- hotels - pro-bono efforts - cookbooks - urban collective - former clients -
restaurants
Capturing the true spirit of Louisiana, a serendipitous blend of Old World traditions and New World resources, it is the only restaurant in the nation's capital to serve Louisiana cuisine at this level of elegance. Executive Chef Jeff Tunks, who worked in New Orleans over a number of years, has a strong affinity for the cuisine of the Gulf region, and his menus at Acadiana reflect the bounty of Louisiana, in the finest of seafood and premium meats. Acadiana is a contemporary interpretation of a Louisiana Fish House, blending well with Tunks' passion for fish as the restaurant focuses on the finest of coastal delicacies.
Located in The Capital Hotel, Ashley’s defines Southern hospitality through executive chef Lee Richardson’s presentation of “New Americana Cuisine.” Richardson views cooking as an emotional expression, drawing on the three sensory traits of taste, smell, and touch to inform his own culinary style at the deepest level. Food & Wine Magazine’s “People’s Choice for Best Midwest Regional Chef,” Richardson has led Ashley’s to earn the AAA Four-Diamond Award title since 2008, a distinction it shares with The Capital Hotel.
Following his highly acclaimed 13 year pastry chef career and critically acclaimed cookbook, DamGoodSweet, Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth New Orleans Style [Taunton Press, 2009,] Louisiana native David Guas
launched his first retail outlet for his down-home goodness in November 2010: Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar &
Eatery. It is a rustic ‘funkified’ southern-style hangout in Arlington, Virginia, featuring southern comfort fare and
his signature desserts. Guas’ Cuban heritage [through his Havana-born father] is ensuring barista-quality coffee
service and tasty pressed sandwiches. His Louisiana country cooking shines in savory breakfast biscuits, house-
made gumbo, and pimento cheese. Hot beignets and chicory-coffee pralines are good-to-go, along with Guas’ more
elaborate pies, puddings, and his gourmet New Orleans sno-balls: as The Washington Post’s restaurant critic wrote
of Guas’ work, “I have yet to find a single dessert I can say no to.”
Belgium is the bold-faced theme of this stylish casual hot spot by chef Robert Wiedmaier, modeled on a vintage Brussels train station. Here you’ll find a tempting array of mussel preparations and classic beef carbonade, along with extensive charcuterie and shellfish plates, and the area’s most comprehensive selection of Belgian beers – including some brewed exclusively for Wiedmaier.
A monumental neon-bright mural of George Washington’s face welcomes you in from Washington
Circle to Burger, Tap & Shake, a no-frills / big flavor / counter service burger joint that shares a kitchen
and draft beer program with its fraternal sibling District Commons. Virtually everything is made on the
premises, from ten varieties of house-ground custom-blended naturally raised Pineland Farms beef, to the
toppings, sauces, and fries, right down to the butter toasted buns. The menu features “build your chuck by
the buck,” ranging from choices like the classic Six Buck Chuck to the more adventurous Badger Burger
with Pork & Veal Bratwurst. While you’re at it, quench your thirst with a small batch American draft
brew – or a nice and naughty spiked Shaketail. Whatever your pleasure, grab it to go or hang around.
The brief, confident, and straightforward menu of Ralph Brennan’s café b offers refined American comfort food set in a chic rendition of a retro brasserie. A carefully executed menu provides several options: appetizers ideal for conversational style gatherings; superlative pastas and plates from the grill that lend well for sharing; and domestic boutique wines complete the meal. Respected chef, Chris Montero has developed a menu that is familiar and presents itself as elevated neighborhood cuisine, a new American bistro crossed with a gastro pub.
Ralph Brennan’s café NOMA is modern design at its most delicious. The crisp white café interior is a cheerful and welcoming space that invites guests to enjoy Louisiana Bistro Fare on hip, architect-designed lounge furniture. A unique variety of Flatbreads, Salads, and Paninis are a few of the many selections offered for guests to recharge after a stimulating spell in the treasure trove that is the New Orleans Museum of Art. The atmosphere is calm and cool, striking and chic, bright and energetic -- and refuses to compete with the rich art works in the museum’s collections. Visually and deliciously, Ralph Brennan’s café NOMA is the place to enjoy food for art’s sake.
