dcwaf_catalog

DAVID GWYNN - CYPRESS RESTAURANT & VERTIGO BURGERS AND FRIES
David Gwynn
CYPRESS RESTAURANT & VERTIGO BURGERS AND FRIES
Chef David Gwynn and his wife, baker extraordinaire Elizabeth, own and
operate Cypress Restaurant in their hometown, Tallahassee, Florida.
David grew up in the culinary world, filling the gaps wherever needed in his
mother’s restaurant and catering business. After earning a degree in marketing
from The University of West Florida, David nine-to-fived it for a few years
in sales and marketing with a wine and beer distributor. During that time he
realized that food, wine and cooking were passions that can pay the bills. Faced
with the question, “What’s the best way to get from a bush-league cook to a
professional chef?” he decided to attend culinary school. David graduated from
the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, during which time he apprenticed
at regionally acclaimed Criolla’s in Grayton Beach. Two days after graduation,
David began working through the ranks of nationally recognized Chef Dean
Fearing’s kitchen at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas.
In 1999, the chef and his wife returned home to raise their boys close to family
and to open Cypress Restaurant. Entering its 13th year, Cypress is recognized
as a culinary leader in the Northwest Florida panhandle. They are a recipient of
Florida Trend Magazine’s Golden Spoon Hall of Fame award.
In addition, David opened another restaurant called Vertigo Burgers and Fries,
which features specialty burgers, fries, salads and shakes.
Robert Harris
THE TABLE
Robert Harris’ passion for cooking began in his mother’s kitchen in
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where she taught him to prepare traditional Southern
dishes using fresh produce from their neighbors’ farms. Robert honed his skills
at the Culinary Institute of America and then at the Commander’s Palace in New
Orleans. He later moved north with his family and settled in Cambridge, MA,
where he has worked at local restaurants such as Olives, Rialto, East Coast Grill,
EVOO, and Casablanca.
While serving as the East Coast Grill Catering Director, Robert found great
satisfaction in preparing special-occasion meals to reflect each individual client’s
taste. His dream to become the first and pre-eminent caterer in Boston that
focuses on ingredient-driven, locally-sourced food led him to found Season to
Taste Catering. Next came the world’s smallest restaurant, The Table, featuring
one long farm table serving just one group at a time multi course plated dinners.
ROBERT HARRIS - THE TABLE
50 DESTIN CHARITY WINE AUCTION FOUNDATION 2015 AUCTION CATALOG 51