The Five Chefs of Cochon 555 Washington D.C. - John Manolatos - Cashion's

May 27, 7:04 PMDenver Sustainable Restaurants ExaminerWill Sullivan

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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 John Manolatos of Cashion's

As a second-generation Greek immigrant, work ethic and determination are two values that were established at a very early age for John. It has always been his belief that the most rewarding accomplishments are made from the bottom up. His love for food, much like these two guiding principles, also began at an early age as John watched closely the passion and joy that his family took from food.

Surrounded by a host of Greek cooks in his family, he was bound for a culinary future. Thus, John’s career at Cashion’s Eat Place took off. Entering the profession with little more to offer than dedication and an insatiable appetite for knowledge, he worked his way from prep cook to Sous Chef at Cashion’s Eat Place over an eleven-year tenure.

Through his journey in the culinary world, John has worked closely side by side with his mentor chef/owner Ann Cashion. During this time, she sculpted and fostered his inherent love for food and his culinary curiosity. That aside, John considers Chef Cashion’s unyielding principle and commitment to food as the most valuable lesson learned over the years. More than any recipe, this has been the most influential impression that she has left on him through their work together. And John has worked with vigor and patience to define his own style of cooking.

The result: culinary creations that take a simplistic approach to preparation yet convey an innovative perspective on food. This component of John’s take on cooking was underscored during his short time working under Chef Sanford D’Amato in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Chef D’Amato, also a James Beard Award winning chef, believed in the importance of food presentation.

Here, John walked away with an even greater understanding of how crucial it is to
strive for innovation without compromising the integrity of the ingredients in the dish.
With these experiences firmly embedded, John has strived to continually define and
redefine his culinary style.

With the blessing of Chef Cashion, he has been able to expand his culinary creativity and skill over the past six years at Cashion’s Eat Place. In July of 2007, John purchased Cashion’s Eat Place with his brother George and friend Justin Abad. Since the purchase, John has continued to cook in the same manner that he has for the past 13 years—using classic yet creative techniques to showcase the best products he can obtain.