This elegant Latin-inspired restaurant in the heart of the nation's capital has been sizzling since it opened. Located in the historic Colorado Building on 14th and G Streets, the name "Ceiba" pays tribute to the imposing umbrella-shaped tree found throughout the new-world tropics, and the menu is contemporary Latin American, specifically Yucatan (Vera Cruz and Cancun), Brazilian (Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro), Peruvian, and Cuban.
David Guas, experienced and honored Pastry Chef is a private consultant, boutique pastry caterer, and dessert cookbook author. The name of his business is a nod to his roots in Louisiana and his culinary inclination; another strong influence is his Cuban heritage, through his Havana-born father. In 2004, David Guas' talent and creativity earned him the title of Pastry Chef of the Year from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. Bon Appétit magazine named him one of eight pastry chefs in the country titled "Dessert Stars" in an issue that featured his dessert.
The nation's capital welcomed DC Coast as a breath of fresh air when it opened ten years ago, and has made it a Washington institution ever since. The restaurant, the sleek interior of which reflects its situation in Washington's first Art Deco office building, is credited with reviving its downtown neighborhood. Executive Chef Tunks' culinary inspirations along with Chef de Cuisine Brendan Cox create an innovative Modern American menu that showcases the best from the various coastal regions: mid-Atlantic, Gulf Coast, and West Coast/Pacific Rim.
Big, brassy, and teeming with life, District Commons is a casual, contemporary, American tavern that
colorfully anchors its Foggy Bottom neighborhood. Classic favorites like the Hanger Steak with Double-
Fried Fries, and Mussels steamed in flavorful sauces, share the menu with a rotating selection of fine
Domestic Hams – Alan Benton, La Quercia, and comparable boutique pork products from Virginia to
Iowa – with Biscuits, Butter, and Pickled Cherries. Other all-American treats like freshly-baked Pretzel
Bread served with Mustard infused Butter, Root Beer Floats, and Funnel Cakes add to the fun factor.
Nearly one hundred different small batch beers, twenty on tap, offer something refreshing for everyone.
Heritage Grill is the go-to lunch spot for those who mix mid-day business with pleasure. Located in the Metairie based Heritage Plaza complex that serves as a hub to so much of New Orleans’ popular media, Heritage Grill spans the range of luncheon whims from just-a-salad to mid-day-meal. The New American menu emphasizes flavors of New Orleans and features dishes like Duck & Andouille Gumbo to the classic combo of House-roasted Turkey Sandwich with Buttermilk Onion Rings. With an expansive kitchen, Heritage Grill has become the headquarters for the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group Catering operations.
Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s elegant haute French flagship restaurant that regularly tops the best-of lists in the nation’s capital was rated the top restaurant for food in Zagat’s 2011 Washington DC/Baltimore Restaurant Survey, as well as one of the top five restaurants for service.
Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s latest venture, Mussel Bar is located in Bethesda Maryland and offers a contemporary evocation of the roadside dives outside Brussels where he used to haunt after hours with his fellow cooks. Besides the delectable selection of mussels, Mussel Bar offers a tempting array of flat-crusted savory Belgian tartes – a northern European cousin of the pizza.
PassionFish, located in the popular Reston Town Center, is the next generation, twenty-first century rendition of the group's first restaurant, DC Coast, , taking its tri-coastal seafood theme to a global level. The menu and food concept are driven by nationally recognized Chef Jeff Tunks and Chef de Cuisine, Chris Clime, whose 'passions' lie in sourcing a premier selection of seafood for his establishments. The cuisine of PassionFish represents the bounty of the world's oceans, lakes, seas, and waterways reflecting the flavors and natural resources of the Mediterranean, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Winning the "2010 Best of Award of Excellence" by Wine Spectator magazine, Plume serves as a discreet and elegant backdrop to the culinary artistry of executive chef Chris Jakubiec. Located in Washington DC’s finest hotel, The Jefferson, one can choose from an intimate alcove table or a spacious seat in the atrium style delivery room and savor classic dishes expertly executed with lighter, contemporary, finishing touches that appeal to today's enlightened palates. Chef Jakubiec draws on traditional techniques to create seasonal restaurant menus that are also inspired by the harvest from Thomas Jefferson's kitchen gardens at Monticello. Quill, The Jefferson Hotel’s elegant lounge, is elevating the art of cocktails in Washington, DC with expertly poured drink to accompany fine conversation.
