eat Washington

Joe Palma - Chef de Cuisine of The Westend Bistro - 17 Dec 2008

Joe Palma’s recipe for getting a good culinary training is simple. “Find the best possible people you can work for and shut up.”

This became the Chef de Cuisine of the Westend Bistro’s game-plan once he’d discovered a passion for food. He earned money as a line cook while studying for degrees in Economics and Philosophy at the College of Charleston. read more...

Jeff & Barbara Black - From Addie's to an empire - 10 Dec 2008

The morning I went to interview Jeff and Barbara Black, owners of BlackSalt, BlackSalt Market and Addie’s, 6000 bottles of cabernets had cascaded from a falling wine rack to the floor at BlackSalt. The Blacks were in mourning. “It’s like leaving art work in the rain,” said Barbara. “This is what I’d call alcohol abuse.” read more...

Lynne Breaux - Restaurant Royalty - 2 Dec 2008

Lynne Breaux’s office feels like a happy place to work. With funny food-reference stickers and ornaments, its waiting area gives the impression of the welcome lobby of a slightly dilapidated bed-and-breakfast establishment run by a warm-hearted and enthusiastic owner. As she sails through it to her office at the end, she introduces the visitor to the tiny, and smiling, staff of RAMW. That’s the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington that represents over 500 restaurants and bars in Washington, DC, the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County and Prince William County. From 1992 she’s been on its board, and its president since 2001. read more...

Zora Margolis - making her own masa - 25 Nov 2008

When Zora Margolis cooks Mexican tamales, she makes the masa herself. That’s the spongy corn dough containing the stuffing. It may sound like no big deal. (She makes her own tortillas, too. And verduras escabeche - pickled vegetables. Everything at her Mexican feasts, in fact.) But you can’t get hold of the kind of fresh corn you need to make the masa anywhere in the greater Washington area. Huitzilopochtli knows, she tried. read more...

Andrew F. Smith - long-time food historian - 19 Nov 2008

If you’re ever stuck for a gift for a foodie friend who seems to own everything in the battery – de cuisine or pantry, here’s the perfect solution: Andrew F. Smith’s The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. A compilation of information from the brains and expertise of over 200 food specialists, you can dip in anywhere for nuggets that will keep you in cocktail party anecdotes, and serious information to drop with specialists from now until the cowpeas (see page 171) come home. read more...

Domenica Marchetti - Italian home-cooking food writer - 12 Nov 2008

Domenica Marchetti would never recognize herself from this description: a woman who seems to have the secret of how to juggle the precarious work/homelife balance. An Alexandria resident, she has a 12 year-old son and a 10 year-old daughter yet she's also published two cookbooks. The latest is 'Big Night In' just released and nominated by Publisher's Weekly recently as one of only three top new cookbook picks - alongside Rachel Ray's latest tome. For the rest of us, she's someone to admire. But like so many working moms trying to be all things to all people, she says, "I feel the pressure when one [kid] forgets to study for a test, or they miss a math assignment. I feel I've let them down." read more...

Jodi Lehr - Queen of coffee - 4 Nov 2008

Once upon a time, Jodi Lehr might have been described as Roberto Donna’s Mary Poppins. Not that a woman as stylish as she could be pictured in clumpy shoes, squashed hat and dowdy brown coat, clutching a stout umbrella. (Check the Len Depas photo.) But the chef who some (me) might say was the father of Washington dining out as we now know it, would probably agree that without the careful ministrations of Jodi Lehr, he might have gone to pieces. read more...

Founding Farmers - a restaurant goes green - 27 Oct 2008

Graham Duncan worked as a chef in Atlanta for 12 years before coming to D.C. to work at Founding Farmers, a restaurant owned by 40,000 farmers that has been designed and built to meet LEED certification standards. (That’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design to you and me.) read more...

