In the eighth grade, Daniel Meissner decided he wanted to be a chef when he grew up—and he never looked back. He landed his first kitchen job at the age of 13, making salads and learning knife skills at a restaurant in Amenia. Culinary school in Manhattan followed, along with food-focused travel throughout Europe, namely Scandinavia, where the seasons are like ours, with long winters and short growing periods. Today, Meissner is executive chef at Willa, a 45-seat farm-to-table restaurant in Millerton; he is also a founding member of our newly assembled Chefs Table network, which will serve as a source of culinary news and information. We sat down with him to talk about what he loves about cooking in the Hudson Valley and the items every chef should have in their bag of tricks.
Hudson Valley magazine: What inspires you to go to work every day?
Chef Daniel Meissner: The best part about being in the Hudson Valley is that there is so much agriculture. We’re surrounded by so many farmers and small producers. To me, the only way to have a restaurant in the Hudson Valley is to support these people and get to know them. And not only from a business point of view, but just in terms of friendship. That’s what the Hudson Valley is about, right? It’s about community; the people make it what it is.
HV: Any challenges in your day-to-day kitchen life?
DM: I’m challenged by the seasons, by Mother Nature, and that’s the thing I love about being here. If a crop fails and we can’t continue putting carrots on the menu, then the menu changes. We move to cabbage or whatever is available. So, we’re constantly in contact with the farmers: What’s in peak season? What do they have extra of? When the farmer has something different for us, we’re excited to change the menu.
HV: Any flavors or new food trends you’re tinkering with these days?
DM: I try to not to focus on trends. We try to be true to what we do here. Flavor is about expressing the natural ingredients that we’re working with and the hard work that’s been put into growing these things. A farmer spends four months caring for carrots in the ground, and they come out sweet and delicious. It’s important to capture the essence of the ingredients and not manipulate too much. Our menu focuses on clean, bright flavors.
There’s no better feeling than to look out and see people enjoying a meal.
HV: What do you whip up at home after a busy shift at Willa?
DM: As a chef, you don’t want to do elaborate cooking at home. So, pretty basic and as quick as possible. For me, it’s a rice bowl. I’ll steam some rice, do some roasted vegetables and local meats, and that’s pretty much it.
HV: Do you have any advice for aspiring chefs?
DM: Every chef should have a knife kit. My favorite knife is a petty knife, which is slightly larger than a paring knife, but smaller than a chef’s knife. It really can do anything, from butchering to small knife work to slicing.
HV: What’s one of the best parts of cooking for a living?
DM: There’s no better feeling than to look out and see people enjoying a meal…that instant gratification you get from seeing someone smile or be excited about what they’re eating.
HV: Aside from serving delicious food, what else do you hope to achieve as a chef in the area?
DM: I want to focus on community and building the right community of like-minded people. And through that, just shining a light on the Hudson Valley and bringing recognition to the area, because we have so much to offer and there’s so much bounty here.
Related: Meet Chef David Kim of Milea Estate Vineyard in Staatsburg
