The dishes created by Chef-Owner David Brown combine the talents of a sculptor and a chef.
Chef Brown attendind the University of Boston, School of Fine & Applied Arts. He then traveled to Greece where he purchased an olive farm, which he still proudly owns today.
Chef Brown started his culinary career with a part-time position in the pastry show at Hyatt Regency in Dallas, Texas. The European Pastry Chef often gave him tasks with no explanation. After 18 months, Brown inherited that position. To his surprise, he felt very at home in the pastry shop - a natural fit. His next step was west towards Hawaii where he took the Executive Pastry Chef position with what was then the Hyatt Regency on Hawaii's Big Island - now the Hilton Waikaloa Village.
As a member of the 1993 U.S. World Pastry Cup Team, Chef Brown received the Medaille d'Honeur in Lyon, France. For this competition, 16 countries are invited by the French government to participate. As a member of the U.S. three man team, David traveled to Lyon, France for nine hours of live competition over a two-day period with 180,000 people in attendance.
He participated in "Celebration of Food as an Art" at the Plaza Hotel in New York, and received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Hawaii in 1993. Other accolades include gold and silver medals from the National ACF Food Show in Chicago in 1992. Chef Brown has participated in various ACF Food Shows in the Hawaiian Islands, winning ten gold medals and two Best of Show awards.
In the spring of 1998, he was one of only six chefs in the United States chosen to attend the annual Rose Lawn Easter Celebration on the White House grounds.
Chef-Owner Tabor grew up in Missouri, but has lived in San Diego, Bahamas, Florida, Colorado, Hawaii, and Singapore.
So how is it that a boy from Missouri grows up to prepare meals for Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton?
At 16 years old, Steve started by washing dishes for $.50 an hour. He then became interested in becoming a chef after dabbling in the kitchen. The first hotel he worked in was Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, where he did an apprenticeship in the main kitchen.
In Florida at the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, he was the Assistant Chef Garde Manger, which literally means "guard of the eats". The role of this position is to oversee all stages of any food that is served cold...buying to prepping. He was also the Chef Garde Manger for the Palmer House in Chicago, and helped open Le Meridien in San Diego and the Regent Four Seasons in Singapore. He also worked at the Hilton Hawaiian Village before joining the Hilton Waikoloa Village.
Chef Tabor has won many awards at food shows as well as one Japanese award. He's also an expert, with twenty years experience, in ice sculptures.
