David Buchanan’s Author Bio
Published: May 16, 2010
Updated: June 12, 2026
Chef David Buchanan
Welcome to Chefs-Resources, a site geared towards the Professional Chefs and Kitchen Managers. I am Chef David Buchanan and am the creator of this site and author of most of its content (with the exception of blog posts, which includes other writers). I have been in the restaurant business for over 40 years and am currently the Chef de Cuisine at Blackfish Wild Salmon Grill and Tula Bene in the Tulalip Resort Casino. I opened Blackfish and have been its head since August 2008 and have been the Chef de Cuisine of Tula Bene since June 2024. Prior to these great positions, I worked at various places including Executive Chef at Semiahmoo Resort & Spa, Sous Chef at Semiahmoo Resort & Spa, Executive Chef at Useless Bay Golf & Country Club (great job, awful property name!), Chef de Cuisine at The Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive and Executive Chef at Eurest Boeing Everett ( a stint into the B&I sector of the industry serving 10,000 people each day at 10 cafeterias!).
Follow this link to see some of my creations or check out my resume if you wish. I also have a highly regarded book available titled “Food Cost Control for Success“.
Like many Chefs, I started in the industry as a bus boy, then worked as a dish washer. In order to get into the kitchen, I would get caught up on all the dishes and then go learn from the Line Cooks for an hour or two. Then get caught up on dishes and repeat. I did that until the manager decided to hire me as a cook because the Line Cooks said there was no training needed, I had already learned the position. I worked my way up through various restaurant concepts and eventually attended the New England Culinary Institute for formal training.
Areas of Expertise
- Pacific Northwest Cuisine
- Seafood
- Menu Development and Implementation
- Food Cost Control
- Kitchen Management
- Restaurant Inventory Control
- P&L Food & Beverage Analysis
- Kitchen Mentorship and Training
- Plate Presentation
- Sales Mix, Margin and Profitability
- Theoretical -vs- Actual Food Cost
How Chefs Resources Came to Be
The idea for Chefs-Resources.com was born from a desire to have all my information available in one place at all times. I was constantly looking for information which I had discovered or researched at some point in the past, or which I had either at work or at home but not both. For instance, I had documented extensive yield factors for prime ribs but left the information on the computer at my last job. I researched the various wild salmon runs last season—but that was last year! Did Coho start running in June or July? And so on with all kinds of information. I wanted it all in one place and I figured that if I put it on the internet then I could access it any time from any computer. No more, “Where did I put that? Was it an Excel file or a Word document? Is it at home or at work? What website did I see that on?”
Now if I need information, say on the flavor profile of a Kusshi Oyster, I can access the information on my cell phone. It gives me instant access to information which my guests or waitstaff want to know.
That idea grew into using the website as a training tool to help mentor my kitchen supervisors and sous chef, adding extensive information to the site about kitchen management and troubleshooting common restaurant challenges such as food cost control, P&L meetings, inventory control and so on. The site now has over 500 pages of useful chef-related content.
Accolades
The Tulalip Resort Casino has an excellent marketing team and both Blackfish & I have been in a number of press releases. If you care to wade through the “ego stroking” some of the articles are listed below. But first, I would like to say that the good press releases I have received in Blackfish are due not only to my skills, but also are not possible without the skills and commitment of my crew, as well as my superiors who consistently provide me with the tools and encouragement I need to succeed.
Disclaimer: This website is my own work and the Tulalip Resort Casino is in no way responsible for or associated with any of the content, comments, or information contained in this site unless specifically stated.
My Resume:
If you want to see my “pedigree” click on the resume link.
Here is a link to some of my culinary creations.
