A New Talent at an Old Favorite: David Cannon at Division Street Grill

When Arne Paglia first opened the Division Street Grill doors 13 years ago, he knew that his sophisticated eatery in the center of town had a certain spark. Today, the myriad other restaurants opening up and thriving are a testament to his vision that Peekskill deserved something beyond sauce and cheese, fried dumplings, or subs and heroes.

Driving that dream today is the newly-minted, intrepid Chef David Cannon, a 29-year-old from Poughkeepsie whose style and panache in the kitchen is the combination of instinct, family heritage, and hard-fought experience. While relatively new to a game where chefs play well into their senior years, Chef Cannon displays one trait that is a common denominator among all kitchen craftsmen: a professionalism that blinks through his eyes.

“I never even thought of doing anything but this,” he says, reminiscing without saying so.

As a kid, Chef Cannon finished high school in Montgomery, NY, and went to work in the kitchen of a small-time, Italian-American restaurant as a prep cook. For three years, he sliced tomatoes and shredded mozzarella, but it was an experience that ignited his original drive to discover more about food.

“I hated Italian food,” he jokes. “I’ve always hated Italian food. But that’s why I took the job. I wanted to learn more… It’s what sells in New York. People love it…. I actually like it, now.”

Chef Cannon then enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park. While a student there, he entered into an externship at the Caneel Bay Resort at St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. On the sunny island, he hammered out a work ethic that sticks with him today–all the while, enjoying the little perks of the job.

“Because I lived onsite at the resort, if one of the externs called in or didn’t show up to work, the chef would be knocking on my door at 5 a.m.,” Chef Cannon recalls. “Our shifts were sometimes from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on a weekly basis. But I got to look out on the Caribbean while working on the line every day, so it was really nice.”

Shortly after school, Chef Cannon moved on to a large Italian restaurant called Ruvo in Port Jefferson on Long Island, cooking on the line. When the owners decided to open a new location, La Tavola in Sayville, NY, Chef Cannon was their first selection to become their new sous chef. Opening a new restaurant offered its pitfalls– including a serious third-degree burn to his hand and forearm, his wrists now smooth with scars–but Chef Cannon grew and matured in his position there.

“Opening the place was insane,” he remembers. “Everything that could go wrong, did. Ironing out the service, putting together a menu, figuring out the logistics of the kitchen…. But the people I worked with and the experience itself was the most fun I’ve had in my life.”

In 2009, Chef Cannon went back to school for a two-year program at the CIA, earning his a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management. It was the final piece of a career puzzle that gave him the leg up in management that he needed to become an executive chef.

Inevitably, that confidence led him to the Division Street Grill in Peekskill. Chef Cannon applied and trailed in the kitchen during busy nights. It was a perfect fit.

“I’ve worked in a lot of places, seen a lot of things I like and a lot of things I don’t like,” he says. “I never wanted to be one of those chefs who throws a frying pan across the kitchen or screams at the staff. I don’t run my kitchen with fear, but with respect…. I don’t function well in hostile environments.”

For inspiration, Chef Cannon draws on his childhood in order to create memorable dishes for his regular, dedicated clientele.

“I like to use fish and shellfish,” the chef says, waxing nostalgic. “My mother is old-school Boston-Irish, so clam chowders, lobster bakes… that’s like memory food for me. And my grandparents on my dad’s side are British, so we ate a lot of meat, too. Hearty dishes, like shepherd’s pie and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding… that was every holiday for me, cooking with my father and grandfather.”

Since his first day, owner Arne Paglia has allowed Cannon to exhibit some artistic freedom in his food, and has also encouraged him to bring some of those childhood dishes to the tables at his restaurant. In addition, Paglia has brought in a fellow restaurateur and friend, Joe Horan–whose reincarnation of the Peekskill-favorite dining locale, Hugo’s, opens around Christmastime–as a consultant and a guide for Chef Cannon as they work to expand the menu.

“We’re pleased to have Chef Cannon join us,” says Paglia. “He brings new dishes and exciting specials to our established cuisine and menu.”