There are plenty of chefs out there whose menus change regularly, reflecting the bounty of any given season. Peter Smith’s motivation is much more personal: he simply can’t stand to be bored. PS7s, his restaurant in downtown
DC, is his laboratory for exuberantly creative American cultural cuisine. His meals are more than complemented by
the equally inspired desserts of Zak Miller, who turns out wonders like the Fluffer of peanut butter sorbet, angostura
fluff, and buttered toast; and star mixologist, “mixtress” Gina Chersevani, with whom he creates seven-course
cocktail-pairing menus.
In an elegant old building that has served as a coffeehouse or restaurant for all of its hundred-and-fifty years, Ralph Brennan has created a light and relaxed environment for his fine-dining establishment that does the legacy proud. Ralph’s on the Park, at the entrance to New Orleans’ City Park, offers a menu of locally influenced global cuisine, made from the freshest ingredients that the local fishermen, farmers, and artisan food producers can provide. Chef Chip Flanagan, a native of the city, creates sophisticated versions of the hometown classics, like Fried Chicken wrapped in country ham, with crispy collards, red eye gravy, and red bean purée, and more exotic dishes like the ‘Disgruntled Shrimp’ – tempura shrimp teriyaki with a spicy chili garlic crème fraîche – making creative use of the local bounty.
Red Fish Grill is the go-to place for flavorful, un-fussy Gulf seafood in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Ralph Brennan’s funky-casual establishment at the gateway to Bourbon Street is apart from the surrounding mayhem, but vibrant and spirited in its own right, bedecked with paintings and sculptures of colorful fish on just about every surface of its industrial-chic interior. Red Fish Grill serves up New Orleans classics as well as more exotic dishes of the freshest local seafood. Signature Hickory Grilled Redfish on the half-shell is the restaurant’s worthy namesake and the Shrimp Po’Boy that has been voted the best in town.
- restaurants - pro-bono efforts - cookbooks - urban collective - former clients -
hotels
It was born of an ambition to create the late 1880s’ greatest sort of luxury hotel. Proudly sporting, of all things, an elevator large enough to bear a guest and his horse upstairs; a state-of-the-art communications system (the “magnetic annunciator;”) and the first electric light fixture installed in a hotel in the South, the hotel was declared by a local matron to be “a capital enterprise located in a capital building.” The name stuck. The Capital was a beacon to Southern culture in its day, and over the decades, it was continuously reinvented to characterize the very best of the South. A family of third-generation Arkansans has lovingly renovated and refreshed this grand lady, and the management and staff are devoted to bringing a new “capital idea” to guests through the hotel and its fine dining restaurant, Ashley’s. The Capital Hotel is the “front porch of Little Rock,” the portal to a rich and rewarding experience of the best of the region, and to the authentic welcome that warms the South.
Tucked away on a quiet hill in Charlottesville, Virginia is the casually elegant Clifton Inn, a fine Relais & Châteaux hotel whose history, like so much in the area, is linked directly to the family of Thomas Jefferson. The stately main house and out buildings offer cheery and comfortable rooms and suites. The extensive grounds are a peaceful refuge featuring a croquet lawn, an infinity pool, and the area’s only clay tennis court. In the dining room, exquisite American cuisine highlights the bounty of fresh local Virginia ingredients.
Coming soon!
With 99 exquisitely furnished and recently renovated guest room and suite accommodations, The Jefferson, Washington, DC enjoys a well-earned reputation as Washington’s finest small hotel. The Jefferson is a Relais and Châteaux property that has achieved Four-Diamonds from AAA, Five Stars from Forbes, and the “World’s Best Award” from Travel + Leisure magazine, ranking it seventh Top Small Hotel in the United States. Since 1923, this Beaux Arts jewel has presided over the corner of 16th and M Streets, NW, catering to savvy Washingtonians and the world’s elite travelers. Rich in historical details, this downtown Washington, DC hotel is both European and Washingtonian in style, and inspirations from its namesake, Thomas Jefferson, are found throughout. It is home to one of the city’s finest restaurants, Plume.
