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Tim King has been around the culinary carousel more than a few times.

The Hollidaysburg native and Blue Knob resident has cooked for some of the most prestigious restaurants in the United States, including the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pine Hurst Resort & Country Club in North Carolina, several Hilton Hotels and the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. Along the way, he's cooked for the likes of Tiger Woods, Robin Williams, Andre the Giant, Fergie, Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young and George Carlin - just to name a few.

"I met so many people over the years, it just didn't matter much to me anymore," he said. "I mean, I was never one to go around dropping names or anything, but put it this way - if you can name them, I've probably met them."

King's fascination with cooking began when he was a kid, he said, adding he became accustomed to his father and grandmother cooking a big dinner every weekend.

"In my house, every Sunday was a holiday," he said.

In 1984 as a young adult, he served and completed a cooking apprenticeship at Pine Hurst Resort & Country Club. He then finished a four-year cooking school tenure in Washington, D.C., followed by a two-year stint cooking at the French Embassy in the late '80s.

"There's a lot to say about that and a whole lot not to say," he said of his stint at the embassy. "But it was quite interesting. The executive chef didn't even speak English, but I learned more there than I did in culinary school - all the basic steps and principles of cooking."

Though he cooked primarily for political elites at the embassy - including "just about anyone and everyone from the Reagan administration staff" - there were others, he said - like former Boston Celtics stalwart Larry Bird.

"He was the biggest white guy I ever met in my life," he said, laughing. "With Larry Bird, the 'Bird' really is the word. The guy even had a body like a big bird."

Locally, King's proven his cooking prowess at places such as Burgi's Roundhouse Bar & Grille in Logan Township, which closed in 2007, and the U.S. Hotel Restaurant and Tavern in Hollidaysburg. He now works at the Black Bear Inn at Blue Knob All Seasons Resort in Claysburg, preparing and presenting dishes for the resort's guests. The inn is set to open the first weekend in December. The resort is open year-round.

"You wouldn't believe the compliments we get here from people - just incredible," Doug Houck, general manager at the resort, said of King. "His cooking and the way he presents his dishes is just tremendous. He's an artist."

And versatile.

"The guy can cook anything," he said. "Right now, we're preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for 132 people during their 4 1/2-week stay at the resort. Tim is able to pull everything together, prepare the menu, order the food and set up the staff for prep work.

"He's just one of those guys who has a passion for preparing really fine food, and we're thankful to have him."

Jody Tussey, food service manager at the Black Bear Inn and the Clubhouse Bar & Grille, cited King's "Drunken Mushrooms" as his culinary stock-in-trade.

"They're the best I've ever had," she said of the dish, which contains sauteed mushrooms cooked in brandy. "They just taste better - they're creamier."

Other King staples include a five-course French cuisine meal comprised of fileted duck breast, escargot, turtle soup, salad and creme brulee (a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel); chicken marsala and lasagna.

"Personally I don't like too many soups, but I love every one of his," she said. "My favorite is the Gumbo soup, which is a spicy soup with chicken, shrimp and vegetables."

"He also makes stuff like split-pea and cream of asparagus soup - not your typical soups," Houck said. "People just say, 'Wow, this is ;.really good!' When (King) makes something, it's garnished just right and presented just right. You eat it and you know it's something really unique - like I said, he's an artist."

But perhaps the most ingratiating quality about King is his modesty, Tussey said, calling him "easy to work with" and "very down to earth."

His own explanation of his success lends credence to those descriptions.

"This is all I've ever done, so to me, it's no big deal," King said. "Sure, there are points when you say, Wow, that was really something,' or feel very proud of something you've done - and those moments will never go away. But in the end, it's just about doing what you do best, and loving what you do."

Mirror Staff Writer Jimmy Mincin is at 946-7460.