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The Five Chefs of Cochon 555 Washington D.C. - Jamie Leeds - Commonwealth Gastropub
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Photo courtesy of the Taste Network
The organizers of Cochon 555 have assembled an impressive cadre of top chefs from the D.C. area, all competing on Sunday, May 31, to celebrate heritage breed hogs.
Chefs will be asked to prepare a meal using the whole hog, from head to toe, but only one will be crowned "Prince of Porc."
The 2009 D.C. roundup includes two Rammy nominees and a 2007 James Bear Award Winner for Best Mid-Atlantic chef.
Chefs participating in Cochon 555 include:
- RJ Cooper, Vidalia
- Nicholas Stefanelli, Mio
- Brian McBride, Blue Duck Tavern
- Jamie Leeds, Commonwealth Gastropub
- John Manolatos, Cashion's Eat Place
Over the course of the next five days, we'll take some time to get to know a little more about each of the chefs involved in the event with the hopes of gaining perhaps a preview of what to expect from their preparations on the 31st
Chef Jamie Leeds of Commonwealth Gastropub
Jamie Leeds is one of Washington’s most highly recognized chefs due to her successful restaurants, Hank’s Oyster Bar and Washington’s first gastropub CommonWealth. She is also a figurehead for her very active role in the community and the culinary field and is currently the president elect of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR).
In May 2005, she opened her first restaurant as executive chef and owner, the 65-seat Hank’s Oyster Bar, which serves “Urban Beach Food”. Hank’s is named after Leeds’ father, who she credits as her inspiration for becoming a chef. Since its’ opening, Hank’s Oyster Bar has been praised by Gourmet, Bon Appetit, The Washington Post, Washingtonian, DC magazine, The Washington Times and Fox Morning News. This neighborhood restaurant’s huge success spurred the opening of a new Hank’s Oyster Bar in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia in September 2007. Jamie Leeds opened Washington’s first gastropub, CommonWealth in July 2008 in Columbia Heights.
Favorable reviews and a successful launch also earned Jamie Leeds a nomination for “Rising Culinary Star” from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Capital Restaurant & Hospitality Awards in June 2003. Chef Leeds was also named a “Rising Star Chef” by Starchefs.com for Washington, D.C.’s 2003 awards program, which selected only seven chefs throughout the area for the coveted recognition. In 2006, her new restaurant Hank’s Oyster Bar was nominated for “Best New Restaurant” by the Restaurant Association of Washington and in 2008, Hank’s won the coveted “Best Neighborhood Restaurant.”
A self-taught chef, Leeds brings to her food a strong sense of American culinary values, incorporating local and seasonal produce into her recipes.
You might also enjoy these:
- Cochon 555 DC: Five top DC-area chefs and wineries to celebrate heritage breed hogs
- Breaking Down the Dish: Bryan Voltaggio of Frederick's VOLT
- Breaking Down the Dish: Dean Gold of D.C.'s Dino
- Breaking Down the Dish: Shannon Overmiller of Old Town Alexandria's The Majestic
- Breaking Down the Dish: Nicholas Stefanelli of D.C.'s Mio
- Breaking Down the Dish: Daniel Bortnick of D.C's Firefly
- Founding Farmers: Getting to the Source(s) of D.C.'s hottest New Farm-to-Table Joint
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