Joshua Whigham
Chef de Cuisine
Joshua Whigham started his culinary career as a young child in Florida, assisting his mother in the kitchen. While some of his earliest creations like tang mixed with vanilla extract may have not been his most successful, Whigham continues to show off his culinary skill at Hook.
Though he originally intended to be a physical therapist, Whigham started waiting tables in college and became enamored with the life of a chef in the kitchen. He started soon after at Outback Steakhouse, working his way up the line. Looking to take his culinary career to the next level, Whigham decided to apply to the Disney Culinary Program in 1998. Disney’s intensive program introduced Whigham to everything from the pleasures of foie gras to how to filet a whole fish and taught him the pinnacle of professionalism. He worked in every kind of establishment at Disney, from five star restaurants to buffets and fast food stations, giving him a well-rounded education with a world of experience. Eager again to take his career to the next level, Whigham read about the Food & Wine Festival in Aspen and soon applied to work behind the scenes. In 2000, sponsored by Disney’s culinary program, Whigham attended his first Aspen festival, and had the opportunity to work with some of the best chefs in the U.S., including Mario Batali, Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud.In addition, he was also able to participate in the National Pastry Competition in Vail.
Following his graduation from the Disney Culinary Program in 2001, Whigham returned to Aspen and worked at the Ritz Carlton and later at Jimmy’s, which specialized in American cuisine. Whigham then spent a winter at Restaurant Mogador, which gave his first experience in Spanish cuisine and was his first foray into the art of creating espumas and gelatins.
Looking to move closer to his family, Whigham decided to leave Aspen in 2003 and move to Washington, DC. On his first Wednesday in the District, Whigham opened up the Washington Post food section to a huge feature on Chef Jose Andres. Well versed in Andres’ Spanish cuisine, Whigham immediately emailed Andres about a possible job in his kitchen. Andres’ invited him in for a stage and he soon found himself working at Café Atlantico with Chef Katsuya Fukushima. Whigham spent three months on the line at Café Atlantico and then went on to assist in the opening of Minibar, where Whigham helped in developing the foundation. According to Whigham, “Minibar was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. We put our blood, sweat and tears into it.” After one year at Minibar, a great learning experience, Whigham moved over to another one of Andres’ restaurants, Zaytinya as sous chef. Zaytinya introduced Whigham to the joys of working with small plates and Mediterranean food. After one year at Zaytinya, Whigham returned to Café Atlantico as sous chef under Katsuya.
In July of 2006, Whigham took the position of Chef de Cuisine at Bar Pilar to execute their newly revamped menu featuring Italian inspired small plates. At Pilar, Whigham showed diners that good food doesn’t have to be expensive and you don’t have to go to a fancy restaurant to get it. According to Whigham, “If the technique is right, then the food will be good. A chef once told me to ‘listen’ to the food. It will tell you what you need.”
Working closely with Chef Barton Seaver, Whigham jumped at the chance to work alongside him at Hook. Whigham is also a huge proponent of local, organic and sustainable cooking, keeping in line with the philosophy of Executive Chef Barton Seaver, which he will continue to implement at Hook. In his spare time, Whigham can be found riding his longboard down 14th Street or spinning records.
Heather Chittum
Pastry Chef
Heather Chittum, a 2006 StarChefs.com Rising Star Chef, may have taken a non-traditional path to her current role as Pastry Chef of Pure Hospitality’s Hook restaurant in Georgetown, but she has certainly always felt comfortable creating delicate sweets in the kitchen.
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Chittum was exposed to diverse cuisines, which sparked a deeper interest in food. Although her passion for food would not translate into a career until years later, it was this early exposure that she credits with her decision.
Food became a secondary interest for Chittum when she left New York to study government and international relations at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Upon her graduation in 1994, Chittum moved to Washington, D.C., to work for former New York State Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. During her four years working on Capitol Hill, Chittum developed a particular interest in fighting poverty and hunger, which led her to her next job working for Share our Strength (SOS), a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger. SOS introduced Chittum to some of the most influential chefs in the United States, and inspired Chittum to revisit her longtime passion for cooking.
