Chef's Bios

Daniel Bergendahl, Sous Chef
Joined Herrington in 2004

"I facilitate the creation and implementation of specialty event menus based on my passion for food and wine."

Dan loves working with food and wine while exploring and understanding how they interact with each other. As Dan puts it, "There is a symbiotic relationship between food and wine. Each one has it’s own qualities and characteristics, however, when working together, a new dimension evolves for the palate to experience. Food and wine are more than just sustenance. Together they are an opportunity to share good times with great friends and build lasting memories."

During his years at Herrington on the Bay, Dan says he has felt honored to create new and innovative culinary delights to help the company grow.

Although Dan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, he has found his passion in culinary arts. He holds a certificate from the Wine Spectator School and is currently studying for Sommelier Certification.

Dan has especially enjoyed his involvement in Herrington on the Bay’s Eco-Day, helping inform the community of the many ways we can all help keep our environment healthy. Herrington’s new Culinary classes, Dan says, also allow the community to get a “taste” of the culinary world, empowering them to try new foods, learn new skills, and get more creative in their cooking.

Michael Archibald, Catering Chef
Joined Herrington in 2006

"I am passionate about supporting the local economy by purchasing local produce and products. I enjoy using the freshest ingredients to create food that is as beautiful on the plate as it is in the field. I particularly enjoy decorative fruit and vegetable carving to accent and garnish our sustainable Chesapeake Cuisine."

Chef Mike is Herrington’s Managing Catering Chef. Mike joined Herrington on the Bay four years ago and brings a combination of comfort food cooking and upscale cuisine preparation and presentation to the Eco-Lifestyle Catering Service here at Herrington. Chef Mike manages the entire catering kitchen from recruiting the best chefs to preparing customized menus for our most discriminating foodie clients.

Growing up in his home state of New Jersey, Chef Mike enjoyed cooking from an early age. Mike attended Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island and graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts. During his tenure at Johnson and Wales, Mike earned the opportunity to work overseas in Ireland for one of the Emerlad Isles finest hotels, the Great Southern Parknasilla. After graduating, Chef Mike quickly rose through the ranks with Select Restaurants Company to become the Head Chef of two locations.

Chef Mike has found his new home at Herrington on the Bay. He feels very committed to his culinary team and leading them to become the best Eco-Lifestyle Event Design and Catering Service on the East Coast. Come enjoy the delicacies produced by Chef Mike and his team. They are sure to delight you and all of your guests with their sustainable cooking styles from Chesapeake Cuisine to Authentic Global Cuisine!

Tom McReynolds, Executive Pastry Chef
Joined Herrington in 1998

"I’m passionate about baking great breads from all-natural to organic, to gluten-free. We live in a world of sophisticated and savvy shoppers. I enjoy pleasing them all with freshly baked breads, desserts, and pastries!"

Chef Tom McReynolds joined Herrington on the Bay in April 1998, and he has proven himself a culinary master with exquisite cooking and baking skills.

Chef Tom worked his way from the ground up, and it shows. Starting as a teenage dishwasher in the 1960’s, he was suddenly recruited as Cook’s Helper when the kitchen fell short on staff. A natural from the start, he moved up to Cook within 2 months and put in extra hours "just to help". 'If your heart isn’t in it, there is no hope for you," he says about his long hours, dedication and hard work in the kitchen.

He later went on to Florida to be snapped up by an upscale Country Club. "We couldn’t get a decent slice of bread," Chef Tom remembers, so he rolled up his sleeves and got to baking. Shortly, his artistry in the kitchen was in high demand. There, he says he learned as much about people as he did about food, and came to understand that "good food doesn’t have to be complicated, and service to the customer is just as important as the food itself."

Of his 10 years with Herrington, Chef Tom relates, "the climate is good, the people are down to earth here" and he says he wouldn’t change a thing about the atmosphere. “It works better here than anywhere I have seen,” he says of the Herrington team. He credits the owner, Anna Chaney Willman for her positive attitude and sense of fairness. "We don’t use titles here, there is no ‘Front of the House’, ‘Head Chef’, what have you… everyone just helps each other."

That’s a great way to look at the business of Catering. It is, after all, about helping people.