Art Smith - owner-chef Art & Soul - 22 Oct 2008

It's rare that I leave a cooking demonstration itching to go home and cook the dish I’ve just seen and eaten. Mostly I think I might cook it - someday. Art Smith’s buttermilk biscuits are the exception. Those biscuits aren't on the menu at his just-opened Capitol Hill restaurant Art & Soul so the recipe, from Back to the Table, is offered this week. But if its Macaroni Casserole is anything like the Macaroni Cheese he made for us, then you'll want to bring your comforter and pillow with you to curl up under while you eat it. read more...

Nicolas Legret - chef of The Willard Room - 14 Oct 2008

It may be surprising to learn that it’s possible for a chef to get Michelin-star burn out. “You get tired,” says Nicolas Legret, executive chef at The Willard Room. He knows. He’s worked at several of France’s top Michelin-blessed two and three star restaurants, in Paris, in rural France and in Cannes. read more...

Amy Brandwein - chef of fyve - 8 Oct 2008

In 2007, Amy Brandwein, new chef de cuisine at fyve was nominated Rising Culinary Star for a RAMMY, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington awards. Not bad for someone who only started cooking professionally aged 30. read more...

Michael Santoro - chef de cuisine at Blue Duck Tavern - 1 Oct 2008

The resume of Michael Santoro, new chef de cuisine at The Blue Duck Tavern, reads like a guide to good restaurants around the world. In England he’s worked at Heston Blumental's The Fat Duck and with bad-boy-but brilliant Tom Aiken, as well as Fergus Henderson. He’s been through the kitchens of the one-star Mugaritz Restaurant near San Sebastian, Spain. He’s worked at Mill’s Tavern in Providence, RI. He’s served as sous chef at the Michelin one-star Restaurant Gilt in New York. And before joining The Blue Duck Tavern he was chef de cuisine at Boqueria, a popular Spanish restaurant in Manhattan. read more...

Hisao Abe - Owner-chef of Kotobuki - 24 Sep 2008

Chef Hisao Abe, who owns Kotobuki on MacArthur Boulevard, learned the art of sushi-making after years of watching, sniffing, tasting. read more...

Peter Pastan - Owner-chef of Obelisk and 2Amys - 17 Sep 2008

Peter Pastan fell in love with Italy traveling across the country by train. It shows in the two different styles of his two very different Italian restaurants. read more...

Brendan Cox - chef of DC Coast - 10 Sep 2008

Brendan Cox, late of CircleOne Bistro and Notti Bianche, has just been appointed as chef of DC Coast. He started cooking seriously while part of a college co-op. The school ran a Health Food Cooperative where, instead of living off the meal plan, students could make their own food. “I cooked for myself a lot and got that bug.” read more...

Bernard Grenier - Owner-chef of Bistro D'oc - 3 Sep 2008

Bernard Grenier opened Bistro D’Oc after leaving La Miche in Bethesda. Eating there is an extension of any summer holiday in France. read more...

Barry Koslow - Chef of Mendocino Bar & Grille - 26 Aug 2008

Before he took up cooking, Mendocino Grille chef Barry Koslow toured — casually — with a rock band. read more...

Kaz Okoshi - Owner-chef of Kaz Sushi Bistro - 19 Aug 2008

Once Kaz Okochi completed the fine arts course in Oklahoma he had come from Japan to the U.S. to take up, he headed home to enroll in the prestigious Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka. When he told its career counselor he'd like to cook in America, the counselor suggested he focus on becoming a sushi chef. read more...

Peggy Thompson - Chef of DISH - 12 Aug 2008

Peggy Thompson, chef at DISH, worked as a meeting planner before going to culinary school. Boredom inspired her to start a new career, and through it she found more than just good food. read more...

Peter Smith - Owner-chef of PS7s - 5 Aug 2008

In the family of executive chef and owner of PS7s, passion for food was passed down through the males. read more...

Nora Pouillon - Owner-chef of Restaurant Nora - 19 Jul 2008

Chef Nora Pouillon has been a force in the sustainable-sourcing, organic and slow food movements. At Restaurant Nora, she keeps pushing for change. read more...

