Once upon a time, 2005 to be exact, a young man named Daniel stepped into a scratch-cooking kitchen in a café for his first day of work. Never having worked in a kitchen before, he figured he’d enjoy the summer there and move on to something else. What happened instead is a love story that has spanned close to 20 years, with Daniel discovering a deep passion for both cooking and the art of hospitality, and becoming a stellar chef in his own right. Now DSquared’s Chef de Cuisine inside Benaroya Hall for our Muse and David’s & Co. restaurants, Daniel spends most days constructing new menus, cooking delicious food, and finding immense joy in leading and empowering his tight-knit culinary team to find their own love for the craft. Perhaps what brings him the most satisfaction, however, are the countless small opportunities to find ways to surprise and delight a guest with exceptional hospitality.

When he’s not cooking up something delicious, he’s hiking through one of Washington’s many parks or trails with family and friends, or setting a new world record (yes, we mean that literally!) on his classic Super Nintendo system.

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