David A. Elias was born and raised outside of Utica, NY. After graduating the Millbrook School he attended S.U.N.Y Albany, earning his B.A. in European history. Moving out West David settled in San Francisco and pursued his love of food. He secured an A.O.S. in the culinary arts from the California Culinary Academy, subsequently cooking in a number of San Francisco's prestigious eateries such as Masa's and Bix. Long involved in the music and art scene, David also managed and produced the seminal San Francisco punk band the VKTMS as well as founding and running Daflspitz Records along with fellow chef John Eisenhart. David has also lived in the province of Murcia, Spain as well as the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where he and his wife Charl met.