Buchanan & Blackfish Press Releases:
Seattle Magazine – by Alene Bouranova July 22, 2015
Tulalip Resort’s Chef David Buchanan Talks Salmon & Humility
On July 30, chef Buchanan will participate in FareStart’s Guest Chef Night, a Thursday institution in which a local revered chef coaches students to prepare a three-course dinner for almost 300 in the downtown FareStart restaurant. Reservations are encouraged; if your tastebuds are itching for a top-notch meal…
Read more… |
Indian Country – by Hans Tammegagi December 2013
Traditional Food Makes a Comeback in the Pacific Northwest
 Buchanan said “I am especially intrigued by how in Native culture the entire process of a meal is so holistic. Thanks is given for the return of the salmon each year and for the sustenance it gives. Thanks and a prayer are also given for the wood when it is harvested to carve the Ironwood sticks used for roasting the salmon. Those who prepare the meal should do so with good intent in their hearts. The meal is a time for sharing with friends and family, and being thankful for those who helped catch and prepare the food.”
original source: indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/12/30/traditional-food-makes-comeback-pacific-northwest-152903
|
Puget Sound Business Journal – by Glenn Drosendahl March 2013
Restaurants share the spotlight with wine at Taste Washington
I tend to think of Taste Washington as a wine extravaganza – and it certainly is that, with 225 of the state’s wineries pouring 800 different wines. But what struck me most about this past weekend’s event at CenturyLink Field Event Center was the food…
Here are some of the standouts, based on an afternoon of surprisingly good eating:
Fanciest – Tulalip Resort Casino’s crab salad in a cucumber wrap with sockeye lox and a hearts on fire leaf on a tarot root crisp (mine!).
Read more… |
Tasting Room Magazine – Novenber 2012
Taste of Tulalip in 2012 Dazzles The Senses
By John and Adean Vitale
 This wine and foodie event hosted by the Tulalip Resort Casino takes a quantum leap forward for the fourth year in a row.
November 23, 2012 – THE CREW at the Tulalip Resort Casino has once again woven their visionary magic into the annual Taste of Tulalip, a celebration of wine, food and tradition held on November 9 and 10, 2012. For the fourth consecutive year organizers amazed ticket holders with an incredible selection of wines from around the region and globe, as well as new and unexpected twists, ultimately putting forward a spellbinding performance that pushed the boundaries on all five senses of smell, sight, sound, touch and taste…
Salmon Two Ways, an orange-tarragon cured Sockeye and “naked” King salmon with pesto. The duel salmon dishes were paired with Woodinville Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc from Washington State.
Read more… |
Seattle Met – Nosh Pit – February 2012
Slideshow: Foodportunity Returns to Palace Ballroom
Gastronomes and media folk descended upon Palace Ballroom Monday evening for Foodportunity, the network-and-nosh event put on by Keren Brown (aka Frantic Foodie).
Brown has organized Foodportunity for several years now, both here and in Portland. The idea behind these events is to come and converse with fellow food obsessives while sampling bites from top-notch restaurateurs and local purveyors. The chefs talk attendees through the dish they chose to prepare, which is a neat opportunity to get inside their heads. Name tags facilitate the networking side of things, as does the cash bar (it’s amply stocked). So convivial is the atmosphere even foodportunists flying solo will find someone with whom to chat.
Read more… |
North County Outlook June 2011
Blackberry Bar-B-Q Chicken
Summer has arrived! For this chicken dish I wanted to do something with a summertime theme and barbecue came to mind. I have a favorite BBQ recipe, which I modified to make it more seasonal and unique.
Blackberries grow prolifically here so I decided I’d make a good Spicy Blackberry Barbecue Sauce for the chicken. Then, of course, I would need to infuse the chicken with some blackberry flavor, so I created the Blackberry Marinade.
