Kevin Davis
Chef/Partner
Steelhead Diner, Seattle, Washington

Brought up in a close-knit Cajun family, Kevin appreciates the power of food to bring people together. His family revolved around his grandmother's kitchen. Three-to-four times a week, the family gathered at a different house for meals. Everyone in the family had a specialty--gumbo, Creole tomato fish stew, fried catfish, chicken stew. The men of the family hunted and fished and everything was shared. His grandfather's garden taught Kevin the seasons and the difference between store-bought and garden-fresh. He grew up in this cyclical food-driven culture.

At the age of 10, Kevin's family moved to Singapore where his eyes were opened to a whole new world of food. When they returned to New Orleans after a year, his father had each of his three children cook dinner twice a week. He learned a lot in the kitchen from his dad and his extended family.

In his early 20s, Kevin took a job in an Italian restaurant at the World's Fair. He realized he had a passion for cooking and moved to south Florida where he worked for Mark Miletello who owned three high-end restaurants. He learned about American, Italian and Caribbean cuisines. Feeling he needed further culinary education, he took on an eight-month apprenticeship at the Royal Grey Hotel in the south of France under Chef Jacques Chiboux who had been the Chef of the Year in the Gault Millau Guide.

Returning to New Orleans, he began working on new menus at Arnaud's, eventually rising to the sous chef position. Seeing that Arnaud's chefs were all French and in their late 50s, Kevin felt it unlikely he would ever become an executive chef. He took an executive chef position at a Creole/Cajun restaurant in Adelaide, Australia (1989-1991). On his first day, he met a coworker, Terresa, who would later become his wife.

A year later, Arnaud's owner offered him the executive chef position. Kevin returned to New Orleans. He stayed six years (1991-1996) but eventually realized he didn't know enough to keep growing. He accepted an executive sous chef job at Tre Vigne in the Napa area of California. A difficult transition from Creole to Italian and just the challenge he was looking for. He stayed three years (1997-1999) before his need to develop his own style pulled him away. While in Napa, he met Jan Birnbaum who had started Sazerac in Seattle. Jan called to say he needed an executive chef at Sazerac. Both Kevin and Terresa jumped at the opportunity. He stayed three years (1999-2001).

Kevin was approached with the Oceanaire Seafood Room concept in 2001 and worked with the team to put it together for a 2002 opening. His deft touch with fish made it a standout seafood house. He stayed five years, through 2006, when he and Terresa decided it was time to truly put down their roots and open their own place (February 2007).

Steelhead Diner is an amalgam of all that Kevin has learned over the years and, more importantly, where he makes the food he loves. Located in the heart of the Pike Place Market, Kevin has access to the freshest items from local farmers and vendors. Steelhead Diner is an extension of Kevin and Terresa's appreciation of the Northwest and all it has to offer.