Daniel Patterson (chef)
Daniel Patterson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Chef, restaurateur, author |
| Known for | Culinary writing; founding restaurants Babette's, Elizabeth Daniel, Coi, Il Cane Rosso, Plum, Haven, Locol |
Daniel Patterson is an American chef, restaurateur, and author specializing in culinary writing.
Life and career
Originating from Lynn, Massachusetts, Patterson’s culinary viewpoint was shaped by his family’s frequent visits to France. At the age of 14, he began his journey in the food industry as a dishwasher. He enrolled at Duke University but left before completing his studies. In 1989, Patterson relocated to Sonoma, California with his then-partner Elizabeth Ramsey. Together, they launched Babette's in Sonoma in 1994, a restaurant inspired by French traditions, when Patterson was just 25 years old. Babette's closed its doors in 1999 after the lease ended. The establishment had been recognized by Wine Spectator as one of Sonoma’s premier dining venues. Following this, Patterson and Ramsey opened Elizabeth Daniel in 2000; despite favorable critiques, it ceased operations on New Year’s Day 2004 due to insufficient patronage. Patterson also served as the inaugural chef at Frisson, a brief venture that combined elements of molecular gastronomy and aromatherapy.
In 2006, he founded Coi, which earned two Michelin stars along with a four-star rating from the San Francisco Chronicle. At Coi, Patterson focused on incorporating foraged wild ingredients and integrating scents and essential oils into his dishes.
Subsequently, he co-opened Il Cane Rosso, a casual rotisserie located in the San Francisco Ferry Building, with Lauren Kiino before transferring ownership to her. He introduced Plum in Uptown Oakland in 2010 and Haven in Oakland’s Jack London Square in 2012. In collaboration with LA chef Roy Choi in 2017, Patterson co-founded Locol, a fast-food concept that received the LA Times Restaurant of the Year award but closed by 2018. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the closure of Coi in 2022 marked Patterson’s exit from Bay Area restaurant ventures.
Writing
In addition to his culinary pursuits, Patterson contributes occasionally as a food writer to publications such as New York Times Magazine, Food & Wine Magazine, and San Francisco Magazine. In 2004, he co-wrote The Magic of Essential Oils in Food and Fragrance alongside perfumer Mandy Aftel. His 2005 essay titled "To the Moon, Alice" critiqued San Francisco's restaurant scene for emulating Chez Panisse’s approach, suggesting this imitation hindered innovation and technical skill development. He also addressed local diners’ preference for home-style fare priced comparably to fine dining, labeling it a form of affected populism. A significant excerpt from this essay reads: "so deeply embedded is the mythology of Chez Panisse in the DNA of local food culture that it threatens to smother stylistic diversity and extinguish the creativity that it originally sought to spark.”
Awards and recognition
- Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef, 1997
- San Francisco Chronicle’s Rising Star Chef, 1997
- James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant, 2001 (for Elizabeth Daniel)
- San Francisco Magazine’s Chef of the Year, 2007
- James Beard Foundation nominee for Best Chef: Pacific, 2009 and 2010
- Two Michelin Stars awarded in 2021 (for Coi; closed in 2022)
External links
- To the Moon, Alice? – influential essay published by The New York Times