David Cunningham

With a long and bright career working at some of the world’s top restaurants behind him, Old Original Bookbinder’s is where Chef Cunningham lets loose his formidable talent. Ask renowned chefs Gray Kunz and Charlie Palmer and the answer would be a resounding “he’s one of the best.” And three years of working in France at the 3-star L’Auberge de L’ill in Alsace and the Hotel Bristol in Paris—in between semesters at the prestigious culinary school Ecole Supérieure de Cuisine Française—earned him instant entry to top American kitchens.

Chef Cunningham does share a maniacal obsession with freshness—and variety—with his former tutors. That’s a good thing, because Bookbinder’s is all about great American seafood. With Kunz, he shares a certain Teutonic discipline that one would want to avoid in polite society but works magic in the kitchen, and the knack for thinking outside the box.

One of his personal favorites, the fantastic Seafood Cobb, finds great company on the Bookbinder’s menu, which combines seasonal recipes, daily specials depending upon the market and classics such as Snapper Soup, Crab Cakes and Strawberry Shortcake. He brings traditional staples to a new level. After all, he’s inheriting a landmark restaurant, not the Vatican.

Items on the menu are done simply and done well, and to cook simply is actually very complex. There is no place to hide—not under sauces nor camouflaged by extra ingredients or intense flavors. It takes skill and precision to make a dish simple.

During its 140 years, Old Original Bookbinder's has served as a gathering place for political leaders, celebrities, local residents and tourists. John E. Taxin, third-generation owner, tells us that “Bookie’s” memorabilia and photos of glamorous diners taken through the years have been preserved and will grace the hallways of the recently renovated restaurant, maintaining the history and character of this legendary eatery and gathering place.