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 night and got the inside scoop on one of the best young talents in Miami fine dining.
Do you have a nickname? My grandmother used to call me “Goyo,” she used to say Goyo instead of Gordo, and then it just stuck.
Childhood leftover memory:
My grandfather was Palestinian, he got to Chile in the 1920s or so. And so all that Middle Eastern food that he used to make, we had the leftovers. The zucchini stuff, baked eggplant, the baklava. Oh my gosh. Then when I went to Israel, it was so nostalgic. You could smell the food, taste the food ingredients, it was just so clean.
What’s your favorite restaurant to take leftovers home from?
Definitely Niven (Patel)’s Ghee. There’s big portions and he knows what he’s doing.
My last meal would be:
I’m a big fan of any braised dish, I just love the slow cooking process. So like, a beef sandwich where the beef has been cooked for four or six hours, the flavors of the beef and the sauce are just so delicate. With beautiful vegetables.
What music is on in your kitchen?
Actually, no music. I love music, and people ask me how do you go from music on all the time to no music at all in the kitchen. But my main thing is we need to be focused, and if there’s no music then everyone is focused on making sure the food that comes out is perfect.
What do you wear at home in the kitchen?
I wear a lot of black, and I do it because I don't have to think about what I need to wear for the next day. Comfortable shoes and Bird Dog shorts, too.
What is your favorite thing about the Miami restaurant scene?
I think the melting pot of flavors. You can go to 20 restaurants where you have great chefs like Michael Beltran, Valerie and Nando (Chang), and you have different flavors in every single restaurant. Some of them go towards that nostalgic, what your grandma was cooking type of food, and I think that's one of the good things that you get to see.
What is your least favorite thing about the Miami restaurant scene?
I love to cook seasonal, so, whatever the season of vegetables is, or fruit or even for seafood and fish. And here in Miami it’s a little bit more difficult because, you know, the seasons are not four seasons in a year. It's pretty much like two seasons in a year: The tropical food season, and then you have a beautiful vegetable season, which will be like spring.
What would people be most surprised to know about you?
I wake up at like 5:30 in the morning and go to bed around midnight. People are like, “How are you doing that every single day?” and if you love what you’re doing there’s no way you will not try to do it.
What is your Go-to kitchen tool?
My knives, they’re the ones I spend the most time with. Of course, I don’t buy knives anymore or my wife will kill me.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing?
Nothing. I had a friend once have me stay in her shop, literally sit down and put numbers into the computer, and I realized I wouldn’t ever be doing anything else other than being a chef.
What’s your favorite city to visit for food?
Paris
What advice would you give an inspiring chef?
Be humble. Be ready to put your head down and listen. And also, take it slow, don’t think it’s gonna be fast. It’ll be great, and amazing, but you gotta work with some of the best chefs in the world. Then after that, you’ll need to start gradually working where you want to plant your seed, and put this move and that one, and then you’ll be ready.
What is your biggest guest order pet peeve?
When they see something on the menu and then they want to change it. And you're like, why? They haven't even tried it, and they're like, oh no, because some people they want this set up with, another, cheaper fish. And I’m just like try it. This has been thoughtfully made for you, for you guys to try and have and to enjoy it.