Daniel Jacobs

Chef Dan Jacobs is the head chef and co-owner of acclaimed Milwaukee, WI restaurants EsterEv, a globally inspired tasting menu concept, and DanDan, a modern Chinese-American concept with Midwest sensibility.

Jacobs and his business partner, Chef Dan Van Rite, are 5x James Beard Best Chef Midwest Semi-Finalists, and 2024 James Beard Best Chef Midwest Nominees, who extend their work far past the kitchen: Jacobs is an active member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), was instrumental in the Restaurant Revitalization Fund’s $28.6B raise in 2021, and was one of four Americans to speak to President-Elect Biden on behalf of the independent restaurateurs. But his advocacy work doesn’t stop there – Dan is deeply involved in Main Street Alliance, World Central Kitchen, No Kid Hungry, and the James Beard Foundation’s Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival Campaign.

The same year they opened DanDan and EsterEv, Jacobs was diagnosed with Kennedy’s Disease, a genetic neuromuscular ailment commonly mistaken for ALS. With a disease that often makes simple tasks like walking upstairs or chopping an onion feel like a massive undertaking, he is proud to run two standout restaurants and raise money for Kennedy’s Disease awareness ($90,000 and counting).

At EsterEv, guests can expect dishes that evoke nostalgia and joy like Ricotta Gnudi that reminds Jacobs of his Eastern European grandma’s slow-cooked pork ragu; a Butter Popcorn Macaron that takes you to the movies; a Baked Alaska that tastes like Fruity Pebbles; and, as always, globally inspired Pierogies and Dumplings. This summer, Dan took runner-up on Season 21 of Top Chef, based in Wisconsin.