Heather Chittum

Pastry Chef

Heather Chittum has been the recipient of many an accolade in her career. She has been named a 2006 StarChefs.com Rising Star Chef, 2008 Pastry Chef of the Year 'RAMMY' Award recipient, and is among Gayot's 5 Best Pastry Chefs in the Nation, 2008.

She 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, 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 Potomac Restaurant Group's Circle Bistro, Dish and, soon after, Notti Bianchi, which opened in May 2005.

In November 2005, Chittum was tapped as Pastry Chef of acclaimed Chef Michel Richard's Citronelle restaurant, working 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 three years in a row for the Pastry Chef of the Year award which she went on to win in 2008. In May 2006, Chittum returned to her position as Pastry Chef at Dish and Notti Bianchi, and Circle Bistro.

In March 2007, Chittum left Potomac Restaurant Group to take on a new challenge, Pastry Chef of Pure Hospitality's Hook Restaurant in Georgetown. Chittum develops the restaurant's desserts which mirror Pure's dedication to sustainability and locally grown produce. With a platform that embraces her methodology of purity through ingredients, Chittum concludes guests' meals with decadent, flavorful delights such as a Lingonberry Linzertorte with Tallegio Ice Cream and Port Wine Reduction, Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Local Cherries and Pistachio Biscotti, Carrot Cake with Cr?me Fraiche Sorbet and the Bittersweet Chocolate Cake. Her love of ice cream shines through with flavors ranging from Gorgonzola Dolce, Lavender Honey, Black Pepper, and Concord Grape, Frozen Yogurt Mousse Granola with red currants and raspberries.

Chittum's new venture not only provides a strong platform for her desserts to shine, but also gives her the room to grow and hone her skills for future Pure Hospitality projects.