Graham Bartlett - Chef of Zengo - 2 Jul 2008

Graham Bartlett is executive chef of Zengo, where you can find almost everything from ceviche to sushi. He caught the “food bug” while traveling with his parents in Mexico. But Paris, not the States nor Latin America was where he went to learn the culinary arts. read more...

Alison Swope - Chef of Restaurant K by Alison Swope - 16 Jun 2008

When Andale, the Penn Quarter restaurant focusing on the foods of Mexico's Oaxaca state, closed at the end of summer 2006, it was more than usually distressing for Alison Swope, the executive chef and co-owner behind Andale. "Most of that staff had been together for 10 years," she says. Loyal followers of Swope's cooking were equally dismayed. There are few enough women chefs in Washington that it can afford to lose one, especially one of her caliber. read more...

Pam Ginsberg - knife skills at the bone - 15 Jun 2008

Pam Ginsberg knows cows.

Or beef, to be more precise. And ham, and chickens. And sausagemeat, even. Pam Ginsberg is the butcher once drawing carnivores to her counter at Brookville supermarket on Connecticut Ave NW and now to be found at Waghal's Market in Spring Valley. read more...

Trent Conry - Chef of Ardeo - 15 Jun 2008

Texas-born Trent Conry of Ardeo/Bardeo likes spicy foods, big talk and an ever-changing menu. This summer, Ardeo's roof top tables are where to eat on a holiday that doesn't take you out of town... read more...

Aulie Bunyarataphan - Owner-chef of Bangkok Joe's - 5 Jun 2008

We have her father to thank that Aulie Bunyarataphan is cooking, not designing clothes. (Though judging by what she has done with her restaurant, those clothes would look terrific.)

The owner and chef of Bangkok Joe’s, Bunyarataphan had ambitions growing up in Thailand of going to Paris to study fashion. But Papa didn’t approve. After she graduated high school, he sent her to live with a cousin in Reston, Va., to continue her education. read more...

Phyllis Richman - Queen of Washington restaurant reviews - 3 Jun 2008

Phyllis Richman pads barefoot across her front porch and curls up on the porch swing, tucking her red-painted toes beneath her. She smiles and rocks there like a very gentle version of the Cheshire Cat. She has good reason to smile. Retired now from years as The Washington Post’s restaurant reviewer and food writer, she’s been honored with the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award. read more...

Cure Bar & Bistro - 21 May 2008

Kevin Ray Villalovos, Chef de Cuisine of the newly opened Cure Bar & Bistro, works wonders with salt. He's using it to cure salmon, to salt meats and to season his home-made garlic sausage. read more...

Brian McBride - Chef of The Blue Duck Tavern - 19 May 2008

Changes at The Blue Duck Tavern. Michael Santoro is joining Executive Chef Brian McBride (pictured) as Chef de Cuisine. He used to be at Manhattan's Boqueria. He's worked in top experimental kitchens, like Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck in Bray, England, and at Basque restaurant Mugaritz near San Sebastian. For the BDT's summer menu he's created crispy frog legs and sweetbreads with rhubarb and glazed white asparagus; rack of lamb and confit of breast with chickpea puree and rosemary jus; braised rabbit and homemade pasta with prunes and black olives; smoked and pastrami spiced duck breast with confit of leg as well as homemade gnocchi with marinated porcini and poached egg. read more...

Cesare Lanfranconi - Chef of Ristorante Spezie - 5 May 2008

Cesare Lanfranconi, executive chef of Ristorante Spezie, was born near the mountains in Northern Italy, where his passion was skiing. He decided to cook instead of becoming a ski instructor like his mother as a means of seeing the world. read more...

Jamies Leeds - Owner-chef of Hank's Oyster Bar - 16 Apr 2008

Jamie Leeds is rare among chefs. First, she owns two Hank’s Oyster Bars, one in Dupont Circle and the other in Old Town, Alexandria, with CommonWealth, a gastropub set to open in summer 2008. Plus, she’s a woman. And then there’s the fact that she has no formal culinary training. read more...

