Getting a seat at "Top Chef" finalist Dan Jacobs' Milwaukee restaurants has been more difficult since the show began airing in March. Jacobs said his restaurants have always been busy, but he's seen an uptick in business, especially on weekdays. Jacobs said his favorite challenge was the Indigenous foods challenge on episode nine because it highlighted a cuisine that's not traditionally given enough attention.
"Where once we were doing 100, 120 people during the week, we're now doing 200, and that's been really great. It's really given us a lot of opportunities to advance our team members and to be able to hire new ones," said Jacobs, while talking by phone Friday from his restaurant DanDan's Summerfest stand. Jacobs, 46, opened DanDan with chef Dan Van Rite in 2016.
He calls it a modern Chinese-American restaurant with a Midwest sensibility. On Fridays, between the lunch buffet and dinner, Jacobs said they see close to 400 people. The buffet is only offered on Fridays.
Dan Jacobs, foreground, works with fellow contestant Danny Garcia during the "Restaurant Wars" episode of "Top Chef: Wisconsin." The hottest ticket will be on Aug. 6, when "Top Chef: Wisconsin" winner Danny Garcia and his wife, Sumaiya Bangee, plan to come to Milwaukee for a guest chef dinner at Jacobs and Van Rite's other restaurant, EsterEv, which serves a globally inspired tasting menu.
Dinner is $150 per person with an optional $80 beverage pairing. "They are just two of the absolute nicest people in the w.
