Chef Danny Mai from Tolay
Danny Mai was raised in Vietnam in a small farming village. The culture in his village included street vendors who came by the neighborhood nightly with delicacies such as Pho, a Vietnamese staple soup. One of his fondest memories was the sound of their arrival by the clapping of two spoons together as they came down the street. His greatest influence was from his grandmother, who was the town caterer. She would gather the villagers together to make handmade plates, bowls and utensils from bamboo, coconut and anything else nature had to offer. The weddings she created were festive and began to instill a passion for food and events at an early age. The food in Vietnam has a strong French influence.
He began his cooking experience in the USA at Santa Fe Mary’s, the first Tex-Mex restaurant in Northern California. Since then he has worked with Laurent Pasol at Left Bank, where he learned the intricacies of French cuisine. Under the tutelage of chef Pasol he learned about the dedication required to be successful. Danny also worked in several other restaurants ranging from Italian, American bistro, Continental cuisine, and a he also owned a wholesale bakery.
Tolay’s style is Sonoma-Wine country- Contemporary all rolled into a Liberty duck spring roll. Only the freshest wild and local products are used which many are sustainably or organically grown. We appreciate the abundance of local artisans, wineries and farmers in the Sonoma and Napa counties and strive to use these products when possible.
Danny’s personal style is adaptable, but focusing on French-Asian fusion. Danny feels it is important to cultivate relationships with the local artisans and farmers, thus getting what is freshest and in season. Every day He strives to dare himself to ‘do something outside the box’.
Danny lives in Petaluma where you will find him on the tennis court or watching his favorite sport, basketball on his time off. He is currently studying Tradition Chinese herbology with a local instructor.
_____________________________________________________
Petaluma Chicken Mignon with Lavender California Grape- Demi-Glaze 
4 – 4 oz. Breast of Petaluma Chicken (We Prefer Rosie’s)
Pinch Dried Lavender
2 Tbls Whole Grain Mustard
1/2 C White Wine (If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it)
1 1/2 C Rich Chicken Stock
8 – 1.5 oz. strips Applewood-Smoked Bacon (We prefer Hobbs Farm)
2 oz. Butter (We like Clover Farmstead Butter best)
1 Tbls Shallots: Finely Diced
3/4 C Red or Black seedless grapes, halved
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Cooking:
Pre-Heat oven to 400°F
Roughly Chop the lavender.
Season Chicken Breast with salt, pepper and half of the Lavender.
Individually roll chicken breast up (Starting with the smaller end.) Wrap the bacon around the chicken roll. Use two slices of bacon per breast. Secure bacon with long toothpicks.
Place chicken in a medium sauté pan and place it in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
Saucing:
1. Transfer meat onto the plate. Gently removing the toothpicks.
2. With the pan juices add the shallots and grapes sauté slightly then deglaze the pan using the white wine. Reduce the wine by half, add the chicken stock and the remaining lavender reduce the sauce by half, remove from the heat.
3. Fold in the butter, swirl and spoon in over the chicken.
4. Enjoy. Would be lovely with a Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc
