Narsai David (original) (raw)

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American chef, radio host and restaurateur (1936–2024)

Narsai Michael David (June 26, 1936 – June 20, 2024) was an American chef, author, host of a radio show on food, and a winery owner in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.[1][2] He was a former food writer, restaurant and market owner, and the owner of a catering company.

Narsai Michael David was born in South Bend, Indiana to Assyrian parents[3] Michael Khanno David and Shulamith Sayad. He was raised in Turlock, California and graduated from Turlock High School.[4]

He attended the University of California, Berkeley, studying math and pre-med.[4] During college he supported himself by working at Hy's Restaurant in Oakland.[4] After college he owned a printing company for two years.[4] In 1959, he took a job at the Potluck Restaurant in Berkeley, California,[4] eventually becoming a partner. He remained at the Potluck Restaurant until 1972.[4]

In 1970, he began a catering business. Among his first clients was Bill Graham, the legendary San Francisco rock impresario, for whom Narsai catered events for all major bands including The Rolling Stones.[4] David catered the backstage meals for the many bands who appeared, and stage and sound crews at the California Jam concert in 1974. He has since catered many special events, some for the British royal family on their visits to San Francisco.

In 1972, he opened his restaurant, Narsai's, in the upscale community of Kensington, on the northern tip of Berkeley.[5][6] The restaurant was described by The New York Times as having one of the finest wine cellars in the world.[7] Narsai's Market was opened next door, from 1978 until 1985.[8] Narsai's restaurant closed in 1986.[8] On the shelves at Narsai's Market were many imported and gourmet products, several of which are still made exclusively for him using his own recipes and bearing his distinctive label.

David owned one vineyard in the Napa Valley, Narsai David Estates, and produced his own Cuvée and Cabernet Sauvignon.[9]

In the 1980s until the 1990s, he had a food and cooking column in the San Francisco Chronicle.[5] He was the KCBS Food and Wine Editor; and has appeared on radio and television.[10][5]David suffered declining health after a fall and died on June 20, 2024, at the age of 87.[11]

1. ^ Hensperger, Beth (2010-03-18). Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining. ReadHowYouWant.com. pp. 394–. ISBN 978-1-4587-6832-2. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
2. ^ Sutherland, Amy (2004-05-24). Cookoff: Recipe Fever in America. Penguin. pp. 53–. ISBN 978-0-14-200474-6. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
3. ^ Kuz, Martin (2007-02-07). "Pay to Play, the son of a world—renowned chef says he wanted to reform the phone industry. The feds say he wanted to get rich quick". SF Weekly. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
4. ^ a b c d e f g Carson, L. Pierce (13 June 1983). "Dinner for 1,000". Newspapers.com. The Napa Valley Register. p. 7. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
5. ^ a b c Fritsche, Sarah (2018-07-18). "Recipe: Narsai's Chocolate Decadence". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
6. ^ Gilmore, Blake (2018-11-15). "The Built Environment: Famed culinary critic Narsai David also major Berkeley arts patron". East Bay Times. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
7. ^ Prial, Frank J. (1984-03-25). "WINE; THE PERSONAL TOUCH". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
8. ^ a b "About Narsai". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
9. ^ Sipple, Wendy (December 29, 2009). "Dinner Date". Style Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
10. ^ Miller, Bryan (1987-05-27). "The San Francisco Scene: A New Simplicity in Dining". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
11. ^ KCBS Radio Staff, Remembering KCBS Food and Wine editor Narsai David KCBS (AM), 6/21/2024

• Narsai David at IMDb