It’s never too late to become a celebrity chef – at least that’s the hope of Gunner Funk. Earlier this year, he convinced his father, Social Lounge Head Chef Dan Funk to enter Carla Hall’s Favorite Chef competition and now Chef Dan is in the quarterfinals. Although, he’s still not quite sure how he got there.

“I keep waiting to cook something or to send my recipes in,” he says. Yet after facing thousands of competitors and months of elimination rounds, Chef Dan still stands. At last check, he was ranked 12th among the roughly 575 or so chefs who remain. While the people at “Favorite Chef” may not know it – or care – the competition is starting to look less like a talent search and more like a buzzy way to raise money for the James Beard Foundation – Dan has more than enough chops to back up his place among the contest’s top chefs.  

Dan started cooking at 18 at Macjon’s, a small Cajun restaurant in West Chester, under the tutelage of acclaimed chef John DeLuca (who in turn studied under renowned Cajun chef, Paul Prudhomme, one of America’s original celebrity chefs).  It was here Dan developed his signature Creole style. He soon took his knowledge and his savings – $4700 – and opened a restaurant in Ridley Park. “It was that easy back then,” he said.

The restaurant was a success and soon began moving to successively larger locations eventually landing in Media – where at their peak they were serving over 2000 patrons a week. His recipes were so popular he was even inspired to write a cookbook. (I dug up this classic if you’d like to try a Dan Funk for yourself – somebody should.)  The restaurant eventually closed and in 2011, Dan signed onto a new challenge – reinvigorate the Gay Street space once home to Spence Cafe. A few years later he and partner Donnie Moore would take The Social Lounge to an even bigger Gay Street location, the former home of Doc Magrogan’s.

The competition has been fun – and good PR. However, it’s not a glimpse at fame that keeps you pushing through the heat and the stress for more than four decades.

“I like the craziness,” said Dan. “I like it when it’s busy. I like watching everyone do their job. I like conducting,” he said. He also likes the creativity and coming up with new recipes. Insider’s tip: keep an eye on the specials. (Also, in a traditional kitchen, only the head chef goes by “Chef.” Otherwise, The Bear is pretty close. Yes, I asked.)  

So, sure, this competition is probably more of a fundraiser than a cooking competition. It does still come with prize money and a cover of Taste of Home magazine – and you get one daily vote for free. Utilize yours here and keep Chef Dan moving towards his 15 minutes. After 41 years of creating , he’s earned the recognition.

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Originally published on July 12, 2024

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