Chef & Owner of Brasserie Beck and Marcel’s in Washington, DC., and the most recently Brabo in Old Town Alexandria.

Brabo & The Tasting Room
1600 King St
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 894-3440
www.braborestaurant.com

Chef Weidmaier with his Pan Seared Alaskan Salmon with Baby Arugula and Sherry Vinaigrette.

When did you first become interested in cooking and why did you decide to pursue a culinary career?
I was around 16; my mother was an awesome cook.  I enjoyed going to the various markets with my mom when we lived in Europe.

Who have been the biggest inspirations for your career?
Chef Douglas McNeill (retired) of the Four Seasons in Georgetown, I worked for him for 8 years.  In Belgium, I worked for Edie Van Maele in my young twenties.  I spent about a year with him and learned the importance of kitchen organization and the finesse of cooking.

What are some of the qualities that you feel a successful chef should have?
Passion/LOVING what you do, dedication to your craft, being able to teach others, being adamant about how you want your kitchen run, cleanliness and respect for the traditions of being a chef.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
Working with my brigade and watching my younger cooks grow. Also, the changing of the menus; searching for new product and working with new farmers/vendors.

What stresses you out the most?
Managing over 300 employees between all my businesses.

What is your greatest joy?
Watching customers enjoy the labors of what we do.

If any chef in the world could prepare you a meal, who would it be?
That will change with my moods, today; it would be Jean Ducloux of Greuze (restaurant), located in the South of France. I would have him prepare me a roasted-truffle chicken that you have to order four days in advance.

With everything that you’ve accomplished in your career, are you still learning as a chef?
It’s a culinary journey everyday of learning and pushing yourself to do it better and looking for better ways of operating and working with your staff.

And, what’s your guilty food pleasure?
Brian McBride’s (Blue Duck Tavern) Sausage with cabbage and baked pretzel…for now!  Tomorrow it may be something else.

 

Congratulations to Local Alexandria Chefs
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washing recently held their Rammy awards for the best of the area.  For the first time ever, Alexandria, and Old Town in particular, won the awards for Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year.  The best restaurant went to Restaurant Eve, the results of hard work by popular and award winning chef Cathal Armstrong.  The chef of the year award went to chef-owner Robert Wiedmaier of Brabo, Brasserie Beck and Marcel’s of Washington, D.C.  Wiedmaier had previously won the award for Best Fine Dining five years ago.  Restaurant Eve and Brabo are located in Old Town, Alexandria.  These awards confirm the fact that the best talent and finest restaurants are here, in Old Town.  Our congratulations go to not only these two gentlemen, but also to all of the other restaurants that make Old Town Alexandria the best place for dining.

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