My dear friend, David “Chef Dato” Kadagishvilli died Wednesday, January 12th from injuries he suffered in a crash in Derry Township, PA.
Words cannot express the shock and sadness I feel right now.
It has been a great honor to work with Dato, his family and all of his restaurant’s team.
Chef Dato was an incredible and inspiring man who touched the hearts of everyone he met. His optimism, love of life and sincere belief in the American dream – land of opportunity has been an inspiration to many and will continue to be his legacy. Dato touched all of our lives in so many wonderful ways and is such an inspiration – to say that he will be missed would be a terrible understatement. During the last year I got to know Dato very well while shooting his web videos and working with the restaurant. He was not only a great chef, husband & father and supporter of the community but a truly great friend as well.
Again, I cannot put in words the impact this man had on me, everyone he met, and on his community: Latrobe, Derry, the World.
His legacy, his dream and his joyous spirit will live on in the hearts of his family and friends, and in his restaurant.
His love of life and everyone he met was abundantly clear when you met him, and extended to the world by way of social media: Dato’s Facebook page, his Youtube channel and his restaurant’s website where we can always remember him.
I can truly say that when you added Chef Dato as a social media “friend”, he took it to heart and regarded you as a real friend.
Farewell my good friend.
– Nick Ker
May his memory be eternal.