In 2001, Chittum enrolled in the Fundamentals of Pastry Arts program at L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and began working alongside Equinox’s acclaimed Pastry Chef Lisa Scruggs. Three years later, Chittum was appointed Pastry Chef for Circle Bistro, Dish and, soon after, Notti Bianchi, which opened in May 2005.
In November 2005, Chittum was tapped as Pastry Chef of Washington D.C.’s highly acclaimed Michel Richard Citronelle, where she worked under the mentorship of Chef Richard, who himself spent fifteen years as a Pastry Chef. The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington duly recognized Chittum’s fast-growing prestige when she was nominated for the 2006 Pastry Chef of the Year award. In May 2006, Chittum returned to her position as Pastry Chef at Dish and Notti Bianchi, and eventually took over the kitchen at the ever-popular Circle Bistro, also within the Potomac Restaurant Group, where she worked with rising culinary star, Executive Chef Brendan Cox.
In March 2007, Chittum left Potomac Restaurant Group to take on a new challenge, Pastry Chef at the helm of Georgetown’s newest addition, Hook restaurant. Chittum will be working alongside Executive Chef and Restaurant Partner Barton Seaver to develop the restaurant’s dessert menu that mirrors Seaver’s dedication to sustainability and locally grown produce. With a platform that embraces her methodology of purity through ingredients, Chittum will conclude guests’ meals with decadent and innovative delights such as a Lingonberry Linzertorte with Tallegio Ice Cream and Port Wine Reduction, Buttermilk Panna cotta with Confited Rhubard, Whoopie Pies and Chocolate Torte with Caramel and Cashews. Her love of ice cream will come through with flavors ranging from Gorgonzola Dolce, Lavender Honey, Black Pepper, and Concord Grape, Frozen Yogurt Mousse Granola with red currants and raspberries.
Pastry Chef Heather Chittum’s new venture will not only provide a strong platform for her desserts to shine, but also give her the room to grow and hone her skills for future Pure Hospitality projects.
Francesco Amodeo
Wine Director
In a small hillside town called Furore, located between Amalfi and Positano, Italy, Francesco Amodeo’s passion for wine was born. Wine and winemaking has been in his family for generations.
It was his grandparents who truly imparted fervor for wine – his grandmother began bringing him to the vineyards and wine cellars at an early age to visit his grandfather, who made wine. As a chef for 35 years, Amodeo’s grandmother also taught him a love of food in the kitchen of Osteria di Bacco, connected to Marisa Cuomo Winery, which cemented the connection between food and wine for young Amodeo forever. Each year Amodeo followed his grandfather through the process of preparing the family cellar in September to the harvest in October, and learned the intimate process and dedication needed to make impeccable wine. Wine was, and continues to be, an essential part of the day to day lives of this family.
His family produced more red than white wines, and in November, everyone in the surrounding area would come to his family’s cellar to savor genuine vintages from Ripoli, Fenile and Piedrosso grapes. His love for entertaining and educating began, learning from an early age how wine can make an event truly special.
A passion for languages led Amodeo from his small community to study abroad, but he returned to collaborate with the cellar at Marisa Cuomo, the same winery where his grandmother had taken him for so many years. The natural flavors and humidity give character to this wine that is available at only a few select locations in the United States, including Hook Restaurant in Washington, DC.
His previous experience includes Furore Inn Resort in Furore, Italy, Hotel Poseidon and Ristorante Buca di Bacco in Positano, Italy, and Washington DC’s Butterfield 9. He trained in wine studies in Naples, Italy, and received his AIS (Associazione Italiana Sommelier) certificate at age 21.
Amodeo brings his love for artisinal wine, superb entertaining, and small town charm to this M Street destination. Under his direction, the restaurant boasts a 350+ wine list that is constantly evolving and changing in search of the quality instilled in this talented man.
