J. Daniel Montano - Club + Resort Chef

Surrounding myself with a trustworthy team is essential, but first this team has to be built.

—J. Daniel Montano, CEC, Executive Chef, Mizner Country Club

Meet the Class of 2024: J. Daniel Montano, CEC

Age: 33
Executive Chef
Mizner Country Club (Delray Beach, Fla.)

J. Daniel Montano is know for his innovative dishes that incorporate Hispanic flavors and techniques. His leadership emphasizes kindness, persistence and work-life balance, shaped by overcoming adversity in challenging kitchens. Montano champions a supportive team atmosphere, inspired by the club and resort sector’s stability and creative freedom, aiming for professional excellence and personal fulfillment.

Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): How do you feel about being recognized as one of C+RC's 40 Under 40 honorees, and what significance does this achievement hold for you?

Daniel Montano, CEC (DM): Being recognized as one of C+RC's 40 Under 40 honorees is truly an incredible honor for me. I'm both shocked and deeply honored by this recognition. While I've always strived to do my best and push myself to excel in my career, I never expected to receive such a prestigious acknowledgment.

Cooking has always been a passion of mine, something I enjoyed sharing with friends and family. To see that passion evolve into professional recognition is truly humbling. I'm not someone who seeks out the spotlight, but to be acknowledged in this way is truly special and meaningful to me. It's a reminder of how far I've come and the hard work I've put in to get here. This achievement serves as motivation to continue striving for excellence in my career and to make a positive impact in the culinary world.

C+RC: What advice would you offer young chefs aiming to excel in the club and resort culinary industry?

DM: Persistence is key: Even if you feel like your role is small or insignificant, don't give up. Every experience, no matter how minor, contributes to your growth and development as a chef.

Consistency is vital: Always show up with your best effort. Consistently delivering high-quality work and maintaining a strong work ethic will earn you respect and recognition among your peers and superiors.

Be available and flexible: In the culinary industry, being available to take on new challenges and tasks is crucial. Stay flexible and open-minded, and be willing to adapt to changing situations and demands.

Stay humble and learn continuously: No matter how experienced you become, always remain humble and open to learning. The culinary world is vast and ever-evolving, so there's always something new to discover and master. Embrace opportunities to learn from others, even when times get tough.

Embrace the journey: The path to success in the culinary industry can be challenging, with steep steps to climb. Embrace each step of the journey, recognizing that each experience builds upon the next and contributes to your overall growth and development as a chef.

C+RC: Can you share a personal challenge you've faced in your career and explain how it has shaped you as a chef?

DM: I was bullied a lot during my early years in the kitchen. At one point, I worked in a kitchen where the chef and line cooks were taking bets on how many weeks I would last. They thought I was young, inexperienced, and weak, and they were absolutely right. This kitchen was the kind where hungover line cooks would fight each other on the line, and the coolers were covered in knuckle prints. This kitchen demanded cuts, burns, sweat, and tears—at least from me. The verbal abuse, hate, and disrespect from this team—if you can call those maniacs a team—shaped my character and made me want to do better and be better than all of them. I daydreamed for years about the day they would call me ‘Chef.’ Then it happened.

I learned a ton from those maniacs, mostly what I would not be as a Chef. They taught me resilience and showed me the importance of creating a positive and supportive environment for my own team in the future. While those early days were tough, those days played a part in shaping me into the Chef I am today.

C+RC: What are your future goals and your plan to achieve them?

DM: My future goals revolve around achieving a balanced work-life harmony, especially considering my role as a father to a 2.5-year-old and a 6-month-old. Providing for my family while also being present and involved in their lives is paramount to me.

Surrounding myself with a trustworthy team is essential, but first this team has to be built. Working for a club that supports this mindset is essential. As a leader, I need to ensure my team has the same.

C+RC: What inspired your career in the club and resort sector?

DM: I have been very fortunate to work for great chefs and GMs at some outstanding country clubs to this point in my career. I believe the country club sector is the best part of our industry. I naively started working at a country club because I desperately needed an internship to graduate from culinary school. I quickly realized the work stability it provided was like no other. I also love the camaraderie I currently get to experience through Chef to Chef and PlateCraft each year.

As country club chefs, we have the opportunity to put on events as outrageous as the imagination allows. We have the ability to foster a great workplace for our teams. Most of us get to work in newer kitchens with awesome equipment, and then some of us get the chance to build new kitchens.

I guess my answer is more toward 'What inspires me to stay in the club and resort sector.'