Dave Ellis
Executive Chef
For Dave Ellis, Executive Chef at Dish and Mangia, cooking isn’t about a job, it’s about doing what he loves. A graduate of Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts, Ellis has been a chef in restaurants in Washington D.C., Charleston, S.C. and Manhattan, N.Y. When he arrived in Lynchburg he started as chef of bull branch. He opened Dish in 2006, followed by Mangia. The best part of the job? “Working a lot on a busy Friday or Saturday night. For me, it’s still just being in the kitchen, working day in and day out. It’s what I enjoy doing, that’s why I do it.”
