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Executive Chef Oona Settembre, Dave & Buster's, Dallas, Texas
When Oona Settembre became Dave & Buster's executive chef in March of 1996, one of the first tasks was to create a new lunch menu adding new tastes to Dave & Buster's already flavorful list of selections. Settembre's 23 years as a chef prepared her for this challenge. She has been creating new and delicious items to keep the menu fresh ever since. Born in Folkstone, England, Settembre learned her craft from her father, a classically trained chef. He worked as Chef de Cuisine on the "Master Cutler," a Pullman dining car that is now part of the refurbished Orient Express and as a chef at the Waldorf Astoria. Oona's travels with her father around the world from Canada to Tasmania spiced up her culinary repertoire. Her menus include Italian, French, British, Irish, Austrian, Swiss, Caribbean and Cajun inspired cuisine. At the age of 20, Settembre opened her first restaurant, an Italian-French Bistro. Three years later she moved to the United States. After working in the Florida Keys and the Cayman Islands, Settembre settled in Dallas, Texas. She opened the Going Gourmet Bistro and was awarded "Best Casual Restaurant" of 1993 by The Dallas Morning News. The Bistro also received high marks from D Magazine, Texas Monthly and the Dallas Observer. |