Dan Van Rite

The Climb

Training at Western Culinary Institute set the baseline for Dan Van Rite: timing, repetition, and the technical habits that make a kitchen run. Executive chef at Hinterland in Green Bay, WI, private chef at Nantucket, MA, and chef at Hinterland in Milwaukee, WI each added a different pressure point to the same discipline—managing pace, holding standards, and staying precise whether service was public, private, or running at full volume. The progression from school to kitchen leadership to ownership is the throughline. Hinterland in Green Bay, WI and Hinterland in Milwaukee, WI tested the work in different settings; Nantucket, MA sharpened the demands of private chef service, where the margin for error narrows and the work becomes more direct. Across those posts, Van Rite’s career accumulated the practical knowledge that supports both consistency and control, making ownership less a switch in direction than a continuation of the same craft. By 2016, DanDan and EsterEv became part of that structure, with Fool's Errand joining in 2021. Head Chef and Owner is a role that asks for more than cooking: it requires standards, staffing, pacing, and the ability to keep multiple rooms moving without losing the thread. Van Rite’s current portfolio shows that shift plainly. The kitchen is still the core, but the work now extends into building and maintaining the operation around it.

Today

Stewardship is the operating principle behind Dan Van Rite’s current work. Head Chef and owner means holding the line on execution while also carrying the administrative and creative weight of the business. With DanDan (since 2016), EsterEv (since 2016), and Fool's Errand (since 2021), the present tense is defined by scale, repetition, and control. The craft is no longer only in the plate; it is also in sustaining a standard across multiple projects over time.

Career - Head Chef and owner — DanDan, Milwaukee, WI (2016–present) - Head Chef and owner — EsterEv, Milwaukee, WI (2016–present) - Head Chef and owner — Fool's Errand, Milwaukee, WI (2021–present) - executive chef — Hinterland, Green Bay, WI - private chef — Nantucket, MA - chef — Hinterland, Milwaukee, WI Education: Western Culinary Institute

FAQ What is Dan Van Rite's current role? As of 2026, Dan Van Rite is Head Chef and Owner. Where did Dan Van Rite train or study? Dan Van Rite trained at Western Culinary Institute. What recognition has Dan Van Rite received? James Beard Awards Best Chef Midwest semifinalist (2018).