Coming soon!
- restaurants - hotels - cookbooks - urban collective - former clients -
Urban Collective
‘ekistics’ is the study of where and why people live where they do. It is also the name chosen by visionary real estate developer Sean Cummings to identify his New Orleans based firm, through which he creates meaningful, empowering, and uplifting spaces for living, working, playing and creating. From industrial loft living, to office and studio space for bright young entrepreneurs, to boutique hotels and hip candlelit bars, his work infuses life into his city. Collaborating with artists and artisans, and the hospitality and housing industries, his ideas enhance livelihoods and commerce. Sean’s pioneering efforts to incorporate green building practices into his real estate projects, and his creation of unique urban areas, have made him one of the most influential advocates for the city of New Orleans in the past decade.
- restaurants - hotels - pro-bono efforts - urban collective - former clients -
cookbooks
DamGoodSweet by David Guas (Taunton Press)
Serve Yourself, Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One by Joe Yonan (Ten Speed Press, March 2011)
Ever find yourself wondering how to use that half a lime or part can of crushed tomatoes or unfinished bottle of wine left over from a meal you cooked for yourself? You’re not alone. There are 31 million single adults in this country, and James Beard Award-winner Joe Yonan wants to help them feed themselves, and feed themselves well. His new cookbook, based on his award-winning Washington Post column, Serve Yourself / Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One, is based solidly on his own experience and enlightened attitude toward solo cooking and dining. The book is not about why you might be eating alone, nor is it about being single – because his writing and recipes address anyone who finds him- or herself cooking for him- or herself, in or out of a relationship. It is a book that celebrates not having to compromise with anyone else’s inclinations, foibles, or cravings at dinnertime. It understands that sometimes you might need a little pep talk to muster the motivation to cook for yourself. It offers tips on shopping, and handling leftovers, and there’s a whole feature called Storing and Using Extra Ingredients – like that half a lime or part-can of crushed tomatoes, or unfinished bottle of wine. It provides thoughtful essays on things like meat eating [“Deep in the Heart of Texas, We Bread Steak,”] and dining alone in Paris [Réservation Pour Un.”] Most importantly, it tells you how to cook. From condiments to crème brûlée, Yonan shares his methods for creating simply good food, in great variety, in single portions. His influences are global, but he understands the comforts of comfort food. Yonan grew up in Texas, so there’s a whole chapter on tacos; he loves pizza, so there’s a chapter on that, too. And Joe Yonan is a health-conscious eater, so Serve Yourself features a number of vegetarian dishes, and meals built upon ingredients like the sweet potato. No wonder his own website is called “Feed yourself well.”
- restaurants - hotels - cookbooks - urban collective - former clients -
pro-bono efforts
Chefs as Parents is the first time ever in the nation’s public school history that a nonprofit organization run by chefs will come in to service a school cafeteria in its entirety. Enlisted by First Lady Michelle Obama’s office in the war against childhood obesity, this group of Washington DC based Chefs and Parents have come together to use their skills as chefs and as parents to transform the way schools are feeding children one lunch system at a time.
Chefs as Parents has already been accepted by the Office of the Chancellor/Office of Nutrition Services for DCPS to completely take over the breakfast and lunch program for Tyler Elementary School in southeast DC, but has not been implemented yet due to additional qualifications. We, as a group, will continue to balance the food children already enjoy with healthy and locally-sourced choices that they can learn to appreciate and love.
Chefs as Parents has already been accepted by the Office of the Chancellor/Office of Nutrition Services for DCPS to completely take over the breakfast and lunch program for Tyler Elementary School in southeast DC, but has not been implemented yet due to additional qualifications. We, as a group, will continue to balance the food children already enjoy with healthy and locally-sourced choices that they can learn to appreciate and love.
