Daniel Gendron was raised in Tokyo, Japan and is a 1981 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America.  He has cooked throughout New York City at its finest restaurants and catering establishments. Formerly the Chef of Valeur Mansion, the pre-eminent mansion/event venue on prestigious River Road in Rhinebeck, NY,  Daniel Gendron received his Certified Executive Chef status through The American Culinary Federation.  The Tasting Room restaurant, now in its 9th year, offers guests an open kitchen and a place where every table is the chef’s table.

Daniel proudly follows in the footsteps of his father, Jean Pierre Gendron, who was the chef and host of the well-reviewed and much-loved Lucky Pierre restaurant below the renowned Latin Quarter Club in NYC. A dining experience at The Tasting Room offers something very similar to Jean Pierre’s “Petit French Coin”, with unique food prepared from fresh ingredients and an ever-present chef and host.

Chef Daniel’s beautifully simply culinary philosophy centers on taste, presentation, and detail.

Taste: All menus require the integration of fresh, local (whenever possible), resources, experience and “ingrediuity” (chef‘s word defined as “ingredients and ingenuity”). These essential elements come together in the final creations from Chef Daniel’s kitchen. We strongly support local farms and sustainable, regenerative methods of producing foods.

Presentation: The food is always prepared with an “Explosion of Flavor and a Riot of Colors”. We “KISS” (keep it simple stupid), to create an artful, artisanal, unique experience for every guest.

Detail: The details of The Tasting Room experience are defined through our collaborations with high quality local farms, fish mongers, and slaughterhouses, a bespoke, cozy room, and the chef’s curated music playlist.

Finally, the secret ingredient creating the je ne sais quoi of your Tasting Room experience is the chef’s endless passion. Chef Daniel loves what he does. Each of our guests feels the love that goes into every Tasting Room dish he creates.