Daniel Nilsson, a respected Hudson restaurateur, died Thursday, state police confirmed.
Nilsson was the owner and chef at DABA, a popular high-end Scandinavian restaurant on Warren Street, as well as a well-known and popular figure around Hudson.
State police said the incident was an unattended death.
Robert Caldwell, owner and operator of Musica on North 4th Street and a friend of Nilsson's, said he knew Nilsson since he moved to Hudson about eight years ago.
"He was brilliant at many things, generous and creative and he cared about the community in a big way," Caldwell said.
Nilsson hosted a multitude of musicians at DABA, Caldwell said, presenting music every Thursday night.
"He had the best music venue in Hudson," Caldwell said. "He provided free music for eight years."
Caldwell said the shows were less about Nilsson's own tastes and more about knowing the music Hudson loved.
"It was for the community," Caldwell said. "It was for the musicians."
"He was the best," Caldwell added.
Nilsson was an accomplished chef. He was nominated for the James Beard Award for best chef in the Northeast in 2011.
Mark Ganem, the chef-owner of Vico's, a high-end Italian restaurant a block away from DABA, said his restaurant and DABA opened for business at about the same time.
"I admire him very much as a chef," Ganem said.
Ganem lauded Nilsson's food and presentation.
"He was an amazing chef, a great talent, very innovative and creative … and very friendly," Ganem said.
Dan Nilsson's father, Ulf Nilsson, was also accomplished. He was born in Sweden and went on to become a professional hockey star in the late 1970s, He played center for the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association before signing with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League in 1978.
Caldwell, a hockey fan, called Ulf "one of my heroes."
"I really feel for Ulf," Caldwell added.
Susan Johnson, who said she was neighbors with Nilsson and was at DABA a few days before Nilsson died, called his death "a tragedy."
Johnson said she remembers when she and Nilsson saw each other buying Powerball lottery tickets when the jackpot went north of $1 billion in January.
She said they laughed about the odds of them winning, and she joked Nilsson should buy a town in Sweden if he won and invite half of Hudson over in the summers.
Johnson said she remembered Nilsson coming up behind one of his friends and giving him a bear hug, then asking Nilsson why he hadn't hugged her like that.
"'I did,'" Johnson said she recalled Nilsson saying, "'you just don't remember.'"
"...with that sweet smile — that's what I remember," Johnson added.
Nilsson appeared in the popular cooking/reality show "Guy's Grocery Games," hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri, in 2014.
At the time, Nilsson told The Register-Star he initially had some reservations about appearing on the show.
"From the start, I felt, 'Here's something that's not in the realm of art I support," Nilsson said. "It sets up warfare on TV — you have to root for one chef or the other. I felt we're the antithesis; we're trying to make a warm, welcoming place for people to enjoy themselves."
"Guy's Grocery Games" takes place in a supermarket, where chefs must shop for food and prepare it in a limited amount of time.
Johnson said during the show, Nilsson gave one of his ingredient to a rival chef, who went on to win the challenge.
"Nobody was surprised when he gave someone one of his ingredients." Johnson said.
"He was just such a nice guy," she added.