Red Horse Chef Named NJ Entrepreneur Of The Year Finalist

RUMSON, NJ — One of the Jersey Shore's premier chefs could be named Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 New Jersey.

David Burke, who recently opened the fine dining restaurant Red Horse and owns six other restaurants in New Jersey, was selected by a panel of independent judges as a Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 New Jersey finalist, Ernst & Young LLP announced recently.

The award honors businesses leaders who display ambition, ingenuity and courage in the face of adversity. Winners will be announced during a virtual celebration on July 26.

"This year’s finalists are the next class in a long line of unstoppable visionaries," said Mike Portegello, US-East EY Private Leader, about the finalists on the company’s website. "They have been carefully selected by our independent panel of judges for their unwavering commitment to their companies, customers and communities in a year of unprecedented change. We are thrilled to share their inspiring stories this year."

Nominees are evaluated based on six criteria: entrepreneurial leadership; talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation and future plans.

Since its launch 35 years ago, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

"I am honored and humbled by the nomination of EY New Jersey Entrepreneur of the Year,"
said David Burke in a statement. "On behalf of my entire team at DB Global, we have worked incredibly hard to get to this place and we are very excited to learn the results. Through some very difficult and challenging times, we have persevered through and turned into a robust hospitality management firm that we are very, very proud of."

Burke has 17 restaurants across the globe, including seven in New Jersey — five of which he has opened during the COVID-19 pandemic. They include: Beach Haus Bar and Grill by David Burke, Belmar Kitchen by David Burke, both located at Beach Haus Brewery, Belmar; DRIFTHOUSE by David Burke, Sea Bright; Red Horse by David Burke, Rumson; Orchard Park by David Burke, East Brunswick; and he is the culinary director at Son Cubano, West New York and VENTANAS, Fort Lee.

A James Beard Award-winner, Burke is also the only American to ever win the prestigious Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur. He also won Japan’s Nippon Award of Excellence, the Robert Mondavi Award of Excellence and appeared on TV’s 'Top Chef Masters.'

He also owns The David Burke Collection, an online signature collection of kitchen wares, and is the author of two cookbooks: Cooking With David Burke, by David Burke and Carmel Berman Reingold (Alfred A. Knopf, New York 2013) and David Burke’s New American Classics by David Burke and Judith Choate (Alfred A. Knopf 2014).

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, to be announced in November at the Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June 2022.

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America. In New Jersey, sponsors also include DLA Piper, Marsh McLennan, and PNC Bank.