Originally from Toccoa, Georgia, Chef Dan Warren has cultivated a diverse culinary background across the southern United States over the last twelve years. Now residing in Chicago, Dan has a deep appreciation for Southern cuisine, a passion that blossomed from his early days in Tennessee and further developed through his experiences in various esteemed BBQ joints and fine dining settings. His culinary path began in a local diner, where he first learned the fundamentals of cooking. Throughout his career, Dan has embraced opportunities to expand his skills in wood fire cooking, butchery, and sausage making. The shift to baking during the pandemic allowed him to explore a new culinary area, where he developed a solid foundation in sourdough at Flat and Point. His time at Mindy’s Bakery was an opportunity to blend his bread baking skills with his savory expertise, further refining his ability to create balanced and flavorful dishes. Outside the kitchen, Dan is an avid Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast and enjoys immersing himself in audiobooks and the tranquility of nature hikes. At Elite Personal Chefs, he values the transparent relationship between his efforts and rewards, which contrasts with his past experiences in the culinary field. The private chef lifestyle appeals to Dan particularly for the direct interaction with clients and the flexibility it offers, allowing him to personally connect with those he serves while navigating his own career path. Chef Dan Warren continues to embrace each opportunity to learn and share his culinary passion, delivering unique and heartfelt dishes to all who dine at his table.
All prices are an estimation and vary based on guest count, event location, and menu. You will get a better estimate during the booking process.
I’m originally from Toccoa Georgia, but I’ve moved around the south my whole life.
It’s hard to pick a favorite, it’s like picking your favorite kid. But a top three would be Red Hot Ranch, Tzuco, and Galit. I eat at one of these regularly and would eat at the other two much more if I could haha
Something tasty and nutritious. Probably pasta cece. It really hits home like a hearty stew or something much less healthy. I used to just eat pot roasts and the like. But this satisfies me similarly. It’s also a dish that rewards you for doing all the steps; building flavors on each other and ending up with a harmony of heartiness.
I do truly enjoy cooking southern food. It’s what I grew up around and what I grew to love as I became an adult. I’d say more than half of my career has been working in BBQ joints or meat and threes. The other half was working a wood fire grill at various fine ding establishments.
As a kid I was on an adhd medication that suppressed my appetite for a few years. I came off of it in middle school. I remember the first thing I ate afterwards was a BBQ bacon cheeseburger from Chilis. It was the best thing I’d ever eaten in my life, as if I was tasting for the first time in a few years. Ever since then I’ve been obsessed with eating and then by extension I got into cooking. I don’t know if I would still love that particular cheeseburger. But they are still maybe my most favorite thing to eat haha.
I am a real nerd’s nerd. I enjoy running DnD games for friends. I also love listening to audiobooks; often while prepping something haha. I enjoy being outdoors when the weather permits, a nice hike and lots of trees really sets the mind at ease.
I’d say this is the only job in this industry that I’ve felt a direct connection between the working I’m doing and the money I’m paid. Many other jobs have had it be fairly ambiguous as to how much money is made and who gets it. Here, everything is on a spread sheet, out in the open. Definitely makes it feel worthwhile to dig in and take on a lot of work for once and not like you are just hoping someone will notice haha.
It turns out I enjoy interacting with my clients. I first found this to be true at farmer’s markets I was working; as that was my first real, regular interaction with customers. So much of the dynamic pitched in the industry is that the chefs are not personable or socialized or capable of “dealing” with customers. I believed that for a long time. Once I got the opportunity to give the food I was making to the person who was gonna eat it I really found myself enjoying those tiny moments. There’s a lot to be said about those interactions. I also really enjoy the sense of freedom and working for yourself. I don’t have to “go into work” anymore. I get offered work and if it works for me and my schedule I can take it. It may not be for everyone but, I do enjoy a sense of charting one’s own course.
