Chef Dave creates a new special, the Inlet Bloody, for the camera crew of Shaun Reilly Photography
At the Inlet, we’re proud to have a great team in our front of house and our kitchen. Today on the Inlet Blog, we’re going to showcase one of our leaders. Behind our gorgeous food photos and mouth watering weekly specials is Chef Dave Smith. Recognized as one of the top chef’s in Wildwood, Dave works diligently to run the Inlet kitchen for success.
Dave has worked at the Inlet for two years of the three years the Inlet has been at 101 E Walnut Ave. Now in year three, we’re making big strides to reach our goals. While offering traditional plates the customers know and love, Chef Dave and the owners of the Inlet work to create weekly dinner specials that are focused on modern, progressive trends.
“When I first met Puri he told me his plan to bring something new to the shore and build it from the ground up,” said Dave.
“With my background and coming from where I’m from, I have nothing but respect for people who want to build from scratch and break bread with friends along the way.”
When the Inlet first opened, our main goal was building a brand and improving the venue. Over the years many improvements have been made, both cosmetic and operational.
In year two, our focus was to start building the menu, which is why Chef Dave was asked to join the team. Now, our goal is to produce delicious plates with consistency, to continue to provide entertainment daily, and to expand the business further into the community with a heavy social media and marketing focus.
“We found that we had all these amazing dishes and people weren’t seeing them,” said one of the owners, Puri Garzone. “Everyone knew about our deck and entertainment while the food was in the background.“
”Now we want to pull the plates Chef Dave creates to the front and show people they can have quality, ocean side dining along with top entertainment.”
A South Philly native, Chef Dave has worked as a chef for almost 20 years. His background includes working in an Italian restaurant, which is why he would eat spaghetti for the rest of his life if he had to choose just one dish. In his little free time he enjoys gaming and spending time with his children.
Dave prefers not to be called “Chef” for various reasons, but mainly because his personality doesn’t match that of a chef. Dave typically keeps his head down and does a great job while staying out of the spotlight. It’s a miracle we even got his photo for this blog post!
Stop by for a Chef Dave creation and don’t forget to send your compliments to the kitchen!
