Brian Busker was born and raised on Delaware’s eastern shore, where his love for seafood derived. As a child in Rehoboth Beach, he spent every summer flounder fishing, crabbing and clamming from his grandparent’s pontoon boat. In his teen years he became hooked on the adrenaline of trolling for game fish such as bluefish, tuna and marlin. Between the fishing with his dad’s parents and the cooking with his mother’s Italian side of the family, Chef Brian feels he was destined to spend his life around food.

 

His path to Nobu Matsuhisa in Vail began in the very town that inspired his love for food, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. After working multiple summers at a fish market, he decided to move into the restaurant business. Deciding to venture outside of his “box” in Delaware as he calls it; he packed up and moved to Hawaii at the age of 19. It was on Oahu, where he felt was the first time he got to experience “culture”. He instantly fell in love with the cuisines of Hawaii, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

 

Once he left Hawaii, Brian traveled and worked extensively from 1995-2003 in Delaware, France, Colorado, Virginia, New York and finally settling in Florida. Most notably, along his journey he staged at Chef Pierre Gagnaire’s iconic 3 Michelin starred restaurant in Paris. From there, Brian returned to culinary school at the Le Cordon Bleu affiliate school; Orlando Culinary Academy. After culinary school, he moved back to Colorado and found himself at the Vail Cascade. There, he worked under Adam Votaw, a Michelin Starred chef who was a direct descendant of the famed Roux brothers’ restaurant, La Gravoche and The Point at Saranac Lake.

 

In January of 2011 he heard Nobu was coming to town and began sending resumes, making phone calls and whatever it took to get on the opening team for Matsuhisa. Fortunately, his persistence paid off and he was hired in July of 2011 as a sous chef before being promoted to Executive Chef, eight months later. “It is an honor to be able to work with a world class celebrity chef who just so happens to be a master at his craft. Since I’ve been working with Nobu, I’ve been able cook alongside him, for and with celebrity chefs, Jose Andres, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller. This paired with the beautiful mountain life of Vail, Colorado is what I would say is the greatest reward for all of my hard work”.