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Raised in Ketchikan, Alaska, Dave caught the cooking bug early. He started making pizza at a local cafe when he was just 14 years old. Then came cooking stints in other cafes and soon the atmosphere and pace of the kitchen had him hooked. At 21, Anderson decided that if cooking was going to be his career, he had to get serious. His ambitions sent him south to Portland, Oregon, where he enrolled at the Western Culinary Institute. Before graduating with honors, he filled his resume with cooking positions at Besaws Café, a Northwest institution, and trendier, fine-dining spots, including Café Azul, Southpark, Bluehour and Lauro.
Dave quickly won over Lauro’s owner David Machado, with his talent and ability to run a kitchen. Later, he and Machado put their heads together and developed the concept for Vindalho, the modern Indian restaurant that stands less than a mile from its sister establishment. Anderson brought his knowledge of the inner workings of a professional kitchen to his new position as Chef de Cuisine at Vindalho.
The world of Indian food was new to Anderson and he quickly embraced the time-intensive and spice-heavy cooking style. He loves the challenge of translating this home-style cooking into contemporary restaurant fare. Anderson is committed to buying from local farmers and was up to the challenge of integrating Northwestern ingredients into authentic Indian cuisine. Searching out genuine spices and herbs that comprise Indian food is another piece of the puzzle that Anderson enjoys.
Anderson believes the best preparation for being a chef is to do three things: Work two jobs to get used to the long hours; read and study about food and cooking during off hours, and learn to speak Spanish. He takes his own advice and draws inspiration from books, cookbooks, magazines and studying the history of the world’s culinary regions. He also feeds his cooking muse from customer comments and opinions. A healthy competition with his identical twin brother, also a Portland chef, keeps him on his creative toes. An ideal day for Anderson is Thanksgiving. He and his brother split up the cooking duties and put on a joint dinner filled with friends, family, wine, beer and football. Newly married, Anderson and his wife live in Southeast Portland.
