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| Daniel Andre of Milan Mediterranean Bistro and Grill by Jennifer Grzeskowiak Chef Daniel Andre started his culinary career in a very traditional manner: at a French cooking school. His international career path has led him to Milan, where he serves up Mediterranean dishes, including tapas and entrees, influenced by American cuisine. Along the way, he has picked up tips and techniques from the talented chefs, interesting countries and varied restaurants he’s been exposed to, and has mastered the ability to make them work together. Beginning more than 25 years ago at the Hotel School of Paris, Andre learned classic French cooking techniques. But he says that after he completed his training, lighter fare began to gain popularity. Rather than heavy cream sauces, instead olive oil, broth and herbs became more en vogue. Despite eventually leaving France to work in Bermuda, Andre still had a connection with his native country through a chef he worked with from southern France who contributed to Andre’s skills in the kitchen. The Paris-born chef made his first appearance in Atlanta in 1989, working for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Andre remained with the hotel chain for seven years, moving around the country. He says that cooking for the Ritz-Carlton allowed him to work with European and Oriental cuisine, except for the Pasadena, California location, which focused more on food with a West Coast influence. Milan is the first opportunity Andre has had to work mainly with Mediterranean food, which he says is characterized by the use of olive oil, citrus fruit, and cheeses, such as feta and pecorino. One representative dish is the lamb kebob, which comes with Greek yogurt. He also gives himself room to add interesting twists from other regions. While Andre enjoys melding elements from varying cuisines, he says it’s sometimes challenging to strike the appropriate balance. “We don’t want the menu to seem too foreign to diners,” he says. “Lately it has been more American, but we are planning to move back more toward Mediterranean.” With the readjusting of the menu, sometimes Andre’s favorite dishes are rotated out. The restaurant, for instance, no longer serves duck with fig sauce, an entrée that he enjoyed preparing. One of his favorite dishes currently on the menu is the roasted garlic parmesan crusted salmon. He explains that many of the restaurant’s dishes are more European in the fact that they don’t all contain a meat, vegetable and starch. The salmon, for instance, is served with grilled vegetable ratatouille made from squash, zucchini, tomatoes and basil. Another European characteristic is the presentation of the food, which usually arrives in neat, colorful stacks. To develop his technique, Andre says it’s important to ask questions. “I’ve moved around a lot and worked with different people. You take what you want to take from each one of them,” he says. He also says that books can be a great resource. “It’s difficult to go everywhere and do everything. Books introduce you to new ideas, and then you can play with those ideas and adapt them to your own style.” And for most chefs, improvisation is what cooking is all about. Andre, in fact, prefers preparing savory dishes over baking because the latter technique involves more scientific precision. “It’s like a different job within the same business,” he says. “I like being able to experiment and play more with the food when I am cooking.” But don’t let Andre’s preference for savory foods fool you; the desserts at Milan are definitely worth trying, especially the sabayon with berries, which is an almond-flavored, cookie-like basket filled with cream custard. Andre says that he feels at home in Atlanta and certainly doesn’t plan to move back to France anytime soon. And with a constantly changing menu, Milan gives him the opportunity to continue experimenting and finding new ways to draw on his American and Mediterranean influences. The end result: an inventive menu that rivals the restaurant’s highly trafficked patio area. Milan is located at 3377 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30326. For more information, call (678) 553-1900. |
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| Chef Daniel Andre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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