Daniel's at Leschi

In a complex and often confusing world, you have to like a place named Daniel's, simply named after a guy named Dan that has, with few exceptions, stayed with the same concept for 30 years. You know what to expect and you get it.

Booths in Leschi's dining room

Daniel's was started in 1980 by Dan Sandal who has a long history in Seattle's food business. His grandfather, Dan Zido, and a partner started a meat market called Ziegler & Zido in what is now IL Bistro at Pike Place Market. He started a second meat market, Dan's Better Meats, which is now Don and Joe's Meats at the Market. Don Kuzaro, Sr. and his brother-in-law Joe Darby, bought the business in 1969 and their families still own it. Dan grew up around restaurants since his father sold to most of them (his father married Dan Zido's daughter). Dan and a partner created Benjamin's which Schwartz Brothers (John and Bill) eventually purchased.

When Dan was 40, he decided he wanted to open his own restaurant. "I wanted to see if I could do it," he recalls. "I did it on my own so I didn't have to deal with others' dreams and problems and wouldn't be at anyone else's mercy." It was not an easy task. There were problems with neighbors and the liquor board. But he perservered. "From the beginning, it was a steakhouse," says Dan. "I grew up around Canlis and this was my view of Canlis. It took off from day one." The Leschi location had been inhabited by Seaborne's Marina and was also the first Seattle Ferrari dealership/sales loft. "Two of us bought Ferraris from them and parked in front of the restaurant to draw people in," laughs Dan.

In 1981, Dan sold Daniel's to the Schwartz Brothers. John passed away in 2003 from multiple myeloma. "John was one of the finest, hardest-working guys I've ever met. He was very special," says Dan. "I had too many businesses back then, but I knew this restaurant would be there forever and they deserved to have it." John and Bill had begun their restaurant group with The Butcher in Bellevue in 1970. Interestingly, The Butcher Restaurant lasted 30 years in the same location until the property was sold. At the time, Schwartz Brothers restaurants also included Benjamin's and The Sandwich Shop and Pie Place; all were casual dining. Henry's Off Broadway was their high-end location.

"I was just a kid at the time," says current President and CEO Lindsey Schwartz. "But I believe we were going toward that high-end opportunity. The Leschi location was one of a kind. It was a beautiful spot and very convenient for people coming from Bellevue and Mercer Island. The convenience isn't there anymore; the off-ramp from I-90 going westbound right before the tunnel was removed when they expanded the bridge. At the time, there were no high-end restaurants in Bellevue, so Leschi was it. Now the restaurant is supported by the neighborhood and those long-time customers who still come for special occasions. Of all our restaurants, Leschi has the largest percentage of business from special occasions. That gives us all the more reason to be proud that we've been here 30 years. It's built up such a loyal following."

President & CEO Lindsey Schwartz

Schwartz Brothers operated Daniel's just as it was for several years before going toward an even more high-end dining experience. After opening the Bellevue Daniel's in 1989, they moved exclusively to USDA prime beef. "We raised the bar," recalls Lindsey. "When we raised the food cost and guest check average, we challenged ourselves to raise the level of service as well. The whole experience has to go up. We wanted to be a world-class steakhouse. That was the biggest change to the Daniel's concept." The third Daniel's location, at South Lake Union, was opened in 1999 in a former Benjamin's space.

Menu-wise, things have remained fairly static at Leschi. They have the same menu items as the other two locations, but they also do some extra things for the neighborhood, like two no corkage nights a week and a few lower-cost specials that appear only at Leschi on Monday and Tuesday nights. "The name is Daniel's Broiler Prime Steaks and Chops, so we've always had bone-in meats. Earlier, the chops were primarily veal or pork. Now packers are more creative. We currently have a bone-in rib eye and filet mignon," explains Lindsey. "Having chops as well as steaks is more unique to us than the average steakhouse. We also still offer some desserts, like the chocolate dipped strawberries, that have been on the menu the whole time."

Chef Todd Leggett

Schwartz Brothers takes pride in providing great service. "Our people make the difference," says Lindsey. "Ira Muench is Leschi's general manager. It takes a special kind of manager to run a place that relies so much on special occasion business. Ira is a great manager and makes people feel special. His warmth is part of the Leschi experience. Ira has been with the company for seven years, starting as a server in Bellevue. Todd Leggett is the chef. Todd has been with us for 19 years and was the chef at The Butcher in Bellevue and sous chef at The Butcher in the Seattle Design Center."

General Manager Ira Muench

Schwartz Brothers always keeps their eyes open for new opportunities. As their flagship concept, Daniel's is the most likely to expand. Finding all the necessities in one place—a view or waterfront location, density of business nearby and the right demographics—is hard to do. "Our comfort level is certainly in Seattle," says Lindsey. "This is where we've found the most success. But that's not to say we wouldn't consider Portland; just not New York! We're very proud of the Daniel's brand and especially happy with the unique Leschi location. It's very different from the other Daniel's locations and will always be a special spot. You don't see places like this anymore. We've recently signed a new lease for the location and plan to be here for a long time."

All photos courtesy of Schwartz Brothers

Connie Adams/March 2010