Pastry Chef David Collier uses traditional French techniques to create simplified, deconstructed versions of dessert classics that are as pleasing to the eye as the palate. The Washington, D.C., native graduated with distinction from L’Academie D’Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Md. After training with pastry super chef Laurent Lhuillier, he realized that pastry was the sweetest medium for his artistic creations. Before coming to The Mansion, Chef Collier gained years of experience by overseeing renowned celebrity chef Bob Kinkead’s pastry program. And Chef Collier’s work has recently gained national attention; he was named a 2008 semifinalist for a James Beard Award as Outstanding Pastry Chef.
What’s your favorite movie? Drama: Silence of the Lambs, action: Ronin, comedy: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
What would you choose as your last meal? I’d have a starter of foie gras and sweetbreads, a Carolina pork barbecue sandwich as my main course (my parents are from southern Virginia/North Carolina, so of course I’m partial to that style of BBQ), and then a cone of frozen custard for dessert.
What was your first job? I was a maintenance worker/janitor at a Wal-Mart-type store called Zayre when I was 16 years old.
What are you currently reading? A Day at El Bulli, and I just bought The Virtues of War by Steven Pressfield. It compares the challenges and actions of Alexander the Great in the Middle East in 331BC with America’s course of action in Iraq.
What’s on your iPod? My iPod is an eclectic mix of old and new heavy metal (everything from Five Finger Death Punch to Iron Maiden), 80’s retro (the music of my generation), old school bluegrass (Del McCoury Band, Allison Kraus) and some modern stuff like Muse, Breaking Benjamin, Radiohead, and 16 Horsepower. I sometimes think the styles are my past, present and future expressed musically.
