m Chef David Locke, founder and owner of DL Cuisine. I wanted current and future clients to be able to learn a little more about me, why I started the business, about my culinary influences, and what makes my cooking, well, me. Read on for more details; I’m excited to be on this culinary journey with you!

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Can you tell us a little about your background?  

After I graduated from Johnson & Wales University, I worked at some of the most prestigious restaurants in Boston. I also worked for Russell Morin Catering out of Rhode Island helping to prepare food for some of New England’s most extravagant and most expensive weddings at the Newport Mansions. From there I worked on the corporate event side for a company called Corporate Chefs.

Then, I hung up my chef jacket for several years to become the director of food service for a convenient store chain for Mobile gas stations. However, even though I wasn’t cooking for a living anymore, I never stopped cooking for friends and family, and always did personal chef gigs on the side. I cooked prepared meals, for in-home parties, as well as individual cooking lessons, and more, as well as helped with larger events with D’Lish Intimate Catering.

What inspired you to become a chef?

What inspired me to become a chef is the sense of community and love that food provides. Food brings family and friends together and is at the heart of nearly every gathering. At any party, you’ll find most people hanging around in the kitchen. My true passion has, and always will be, preparing delicious food that connects others together and makes for a memorable and enjoyable experience.

What led you to start your own private chef business?

My ultimate goal, and the reason why I started DL Cuisine, is to offer clients restaurant-quality food in the comfort of their own homes. Cooking dinner can feel like a big chore for many families and a good meal can take a lot of time, so being able to give that precious time back to families to be together to enjoy healthy delicious food is a big driver for me. I also love to provide customized meals that are sourced with local sustainable products when possible, which gives back to the community by supporting local farms and other small businesses in the area.

Who were some of your culinary influences, and how have they shaped your cooking style?

My Mom was my initial inspiration. Cooking with my Mom and being in the kitchen with her, I was able to witness the love and care she put into her meals. Some nights were “one-pot” meals, and it always amazed me what she could do with just a few ingredients. There were other nights that were a lot more elaborate, where the fine China came out. Those were the memorable meals that I remember being absolutely delicious. But no matter what was cooked, it was with her love, and that’s what made my Mom’s cooking truly special.

Later in life, at Johnson & Wales, I had a professor named Kevin Crawley who was the owner of Coriander Bistro. He was and is to this day, one of the biggest influences. Kevin, like me, was a classically trained French chef and working in his French restaurant was the best initial opportunity I could have asked for. He had the innate ability to keep his poise in the kitchen while teaching others. His attention to detail taught me that even the smallest knife cut influences how a food tastes. He helped me hone my knife skills and master the visual element of food as he put me in charge of the amuse bouche (the small appetizer plates) that were served to every guest.

Thanks for reading more about me! Feel free to drop a comment below. And, be sure to read part 2 in this blog series, where I go into more detail about my culinary style, some of my signature dishes, how I accommodate special dietary needs, what makes a good client experience, as well as some personal, fun facts.