Chef David Bastide was born and raised in the town of Albi located in the south of France, learning to cook quite literally, at his Grandma’s knee. Just slightly North-East of Toulouse, the Tarn Region is home to some of the most renowned French cheeses made with goat or cow’s milk, or lait de brebis (ewe’s milk). There’s Roquefort, the famous ewe’s milk blue cheese and then the little, soft, round, gooey Rocamadour goat’s cheeses from the cliff-clinging village of Rocamadour. In addition to cheese, there are many traditional regional dishes and cuisines; plums from Agen, wind-dried ham from Lacaune, Cassoulet, foie gras, many lamb dishes, hearty soups, and pastries & breads, such as : ‘gâteau à la broche’, which is a spit-roast cake. Finally, a huge variety of wine is produced in the numerous Appellations d’Origine Côntrolées of the region. Gaillac is France’s oldest wine-making region and a treasure trove for connoisseurs. Nearby, there is also, of course, the amber nectar of Armagnac.
In 1985 he came to the United States to pursue his passion for the culinary arts. He joined his father who then owned a restaurant in Maine.
The chance to work at Pasta Bella brought him to San Francisco in 1989. He later subsequently moved on to Venticello Ristorante where he received 3 stars from Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle and made the paper’s annual “Top 100” restaurants list. Other publications named Venticello a “Most Romantic Spot” and a “California Top 100.” In 2001, Bastide accepted the position of Executive Chef at San Francisco’s Le Bistrot where he again garnered a 3 star SF Chronicle review, plus spots in the “Top 10 New Restaurants” and “Top 100” rankings. In 2003, he joined the Left Bank family.
Other professional accomplishments include being in the Chef 2000 roster for 6 consecutive years, the winning of the 3rd Sugarloaf Culinary Festival, and the publishing of recipes in The Fine Art of Dining, Culinary Masterpieces, The Concierge Recommends, and Chef’s Hall of Fame.
When not in the kitchen or foraging at Farmers Markets, chef Bastide enjoys spending time with and cheering for his 16 year old son that belongs to his high school basketball and track team.