For Eddie White, owner of Harry’s at the Harbor, continuing to enhance the dining experience will always be his goal. The beautiful restaurant is located adjacent to the lake in Adriatica Village. This quaint section of McKinney is, indeed, modeled after the cobblestone streets and architecture of a fishing village in Croatia.
Eddie recognizes that steak houses abound in the state of Texas but a really good, non-chain, seafood restaurant is hard to find. Thus, he decided to hire a Chef that has a reputation for being known for both his experience and creativity in the seafood field. With a patio on the water and a lovely view of the Bell Tower of Adriatica Village, Harry’s at the Harbor provides a unique dining experience. Harry’s new menu will still offer many of your favorite Harry’s dishes while introducing seasonal menus and great new seafood-oriented dishes.
Meet the new Chef at Harry’s; Dan Drayer. You’ve probably watched television programs featuring chefs that tend to be very passionate about food. When you meet Dan and speak with him you will notice that he is no different. Dan’s family life began in Galveston where wonderful seafood is abundant. Between being introduced to the fabulous seafood dishes at the iconic restaurant Gaidos, “The Toast of the Coast” since 1911, and having a family very involved in the pleasure of great food, Dan was exposed to the very best from early on. His grandmother taught him cooking as a very young child while his grandfather would take him fishing and teach him about the wonders of the ocean. Together his grandparents instilled in him a deep love for wonderful food, especially seafood and fine dining. They would frequently take young Dan to New Orleans and introduce him to some of the finer restaurants of the time such as Commander’s Palace, Brennan’s, Mr, B’s, Antoines, Galatroies, and more. His desire to provide the best flavors was instilled into him very early in life. He also gives credit to another huge influence in his career: restauranteur Bill Darden. Dan attributes much of his success to what he learned from Darden.
At the age of 10, his family moved from Galveston to El Paso. His taste buds were expanded there as he eventually extended his education in Physiology. Taste buds are physiological, right? In 1980 Dan moved to Dallas for graduate studies in physiology but his life as a “food fanatic” didn’t die. He says his family’s introduction to such wonderful culinary offerings was a true blessing. Now it is the McKinney and Prosper area that has a true blessing to have such a combination of a truly beautiful setting at Harry’s at the Harbor paired with the offerings of such a fine Chef. Dan has certainly proven to be an extraordinary Chef. He has earned designations of Certified Executive Chef and Master Chef from the American Culinary Federation and World organization. He was awarded the title of honorary Disciple from the Les Amis d’Escoffier Society as well as being a recipient of both the Chaine des Rôtisseurs ` Maître Rôtisseurs and Escoffier Medal of Merit recipient. He has prepared dinner for 80 at the famed James Beard House in New York City and has taught culinary lessons to countless foodies; both private and public.
Dan’s vast travels have exposed him to some of the best Chefs and dishes in the world. He looks forward to bringing his experiences and skills to Harry’s. His knowledge in seafood is a tremendous addition to the future menu at Harry’s at the Harbor which is poised to offer some of the finest seafood dishes created by a world-class Chef. Be sure and check out Chef Dan’s weekly rotating dishes highlighting seasonal seafood. In fact, you will often see Chef Dan making rounds in the dining room so be sure to stop and say “Hello”.
Dan is delighted to talk about his wife of 33 years; Juli, and their thirty-year-old twin daughters and twenty-seven-year-old son who is a Marine, soon to be deployed to Japan. Chef Dan enjoys spending time with his family and anything outdoors including fishing, shooting, gardening—and, of course, cooking.