News |
tswenson@vaildaily.com
How does a Belgian-born chef who owns a top restaurant in Beaver Creek end up cooking a delicious dinner for the Philadelphia Flyers? If Daniel Joly is involved, anything can happen.
Joly is a certified Belgian master chef who started working at Mirabelle restaurant in Beaver Creek in 1992 and bought it in 1999. He has won numerous awards and accolades including a four-star rating from Mobile Travel Guide, AAA and Wine Spectator. Furthermore, Mirabelle has recently been on the Michelin Guide Colorado list of recommended restaurants. These rankings have earned him trips around the world to host cooking demos and seminars. From being a brand ambassador for Stella Artois to judging the Taittinger Culinary Competition in Paris, to doing cooking demos at the Epcot Center in Florida to wine dinners in Napa Valley, California, Joly has gotten around.
But how does a world-class chef end up cooking for an NHL hockey team from several states away? Connections. And that is what Joly is known for. Creating connections with people worldwide through his culinary creations.
For over 20 years, Joly has been friends with Jonathan Rotella, a second homeowner in Beaver Creek who would frequent Mirabelle. Rotella is also the CEO of NexGen Hyperbaric. NexGen Hyperbaric has a partnership with the Philadelphia Flyers, where NexGen supports player health and recovery through medical-grade hyperbaric oxygen therapy. NexGen Hyperbaric also has partnerships with the NFL, NBA and MLB.
“This dinner is the intersection of performance and craft — our work with the Flyers, and my 20-plus-year friendship with Chef Daniel Joly,” Rotella said.
The concept to host a dinner for the Philadelphia Flyers crystallized on a Philadelphia trip that Rotella and Joly took together. A highlight was having lunch with Chef Georges Perrier of Le Bec-Fin, one of the most celebrated restaurants in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. Le Bec-Fin was even named the number one restaurant in the United States in a major 1994 Condé Nast Traveler readers’ poll, underscoring Chef Perrier’s stature and legacy.
“Watching Chef Joly and Chef Perrier meet for the first time — two masters connecting — made it clear this should be a night built around excellence, friendship, and shared respect for craft,” Rotella said.
“Meeting Georges Perrier was a special moment for me. That era of American fine dining shaped so many chefs, and it made this dinner feel even more meaningful — tradition, mentorship, and pushing the craft forward,” Joly said.
On the trip to Philadelphia, Joly also had the chance to visit the Philadelphia Flyers training facility with Rotella.
“We discussed the idea about hosting a dinner for the team when the Flyers were coming to Colorado to play the Avalanche and welcome them to our state,” Joly said.
Rotella sees this dinner as a natural way to celebrate the trust and collaboration that exists around the team — while also showcasing Joly’s range and artistry.
“Chef Joly’s connection to the Flyers is personal and organic through our long friendship with and the relationships that have developed through NexGen’s work with the organization. The dinner is an extension of those relationships and a chance to create a meaningful experience around the group supporting the team” Rotella said.
The team was in Colorado for the dinner by Joly on Thursday night before they took on the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.
“Thursday night was a meaningful window of time to bring everyone together before the game,” Joly said. “When you cook for elite athletes and their team, it’s not just about indulgence — it’s about intention. We built this menu in collaboration with the team’s nutrition and performance staff, so it supports recovery and still feels like a true culinary experience.”
The dinner was hosted at The Four Seasons Hotel Denver where Joly worked with its culinary team and the Four Season’s executive chef Joshua Fryer and food and beverage director Craig Dryhurst to create the event. Over 50 people from the Philadelphia Flyers organization were served.
“They have been very helpful and welcomed us into their kitchen,” Joly said.
Joly welcomed the team with a Philly cheesesteak starter before treating them to soup, salad and for the main course he served a Colorado favorite, roasted elk tenderloin.
“A lot of the players had never had elk before and Daniel made it a point to say that elk is our local meat and they loved it,” Rotella said.
Dessert consisted of a deconstructed carrot cake, dolce de leche caramel and macaroons, lemon bars, madeleines and chocolate cookies.
“I was sitting with the general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, Danny Brière, after the meal and he said, ‘your chef made quite an impression on our organization. Normally the team is allowed to leave after dessert, but they wanted to stick around,’” Rotella said. “Every member of the team came over and shook Daniel’s hand and my hand after dinner, thanking us for this. It was something very special. They were just so respectful, and it was such an amazing, organic thing and I wasn’t expecting reaction from them.”
Joly always manages to find never-ending opportunities that take him to great locations and great kitchens cooking for great people.
“I love to create moments with food and if you can share that with people and make it special, there’s something magical about that,” Joly said. “You know, we’re not doctors, we don’t save lives, but if we can create these moments and shine a light on Beaver Creek’s culinary scene and help our diners have a good time, that’s really what it’s all about.”
We help our clients with classified ad placement in multiple publications, including but not limited to: real estate, employment and…
DEPARTMENT: Finance/Business Office ACCOUNTABILITY: Reports to Director of Business Operations. Will work out of the Gypsum, CO building. JO…
This position is responsible for creating newspaper page dummies and flowing classified ads for all Swift publications. Entry level. DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITY…
The Town of Avon has several part-time job openings. Part-Time and seasonal positions: Parks Maintenance Worker: $21.00 – $30.00 Transit…
Office Manager & Administrative Assistant – Gateway Real Estate Vail Village Office Manages daily office operations, supports brokers, coordinates listing…
Supervisor System Operations – Glenwood Springs FT, position supervises & is responsible for the day-to-day operations & functioning, incl…
Join the team at Sandstone Creek Club! Immediate opening for a front desk position, 34 mornings per week. Excellent pay…
Hiring Immediately! Join a true Vail Village icon! Pepi’s Bar & Restaurant, a landmark with more than 60 years of…
NOW HIRING FAHERTY VAIL Full-Time & Part-Time Positions Love feel-good style, great culture, and mountain-town vibes? Join the Faherty team…
Drivers Needed – High Mountain Taxi Flexible Day / Night Shifts Make up to $30/an hour. Must be 25 yo…
Sign up for daily and breaking news headlines.
Starting this December, more people will be able to call Vail home when they move into Timber Ridge Village, the new residences being built along North Frontage Road. This key location will bring 302 new…
Cars in the Park in Avon Avon’s Nottingham Park will be the place to be for all car enthusiasts this weekend. The town of Avon presents its second annual Cars in the Park celebration this…
Bachman-Turner Overdrive Get ready to head down the memory lane of classic rock with Bachman-Turner Overdrive on Saturday at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek. The 1970s rockers will take you back in…
Vail Dance Festival The Vail Dance Festival is in full swing with plenty of performances to see and events to participate in. From dancing with the pros at Dancing in the Streets and listening in…
Jobs
Classifieds
Autos
Real Estate
Rentals
Service Directory
Pets
Merchandise
Legals
Place Legal Ad
Search Legal Ads
Farm & Ranch
Recreation
Announcements
Contact Us
Become a Carrier
Submissions
Advertise
Submit an Obituary
Commercial Print Sales
RSS
Magazines
Vail Daily E-Edition
Daily Weekly E-Edition
Eagle Valley E-Edition
Newsletters
Cookie List
Do not sell my personal information
Events in Vail today and tomorrow
Events in Vail this week
Events in Vail within two weeks
Aspen-Snowmass
Breckenridge-Summit County
Craig-Moffat County
Glenwood Springs-Rifle
Lake Tahoe – California
Steamboat Springs-Routt County
Winter Park-Granby-Grand County
Printing Press Jobs
©2005 – 2026 Swift Communications, Inc.