i. Biography
Danny Grant’s career in Chicago has been built on control, pacing, and a strong read on form. Now chef and partner at Maple & Ash in Chicago, he works inside new American steakhouse culture with a style that is polished without becoming overworked, and direct without losing edge. The progression to national notice was cumulative: each step added discipline, and each role sharpened the same core strengths.
Coming Up
French Pastry School gave Danny Grant a technical base before he moved into the role of head chef at RIA in Chicago, Illinois, United States (2011–2012). That early post put exactitude front and center and established the kind of forward pressure that would define the rest of his path. The move from school to leadership was quick and deliberate, with technique serving as the entry point and not the finish line. By 2015, Maple & Ash became the next fixed point in Grant’s career, where he took on the role of chef and partner and began shaping a restaurant identity that could hold fine-dining discipline inside a steakhouse format. The work since then has been defined by a clean fit between background and concept: Chicago-based, broadly legible, and built with enough structure to carry beyond its own neighborhood.
Where They Are Now
At Maple & Ash, Grant’s role as chef and partner sits inside a concept that gives new American steakhouse culture a sharper frame. The restaurant keeps the rigor associated with fine dining, but presents it through a wood-fired steakhouse format that is immediately recognizable. The craft here is not about obscuring the genre; it is about tightening it, so the experience reads clearly while still carrying the weight of higher-level cooking. Grant has said, “For me, cooking at fine dining restaurants is a ton of fun, but there’s a lot of explaining, teaching, and gaining trust with guests.” The line gets at a part of the job that sits beyond the pass: the translation work that comes with guiding diners through a meal. He has also described the steakhouse idea this way: “I think the idea of us opening this beautiful wood-fired restaurant was that people would already understand what to expect — a steakhouse.” That emphasis on immediate recognition is central to the format, and to the restaurant’s appeal.
In Their Words “I think the idea of us opening this beautiful wood-fired restaurant was that people would already understand what to expect — a steakhouse.” “For me, cooking at fine dining restaurants is a ton of fun, but there’s a lot of explaining, teaching, and gaining trust with guests.”
Honors
Danny Grant has received Food & Wine: Best New Chef (2012). Danny's honors include two stars (2011).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Danny
What is Danny Grant's current role?
As of 2026, Danny Grant is Chef and Partner.
Where did Danny Grant train or study?
Danny Grant trained at French Pastry School.
What recognition has Danny Grant received?
Two stars (2011).
