Chef Daniel Dalton to oversee all culinary operations including Little Palm and Frannie & The Fox
Charleston, S.C., February 13, 2024 – Makeready, a hospitality company that concepts, manages and operates an independent and diverse collection of hotel, restaurant and retail brands, is pleased to announce Daniel Dalton as executive chef at Emeline and The Ryder Hotel and their onsite eateries.
For Emeline, this includes Frannie & The Fox, The Den and Clerks Coffee Company, and at The Ryder Hotel this includes Little Palm, The Backyard and The Coffee Counter. Chef Daniel will also oversee in-room dining and all banquet and event catering at both properties.
“We are incredibly excited to have Chef Daniel joining the Makeready team,” shared Adam Jimenez, Area General Manager for Food & Beverage at Makeready. “Frannie & The Fox and Little Palm are beloved by both visitors and the local Charleston community with each offering its own, very distinctive experience. Chef Daniel’s extensive culinary background will allow both properties to continue to provide a playful and delicious dining experience for all our guests.”
The Executive Chef position was previously held by Chef Tim Morton who’s focus has now shifted to support new restaurant openings for Makeready restaurants. With over twenty years of industry experience, Chef Daniel is a talented culinary professional who has overseen and worked for a number of high-profile restaurants. Most recently, he served as culinary director and executive chef at Harbor View Hotel in the Martha’s Vineyard area and as executive chef at The Olde Farm Golf Club in Bristol, Virginia. He also spent time as the Chef de Cuisine at the internationally esteemed Augusta National Golf Club. Chef Dalton is professionally trained at The French Culinary Institute in New York City. In his new role at both properties, Chef Dalton will continue Makeready’s commitment to building curated dining experiences by taking inspiration from seasonal and regional ingredients to create flavor-forward dishes that speak to each overall concept.
Chef Daniel will continue to delight diners at Frannie & The Fox, a wood-fired eatery serving regional ingredients with Italian sensibilities. With effortless and sincere service, the restaurant features a charming indoor space and outdoor courtyard setting. Newly opened as an extension to Frannie & The Fox is The Den, a caviar and martini bar inviting guests to be a sly fox in this secret hideaway. The Den is not just a bar but rather an unexpected gathering place greeting guests with great drinks, wily company and hidden adventure. Clerks Coffee Company at Emeline also falls under Chef Daniel’s management and offers guests an inviting dining and café experience that behaves as a natural extension of Emeline. Airy and vibrant, timeless with a hint of nostalgia, buzzing with an underlying warmth, Clerks’ menu features specialty coffee beverages, delicious breakfast offerings and lunch menu.
At The Ryder Hotel, Chef Daniel will spearhead Little Palm’s program to feature a fresh, tropical and flavorful menu that compliments the restaurant’s cocktail driven concept and poolside location. A combination of fresh seafood, shareable plates and seasonal dishes, the menu reflects the restaurant’s airy, laidback atmosphere and the artfully crafted cocktail menu. A newly constructed courtyard in the center of the hotel is now home to The Backyard, an island-inspired bar and restaurant designed by Cortney Bishop to put a further twist on her southern cool aesthetic. An extension of Little Palm, The Bayckyard offers a stand-alone menu along with specialty dishes from its dedicated grill menu, all of which will be overseen by Chef Daniel. The Coffee Counter, The Ryder Hotel’s morning gathering spot serves coffee, specialty drinks, breakfast and lunch daily.
For more information on The Ryder Hotel’s culinary program, visit www.theryderhotel.com. For more information on Emeline’s culinary program, visit www.hotelemeline.com.
Frannie & The Fox
Frannie & The Fox is a wood-fired eatery with Italian sensibilities serving regional ingredients in an honest and straightforward environment. With a charming courtyard and adjacent greenhouse, Frannie & The Fox offers open-air dining in a gardenesque vibe with a design that was inspired by Charleston’s captivating landscape. Offering shareable and thoughtfully sourced dishes from local purveyors, Frannie & The Fox is committed to the art of seasonal cooking and highlighting regional Charleston ingredients in small and large plates, fresh salads, hand-tossed pizzas, simple side dishes and rotating featured vegetables. The perfect accompaniment to the culinary offerings, Frannie & The Fox’s cocktail program celebrates the Lowcountry’s bountiful herbs and spices. The bar specializes in innovative cocktails with an Italian twist. Each hand-crafted cocktail unveils quality ingredients that echo the city’s rich and diverse harvests to reflect a true sense of place.
Little Palm
Little Palm, a bar and restaurant and a lively poolside escape, is located on The Ryder Hotel’s second-floor courtyard. An inviting oasis, Little Palm features artfully crafted cocktails in a cool casual atmosphere, with a flavor-forward menu inspired by the coastline of the American South. The cocktail program is breezy and joyful, focusing on a blend of low-ABV, craft cocktails, and simple variations on classics with thoughtful tropical touches. The inventive offerings are designed to seamlessly take guests from day to night, and dishes center on fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared simply and honestly. A buzzing gathering place, Little Palm draws inspiration from the elegant, laid-back culture of St. Tropez in both its design and offerings.
