Instructor Dave Ramirez comes to ICE after five years as sous-chef at Chanterelle, David and Karen Waltuck's top-rated contemporary French restaurant. The New York native originally began working in restaurant kitchens when out of college, a self-described struggling rock musician who studied English and Communications at SUNY-Fredonia (he was music director of the school radio station for two years). His first job was at the Village stalwart Cajun restaurant Great Jones Café. He was the restaurant's evening line cook, an experience he remembers as "a really great first job. We got slammed every night."

In 1995 he decided to pursue the restaurant business in earnest and enrolled in the career culinary program at ICE. His externship at Chanterelle began what would be his most important culinary influence. He worked with chef/owner David Waltuck, went briefly to Anne Rozensweig's Arcadia, and then returned to Chanterelle in 1997 to become the restaurant's sous-chef. Chef Ramirez has the highest praise for Waltuck and his use of simple, intense flavors that animate his modern take on nouvelle French cuisine.

In addition to teaching at the Institute, Chef Ramirez is active in C-CAP (Careers Through Culinary Arts Program), a group that teaches culinary skills to inner-city high school students. And this fall he traveled to Sâo Paulo, Brazil, to represent ICE at the Boa Mesa food show, Brazil's largest gourmet show. Chef Ramirez gave a demonstration of contemporary American hors d'oeuvres — his demo followed that of legendary South American Chef Claude Troisgrois.

Chef Ramirez lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters, and in addition to being a dedicated amateur musician, pursues a number of culinary hobbies. He's an avid home gardener with a keen interest in organic farming. He's partial to chiles, a passion that he shares in the school's recreational program with a class titled "Hot and Spicy Foods from Around the World."

January, 2004