Scott Drewno - Chef of The Source by Wolfgang Puck - 14 Apr 2008

At the recent media reception to announce chef and restaurant finalists in this year's Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington awards, journalists and members of the hospitality business were treated to little tastes of the finalists' cuisines. There was a scrum around the table of one of them, Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgang Puck. read more...

Nilesh Singhvi - Chef of The Bombay Club - 31 Mar 2008

Bombay Club executive chef Nilesh Singhvi has cooked for Margaret Thatcher, George H.W. Bush and Bill Gates. But with its pale, saffron-colored walls, dark wood, palm fronds and Indian-style chandelier suspended from an ornate recessed ceiling, the Bombay Club it probably wouldn't come as much of a shock to spot the ghost of Rudyard Kipling or Graham Greene tucking into a curry in the corner. read more...

Abdel Hashhoush - Chef of Neyla - 24 Mar 2008

Twice a week, before coming into his restaurant, Neyla chef Abdel Hashhoush squeezes in time for classes in English at the Washington Literary Council. read more...

Rodney Scruggs - Chef of The Occidental - 13 Mar 2008

Rodney Scruggs started as a line cook at the Occidental in 1980, when he was 17. He moved on to work with some of the area's top chefs. But now, after nearly two decades, he's back at the venerable restaurant, as executive chef. read more...

Paul Pelt - Chef of the Tabard Inn - 1 Mar 2008

Paul Pelt got his start in the business at a local pizza joint. He began cooking there when the chef failed to show one day, and he joined the Tabard Inn as a line cook in 1992. Today he is executive chef. read more...

Stephen Scott - Chef of Zola - 26 Feb 2008

Stephen Scott is back in town as executive chef at Zola, the restaurant connected with the International Spy Museum. read more...

Christophe Marque - Chef of Cafe du Parc - 13 Feb 2008

If the cost of the Euro is preventing you from traveling to France this summer, get your food fix at Café du Parc. Christophe Marque, whose crispy belly of pork was my favorite winter dish, is focusing on the cuisine of Provence from June 21 to the end of July. Traditional dishes include Salade niçoise, Pissaladière - a tart of caramelized onion, anchovy and olives, and roast lamb chops marinated in herbes de Provence.

When he came from Paris just over a year ago to head the Cafe du Parc, the first thing he had to do, between the lunch and dinner service, was learn English. Now he's fluent and concentrating on bringing France to Washington. read more...

Danny Wells & Scott Weinstein of BlackSalt - 23 Jan 2008

At BlackSalt, Chef Danny Wells and fishmonger Scott Weinstein work as a pair - one finds the fish and the other prepares it. read more...

Tom Power - Owner-chef of Corduroy - 14 Jan 2008

Tom Power's restaurant Corduroy opens in a row house on 9th Street NW at the end of March. This interview took place while it was still located on 12th & K Streets NW in the Sheraton Four Points Hotel. The address changes, but his food philosophy remains the same. read more...

Haidar Karoum - Co-owner-chef of Proof - 4 Jan 2008

When Nora Pouillon, owner/chef of Restaurant Nora, sold the building that housed sister restaurant Asia Nora in late November, fans went into their second bout of mourning. The first came when Asia Nora’s chef, Haidar Karoum, left after seven years at the helm. Now they can celebrate finding him at Penn Quarter's Proof. read more...

Howsoon Cham - Owner-chef of Red Ginger and Cafe Tropé - 22 Dec 2007

December 28 saw the opening of Howsoon Cham's new venture, Café Tropé. When the Gambia native bought Red Ginger, it may have been the same drive that won him a soccer scholarship at Bethany College that contributed to his determination to turn it around in 30 hours without closing. read more...

Peter Schaffrath - Chef of the Hay-Adams Lafayette Room - 16 Dec 2007

Peter Schaffrath celebrates on Christmas Eve so he can cook for guests at the Hay-Adams on Dec. 25. He hasn't spent Christmas Day at home with his family for half a decade. read more...

Yannick Cam - Owner-Chef of Le Paradou - 12 Dec 2007

After 43 years in restaurants, Yannick Cam, owner and chef of Washington’s award-winning Le Paradou, hasn’t seen anyone come out of culinary school ready to function in the business. read more...

