Meet the Chef

Executive Chef Daniel J. Cleary, II developed a passion for food at an early age and comes from a family of talented chefs. Raised in the beautiful Alaskan wilderness, Chef Daniel has a great appreciation for the freshest ingredients. Influenced by years of traveling, he uses favorite ingredients and cooking styles from each culture or region, incorporates them into creative new recipes, and uses them to give classic dishes a unique, sophisticated edge.

Upon receiving a Culinary Arts Degree from the Atlanta Culinary Academy in Georgia, Chef Daniel began his career as an apprentice in Singapore. After 6 months of Asian culinary training he headed back to the states and continued enhancing his skills at the fresh seafood restaurant, The Brigantine, in Point Loma, California. Ultimately lured by the phenomenal cuisine of Las Vegas, Chef Daniel accepted a Specialty Room Chef position at the Rio Hotel and Casino, and assisted with the opening of The Rainforest Café in the MGM Grand before relocating to Minnesota in 1998.

Prior to becoming a devoted member of the Park Tavern team in 2004, Chef Daniel expanded his culinary repertoire with Executive Chef positions at the Eighth Street Grill and Café Lux in Minneapolis; as an Executive Chef he assisted with the kitchen design and opening of the new Midland Hills Country Club; He also held Executive Chef positions at Owatonna Country Club, and at the world renowned Kahler Hotel in Rochester. Chef Daniel has an extensive background in planning special events, private parties, large banquets and weddings.