Original source: northcountyoutlook.com/story/2011/06/16/arts-and-leisure/blackberry-bar-b-q-chicken/3116.html |
Seattle Times article on Tulalip Bay & Blackfish, April 22, 2010. Prices at seafood-centric Blackfish aren’t exactly modest but the cost reflects the high quality of the fish and shellfish, most showcased by Chef David Buchanan in simple preparations like salmon-on-a-stick. Salt, pepper and smoke are all the embellishment a rich, coral-fleshed fillet needed, soft corn pancakes and roasted asparagus just the right companions.
original source: seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/restaurants/2011678059_cicero23.html |
| Seattle PI blog by Lisa HilderbrandWe enjoyed a chilled “Seafood Mary” that was stuffed full of salmon, scallops, a very large prawn and crab claw, the hot and delicious traditional “Salmon-on-Stick” appetizer over a corn-bacon fritter was delectable and Kumamoto oysters were so deliciously fresh and succulent. I enjoyed wine pairings including Delille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc, Woodinville Wine Cellars “Ausonius” (one of my favorites” and Bob Betz’ Betz Cellars “La Cote Rousse” Syrah – absolutely wonderful and well thought out! |
Dining at Tulalip Resort Casino
Northwest Wining & Dining by Braiden Rex-Johnson April 13, 2009
During a Saturday overnight stay in the Tulalip Suite at Tulalip Resort Casino in Marysville, Washington, we dined with Seattle public relations maven Lorne Richmond, and his lovely wife Elizabeth (Liz). We met promptly at 6:30 in the resort’s spacious lobby and went on a brief tour of some of Tulalip’s many amenities such as a glittery nightclub lounge, spa, and 1,200-slot casino.
We began our meal at Blackfish, a seafood-centric restaurant that specializes in cooking wild salmon in the traditional Indian manner–over ironwood sticks.
Here we enjoyed some tasty crabcakes served over vegetable-filled corncakes. The smoked salmon appetizer was also a winner.
|
|
|
Oneida Bring it to the Table Contest 2011
A number of the Tulalip Chefs (including myself) made it to the top twenty of the Oneida “Bring it to the Table Contest” in 2011. Chef Perry Mascitti at Tulalip took second place. The dish I submitted is our House-Smoked Sockeye Salmon over Cucumber Tower filled with Chevre, capers, dill, and shallots with taro root chip. I also served this at The Taste of Washington in Seattle this year for 1500 people (my prep cooks hated me!).
 
|
Northwest Travel Advisor Tulalip Resort
Luxury casino resort is just half hour from Seattle
By TONY MINER
But we settled on Blackfish Wild Salmon Grill and Bar, a choice that proved to be excellent. The list of fresh seafood is impressive and included Sockeye and King salmon, halibut, sea bass, Alaskan King and Dungeness crab, and scallops. You can even choose to have your salmon prepared the traditional tribal way over an open fire pit with ironwood sticks. |
Taste of Tulalip 2010
by Sips and the City
David Buchamam, Blackfish Chef: Apple Lacquered Pacific Halibut over Savory Fennel-Butternut Squash Bread Pudding
Notes: I really enjoyed this dish. Being from Alaska, I can be rather picky with my seafood (I mean c’mon, I’m used to eating fish I hauled out of the ocean/river/lake myself), but this halibut was prepared perfectly. It was tender and cooked well, and the accompanying butternut squash bread pudding was an amazing pair to the fish.
Read more… |
Taste of Tulalip 2010
by Heed The Hedonist
Tulalip’s Sous Chef David Buchanan of Blackfish Restaurant concocts a tasty apple lacquered pacific halibut, served atop a savory fennel-butternut squash bread pudding.
|
Comments from before Site Migration
Add a Comment!
I love this website! A quick introduction: I am the head of West Coast Operations for Blue Island Oyster Company handling CA. & NV. Our corporate headquarters are in West Sayville, New York with distributive satellites in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Las Vegas, Miami, Tampa and Blue Island Oyster Bar, our first restaurant, is in Denver, Colorado. I travel all over the world seeking the finest oyster & clam sources available and we carefully hand deliver them directly to the walk-in 1 to 2 days from harvest of origin. I will be happy to assist with my expertise… Read more »
@disqus_d1JnZlryrg:disqus I would be interested in what oysters you can deliver. I have wanted to run some West Coast oysters in my restaurant (especially because they are virginacas) but find availability on the West Coast to be spotty. You can contact me at davidbu @ tulalipresort.com