About Chef at Market
HELP US COMPLETE AND MAINTAIN OUR ARCHIVES
If you have given a Chef at Market demonstration at one of our markets
but are not listed above, or,
if you would like us to update your existing information, please send your bio
and a digital photo (JPEG) to
jannahowley@freshfarmmarkets.org.
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DANIEL BORTNICK
Executive Chef, Firefly
Daniel Bortnick is no stranger to the Washington, DC, Metro area. His roots in the area go deeper than those of Firefly's signature decorative tree—almost to the very block on which the restaurant sits today, where his grandparents owned a neighborhood grocery. Daniel's great uncle was a DC restaurateur who was also known as 'The Watermelon King,' a name he was given because of his penchant for handing out melon to local children.
After graduating from Madison with a degree in marketing and international business, Daniel switched gears and decided to attend the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, which he claims is 'the ultimate food city.' He worked at Rivoli, a popular neighborhood restaurant in Berkeley while attending classes. After finishing culinary school, Daniel returned to Madison to work the line at Restaurant Magnus and consulted and developed menu items for The Blue Marlin.
The call of the larger culinary scene led him to New Orleans and to Lima, Peru, where he staged at Rafael, one of the area's most esteemed restaurants. Daniel returned to the U.S., to his first lead chef position at Casablanca Café in Palm Beach. Next, he became chef de cuisine at DC's Mendocino Grill, where he put his love for the style, ethics and ingredients-driven philosophy of Northern California cooking to use.
Daniel's next culinary foray was to Florence, Italy, where the simple flavors and traditions of the area were an epiphany. The clean ingredients of the markets and local farmers added regionality to what he had already grown to love about products and preparation.
Upon his return to DC from Italy, he found a simpatico culinary mind in Robert Weland, executive chef of Poste Moderne Brasserie. Daniel was engaged by Weland's view on the local, regional, organic and seasonal, as well as the relationships with growers and farmers. He became Weland's executive sous chef.
Daniel's position as executive chef at Firefly will emphasize contemporary American Comfort Food made with local ingredients.
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