Danny Lledó is the chef and owner of Xiquet and Taller de Xiquet. The former is a Michelin-starred, tasting-menu restaurant in Washington, D.C., and the latter offers similar food in an à la carte setting downstairs.
Born in the United States, Lledó comes from a family of cooks—his father is an accomplished chef from Dénia, Spain, located between Valencia and Alicante, and he focuses on that region’s cuisine at his restaurants, particularly paella. That rice dish is the centerpiece of his tasting menu, which starts with small plates and ends with dessert and drinks outside the dining room on the restaurant’s mezzanine.
Lledó is the most awarded paella chef in the United States, with six first-place honors in competitions such as the Paella Wine & Beer Festival in Los Angeles. His was named the best Valencian Paella at PaellaFest in Washington, D.C., and it won the people’s choice award at the Paella Wine & Beer Festival in California’s Orange County.
He recently discussed his paella and other aspects of Valencian culture and the D.C. dining scene for this podcast.
Menu Talk is a collaboration between Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News. You can subscribe to it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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