Born and raised in NYC, Dan grew up in a family where cooking always played a major role. Dan attended Syracuse University where he majored in Nutrition and Hospitality Management. He spent his externship in the dining room of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Cafe and after graduation returned to work in the front of house until he was offered his first kitchen position as a prep cook. It was USC that opened his eyes to the wonders of seasonal cooking and he spent the next two and a half years working his way through every station. In 1999, Dan was asked to be a part of the opening team of Tabla Restaurant and spent the next seven years working his way up, becoming Tabla’s first Chef de Cuisine. Under Chef Floyd Cardoz’s direction, Dan was able to fine-tune his cooking techniques, the balance of flavors and textures in his dishes, and the use of Indian spices. Upon leaving Tabla, Dan was hired by Tom Colicchio as the Executive Chef for a project he was consulting on called The Core Club. Dan spent the next four years as the clubs culinary leader transforming the way a "members only" dining room was experienced. Dan left The Core Club in late 2008 to join the Jean- Georges team where he's helped open restaurants in Arizona, Utah, DC and New York. In 2010, Dan opened ABC Kitchen as the executive chef and while there won multiple awards including the 2011 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant as well as being honored as Food & Wine Best New Chef of 2012. In 2013, he added another ABC restaurant to his resume ABC Cocina, leading both Kitchen and Cocina as the Executive Chef. Most recently Dan was nominated for the 2014 James Beard Award for Best Chef New York City. When Dan isn’t cooking, he spends time with his wife and two daughters.
George Kantlis was previously the GM of Phil Suarez’ popular tapas restaurant, Pipa, in the ABC Home building- where he first met Chef Dan Kluger- and, most recently, helmed Jim Lahey’s Sullivan Street Bakery and Co., co-owned by Suarez and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, as Director of Operations. During his near five-year tenure there, Sullivan Street Bakery opened its second location, in Chelsea; was named Best Bakery in NYC by the Village Voice; earned a Best for NYC Honoree designation from the NYCEDC for its commitment to the environment; and broke ground on a Miami outpost of the long-time New York City institution.
Born in the Philippines and raised in New York, Karen Shu first met Dan Kluger during her first job at the Core Club. She was then drawn to the farm-to-table concept at ABC Kitchen where she became a part of the opening team and served as Chef de Cuisine.
Seth Seligman has spent much of his life interested in food and continues to expand his passion and knowledge daily. The last ten years he’s taken that journey professionally, cooking across the east coast. Seth is a graduate of ICC (formerly French Culinary Institute) and has been working with Chef Dan for 9 years.
Diana Valenzuela began cooking professionally at Riverpark, Tom Colicchio's farm-to-table restaurant in Manhattan. She has worked in a number of New York kitchens including Boulud Sud and Del Posto. She was formerly the pastry chef at David Waltuck's elan.
Slav Dobrow has spent the past six years cooking for some of New York's most successful restaurant groups, including Momofuku, Altamarea, and Union Square Hospitality Group. Having previously worked for Chef Dan at ABC Kitchen, he is excited by the opportunity to continue learning from his mentor.
Justin Skribner is a 2008 graduate of Johnson and Wales University and throughout his 8-year career, he has worked for Jonathan Benno at Per Se and Lincoln and most recently at Batard as the Executive Sous Chef. Justin’s passion in the kitchen drives him towards Italian cuisine, the craft of whole animal butchery and pastas.
Michaelangelo is an Army combat medic veteran and 2007 Le Cordon Bleu graduate who throughout his career, has worked at Food Network Test Kitchen, Jean Georges Spice Market and Eleven Madison Park. He most recently worked with Chef Dan as a Sous Chef at ABC Kitchen and he is very excited to be a part of the Loring Place team working with his mentor once again. Michaelangelo's passion and drive in the kitchen is only rivaled by his passion for his growing family, which he devotes most of his time with when not in the kitchen.
Kendra Seay’s career began at The Little Giant in the Lower East Side where she was first introduced to the New York City restaurant industry. She then joined the opening teams of both ABC Kitchen and ABC Cocina where she served as Reservations and Events Manager.
Natalie Johnson got her start in New York working as a line cook at Jim Lahey's Chelsea pizza restaurant Co. She left to pursue an interest in the front of house and developed a curiosity about Italian wine at small plate Piedmontese restaurant Sorella in the Lower East Side. From there she worked as a sommelier at B&B's Otto, and then was on the opening wine team at USHG's MARTA learning from everyone's favorite Champagne enthusiast, Jack Mason.
Veteran beverage director of ABC Kitchen & Cocina, Ann Marie Del Bello has been a passionate hospitality professional for the last decade. She draws inspiration from the story behind local artisanal producers and her team to create a fun and educational experience throughout the entire restaurant.
Christine Ra has worked in many of New York's finest restaurants and also has a background in wine sales and hotel management. She previously served as Beverage Manager of ABC Kitchen.
A Seattle native, Chrissa Yee came to New York to study modern dance and journalism, but ended up discovering a passion for food and restaurants as she ate her way through the the city. After a stint at the James Beard Award-winning cookbook publisher Artisan Books, she worked alongside Chef Sisha Ortúzar at Riverpark and helped to build the restaurant's unique urban farm before joining the team at Craft, where she worked her way from maitre d' to dining room manager. Her commitment to hospitality extends to her work with Toklas Society, a non-profit organization that supports personal and professional growth for women in the industry.