Episode 212. Chef David Danielson – Former Executive Chef, Churchill Downs Racetrack (2011-2022)

Chef David Danielson applies classic French training with fresh and local flavor.

As executive chef of the historic Churchill Downs Racetrack (home to the Kentucky Derby),
Chef Danielson celebrates authentic southern flavors with the richness of fresh and local ingredients. He brings over 20 years of hands-on experience in the hospitality industry with classic training to multiple restaurant formats offered at the track. In 2011, he joined the Levy Restaurants team at Churchill Downs as executive sous chef and was named executive chef in 2013.

Prior to joining Churchill Downs, Chef Danielson held executive chef positions at Rockefeller Center (New York), United Nations Plaza Hotel, and The Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. His expertise extends into the world of catering and special events, through managing and organizing world-class events throughout the world. He has recently overseen Kentucky Derbies 2011–2016, the 2011 Super Bowl, US Open Tennis Championship, 2016 Rio Olympics, 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympics, Chicago Gourmet, Lollapalooza, Red Bull Air Races, and the Lexus tour.

He trained at Dumas Pere school of French cooking and later continued at the renowned hotel school Ecole Hotelier Tain l’ Hermitage in France. He further developed his craft working alongside some of the industry’s greatest legends in North America, Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, and South America.