Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, executive chef David Gross brings over 10 years’ experience to his role at Panzano.
David’s culinary career takes inspiration from his Midwestern upbringing, where he spent many afternoons helping his mother make homemade pierogis. It was during those moments that he became enamored with how the artisanship of cooking is elevated by each chef’s (whether professional or home cook) personal passion and touch.
After eight years in a variety of roles at local restaurants around Cleveland, David accepted his first sous chef position at a local brasserie-style restaurant, Table 45. From there, David moved to Urban Farmer Cleveland, where he began learning the craft of whole-animal butchery and the importance of farm-to-table cuisine. In 2017, David moved to Colorado, where he accepted a role as executive sous chef at Panzano.
After two years as executive sous at Panzano, David moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and Angeline’s, an Italian restaurant located inside the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel. That lateral move provided David the opportunity to gain more experience cooking for a greater volume of guests while still playing to his love for Italian cuisine and refining his butchery techniques through the restaurant’s dry aged program.
It was always David’s goal to find a way to return to Denver and Panzano – he remained impressed with how Panzano has maintained a true family and community atmosphere among guests and employees. Returning to Panzano in 2021 truly felt like coming “home.”
As the new executive chef of Panzano, guests can look forward to David incorporating his Midwestern roots into the restaurant’s menu by way of adding interesting cuts of meats sourced from local ranches. David also plans to stay committed to Panzano’s goal of providing guests with simple twists on classic Northern Italian dishes.
