A Short History of the Beet

Daniel Patterson is an American chef, restaurateur and food writer; he is also considered a leading proponent of California cuisine.

A self-taught chef, hee began working as a restaurant dishwasher at age fourteen and attended Duke University before dropping out. In 1989 he moved to Sonoma, California with his then-partner, with whom he opened Babette's, a French-inspired restaurant in 1994. It closed in 1999 when the lease expired. The pair then launched Elisabeth Daniel together in 2000, before he moved to become head chef at Frission.

In 2006, Daniel opened Coi and went on to win two Michelin stars two years later. Two more critically-acclaimed restaurants have followed, across the Bay: Plum and Haven.

Daniel is also an avid writer about food, contributing to New York Times Magazine, Food & Wine Magazine and San Francisco Magazine.