Don Bowie..............................................................................Taste Bar + Kitchen

Don Bowie

2022 TOP P&E

Hard work, dedication, and intelligent effort. These words have marked the fanciful career of one Don Bowie. Bowie is a chef, taste engineer, and visionary and has continuously used adversity and opportunity as a launch pad to jumpstart his career choices.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, an early injury put a temporary halt to his collegiate career in Atlanta, Georgia, but

Bowie maintained a sense of unwavering determination that brought him to the

University of Houston, where he majored in Marketing and Entrepreneurship.

While still in school, Bowie joined his father at Bowie’s Country Kitchen as coowner and marketing manager. During this time, as Bowie’s career aspirations began to morph into the culinary business, he became an understudy to restaurateur Rasheed Rafaey, owner of

Red Cat Jazz Cafe and Tasca Kitchen and

Wine in downtown Houston. Still a full time student, consultant, and business owner, Bowie delved into his newfound restaurateur understudy position with his trademarked gift and decided to pursue his passion of entrepreneurship full time. During this time, Bowie became a partner and operating manager at the Red Cat Jazz Cafe and spent the next two years restructuring and rebuilding the business helping to bring the cafe to great success. Bowie’s charisma and ability to take a vision and bring it to fruition has proven to be his greatest skill set. His ability to connect with anyone that he comes in contact with has helped to bring awareness to any project that he aligns himself with. In 2010, Bowie received nearly 400k votes from fans for Oprah’s OWN Network – Your Own Show competition. Additionally, Bowie was a top 15 finalist for the Food Network’s Next Food Network Star online competition. After much success in the kitchen, Bowie decided to take his newfound culinary skills to the next level and in 2011, Bowie decided to begin culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon entry into the culinary program, he quickly accepted an offer to become an understudy for Bravo’s Top Chef Season 7 contestant, Chef Tracey Bloom. Tracey’s fast paced style, coupled with Bowie’s schooling and ingenuity catapulted him into the next phase of culinary and entrepreneurial realm. Bowie quickly became known as the taste engineer as he perfected the ability to morph cutting edge culinary concepts into edible masterpieces. During this time Bowie used his skills and savvy business acumen to assist a private investment group in creating, implementing and executing a new vision for several struggling restaurants that they owned. This resulted in a new concept for the investors by delivering a streamlined menu, better processes and staff training. With very few resources, Bowie proved to be a valuable asset and proceeded to attract with his new menu an enclave of notable celebrities to their establishments including Jermaine Dupri, T.I., Jazzy Pha, Shaquille O’Neal, Polow Da Don, Raheem Devaughn, Gucci Mane, athletes, media personalities, and more. These successes and accomplishments helped to further expand Bowie's business portfolio and influence. Over the past few years his projects and endeavors have included NoBar Kitchen and Bar (Brooklyn, NY) with actor Anthony Mackie, Sweetie Pies (Houston), Featured Chef for BMW, USA, and the Executive Chef for Flower Child Houston, which is one of the fastest growing concepts in the nation developed by Sam Fox, proprietor of Fox Restaurant Concepts. In early 2019, Bowie opened up his own venture, Taste Bar + Kitchen, a crafted cocktail bar and restaurant that serves elevated chicken and waffles and comfort food. Taste is one of Houston's top restaurant destinations, and Bowie is already working on expanding the concept to Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles. Bowie also has 2 new projects, Rare HTX Restaurant and Lounge, a steak focused concept set to open 1st Qtr 2022, along with Sugar Frk, a dessert bar concept opening 2nd Qtr in Midtown.

Don Bowie Chef & Owner Taste Bar + Kitchen 3015 Bagby Street Houston, Texas 77006 www.tastebarkitchen.com