Mission - To encourage Fairfax County Public School's Food and Nutrition Services (FCPS FNS) to implement the following changes: Increase the quantity of fresh, naturally-grown fruits and vegetables on a daily basis (e.g. salad bars); Eliminate highly processed food and replace with real food; Remove flavor enhancers like MSG, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed protein, etc.; Remove trans fat (partially hydrogenated oils) and fully hydrogenated oils; Remove artificial additives, dyes and preservatives; Remove high fructose corn syrup and limit excess added sugars; Provide cups of water or bottled water for free or at an economical price; and Provide organic milk as an option.
Since its creation in March of 2006 by Zack Rosenburg and Liz McCartney, the St. Bernard Project has dedicated itself to addressing the physical, emotional, and psychological devastation of survivors caused by Hurricane Katrina and just recently the Gulf oil spill. With over 24,000 people from across the country who have volunteered with them thus far and close to 325 homes constructed or rebuilt, the St. Bernard Project is able to identify families in need and provide them with newly rebuilt houses and psychological counseling that helps these deserving individuals return to a life and home that they once new…even better!
- restaurants - hotels - pro-bono efforts - cookbooks - urban collective -
former clients
Restaurants:
American Sector – New Orleans, LA
August – New Orleans, LA
Besh Steak – New Orleans, LA
Catch at The Terrace – Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Catch Restaurant – Winchester, MA
Domenica – New Orleans, LA
La Provence – Lacombe, LA
Lüke – New Orleans, LA
Meson 923 – New Orleans, LA
Monkey Bar – New York, NY
Picholine – New York, NY
Seeger’s – Atlanta, GA
The Polo Restaurant – New York, NY
TenPenh – Washington, DC
TRUE Restaurant – Mobile, AL
Chefs:
Jason Andelman
Terrance Brennan
John Besh
Kevin Graham
Kurt Gutenbrunner
Kerry Heffernan
Kyle Ketchum
Mark Levy
Erik Loos
Kevin McCarthy
Robert McCormick
Steve McHugh
Steve Pernetti
Dean Maupin
Chris Parsons
Baruch Rabasa
Jason Robinson
Guenter Seeger
Alon Shaya
Craig Shelton
Jared Tees
Wesley True
Cliff Wharton
Books:
DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style
Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One
Stealing Magnolias: Tales From a New Orleans Courtyard
Hotels:
Aurora Inn
Brown’s Hotel – London
Cal-A-Vie – Vista, CA
E.B. Morgan House
Excelsior Hotel Gallia – Milan, Italy
Grant Hotel Palazzo Della Fonte – Fiuggi, Italy
Grosvenor House – London
Hotel Bristol – Warszawa, Poland
Hotel de la Trémoille – Paris
Hȏtel Des Bergues – Genève, Switzerland
Hotel Eden – Rome
Hotel George V – Paris
Hotel Hana-Maui – Hana, HI
Hȏtel Plaza Athenée – Paris
Hotel Ritz – Madrid
Hyde Park Hotel – London
Inn at Dos Brisas - Washington, TX
Inn of the Five Graces – Santa Fe, NM
International House Hotel – New Orleans, LA
Lake Placid Lodge – Lake Placid, NY
Loft 523 – New Orleans, LA
The Roxbury Motel
Sandy Lane – Barbados
Soniat House – New Orleans, LA
The Chanler at Cliff Walk – Newport, RI
The King Edward – Toronto
The Lodge at Vail – Vail, CO
The Point – Saranac Lake, NY
The Watergate – Washington, D.C.
The Westbury – New York, NY
The Westbury - London
The Willcox – Aiken, SC
The Williamsburg Inn – Williamsburg, VA
Tourism:
Leading Hotels of the World (Advisory Board)
Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board
Louisiana Tourism and Cultural Development Committee (Media Advisory Board)
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries
Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu Katrina Fund
Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau
Southern Food and Beverage Museum
Events and Fundraisers:
Art of the Feast
Chefs Ashore
Country Music Television (CMT) Artists of the Year
Great-American Seafood Cook-Off
Iceland Food & Fun Festival
Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off
Pajama Party Inaugural Ball (Obama Inaugural Events)
Po’ Boy Power
Southern Foodways Alliance – Annual Dinner
StarChefs Rising Star Chef Gala – Washington, D.C.
Other:
Chefs as Parents
Interior Designer L.M. Pagano
John Georges Mayoral Campaign
St. Bernard Project