About Jinks Creek

Executive Chef / General Manager, Jinks Creek Waterfront Grille, Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina

Chef Dan Reilly, a native of Oaklyn, NJ, has spent most of his life in and around Philadelphia, immersed in the world of fine dining. He earned his degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. As a young chef, Dan traveled the country, working in resorts in Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone National Parks.  Chef Dan's most notable stations as Executive Chef are: The Union League of Philadelphia, a five-star platinum-rated club; Rehoboth Beach Country Club, one of the premier private clubs in Sussex County, Delaware; and Bald Head Island Country Club.

Professional Awards and Recognition:

• Top Chef Culinary Coast 2016
• National Chef of the Year, American Culinary Federation
• Dinner of the Year, Chain de Rotisseurs
• Dinner of the Year, Chevalier du Tastevin
• 3-time champion, Ocean Isle Beach Oyster Stew Competition
• Five Star Platinum Club Award
• Cooked at the James Beard House in Lower Manhattan twice
• Cooked at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia

Guest Chef Appearances, Television Appearances, and Professional Collaborations:

Chef Dan has collaborated with renowned chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter, Jack McDavid, Jim Coleman, Roy Yamaguchi, Natalie Dupree, Patricia Wells, George Perrier, Susanna Foo, Jean-Marie Lacroix, and Luciano Parolati. He has also worked with White House Chefs Henry Hallar and Pierre Chambrin. Chef Dan has participated in events like Sharing Our Strengths at Harry’s Savoy Grill with Thomas Douglas, a James Beard winner from the Northwest, and at The Union League with Walter Staib of the City Tavern.

He has made numerous television appearances, including cooking demonstrations for Fox, NBC, Chef on a Shoestring, and ABC’s Mystery Chef: What’s in Your Refrigerator? among many other shows.