Dave began his culinary career twenty years ago, while living in New Hampshire and completing a B.A in Philosophy from Plymouth State University. Dave started as a baker in an all-organic bakery where he developed a deep appreciation for sustainable, local, from-scratch cooking. These pillars became the basis of his cooking philosophy. Dave moved on to cook in San Francisco and then Santa Fe, where he spent ten years as chef of the venerable Santacafé. Dave then opened his own restaurant, Amavi, to critical acclaim, where both the cuisine and the wine focused on the Mediterranean region. Most recently Dave turned his culinary exploration to New England where he spent four years as the chef of Maxfish, delving deeply into the world of fish and farm-to-table dining. Regional cuisine and teaching have always been a top priority for Dave. He has traveled extensively in both Europe and the Far East researching local cuisines.

Dave launched the Street Food Institute in 2014, a non-profit culinary entrepreneurship-training program.  Since it’s inception this social enterprise model has enjoyed the success of twenty five small, food based business start as a result of the teaching and support of the Street Food Institute. The Street Food Institute currently runs three food trucks in Santa Fe and Albuquerque and has most recently started a café in Albuquerque in September of 2017. In 2021 Dave and his wife Heather started a new venture, Horno Restaurant. A gastropub concept one block off the plaza in Santa Fe.