Chef Tony Duman

I grew up in the latchkey kid era, I came home and fixed whatever food was in the fridge for my brother and myself. Until my senior year of high school, I wanted to become a marine biologist or an oceanographer. I took a catering class for an easy A, but my teacher saw how much I enjoyed cooking. She urged me to enter an upcoming competition and I wound up winning a scholarship to the Art Institute of Atlanta culinary program.

Culinary school instilled the basics, but you really learn in the field. My style is a combination of my personal tastes, my maternal Boston Jewish palate, my paternal black Southern palate, and the ever-changing food culture that influences us all. I consider my strongest influences to be Asian or Latin, but I don’t want to get stuck in a rut so I love to experiment.

I've worked at several places on the Outer Banks after relocating from Atlanta. I’ve taken something away from everywhere I’ve worked. You have to have your eyes and ears open at all times, then figure out what works best for you. I’ve seen things I didn’t like, so I try not to fall into those patterns, and I’ve seen things I’ve put in my pocket for later use.