Leaving the Kitchen for the Kiln: How Heartbreak Led Restaurant Pro Danny Dooreck to His Ceramic Triumph

There’s a high chance you’ve seen Danny’s pottery-making videos floating around the online content stratosphere, so you might already have an image of who he is: he’s an LA-based potter who’s captured thousands of [sometimes overly effusive] followers’ hearts with his one-of-a-kind pottery style, awkward charm, and kind personality. But Danny didn’t officially start his pottery business until last year. Our conversation is split into two sections: pre-potter Danny and potter Danny. Before ceramics, Danny wore several other hats: a line cook at Izakaya, the beverage director at a swanky restaurant in Toronto, Canada’s best young sommelier in 2019, and a managing restaurant partner, to name a few. And spoiler alert, he’s not Canadian. It’s important to bring up these past experiences because they’ve molded (pun intended) Danny into the friendly neighborhood potter he is today. We spent the morning talking in his garage studio. Flies constantly attacked us, but it was an honor shooting in the place where he affectionately chats with his adorable elderly neighbors and does what he loves. And, of course, this interview would not be complete if I didn’t ask him what everyone is thinking: how does it feel knowing that all the girlies and gays are obsessed with you? I look forward to you joining Danny and me for hAAPI hour. Cheers 乾杯， Melissa 以欣 Follow Danny on Instagram and TikTok @dannydsmudshop Check out his online shop and subscribe to his newsletter: www.danydsmudshop.com Follow @haapihourpod for episode highlights and guest reveals. Have someone you want featured? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ or send a message on Instagram @haapihourpod. Music from ⁠Epidemic Sound⁠. Like the music? Find the hAAPI hour playlist here. And if you sign up for Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 1 month for free: https://share.epidemicsound.com/co24zo/?playlist=21xf90t142ycjiyt5rnypqgrcc5j36m7 Hosted/created by Melissa Cho