Monica Bhide Recently there have been a slew of young chefs in DC really taking the culinary scene to new levels. Under 35 and working magic in their kitchens, I thought I would post about four of my favorite chefs (I need to change the name of this category from best 3 to best 5… clearly!) —
Johnny Monis of KOMI – He is still well-under 30 and easily serving some of the best Greek food in the city. The food critic of the Washington Post cannot stop gushing about this young man and his talent –“Months after I sampled them, the lovely vitello tonnato, the extraordinary wood-roasted pigeon and the pappardelle tossed with a sweet ragu of baby goat lingered in my food fantasies.” These days the only way to get a table most nights is to make a reservation. He loves to take reservations himself on the phone and is known to change the menu daily! The menu is Greek inspired but very unpretentious. My experience – We started our meal with an amuse from the chef – a warm date stuffed with melting hot mascarpone then speckled with sea salt crystals. Then, in a tiny little wooden box, the chef’s signature crackers ( sesame, paprika, and asiago with thyme) are served in lieu of bread. My appetizer was a sweet, salty, peppery yet delightful watermelon slab topped with feta cheese and mature arugula. A fritto misto, being served for the first time last night, showcased deep fried soft shell crabs, cod fritters and clam fritters. It was served along with a lemon aioli (for the cod) and a red dip (with almonds, breadcrumbs and orange) for the clam.
Anthony Chittum of Vermillion was noted by Forbes magazine as one of the best chefs in the country. Until recently 30 year-old Chittum was cooking up Italian delights at Notti Bianche. Born on Kent Island on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Tony Chittum spent his youth fishing on the Chesapeake Bay where he learned from local fishermen how to prepare the native crab and rockfish. His food makes me think of romance – here is a chef who is in love with his ingredients and not afraid to show it. Each dish is lovingly plated and satisfies the soul.
Tony Conte at Oval Room — I associate 34 year-old Conte with roasted beets! His signature at Oval Room are Roasted Baby Beets with Passion Fruit Gelee, Horseradish & Icewine Mignonette appetizer at the Oval Room on Connecticut Avenue. It is a uniquely flavored dish (red, yellow and candy-Striped beets!!) with a sharp taste of horseradish. The chef tells me it is the most popular dish on the menu. The flavors of the beets with the tanginess of the passion fruit gelee and the sharpness of the horseradish really give it a striking taste. It also makes one beautiful presentation on the place. Conte worked as the executive sous chef at four-star Jean Georges. Chef Conte’s impressive resume also includes a stint as the chef de partie at JoJo, a contemporary French restaurant also owned by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and a turn as executive chef and co-owner of Pesce in Branford, Connecticut, where, during his tenure, the restaurant earned Connecticut Magazine’s “Best New Restaurant 2002” and Taste of Nation’s “Golden Fork Award” Best Food in Show 2001.
Barton Seaver at Hook – I ate at Hook last week. Everyone at my table swore that it was probably one of the best seafood meals they had ever had. The chef, 28, in jeans looked so comfortable in his kitchen as he walked around and worked his way through the orders. I just wonder what he will do when he is 40. His sablefish with sweet almond milk is one of the best seafood dishes I have ever eaten – no two ways about it. He is definitely a chef to watch and I predict wonderful things in his future. Seaver has been a StarChefs.com Rising Star of 2006 and a Rising Star Chef nominee by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
After experiencing The Source in Washington DC, this is Wolfgang Puck’s first signature restaurant in Washington DC, I had to update this list. Executive Chef Scott Drewno, deserves a place of honor on this list. His cooking makes you want to run out shouting — Have you eaten here? Have you tasted what this young man is cooking up? If you have not, you are missing a lot. He does magic with his braised Kobe short ribs and the wok fried bass served tableside with a couple of different sauces makes you wonder if he really does have a magical food wand.