Good food has been a part of Dan Reardon’s life for as long as he can remember. Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, he logged after-school and weekend hours working at a speciality foods market owned by his aunt. Days were spent watching Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, and Ina Garten cook on TV, and nights were spent gathered around the kitchen table for his Italian mom’s homemade meals. In college, he interned for a large Chicago-based restaurant group, returning to manage one of their eateries after graduation. He worked there for seven years, handling marketing for some of the biggest restaurants in Chicago. “It was a wonderful experience that kind of set me up for everything that’s followed,” Dan tells Westport Lifestyle.
But back then, there was no way anyone could have guessed the “everything” that has followed. In 2019, he moved to New York City to further his modeling career. (He’d been discovered while working at one of his restaurants in Chicago.) Still, he always had a side job in hospitality, whether that was working at Lilia in Brooklyn or in marketing for a public relations company focused on packaged foods. When COVID hit, modeling and hospitality temporarily froze, and Dan went back to the Chicago area to spend some time with his parents. While there, he found he had the time and space to reconnect with his passion for cooking. “That was when I really fell in love with making a dish from start to finish: creating the recipe, shooting it and learning the art of food photography, and sharing it on social media,” he says. Thanks to his experience in marketing and PR (not to mention those model good looks), the posts started taking off. He christened his account DRs. Orders, as a play on his initials.
In 2021, he was back in N.Y.C. for a modeling job when he met another Dan R., Dan Raymond, while walking along the Hudson River. The two immediately hit it off after discovering they had more than just their names in common—they’re both from large Irish-Catholic families, they’re both one of five kids, they both have sisters named Meghan, they both have a parent who is a twin, and their parents got married in the same year. They started dating, and about a year later, Raymond, who is originally from New Canaan, told Reardon he wanted to buy a house back where he grew up. “I knew nothing about Connecticut,” Reardon says. But he took the leap and moved to CT with Raymond. “We started having parties at the house where I would do all the cooking, and all the baking, and I just loved it. It became something I was proud of.” By Christmas of 2022, he was ready to share more than just posts and pictures: DRs. Orders became DRs. Orders Baking Co, and Reardon started selling three of his cookie flavors—ginger molasses, chocolate chip, and kitchen sink. The first spot to sell them was the Adirondack Store & Gallery in New Canaan, and then spots in N.Y.C., as well as direct from his website, drsordersbakingco.com. The offerings have expanded to include gift boxes, cakes, brownies, merch, and even dog treats, with fans of the brand including Bethenny Frankel, Ina Garten, and Shannon Storms Beador.
And then another turn happened: last summer, Dan posted a TikTok picking up takeout from Ching’s Table, and, in the video, declared he believed it to be the best Chinese food in the U.S. The clip went viral, and the last piece fell into place: DRs. Orders isn’t just a small-batch bakery, or a recipe hub. It’s also a place to share gems from the Fairfield County dining scene (and beyond). “It just clicked,” says Dan. “I was already going to all of these restaurants, and I have the experience to back up what I think good food is. It felt organic to me. It feels like this is what I’ve been waiting to do for 17 years.” A viral food review, especially in a small-knit community like those in Fairfield County, has a measurable impact on local businesses in a way that’s been incredibly rewarding for Dan. This summer he posted a clip of the chicken Caesar wrap at Walter Stewart’s Market in New Canaan, and the next day the Chamber of Commerce called to tell him that the sandwich shop sold 80 wraps in just the next 24 hours. “There’s influence there, and they deserve that, because their product is so good. I’m a firm believer in supporting local businesses.”
DRs. Orders has blossomed into a true hub for all of Dan’s interests. Earlier this year, Massimo Tullio, owner of The Whelk and Massi Co, reached out to see whether Dan might be interested in creating a few collaboration menu items. “It could have been hosting a happy hour or something, but they said ‘you cook a lot, and we love your recipes and reviews. We want to do something where people can come try your food.’ It was so fun.” The menu items, which included bistecca alla Fiorentina; spaghetti alla Nerano with zucchini, clams, shrimp, and fresh herbs; tuna crudo with watermelon, plum ponzu, black sesame, and microgreens; and branzino with quinoa salad and tahini dressing, reflected Dan and Massimo’s Italian heritages and the emphasis on fresh, local ingredients that Massi Co and The Whelk are known for. “I sent them a list of things I grew up eating, or make a lot, like the Nerano-style pasta, which is so classic,” he says. “Then Zach [Hinman, the executive chef at Massi Co and The Whelk] and I went to the Farmer’s Market and looked at ingredients. I learned what he likes to use, and we tweaked things.” Proceeds from the sale of each of Dan’s dishes benefited Westport-based nonprofit Homes With Hope. “To see people having a great time and enjoying the dishes was just amazing.”
As DRs. Orders keeps growing, Dan hopes there will be many more opportunities for Westporters—and folks all over Fairfield County—to try his food in the future. “This is home now,” he says. “I love this community, and I love being a part of it.”
To learn more, follow @drs_ordersbakingco or visit drsordersbakingco.com