Tony Chittum
Dish and Notti Bianche | Washington DC

Biography
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. As a teenager, he worked in neighborhood eateries washing dishes and earning his allowance. When Chittum met Peter McDonaugh at a local restaurant, he realized that cooking could be a career and enrolled in a few culinary classes at Anne Arundel Community College.

At 21 Chittum relocated to San Francisco where he studied under Donald Link at the Elite Café. Link exposed Chittum to the nuances of fine dining through classic French technique as well as Cajun and Creole style cooking. In 1999, Chittum returned to the Washington, DC to work at newly opened Equinox restaurant under the tutelage of Todd Gray. Gray’s focus on seasonality and proper technique made an impression on Chittum, who quickly climbed the ranks from garde manger to sous chef and finally chef de cuisine in 2002. He left Equinox with a strong working knowledge of the business side of cooking and a newfound appreciation for local, seasonal produce. Two years later Chittum married Heather Ackerman, Pastry Chef at DC’s Dish. The two honeymooned in Italy where they soaked up local culinary traditions and flavors. When they returned to DC Chittum accepted an offer to join the opening team at Aria Trattoria, creating a menu that mirrored his gastronomic adventures through the Italian landscape with homemade pastas and seafood dishes.

Chittum learned of the opportunity to head the kitchens of both Dish and Notti Bianche, he could not pass up the offer and opportunity to work closer to his wife. Chittum joined in 2005, bringing innovative twists to seasonal Modern American cuisine. His dishes bring a sense of comfort and ease to fine dining while maintaining elegance. His hot chowder froth, which complements a seasonal fish, is a light and airy version of the classic clam chowder. Fried Middle Neck clams and simple glazed potatoes, leeks and celery complete the dish.

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Interview Cont'd
AB: Did you attend culinary school? Why or why not? Would you recommend culinary school to aspiring chefs today? Do you only hire chefs with culinary school backgrounds?
AC: I didn’t go to culinary school. I might have right after high school, but I wasn’t sure it made sense money-wise. I hire people either way.

AB: Who are your mentors? What are some of the most important things you’ve learned from them?
AC: Donald Link taught me all about fine dining: how to act in the kitchen, when to talk and when not to, things like that. I worked for Todd Gray for five years and he taught me a lot about the business side of cooking like watching numbers and food costs. He taught me about customers and the importance of walking though the dining room. He also taught me the importance of proper technique and seasonality.

AB: What is you philosophy on food and dining?
AC: I’m not a jacket and tie kind of guy. I believe in simple food and great, fresh ingredients. I want my customers to have a wonderful time and be comfortable.

AB: Are there any secret ingredients that you especially like? Why?
AC: I like celery because it goes with everything. You can use the whole plant: root, stalk, heart, leaves and micro greens. What can’t you do with celery?

AB: What flavor combinations do you favor?
AC: I like my foods to be well-balanced with lots of different flavors. Recently I’ve been playing around with mustard as a different way to introduce heat to my food.

AB: What is your most indispensable kitchen tool? Why?
AC: Definitely my fish spatula. It’s so versatile. It’s slotted so it drains and it’s nice and thin so you can get it under things. Donald Link gave it to me.

AB: Is there a culinary technique that you have either created or use in an unusual way? Please describe.
AC: I make chowder “froth,” which is clam juice, milk, celery, garlic and bacon reduced together and strained. Then I use an immersion blender to make the chowder frothy and light.

AB: What tips would you offer young chefs just getting started?
AC: Find a chef whose food is most exciting to you then do whatever it takes to get in that kitchen, even if it means washing the dishes. Stay for a year and then move on to your next favorite chef. Repeat.

AB: What are your favorite cookbooks?
AC: I like Sauce, by James Peterson. He offers techniques for every sauce you can think of and gives shortcuts that don’t take away from the final product.

AB: What cities do you like for culinary travel?
AC: Spain is blowing up right now!

AB: What are your favorite restaurants –off the beaten path—in the city?
AC: I like Sette in DuPont Circle for their prosciutto and arugula pizza and Bistro du Coin for their steak frites.

AB: What trends do you see emerging in the restaurant industry now?
AC: I think science and cooking will continue to come together, but we should be careful to not overboard.

AB: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10 years?
AC: I’d like to own an Italian-American neighborhood place with my wife, something very small with less than fifty seats.

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