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| Chef Jordan Davis |
April 10, 2013
After much anticipation Tracy Borkum, the female restaurant visionary behind the Urban Kitchen Group (Cucina Urbana, Kensington Grill, Cucina Enoteca, & Urban Kitchen Catering, proudly introduces the name and Executive Chef for her newest concept. FISH PUBLIC will take the iconic former Kensington Grill space and will be helmed by an extraordinary new talent arriving in San Diego. Executive Chef Jordan Davis brings experience from several of the most esteemed kitchens in the U.S. Chef Davis has tenured at San Francisco's powerhouse Boulevard Restaurant (last year's James Beard winner for "Outstanding Restaurant"), as well as the renegade "nose to tail" venue, Animal in Los Angeles.
Having worked under a roster of James Beard recognized personalities, including the multi-award winning chef Nancy Oakes and Top Chef alum Kevin Gillespie among others, Jordan will helm Borkum's seafood-inspired kitchen, promising to bring innovative presentation to his new role in Kensington. Anticipated opening date for FISH PUBLIC is May/June 2013, and additional concept details, menu and design is set to be released soon.
"I'm so inspired by San Diego as a collaborative culinary community. It's exciting to not only be working with Tracy, one of the most celebrated restaurateurs in the city, but also to be joining the ranks of such esteemed local chefs," says chef Jordan Davis. "Coming from larger markets like San Francisco and Los Angeles, the areas tend to be over-saturated. San Diego has a very exciting spark to it and you can't find better ingredients anywhere else in the world. I can't wait to work with our city's finest purveyors to make these ingredients shine on a platform that no one else around here is doing."
Born and raised in Southern California, Jordan Davis developed an affinity for cooking at an early age. His first childhood memories took place in the kitchen where he helped his mother dabble in adventurous and out-of-the-box recipes. After graduating from high school, Jordan’s chosen path was clear. He headed north to San Francisco to attend the California Culinary Academy where he was awarded “Top Chef Recognition” in his graduating class of 1999. The budding new chef then went on to work under the esteemed Executive Chef and co-owner of Boulevard Restaurant, Nancy Oakes, the internationally renowned toque, and most recently, the 2012 James Beard Winner for the nation's most “Outstanding Restaurant”. As Sous Chef at the fine dining restaurant for six years, Davis was given the opportunity to hone his skills in a variety of special interests including farm to table preparation, a technique that was not being used by many restaurants at the time.
A dedicated family man and husband to his wife Jaymee, Davis gave up his coveted position at Boulevard in 2005 so she could pursue her dream of becoming a scientist, a decision that has since led the couple to travel from city to city. A brief stint as Chef de Cuisine at Atlanta’s Woodfire Grill introduced Jordan to chef Kevin Gillespie, a Top Chef finalist and James Beard nominee for “Rising Star Chef” 2009. It was here that Jordan developed a passion for Southern cooking alongside Gillespie, and the duo took their talents to the James Beard Foundation house in 2010. In 2011 Jordan moved back west where he was hired by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, both recognized as a Food and Wine “Best New Chef”, and co-owners of the James Beard nominated and widely acclaimed Animal Restaurant in Los Angeles. Known for their avant-garde approach to “nose to tail” cooking, Davis developed a wide breadth of experience utilizing impeccable ingredients and high-caliber techniques.
FISH PUBLIC will be a seafood-centric restaurant that will introduce an “elegant simplicity” making use of the finest ingredients available. When he’s not in the kitchen Jordan can be found in his new Cardiff neighborhood spending time with his wife, two kids Amelia and Eden and Great Dane, Vaydan.
FISH PUBLIC will be located at 4055 Adams Avenue in Kensington. For more information, visit the Urban Kitchen Group website.