Chef David Burke's empire just keeps growing David Burke has made a name for himself as a chef, a restaurateur, an inventor and so much more. The iconic chef has built an empire: seven restaurants, two cookbooks, several culinary inventions and a slew of awards all under the David Burke brand. "There's value in this brand," Burke told FoxNews.com's Kitchen Superstars. Burke graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, studied under some world's greatest chefs - Pierre Troisgros, Georges Blanc, and Gaston Lenôtre, and was the first American to receive France's coveted Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d'Honneur - at 26. Burke said being a chef back then was anything but glamorous. "I meant, being a chef in the 70"s meant it was like being an astronaut because you're out of your head. When I told my father I wanted to be a chef he's like why don't you just fly to the f----ing moon. Because it was a really low collar job --and we proved them all wrong I guess. The New Jersey native opened his landmark David Burke Townhouse, formerly davidburke + donatella, in 2003. Since then, he has expanded his restaurant empire across four states. Burke has no plans of slowing down. Among his "next moves" are several new restaurants, including a fresh take on the drive-in movie, and hopes to work with high school students to teach them how to think in and out of the kitchen. Burke's creative and whimsical dishes, like "Angry Lobster" and "Pastrami Salmon" are a reflection of the chef's bold personality. The fast-talking chef is always quick with a joke: "If I wasn't a good cook, I'd be a great Frisbee player."