Bob Kiebler - Chef of Morton's - 28 Nov 2007

Bob Kiebler, chef at the downtown branch of the venerable Morton's of Chicago chain, learned his steak skills at the Morton's University - a fresh twist on the role of academe. read more...

Jeff Tunks - Owner-chef of Acadania - 19 Nov 2007

Jeff Tunks and his partners own and run Acadiana, Ceiba, DC Coast and TenPenh. He is executive chef at Acadiana, the most recent addition to his restaurant portfolio. read more...

Vikram Sunderam - Chef of Rasika - 19 Nov 2007

Award-winning chef of London's Bombay Brasserie Vikram Sunderam left it behind for the challenge of launching an Indian restaurant from scratch in the heart of the American capital. read more...

Laurent Merdy - Pastry chef of The Blue Duck Tavern - 19 Nov 2007

Blue Duck Tavern pastry chef Laurent Merdy comes from a restaurant family in northern France. He’s long had an affinity for pastries, but when it comes to other things, “I’m very picky on food,” he says. read more...

Rob Klink - Chef of Oceanaire - 18 Nov 2007

Rob Klink, chef at The Oceanaire Seafood Room, would rather be fishing - but with an eye to conservation. read more...

John Wabeck - when Chef of Firefly - 17 Nov 2007

John Wabeck, now at New Heights, was interviewed when he was the chef at Firefly. He came to cooking by way of Ocean City. read more...

Tony Conte - Chef of The Oval Room - 17 Nov 2007

Antonio Conte worked in four-star restaurants in Manhattan, but he got tired of New York City. read more...

Tim Elliott - Chef of Mie N Yu - 17 Nov 2007

Tim Elliott has climbed a corporate path to his post at Georgetown’s Mie N Yu. His background makes him a perfect fit for a restaurant that serves nearly 2000 guests a week in several dining rooms with different themes. read more...

Katsuya Fukushima - Chef of Minibar & Café Atlántico - 16 Nov 2007

Katsuya Fukushima planned to be a scientist, but instead he has become a chef doing work that he regrets has been dubbed “molecular gastronomy.” read more...

Savino Recine - Owner-chef of Primi Piatti - 16 Nov 2007

Chef and amateur magician Savino Recine says he helped introduce Washington to true Italian food. read more...

Robert Weland - Chef of Poste - 16 Nov 2007

Chef Robert Weland makes his own charcuterie — and more — at his Penn Quarter restaurant, Poste. read more...

Alcione Vinet - Owner-chef of Park Cafe - 16 Nov 2007

In the ‘70s, Alcione Vinet left Pinochet and came to the United States, where he washed dishes, worked in contracting and eventually opened a restaurant that battled to succeed. Today, it’s a fine-dining hot spot. read more...

Bryan Voltaggio - Chef of Charlie Palmer Steak - 16 Nov 2007

Bryan Voltaggio loves the outdoors, but he’s also passionate about
cooking. This interview took place before he left the kitchen at Charlie Palmer Steak to open his own place, Volt Restaurant. read more...

Drew Trautmann - Chef of Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar - 15 Nov 2007

Drew Trautmann focuses on locally sourced foods at Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar in a fashion that reflects the West Coast sensibilities of his dining room and bar. read more...

Jeff Buben - Owner-chef of Vidalia - 11 Nov 2007

Jeffrey Buben started as a dishwasher, made his way to New York City and settled in the District. read more...

Janis McLean - Chef of The Morrison-Clark Inn - 10 Nov 2007

The Morrison-Clark Inn’s Janis McLean was working in business when she decided to become a chef. She started by taking a class at Bethesda’s L’Academie de Cuisine. read more...

Jamie Stachowski - Owner-chef of Restaurant Kolumbia - 10 Nov 2007

Chef Jamie Stachowski learned about curing meat as a child, working in his Polish family’s restaurants. Sadly his Restaurant Kolumbia is now closed. But read this profile and you'll understand why so many people are keeping their fingers crossed he'll be cooking again soon somewhere else. read more...

