a day with chef graham dailey
Meet Peninsula Grill Executive Chef Graham Dailey, a charming guy with boyish good looks. Although young, Dailey has been around the sun a few times: a mentorship under celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain; a refined French culinary education; cooking experiences in Caribbean and New England enclaves; and an adopted home at the only Relais & Châteaux establishment in South Carolina. A string of celebrated places helped Dailey hone his craft, yet it was an event outside of the kitchen that solidified his passion for culinary arts. Dailey’s epiphany came by way of a bolt sent straight from the heavens. In the late 1990s, Charleston began to tap a rich vein of culinary interest. The restaurant scene experienced a major uptick, and news of a polished dining room poised to rewrite the rules for refined cuisine in Charleston piqued Dailey’s interest. Soon, he was invited to join the culinary team that opened Peninsula Grill. “When Peninsula Grill opened in 1997, everyone wanted to work in the best place in Charleston—just as we do today,” says Dailey. He placed one phone call—to Peninsula Grill. As Peninsula Grill garnered attention from the media, Dailey departed Charleston to spend time with his ailing father—a sad yet fortuitous journey. “I was cutting across a field near my family home, when an enormous bolt of lightening hit my head,” says Dailey. “It singed my hair and eyebrows, melted my boots, and stuck a chord in my soul.” The intervention by Mother Nature provided clarity. Dailey boarded a plane bound for Paris. There, he attended Le Cordon Bleu, the world renowned culinary school. Dailey became the first American student to apprentice at the Some chefs are known for bravado, others are defined by rigid precision. Dailey has always approached the fiery maelstrom of a restaurant kitchen with a calm demeanor and humor. Mark Twain wrote, “Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightening that does the work.” To which Dailey says with a chuckle, “Does the adage ‘lightening never strikes the same place twice’ include people?” “In Paris, I discovered the romance of pairing an iconic restaurant with an incredible hotel, which is precisely what drew me to Peninsula Grill and Planters Inn,” says Dailey. For two years, Dailey immersed himself in the culture of elegant European dining and travel. One day, Dailey realized that he clearly longed to return to “the pinnacle for service, for food, and for setting.” three-star Michelin rated Hotel Lutetia, a luxe Art Deco spot frequented by Pablo Picasso, Charles de Gaulle, and Josephine Baker during their respective lifetimes.