When the 21st season of Top Chef premiered in March in Wisconsin, the uninitiated quickly learned that the Midwestern state is home to an amazingly standout food scene. The show has put a spotlight on the state’s traditional fish fries, supper clubs, farmers’ markets, and of course, its award-winning cheeses.
One contestant already well-versed in Wisconsin’s culinary landscape, though, was Dan Jacobs. The chef has lived in Milwaukee for more than a decade and is a co-owner of the restaurants DanDan and EsterEv, which recently reopened in a new standalone space in the city’s Bay View neighborhood.
“I’m so happy how the show has really showcased Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” Jacobs tells Food & Wine. “It’s an incredibly supportive, collaborative city. There’s an honesty in the food, and the dining scene is comprised of owner-operators, so you have people that are actually in their restaurants, that care about the people coming in the doors, and the details of the whole experience.”
