Battling Chefs

Todd Gray

Equinox , Todd Gray’s Watershed and Todd Gray’s Muse at the Corcoran

Todd Gray's cooking style is reflective of his roots in the mid-Atlantic region. A native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Gray is renown for his inventive interpretations of American cuisine infused with the flavors of the Eastern Seaboard. 

As one of DC's leading advocates for sustainable agriculture, fisheries and humanely raised animals, he is committed to using local foods and seasonal ingredients, supporting regional growers and producers that champion sustainable farming practices.

Gray studied at the University of Richmond, and graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America. Upon graduation, he worked with a number of fine dining restaurants where he honed his craft, philosophy and grounding in classical French and Italians techniques making him one of the nation’s top chefs.

In 1999, he and his wife, Ellen Kassoff Gray, opened their own restaurant, Equinox, which quickly caught the attention of the city's gourmands. That year, it received Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurants (East) award and was chosen by the readers of Gourmet Magazine as one of America's Top Tables. 

Since then, it has been recognized for its excellence by Bon Appetit, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, and many more. Chef Gray was awarded the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington's (RAMW) 2008 award for Best Fine Dining. He has been nominated for five James Beard Foundation's Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic, received eight nominations for RAMW's Chef of the Year, finally winning that honor in 2011.

Collectively, he and Ellen were recognized as the 2011 Foodservice Leaders of the year by Food Service Monthly. Earlier this year, Chef Gray and his wife opened Todd Gray’s Watershed, a NoMA neighborhood gathering place featuring his homage to regions of the Eastern seaboard with his signature modern and approachable culinary interpretations of coastal dining.

It features a modern raw bar and lounge, as well as an outdoor patio offering the ultimate urban al fresco dining experience.  It’s quickly becoming a neighborhood favorite in DC’s newest up and coming neighborhood.

Gray and his wife recently partnered with the Corcoran Gallery of Art to open a small café there called Todd Gray’s Muse at the Corcoran, where the mission for the Grays will be highlighting the intersection of the culinary arts and the visual arts.

In October, Gray will oversee the culinary offerings of the Fishing Lodge Cap Cana, Salamander Hospitality’s newest resort in the Dominican Republic.  It includes a casual café style restaurant with a Caribbean flair as well as an open-air restaurant.  Two additional restaurants will also be developed. 

For the past 10 years, Gray has been the Culinary Director for Salamander Hospitality, Sheila Johnson’s hospitality group, which also includes Salamander Resort & Spas and Market Salamander in Middleburg, VA.

Haidar Karoum

Haidar Karoum's passion for food began abroad during his family's long vacations through Europe, when he got to explore different cultural cuisines and sample unknown new flavors. His father's Lebanese cooking also stimulated Karoum's culinary senses, introducing him to the Mediterranean flavors that continue to influence his cooking today. He brought this global perspective on food back to restaurants in his home base in the DC area, where he wows diners with fresh, organic, delicious dishes.

Karoum graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in 1995 with an associate's degree in culinary arts, and soon returned to the CIA for a bachelors degree in culinary management. In 1998 he became the Sous Chef at Restaurant Nora, where he learned the importance of using local, organic produce and formed strong relationships with nearby farms. Two years later, as the executive chef of its sister restaurant Asia Nora, Karoum creatively integrated local and organic ingredients into an Eastern menu.

His commitment to local, organic, and seasonal foods is now showcased at Proof, where he has been the Executive Chef since 2007. The menu features modern American foods with Asian and Mediterranean influences, as well as an impressive wine list.

A few years after joining Proof, Karoum was presented with an offer that he couldn't refuse. Mark Kuller, the owner of Proof, gave Karoum the chance to work as the Executive Chef of a new Spanish restaurant, Estadio, and Karoum accepted. In early 2010 Kuller and Karoum jetted off to Spain and ate their way through the country, sampling regional dishes, tasting exotic flavors, and learning new techniques. After the whirlwind tour, Karoum developed a menu of small plates inspired by flavors in the Basque and Catalan regions of Spain. Though the food is from a foreign culture, the menu upholds Karoum's pledge to serve seasonal and local foods. Estadio opened in July 2010 and has quickly become a hot new spot for dining and wine in the city.

This year, Proof and Estadio were nominated for four awards from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), and Karoum was nominated for RAMW's Chef of the Year. Estadio took home the prestigious award for Best New Restaurant.

Jeff Black

Chef/Owners Barbara and Jeff Black of Black Restaurant Group met at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and then headed to Washington, DC to pursue their culinary careers. In 1996, they opened Addie’s, their first restaurant, in Rockville, Maryland.  Since then, the determined chefs have opened four more successful establishments.

Barbara and Jeff Black, with partner Jon Linck, own and operate Addie's, Black Market Bistro, Black's Bar and Kitchen, and BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant.   On September 20, 2011, the Blacks opened Pearl Dive Oyster Palace & Black Jack in the vibrant 14th Street neighborhood.

Each of the establishments are routinely recognized by critics and guests alike as some of the top restaurants in the area and have ranked in Washingtonian magazine’s “100 Best” for multiple years.

Additionally, BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant captured the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s “Best New Restaurant of the Year” in 2006.  While each restaurant has its own distinct style, all share a common commitment to great food and quality service. Black Restaurant Group supports the sustainability of farms and waters, humane and healthful raising of animals and fish, and environmentally sound practices regarding energy, recycling and conservation.

BRIAN MCBRIDE

Executive Chef Brian McBride opened Blue Duck Tavern in June 2006 with an emphasis on sustainable, seasonal ingredients, provided by regional farmers, artisans and producers.

Additionally, Chef McBride continues his tenure as Park Hyatt Washington's executive chef preparing farm-fresh,
market-style menus for the hotel's meetings and social events.

Chef Brian McBride created award-winning cuisine at the former Melrose restaurant at Park Hyatt Washington from 1987 to 2005. McBride earned a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island and obtained experience in restaurants throughout the world, including positions in Providence, New York, Cambridge, Cuernavaca, Mexico and London. Chef McBride began his career at the age of 14 and worked in kitchens throughout high school.

Year after year, Chef McBride has donated countless hours participating in DC's top culinary charity events, including St. Jude's Gourmet Gala, FRESHFARM Markets' Farmland Feast, Food & Friends Celebrity Chef Dinner, Heart's Delight Wine Dinner, Share our Strength's Taste of the Nation and DC Central Kitchen's Capital Food Fight.

Chef Brian McBride has also been very active in the Hyatt culinary world, hosting a dinner each year for Virtuoso luxury travel agents in Las Vegas; serving as a guest chef at Park Hyatt media events in Asia, collaborating with international Michelin-star chefs to combine American flavors with foreign cuisine; and participating in Taste of Hyatt – a culinary event in New York City showcasing the talent of Hyatt's top chefs. Additionally, Chef McBride has traveled across the globe, being actively involved with Park Hyatt Masters of Food & Wine activities in key cities, such as Paris, Mendoza and Buenos
Aires.

Most recently, under the helm of Chef McBride, Blue Duck Tavern has been awarded numerous accolades, including "DC's 5 Best American Restaurants", Zagat, July 2011; "100 Very Best
Restaurants", Washingtonian, January 2011; "America's Best Restaurants", Zagat Survey, January 2011; "50 Hottest Restaurants", DC Modern Luxury, August 2010; "The Hot 10 – Best Restaurants for Thanksgiving", Bon Appetit, November 2009, and "10 Great Hotel Restaurants", HOTELS magazine,
August 2009. Chef McBride was also named "2003 Hotel Executive Chef of the Year" by the American Culinary Institute and received two nominations for "Chef of the Year" by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW).