The Rise of Milwaukee Chef Dan Jacobs

In the summer of 1997 in Door County, teenager Dan Jacobs had two choices. He could work at the front desk of a resort or as a short-order cook making scrambled eggs and pancakes. Since he cooked for his family growing up as a way of getting out of doing chores, he chose cooking.

“I immediately was like, ‘Oh man, this is the life for me,’” Jacobs said.

At the end of the summer, he sensed he could make a career as a chef. When he returned to his hometown of Chicago, he enrolled in culinary school. He’s been cooking professionally ever since. Now he’s the co-owner of two award-winning restaurants in Milwaukee.

Jacobs is adding another feather to his cap: he is one of 15 contestants on the upcoming season of the cooking show “Top Chef.” Season 21 of the Emmy-winning show was filmed in Milwaukee and Madison last summer. The first episode airs March 20.

“I am so proud to represent the state of Wisconsin and the city of Milwaukee on ‘Top Chef,’” Jacobs said. “It makes me happy every time I think about it.”

Who is Dan Jacobs?

For Jacobs, school never came easily. He said, “the kitchen was the only structure that made sense.”

When he wasn’t working in kitchens in Chicago, Jacobs dreamed up fictitious menus, ate at restaurant after restaurant and poured over cookbooks. Emeril Lagasse and Charlie Trotter are two chefs who inspired him in his early days.

“Nothing else mattered. It was like I ate, slept, breathed (and) worked food,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs and his wife took a leap a faith and moved to Milwaukee in 2011. He said they fell in love with the city.

“Man, it’s awesome here. Milwaukee’s so cool, it doesn’t know it’s cool yet,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs worked at Milwaukee restaurants Roots, Wolf Peach and Odd Duck. During each adventure, he came to respect different chefs in the city, including Dan Van Rite. The two Dans bonded over a mutual liking for The Grateful Dead and the outdoors.

In the summer of 2015, the two friends had an itch to strike out on their own. Together they opened DanDan in 2016. Jacobs describes the American-Chinese cuisine as a flavorful homage to food from his childhood. Six months later, the two opened EsterEv, a private fine dining experience. It’s named after their great-grandmothers Ester and Evelyn, the cooks of their families.

Jacobs said his cooking philosophy is constantly evolving but his work is driven by simplicity and deliciousness.

“How do we make something sing with three or four ingredients on the plate and make it so memorable that you want more of it, even though we just gave you a little bit?” he said.

Both chefs are James Beard Award semifinalists many times over.

Competing on ‘Top Chef’

Jacobs said he auditioned for the show about a dozen times. He said this season was probably his last opportunity to compete. Jacobs is living with Kennedy’s disease, a rare neuromuscular disorder, which can make things like griping a knife difficult.

“Being differently abled and being able to showcase that even though you’re physically incapable of doing certain things, you could still perform at a very high level was something that was very important to me,” Jacobs said.

According to Bravo, the cooking challenges will honor state traditions like a Door County fish boil. The contestants will also use local ingredients including cheese, cherries and Wisconsin-grown cranberries.

Other Wisconsin chefs, restaurant owners and former Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun will also be featured on the show.

Jacobs can’t disclose who won, but he said his experience was full of surprises.

“They constantly kept us on our toes. It was great. It was part of the adventure,” Jacobs said.

Listen to the WPR report

Milwaukee chef competes on upcoming season of ‘Top Chef’ was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.