Geoff Davis
Burdell | Oakland, CA
november 2022
At seventeen years old, Geoff Davis was serving caesar salad and bananas foster tableside at Dewz Restaurant in Modesto, CA. Although he would have rather been in the kitchen than slinging cherries jubilee, it was there that Davis realized he was meant to be a chef. In 2006, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and after graduating, worked in Michelin-starred restaurants such as Aqua, The Fifth Floor, and Cyrus. Eager to expand his wine knowledge, Davis moved to Napa in 2012, and worked at Unti Vineyards and eventually in the kitchen at Carneros Inn.
In 2014, Davis relocated to Oakland where he worked at Haven and then The Dock, alongside Rising Stars alum Chef James Syhabout. Under the mentorship of Syhabout, Davis developed his signature playful cooking style. He went on to stage around Italy in 2017, and returned to the Bay Area several months later to join the team at True Laurel, staying on for four years and working his way up to executive chef. The uncertain and challenging times during the pandemic prompted Davis to think about his future, what he envisioned for his own restaurant, and the story he wanted to tell through his food.
With the seeds planted, in 2022, Davis embarked on a new journey, starting with a series of successful pop-up dinners at Sequoia Diner called Burdell–which will also be the name of his forthcoming brick-and-mortar. Named after his grandmother, the soul food concept serves up market-driven dishes that spotlight California’s diverse seasonal produce, while drawing inspiration from his own family recipes. At Burdell, Davis will plate nostalgic soul food, like his heirloom cornbread with tangy butter–a celebration of his family history and Oakland’s Black community.
2022 StarChefs San Francisco-Oakland Rising Stars Award Winner
