Daniel Wilson is an entrepreneur, restaurateur and critically acclaimed chef from Melbourne, Australia.
Daniel Wilson was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and from a tender age was very fond of food. He completed an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1997.
He began his career in the kitchen of Andrew Blake’s eponymous restaurant in Southgate, Melbourne. In 2000, he was employed for several months by Daniel Boulud at Daniel in New York alongside 25 kitchen staff and kilos of truffles, porcini and foie gras in the Frenchman’s fast-paced kitchen.
Returning to Blake's as Sous Chef, Daniel soon moved to co-head chef’s position with Emma Mackay at Blake's Cafeteria. The partnership earned both chefs The Age 2003 Good Food Guide Young Chef of the Year award. Later that year, Daniel worked with Jacques Reymond at Arintji, leaving in 2007 to run the Giannakis brothers' Graham Restaurant in Port Melbourne.
The critical and popular success of these restaurant proved Daniel’s style and passion for food.
In August 2010, Daniel and his two partners opened Huxtable. With a menu of small items and share plates influenced by European and Southeast Asia cuisine, Huxtable was awarded a coveted Chef’s Hat in The Age Good Food Guide 2014.
In 2011, Daniel & his partners opened the first Huxtaburger burger bar. To keep up with demand, the trio then opened another Huxtaburger bar in in Melbourne CBD in March, 2013 and will open another in Prahran in October, 2013.
Daniel is an integral part of the Melbourne TOYS Collective group and was runner up in the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Young Restaurateur of the Year program for 2012.
Huxtaburger is an old school American style burger brand serving delicious Moondarra wagyu beef burgers with ice cold beer, crinkle cut chips and milkshakes. The brainchild of the Huxtable boys, Huxtaburger has met with great success.
First starting on Smith Street, Collingwood, the restaurant has quickly expanded to Melbourne's CBD and a High Street in Prahran will open in the near future. With a focus on quality, people keep coming back for more.
Huxtable was opened in August 2010 by Daniel & his business partners Dante Ruaine & Jeff Wong. It was one of the first serious food & wine places to open on what is now Melbourne's best dining strip. They wanted to open a casual 45 seater with an eye for detail that they've picked up from years in the industry.
After being nominated for best new restaurant in it's first year it has continued to be one of Melbourne most talked about restaurants. Daniel sources most of his produce from local producers which he has great relationships with. The whole Huxtable team is elated to have just received its first Chef's Hat in The Age Good Food Guide for 2014.