Chef David Scales

Chef David Scales made a seamless entrance into the culinary world and food culture of Lilly’s Bistro when he joined their team in the summer of 2011. A native Washingtonian, Dave spent every summer of his childhood on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, mastering the art of fishing in all waters. To say he is an amateur angler with a passion for fish and its preparations would be a gross understatement.

By the time he was five years old, Dave knew he wanted to be a chef and began cooking for a paycheck at age 15. With four years of college completed, he enrolled in culinary school. After doing some teaching at the L’Academie de Cuisine, his alma mater, he was hired as Executive Chef at the Inn at Meander Plantation in northern Virginia.

Dave has worked with the well-known Chefs Jonathan Krinn, Marcel Bernard, and Alain Borrel who were strong influences in his own culinary development. Through a series of fortunate events, he arrived in Louisville looking for the kind of restaurant that would continue to challenge and inspire him professionally. He chose Lilly’s because, as he says, it has a soul and it has an inspiring, involved, passionate owner in Kathy Cary.

When asked to elaborate, he will say: “You can tell when a restaurant has soul by the way the food is prepared. The dishes are made from fresh ingredients, locally sourced. You can tell by how the food is garnished on the plate and by the quality of the sauces and the flavors. You can even tell by how the dishes are described and worded on the menu. Collectively, all of these things and more will reflect the owner’s respect for and appreciation of the created dish.”

Chef Dave understands and acknowledges that there are no shortcuts in the food that he and Kathy will be offering their diners. They love what they are doing, inspire one another, and lead the rest of Lilly’s talented culinary team in preparing the finest meals in this part of the country.