Daniel Montano, CEC, joined Delray Beach, Fla.-based Mizner Country Club as its Executive Chef in April. Since then, he’s started hosting chef’s tables events for the members.
“I absolutely love chef’s tables—they are my favorite part of the operation because they allow me to be more creative,” says Montano. “I find these events to be an excellent way to engage with the membership and introduce my cuisine to both the members and staff.”
C+RC caught up with the 40 Under 40 alum to learn more about his new role, his chef’s table experience—and try his Tiradito Verde recipe.
Club + Resort Chef (C+R): How has your transition been so far? What have been the biggest challenges or opportunities?
Daniel Montano (DM): The transition has been both rewarding and challenging. For my family, it was a sacrifice, especially leaving behind friends and loved ones, which is something that comes with the nomadic lifestyle of a chef. The biggest challenge has been balancing the demands of a new role with the needs of a young family. Integrating into a new team and understanding the preferences of a new membership are always challenging in the first year. Specifically, this role presents the unique opportunity to immerse myself in Jewish cuisine and culture, as this is my first experience working at a Jewish club.
C+RC: Do you have any specific goals for the first year?
DM: My top three goals this year are to understand the membership, gain control over labor costs, align food costs, and improve food consistency.
- Understanding the Membership: The best way to get to know the members is by being visible and accessible—whether through table touches, making follow-up calls to unsatisfied diners, or promptly responding to member requests. Listening and acting on menu requests is crucial because, ultimately, the members are the ones dining at the club, not me.
- Labor Management: Managing a team of 60 individuals can be challenging, and it can take longer than desired to get everyone on the same page. However, it’s essential that the team performs at its best to meet budgetary goals.
- Controlling Food Costs: My primary focus is on food costs, and one of the first major steps I’ve taken is introducing Clear Sky, a new software for inventory management. This was necessary because our previous inventory system was corrupt and unreliable. We are now tracking food costs for nearly every event, which allows us to pivot quickly when needed. We also practice active shopping, and I’m fortunate to have an incredible purchaser on the team, who is one of the most relentless negotiators I’ve ever met.
- Improving Consistency: To enhance communication and consistency within the team, I rely on spec sheets, recipes, station guides, and my talented sous chefs. This is especially important given that we have 22 international culinary team members joining us from October to May each year, and I need to ensure they are brought up to speed efficiently.
C+RC: Tell us more about your chef’s tables. What’s your menu-planning process like?
DM: When planning chef’s tables, I like to break away from the traditional format of soup, salad, appetizers, entrée, and dessert. Instead, I focus on creating smaller tasting portions that showcase a variety of ideas. At one of my tables, you might experience a different protein with each course, such as chicken, pork, lamb, or beef, and perhaps even a unique vegetable course.
For inspiration, I often turn to social media to stay current with plating trends and new cooking techniques. When it comes to flavor profiles, I don’t restrict the chef’s tables to a specific cuisine. Instead, I enjoy incorporating a mix of flavors from different cuisines into each course. Hispanic flavors are among my favorites to work with. We design our physical menus with Canva:
