EP #120 Locavore: From Secret Suppers To A Seasonal Staple

A neighborhood changes when a restaurant dares to be both local and boldly itself. We sit down with chef-owner Daniel Perron of Locavore in downtown Fredericksburg to explore how a seasonal American kitchen, rooted in Mid-Atlantic farms and shaped by Korean flavors, can open minds and build community. From scratch-made staples to the beloved Kalbi Beef Skewers, Daniel shows how approachable dishes can lead guests toward new textures, techniques, and tastes without losing the comfort they crave.

The heart of Locavore traces back to Daniel’s Secret Supper Club, a homegrown dining experiment that connected strangers around shared tables and turned weekends into a canvas for creativity. That spirit returns inside the restaurant with communal suppers designed to spark conversation and deepen ties across the city. Along the way, Daniel gets real about chef life: the long hours, the constant problem-solving, the balance of hospitality and hard numbers that most TV shows gloss over. His advice for aspiring owners is refreshingly practical—be patient, do the math, know your margins, and wait for the right moment before you sign anything.

If the menu looks unfamiliar at first glance, the experience is anything but intimidating. Locavore aims a touch more upscale in quality while keeping the vibe casual and warm. Whether you come for a burger, chicken liver mousse, or those smoky skewers, you’ll find the same care in sourcing and craft in every plate. With the rooftop bar Folklore set to open as the weather turns, there’s even more to discover at 314 William Street. Join us for a conversation about food that brings people together and a restaurant that reflects where Fredericksburg is headed.

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Daniel Perron

Locavore

locavoreva.com

hello@locavoreva.com

540-681-1800

314 William street, Fredericksburg, VA

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

Speaker 0:01

This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 1 0:12

Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of our favorite local brands. I have a special guest joining me today. We've got Daniel Perron joining us from Locavore. Daniel, welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 2 0:30

Thank you for having me, Dori.

Speaker 1 0:32

Well, I'm really excited for this interview and excited to learn more about you and Locavore. So let's start there. Share with us all about Locavore.

What Locavore Is All About

Speaker 2 0:44

Sure. I mean, if uh for the guests who haven't been to Locavore yet, we're a very uh seasonal American restaurant. Um we partner with a lot of farms in the area in the Mid-Atlantic region and uh really try to highlight um what they have to offer. Um and if you are familiar with the space, we also have a rooftop bar as well, folklore. Uh once the weather turns, we'll obviously open that up. But uh for now the focus is downstairs.

Speaker 1 1:12

Amazing. And how long have you been open?

Speaker 2 1:16

We have been open since uh August of last year. So we're we're coming up on the six-month mark, I believe.

Speaker 1 1:22

Amazing. Congratulations.

Speaker 2 1:24

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 1:26

Um, I have had um the pleasure of having dinner there, and so it's amazing, it's very good, and I love the atmosphere and the service was fantastic. So I highly recommend it to all my friends and family. So um, if you haven't been yet, you gotta go. And so tell me, um, right now, I know that you things are seasonal, you kind of change things up, but if someone listening hasn't been yet and um they want to try it out, what dish would you suggest they try?

Speaker 2 1:59

I think probably your number one um hit is gotta be the Calbi beef skewers. Um it just kind of it, you know, I don't I haven't I don't think I've met someone who doesn't like Korean barbecue yet. Um so that's a little taste of Korean barbecue and kind of what I grew up with. But uh, you know, most tables get it, everybody loves it for any kind of palette. So that's that's definitely something that I would uh recommend getting.

Speaker 1 2:26

Awesome, awesome. So I want to dive deeper into your background. Tell me your story. I want to learn your journey and how that led you to opening this restaurant.

Speaker 2 2:37

Sure. Yeah, I'm a Virginia native. Um, I've been cooking for uh what's gone on almost 20 years

Must-Try Dish: Calbi Skewers

Speaker 2 2:46

now, um, a lot of it in DC. Um I was also the chef out at Trummers in Clifton, Virginia, so I'm you know pretty familiar with Clifton. Um, but I've been doing the DC thing for about 10 years now. Um I learned under some really, you know, really good chefs, worked at some really good restaurants, and uh it's kind of you know, it's come full circle now that I've you know opened my own. Um and it just so happens to be in, you know, downtown Fredericksburg.

Speaker 1 3:17

I love that. And I I saw that you are starting up your supper club. So share with us what that's all about. I just love that concept.

Speaker 2 3:27

Yeah, so I did a uh, you know, it's not really a secret, obviously, anymore, but uh what I called the Secret Supper Club. So for about a year or so, um, you know, I was the chef at uh Charlie Palmer's Steakhouse in DC. Um we had we were closed for the weekends, which is very unusual for a restaurant. Um and I kind of found myself bored um and you know, having every weekend off. I decided to kind of push myself and start the supper club at my house. Um, and it kind of started, you know, with about a dozen people or so um and kind of grew from there. And um the

Daniel’s Path To Ownership

Speaker 2 4:08

the demand uh you know, it went from you know once or twice a month to doing it every weekend to sometimes twice a weekend. But uh, you know, it's a very unique uh experience. Um, obviously kind of one going to a complete stranger's house, but also kind of dining with you know complete strangers. Um and you know, during that time I made a lot of great friends and people also, you know, um connected and are you know still friends today. So it was it was really, you know, a great opportunity, one not not only to kind of showcase what I can really do, but it was kind of you know, it was a community gathering. Um, people make connections and that you know hold to this day.

Speaker 1 4:49

I love that concept so much, and we need more of that. We need more of bringing the community together. And I imagine you have some very loyal fans who have who are coming back and are excited uh for your supper club.

Speaker 2 5:05

Yeah, we have some very loyal uh fans, and uh our first one is uh this coming February 1st. It's uh Sunday. Um we are you know kind of bringing back that communal dining format uh inside the restaurant. Um, but it's really, you know, it's really about kind of you know um breaking bread, you know, so to speak, amongst, you know, strangers and some, you know, familiar faces. Um, but I I really love that kind of aspect of uh community and people, you know, really being able to um connect and um you know enjoy themselves over you know great food and uh great company.

Speaker 1 5:44

Yeah, absolutely. So let me ask you this: do you find that there are any myths or misconceptions about your business?

Speaker 2 5:55

Um there's definitely a lot of uh misconceptions, I think, just about you know, restaurants or chefs in general. Um probably the biggest one, I think you know, TV has a lot to do with it, that you know, it's a it's a glamorous, you know, um, you know, field. Um you know, there's not a lot of work that goes into it, and it's kind of quite the opposite. Um I'm working nonstop every day. And honestly, I haven't uh, you know, not only being the chef but the the business owner um of a restaurant, um there's always something to do. So I haven't really had a full day off since we opened um back in August, but um there's always something to be done um taken care of, something to work on, etc. So the hours are crazy, um, not for the faint of heart. Um and it's

Secret Supper Club Origins

Speaker 2 6:47

probably less, you know, heck of a lot less glamorous than you would uh see on TV. Um you're you know responsible for everything, um, not just the food, um, you know, staff, repairs, uh, drawing business, etc. So I wear a lot of hats, uh, work a lot of hours, um, it's a lot, a lot of work. So um that's probably the biggest misconception about being a chef or just a restaurant owner in general.

Speaker 1 7:14

Mm-hmm. Yeah, I imagine it's a giant undertaking. And so if someone came to you and said that they were thinking about opening a restaurant, what advice would you give them?

Speaker 2 7:26

Um, I would definitely, you know, do your research and be patient. Those are definitely the two, you know, definitely being a patient. Um, don't jump on it if it doesn't feel right. Um, but definitely do as much homework as you you possibly can. Know your numbers, um, know what you know you need to get there. Um, because once you, you know, once you get there, once you sign the lease, it's that's that's when you know the the real work starts to begin. But um it's definitely it's definitely a passion, you know, kind of a passion project. Um, like I said, I put in a ton of hours, but um definitely do your homework and definitely have a lot of patience, the two biggest things I would say.

Speaker 1 8:08

Yeah, yeah. You've you've gotta love it, right?

Speaker 2 8:12

Yeah. I'm not really good at anything else, so I can't imagine myself doing anything uh else other than being a chef.

Speaker 1 8:21

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. What do you love most about local local or being a chef?

Speaker 2 8:29

Um I think the best part is obviously, you know, um, you know, obviously cooking, you know, great food, but it's also trying to convince people who don't have, you know, um maybe the the best palates or maybe more like steak and potato kind of eaters to try new things and um try to open their, you know, open their horizons to new foods or new items. Um I think especially for Fredericksburg, what we're trying to do isn't you know quite the the ordinary restaurant. Um we're really trying to, you know, we make everything uh from scratch. There are no pre-made items, so um we put a you know a ton of effort and love into everything. So when I able to kind of pass that on to someone who would normally wouldn't try, um, say, for example, chicken liver mousse, um, and they turn out to love it, um, that's definitely like one of the most like rewarding aspects. Yeah.

Speaker 1 9:31

That's a lot of fun to open people's eyes to things that they otherwise would not even think that they would like, something like that.

Speaker 2 9:39

Yeah, it's definitely, you know, it's a it's a long-term you again, the patience thing. Um but you

Community, Connection, And Loyalty

Speaker 2 9:46

know, convincing people to to try something, you know, they normally wouldn't, and then them liking it is it's definitely very rewarding.

Speaker 1 9:54

Yeah. What is something that you wish the listeners knew about Locavore?

Speaker 2 10:02

Um, yeah, I mean, kind of piggybacking on what I said before, you know, it's it's not the ordinary downtown Fredericksburg uh restaurant. Um we're trying to do something, you know, a little bit more upscale, but still, you know, cat super casual atmosphere. You can kind of just kind of come as you are. Um, but I think for some people it's a little bit intimidating if they take a look at the menu and kind of see things that you know they don't recognize or they've never heard before. Um, there's that kind of intimidation aspect. But um what I can say is like just just give us a try. There's gonna be something that you're you're gonna like. Um we even have a burger on the menu if you, you know, are afraid of um trying new things. But um it's again, we try to bring a little creativity to the food. Um, so you know, just try to have an open mind when you come. And I'm sure there's gonna be something that you're gonna enjoy and love, whether that's a food or a cocktail or just you know, the ambiance.

Speaker 1 11:11

Amazing, amazing. So if the listeners want to come check you out, tell us your address, tell us how they can get in touch with you.

Speaker 2 11:20

Yeah, so if you want to check us out, like I said, we're in downtown Fredericksburg at 314 William Street.

Myths Of Restaurant Life

Speaker 2 11:26

Um, if you want to make a reservation, you can either call us or you can go to our website, locavoreva.com, or our resie page uh and search Locavore. But uh we're not too hard to find, so amazing.

Speaker 1 11:43

Well, congratulations on your success. I love the food, and I love that you have brought these fresh ingredients to Fredericksburg, and I just love this special restaurant that you have created. So thank you for sharing Locavore with us and joining me on the podcast.

Speaker 2 12:04

Yeah, thank you for having me again, and uh, I hope to have you and uh you know some of the guests down at the restaurant soon.

Speaker 12:10

Amazing. Thank you.

Speaker 2 12:13

Thank you.

Speaker 12:13

Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to FXBG Neighbors Podcast.com.