Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Personal Information
Chef Kevin Schulz
Rachel Collins Owner Flagship Seafood/Collins Caviar
Chef Josh Mcknight Los Angeles
Paul Payne Former Restaurant Owner
Timeline
Generic

David Paulson

Michiana,MI

Summary

Seasoned Chef with a proven track record , showcasing exceptional skills in menu development and team leadership. Experienced w/ creative recipe creation and maintaining high standards in restaurant operations. Excelled in building cohesive teams and achieving high inspection scores, demonstrating a strong work ethic and attention to detail.

Overview

17
17
years of professional experience

Work History

Executive Chef

Root And Bone
Chesterton, Indiana
08.2023 - 01.2025
  • Opening Chef developing and implementing structures and operations in the kitchen
  • Scheduling of all back of house team
  • Managed ordering, inventory levels, receiving, invoice settling, and equipment maintenance.
  • Worked with local and other purveyors to procure fresh and quality ingredients
  • Hands-on, ensuring that recipes were being followed, and quality, when compromised, was corrected.
  • Team Building and Leadership
  • Menu Development and recipe writing
  • Servsafe certified and worked directly with health inspectors yielding high inspection scores

  • Monitored quality, presentation and quantities of plated food across line.

Executive Chef

Abbiocco Italian Cuisine and Luna Rooftop Bar
Chesterton, IN
07.2022 - 07.2023
  • I started as a sous chef and helped train the existing kitchen staff on how to season and look for consistent flavor profiles, improving the otherwise bland and inconsistent dishes into food that could be stood behind as quality and well-executed plates.
  • I took over as Executive Chef during the holiday season and worked with the partnership and ownership team to reach the goals set out for me, which include staffing, hiring, and training cooks and all BOH positions.
  • Getting the upstairs kitchen up and running with an all-scratch menu, with a lead cook reporting to me daily on operations, opening for lunch, writing the daytime menu, and training the team.
  • Ordering and purchasing bi-weekly features menus for both upstairs and downstairs, focusing on fresh, locally sourced ingredients and proteins in the wild game umbrella, such as pheasant sausage, rabbit, wild boar, venison, and duck, etc.
  • All of my deadlines have been met. I also helped navigate changeovers in major distributors and the transitions involved, including the replacement of four dish machines in two bars and two floors of dining rooms.
  • My staff have been loyal, and my communication with ownership has been commended. I would have strong references from the investor team.

Executive Sous Chef

Journeyman Distillery
Three Oaks, MI
03.2020 - 05.2022
  • 2 Plus years at a large venue Distillery in culinary management as part of the leadership team navigating take out meal programs and the challenges of adapting and maintaining a staff during the pandemic with an emphasis on consistency and quality

Lead Sautee And Daily Specials

Maynards Market And Kitchen
Tucson, AZ
02.2015 - 01.2016
  • Executing balanced seasoned classical French inspired Sautee dishes on a high volume well organized station

Lead Line/Menu Development

Paper Or Plastik
Los Angeles, CA
12.2013 - 02.2015
  • Covered for head and sous chef when absent and managed the line and prep production

Culinary Team Member

Animal restaurant
Los Angeles, CA
01.2014 - 02.2014
  • Traveled from LA to Utah to support the execution of three exclusive cafes for clients of Animal at the Sundance Film Festival

Chef De Cuisine

Hillside Farmacy
Austin, TX
11.2011 - 08.2012
  • Consulted on functional equipment for new space, menu creation for our vision w/ farm to table cuisine, worked with local farms and purveyors, hiring, daily operations, ordering and scheduling 18+ boh employees

Sous Chef

SweetSalt Foodshop
Toluca Lake, CA
01.2010 - 07.2011
  • Ensured all food met Chef/Owner standards in a high volume high profile kitchen

Executive Chef

Allston Yacht Club
Los Angeles, CA
11.2008 - 01.2010
  • Opened AYC and executed small plates in Echo Park gourmet food and wine space with creative and inspired dishes
  • Featured in Dine LA for best new Los Angeles restaurant

Sous Chef

Restaurant 15
Los Angeles, CA
11.2007 - 10.2008
  • In a fine dining setting under Alex Eusebio of Top Chef season 5, I ran and maintained the reputation and quality of food during several months of absence while filming

Education

Some College (No Degree) -

High School Graduate With Some College Experience

Skills

  • Fair and practical decision-making
  • Team Building
  • Recipes and menu planning
  • Restaurant operations
  • ServSafe certification
  • Team leadership
  • Strong work ethic
  • Presentation management
  • Recipe creation
  • Creative thinking
  • Hiring, training, and development
  • Attention to detail

Personal Information

Work Permit: Authorized to work in the US for any employer

Chef Kevin Schulz

  • 773-343-5627

Rachel Collins Owner Flagship Seafood/Collins Caviar

  • 312-961-7347

Chef Josh Mcknight Los Angeles

  • 213-804-6987

Paul Payne Former Restaurant Owner

  • 219-7419176

Timeline

Executive Chef

Root And Bone
08.2023 - 01.2025

Executive Chef

Abbiocco Italian Cuisine and Luna Rooftop Bar
07.2022 - 07.2023

Executive Sous Chef

Journeyman Distillery
03.2020 - 05.2022

Lead Sautee And Daily Specials

Maynards Market And Kitchen
02.2015 - 01.2016

Culinary Team Member

Animal restaurant
01.2014 - 02.2014

Lead Line/Menu Development

Paper Or Plastik
12.2013 - 02.2015

Chef De Cuisine

Hillside Farmacy
11.2011 - 08.2012

Sous Chef

SweetSalt Foodshop
01.2010 - 07.2011

Executive Chef

Allston Yacht Club
11.2008 - 01.2010

Sous Chef

Restaurant 15
11.2007 - 10.2008

Some College (No Degree) -

High School Graduate With Some College Experience

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