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David Pasternack
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
His cooking starts with seafood and crudo, which gives the plate a sharp edge: clean lines, tight control, and little waste. David Pasternack has said, “I’ve worked in fancy restaurants for 25 years, but my favorite foods are still Chinese, Thai, Indian… pretty much everything.” That range sits inside the work. The result is polished but not closed off, built around fish and raw preparations yet open to flavors beyond the seafood case.
The Climb
Early in his career, David Pasternack served as chef at Esca in New York City (2000–2021), a long stretch that marked him as a steady presence in a high-pressure restaurant. He later became Executive Chef and co-owner at Esca (2000–2021), extending his role from day-to-day execution to the shape of the restaurant itself. Across those years, seafood and crudo stayed at the center, and the reputation that followed was built on consistency, discipline, and a clear point of view. Crudo demands restraint. It depends on exactness and on knowing when to leave product alone. Pasternack’s years at Esca (2000–2021) reflect that same approach: trust the ingredient, keep the technique clean, and let freshness do the work. In New York, where restaurant life turns over fast, that kind of run registers as endurance as much as style.
Today
The role suggests continuity rather than reinvention for its own sake, a commitment to the core ideas that have defined him from the start. Even as tastes shift and dining rooms evolve, his work remains anchored in the bright, clean vocabulary of the ocean, where texture and temperature matter as much as flavor.
Signature
David's signature dishes include crudo. It is a signature that reads plainly: streamlined, exacting, and dependent on freshness and clarity rather than excess. The confidence is in the cut and the restraint, in knowing what to show and when to stop.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of David
What is David Pasternack known for?
Seafood.
