YOUNG IS A FORCE IN THE KITCHEN AND THE COMMUNITY
Denver Press Club Executive Chef and General Manager Daniel Young’s skill extends far beyond the kitchen into whole neighborhood mediation.

Take for instance his stint at Berkley Café S. A college architectural professor bought the building that housed the restaurant on the corner of People’s Park and across the street from Cody’s Bookstore, a landmark in Berkeley, California. The new owner painted over the panhandler in a mural that extended across the exterior of the building, because, he insisted, the panhandler represented the homeless and the riots that had once torn the city asunder culturally and politically.

The anniversary of the riots was approaching. The now-disenfranchised homeless targeted the restaurant, coming in and spewing obscenities. Young knew it was time for intervention. He sat inside the restaurant with the explosively angry owner, finally persuading him to put the panhandler back on the wall. The moment the detente was reached, every TV network flocked to the wall, recording willing artists ready to re-install the panhandler to the commemorative mural.

Even the neighborhood Bubble Lady (she’d walk up and down Telegraph Avenue blowing bubbles and somehow gaining the respect of every homeless person in the East Bay) approved. Once the panhandler’s image was restored, the Bubble Lady came into Café S and purchased a cup of coffee from Young. From that moment on the restaurant was well-received by the community and business flourished.

It was one of many coups in Young’s culinary career that took him to both American coasts working as a chef in such renowned places as the Bath and Tennis Hotel on the Hamptons to the Sports Club in Irvine, California, to Diced Onions and Fat Daddy’s in Denver, and now the legendary Denver Press Club.

Born in Battle Creek, Michigan, Young was an Olympic-bound world class high hurdler. After missing the U.S. Olympic Team in ’84, he coached and produced the 1986 women’s 100-meter Hurdles Big Eight Champion for the University of Colorado. In the ’90s, Young was the subject of Ph.D. Gordon Shaw’s book “Keeping Mozart in Mind”, a study improving athlete’s performance quantitatively. Just prior to the ’92 Olympics, Young sustained a career-ending leg injury.

Meanwhile his career in the kitchen was fired up to succeed. And in one-short year, he has turned the Denver Press Club around with his inspired menus, adaptive resourcefulness, and genuine charm. He’s drawn events and weddings to the club’s newly refurbished space, every one which has praised his culinary artistry and pure form. And his catering expertise has been specifically requested by NBC when on location in Denver earlier this year.

Young’s engaging and influential style has been lauded by enthusiastic Denver media.
This summer, Chef D, as he’s known by his team, launched “Cooking With Chef Daniel” classes on Tuesday evenings open to club members.

Clearly, Young is exceeding industry standards...and setting new benchmarks for performance.

Young and interior designer Johanna Weber reside in Denver with their 16 month-old daughter Olivia. Young’s son Maurice is a screenplay writer living in Michigan.

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