Chef Rob McDaniel is the Executive Chef & Owner of Helen, (opened in August 2020) and Executive Chef & Owner of Bayonet (opened in March 2025) in Birmingham, AL. McDaniel’s passion and respect for traditional Southern cuisine was first inspired by the foods his grandmothers prepared while he was growing up in Haleyville, Alabama. McDaniel graduated from Auburn University with a degree in hotel and restaurant management and went on to attend the New England Culinary Institute. Following culinary school, McDaniel worked under prestigious chefs such as Johnny Earles, Chris Hastings, and Drew Robinson, and eventually became the head chef at SpringHouse restaurant in Alexander City, AL, before opening Helen in 2020, where he utilizes his passion for Southern foods, foraging, and sustainability. In March 2025, McDaniel opened his second concept, Bayonet, a spirited raw bar and innovative seafood-forward restaurant. McDaniel is a six-time James Beard Foundation Best Chef: South semifinalist (2013-2017, 2024), Outstanding Chef semifinalist (2026), and was honored as Auburn University’s 2012 Outstanding Hotel and Restaurant Management Program Alumnus.