Chef-Owner, Burdell | Oakland, CA

Geoffrey Davis ‘09 is a chef based in Oakland, California, who hosts Burdell, a buzzy pop-up series that he is looking to make permanent. Named after his grandmother, Burdell is a soul food restaurant where Chef Davis highlights seasonal produce on a nostalgic and ever-changing prefix menu. His passion for food began as a young child at his grandparents and parents’ table where he inherited their love for cooking and quality, especially with produce. He later attended 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. Geoff then served as chef de cuisine at The Dock in West Oakland, working with Chef James Syhabout, and during his time there, the restaurant was designated as one of the Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area and awarded a Michelin Plate. In 2017, he spent six months traveling in Europe, dining and exploring the wine regions of France and Italy before coming back to the Bay Area. Notably, he was executive chef of True Laurel in San Francisco, a cocktail focused spin-off of the two-star Michelin restaurant Lazy Bear and part of the team that opened the restaurant. His forward-looking approach to bar food, along with unique cocktails, received accolades including 3 stars and Top 100 (3 years) designations from the San Francisco Chronicle, a Michelin Plate each year the restaurant was eligible, and Eater honored it on the list of Best New Restaurants in America. In the summer of 2019, the Iconoclast Dinner Series at the James Beard House in New York City recognized Chef Davis as one of the Black leaders in fine dining. @geonate88 @burdell_oak