A Quickie with Danny Ganem

A bad man in Bird Dog shorts

Photo by The Louis Collection

A wise and flamboyant pro wrestler once said “To be the man, you’ve gotta beat the man.” Which may be sage advice in the WWE, but may not be so practical for chefs. Perhaps a better recommendation would be, “To be the man, you’ve gotta learn from the man.” And if that’s the case then, brother, Danny Ganem is the man.

The Miami native has studied under some of the biggest names in the game, from South Florida legend Norman van Aiken to steak master Michael Mina. Laurent Tourondel was so impressed with Danny’s skills he tapped him to run BLT Steak at the Betsy. And DC’s Michelin-starred Fiola picked him to run things at its first Florida outpost in Coral Gables.

Last year, Ganem finally got his own spot at Daniel’s Florida Steakhouse in Ft. Lauderdale. And while it was an honor, it was also a schlep from his home in Kendall. So in July he opened Daniel’s a little closer to home, in the old Fiola digs right off Sunset Drive. We caught up with him on opening nig…