Joe Raffa - Chef of Oyamel - 10 Nov 2007

Joe Raffa left the U.S. Government Accountability Office to become a chef. He now heads Oyamel, where he serves up to 40 grasshopper tacos a day. read more...

Chris Payton and Casey McQueen - Owner and chefs of The Curry Club - 10 Nov 2007

Chris Payton and Casey McQueen met in an alley behind Payton's restaurant, the Curry Club. McQueen working at Bistro Lepic next door. They’ve been working together since. read more...

Geoff Tracy - Owner-chef of Chef Geoff's and Lia - 10 Nov 2007

In December 2006, Geoffrey Tracy opened a third restaurant. Five months later, his wife was due to give birth to twins. read more...

Robert Wiedmaier - Owner-chef of Marcel's - 10 Nov 2007

Ask chefs where they like to eat, and Marcel's will be high on their list. read more...

Ruth Gresser - Owner-chef of Pizza Paradiso - 10 Nov 2007

Pizzeria Paradiso’s Ruth Gresser helped popularize Italy's favorite pie using a wood-burning stove to cook pizza in D.C. read more...

Tom Green - Chef at the Kennedy Center - 10 Nov 2007

"I interviewed at a restaurant, as college students do, and on the application I wrote, 'I like to cook.' So they hired me as a chef," says the Executive Chef at the Kennedy Center. read more...

Herbert Kerschbaumer - Owner-chef of Jack's Restaurant & Bar - 9 Nov 2007

Herbert Kerschbaumer opened his Dupont bistro, Jack's, after returning from a two-year honeymoon. read more...

Terri Cutrino - Chef of Cafe Atlantico - 9 Nov 2007

I talked to Chef Terri Cutrino when she was chef at Jaleo, which she first got to know Jaleo as a faithful customer when she worked at the AARP, located across the street. Now she's found at Cafe Atlantico. read more...

Abdulkader Niori - Chef of Lebanese Taverna - 9 Nov 2007

When Abdulkader Niori came to America from Eritrea at age 14, the owners of Lebanese Taverna took him under their wing. Over the years, he climbed from dishwasher to executive chef. read more...

Santi Zabaleta - Chef of Taberna del Alabardero - 9 Nov 2007

The Spanish government has dubbed Taberna del Alabardero "the best Spanish restaurant outside Spain." This interview was with its executive chef, Santi Sabaleta, who has recently been replaced by Dani Arana. read more...

Fabrice Bendano - Pastry chef of 1789 - 8 Nov 2007

1789 pastry chef Fabrice Bendano began his career at age 16 in a Cannes restaurant. read more...

Phet Schwader - Chef of BLT Steak - 8 Nov 2007

Soulayphet "Phet" Schwader was raised in Kansas on food from his mother’s native Laos. But now he's executive chef at BLT Steak, lauded French chef Laurent Tourondel’s contemporary take on the classic American steakhouse. read more...

Peter Brett - Pastry chef of Circle Bistro - 8 Nov 2007

When Peter Brett, a graduate of Boston University’s graphic design program, discovered his passion for baking might actually earn him a salary, he went back to school and learned to become a professional pastry chef. read more...

Mike Isabella - Chef of Zaytinya - 9 Oct 2007

In March 2007, Mike Isabella started at Zaytinya. In June, the restaurant won a RAMMY award. read more...

Barton Seaver - Owner-chef of Hook - 9 Oct 2007

Chef Barton Seaver has opened his own place, Hook, to serve seafood bought directly from fishermen. No fishermen? No food. read more...

Todd Gray - Owner-chef of Equinox - 9 Oct 2007

Todd Gray is chef at Equinox, and his wife, Ellen Kassoff Gray, is co-owner and general manager. They are one of just a few family teams in all of D. C's fine-dining establishments. read more...

David Ashwell - Chef of Brasserie Beck - 1 Jan 1970

David Ashwell, chef at Robert Wiedmaier's Brasserie Beck, left private dining rooms to return to restaurants. read more...

eatWashington

the world on your plate

Chefs