Damien Brockway
With 27 years of professional cooking experience, Damien M. Brockway has built a distinguished career that spans the United States, from Connecticut and Vermont to the culinary hubs of New York, Boston, and San Francisco. A 2003 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Damien has honed his craft in some of the nation's most prestigious award-winning and Michelin-rated establishments.
In 2012, Damien made Austin, Texas, his home, setting the stage for his most personal project to date. The concept for Distant Relatives began to take shape in the fall of 2018, eventually launching as a pop-up series in the summer of 2020. This vision culminated in the official formation of the restaurant on August 24, 2020, and the opening of the Distant Relatives trailer on 3901 Promontory Point Drive Austin, Texas 78744.
As the Chef, Pitmaster, and Owner of Distant Relatives, Damien has garnered significant acclaim. His accolades include being named a Star Chefs Rising Star Chef in 2017 and receiving a Texas Food & Wine Alliance Culinary Grant in 2020. Since opening his own venue, the industry has taken notice: Culturemap named him a Rising Star Chef in 2021, and Distant Relatives was recognized by Time Out Magazine and Eater as one of the best new restaurants that same year.
Damien's expertise in barbecue earned a spot on the Texas Monthly BBQ Top 50 in 2021. His culinary excellence has been further validated by the James Beard Foundation, where he was a semi-finalist for Best Chef: Texas from 2022 to 2023 and earned nominations for the 2024-2025 season. Most recently, his work has been honored with the prestigious Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Award for 2024-2025.