Jonathan Umbel

Restaurateur

A veteran restaurateur with experience across the U.S., Jonathan launched Pure Hospitality in Washington, D.C.'s influential and affluent Georgetown neighborhood in 2006. His background is keenly focused on the excellence of true hospitality and a dedicated commitment to the totality of a great dining experience. True to its name, Pure Hospitality's focus is just that - pure, simple, and consistent with the highest quality ingredients available.

As evident in the first two ventures, Hook and Tackle Box, Umbel and his partners implement delicious food with extraordinary precision and service. Since the opening of Hook in 2007, the restaurant has received 2 1/2 stars from the Washington Post along with garnering national accolades for its dedication to sustainability, variety and culinary excellence. The widely celebrated menu proudly offered over 68 different species of fish in 12 months.
Hook is also the recipient of the 2008 National Restaurant Association Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year Award and received a Seafood Champion Award from the Seafood Choices Alliance. Tackle Box, which opened next door to Hook in May of 2008, is a casual New England-style fish shack serving up sustainable delights such as the famous Maine Lobster Roll and Umbel's personal creation and favorite, "Lobster Bake to Go."

In keeping with his personality, and his pursuit for excellence, Umbel will always seek more...his never-ending sense of creativity has led him to set his sights on the West Coast, as he ventures forth there in Fall of 2009 with new projects. With this dedication to hospitality, terrific food, and visionary concepts, Umbel has truly established himself as one of the most successful and recognizable hospitality figures in Washington, D.C.