When Food & Wine named Dave Beran as a Best New Chef in 2014, the avid runner shared that he had developed the “Hunt” menu at Chicago’s Next restaurant while he was training for a marathon. “That menu was not really about hunting but about being outside and searching for something and taking in everything around you,” he explained. “I ran over a fallen birch tree, and it gave me the idea to serve a plate of appetizers on a log.”
That spirit of creativity and observation fuels everything Beran puts on the tasting menu at his ever-changing fine-dining restaurant Seline in Santa Monica, California, and his elevated French spot, the Michelin-starred Pasjoli, nearby.
The self-taught chef has long been treasured as a trusted mentor to the culinary community, and more recently as the culinary instructor who gets actors like Jeremy Allen White and Will Poulter convincingly camera-ready as chefs on The Bear, as he revealed on an episode of F&W’s Tinfoil Swans podcast.
Clever upgrades like Chunky Olive Butter and Celery Salt amp up flavor in dishes like Potato Chips with Whipped Beurre Blanc and Herbed Leg of Lamb with Roasted Tomatoes, while Autumn Oxtail Stew and Cauliflower Couscous with Cheesy Crumbs are cleverly crafted to pair perfectly with wine.
Find your next favorite recipe from this eternally evolving and always excellent chef below.
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Toasted Quinoa, Charred Onion, and Brussels Sprout Salad
John Kernick
Dave Beran tosses boiled quinoa and crunchy roasted quinoa with smoky charred onions, shaved brussels sprouts and piles of fresh herbs for a texturally thrilling and delightfully filling salad dressed in lime, Dijon mustard, and crushed chiles.
Endive-and-Manchego Salad with Smoked Cocoa Walnuts
The oil left over from frying walnuts is the secret to the dressing for this colorful salad, a mix of red and Belgian endive, grapefruit sections, and shaved Manchego cheese. Got a little free time? You can make the nuts — seasoned with cocoa and smoked salt — up to a week ahead.
Grilled Skirt Steak with Shishitos and Charred Lemon
Herb-marinated steak; spicy shishito peppers; pungent blue cheese; and a smoky lemon-dressed salad of frisée, watercress, mint, and peppers are cleverly balanced in this 50-minute meal you’ll be making all grilling season.
Herbed Leg of Lamb with Olive Butter and Roasted Tomatoes
By Dave Beran’s reckoning, the only thing better than lamb is extra with extra butter. And the only thing better than that is butter melded with olives and mustard for some extra punch against medium-rare, marinated meat and roasted tomatoes.
Roasted Acorn Squash with Garlic Butter and Burrata
Be careful when you serve Dave Beran’s indulgent vegetarian main to a crowd, because you’ll be on the hook to make it for every gathering from here on out. Roasted acorn squash meets garlic, shallots, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and burrata, with a topping of fresh baby greens and pungent red onion in your new favorite dinner party flex.
Spicy Yeast Salt
Brewer’s yeast is the secret ingredient in Dave Beran’s umami-rich multipurpose seasoning salt, blended with gochugaru, and citric acid. Start by sprinkling it on roasted vegetables and you’ll find yourself using it on meats, pasta, popcorn, and anything else that could use a little umami oomph.
Potato Chips with Whipped Beurre Blanc
There’s chips and dip, and then there’s whipped crème fraîche with wine, vinegar, sliced shallots, garlic, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns to scoop up with your favorite potato chips and Champagne, Dave Beran style. You’re welcome.
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