Robert Wiedmaier

Robert Wiedmaier
Born (1960-03-02) 2 March 1960
Wiesbaden, Germany
Occupation Chef
Children 2

Robert Wiedmaier is a German-born Belgian American chef. He owns multiple restaurants in Washington, D.C. and is known for creating dishes involving Belgian cuisine, specifically mussels.

Personal life

Robert Wiedmaier was born in Germany and lived there until he was about the age 15. He described his mother as a "great cook," who focused on French cuisine.[1] She was born in California.[2] He attended cooking school in the Netherlands.[1] His father was born in Belgium.[3] He lives in Kensington, Maryland.[4] He has been described as an "avid hunter" and fisherman and "full circle chef".[1][5] He also rides Harley-Davidson motorcycles.[1] He is married to Polly Blum Wiedmaier.

Career

He worked at restaurants in Belgium and the Netherlands. He relocated to the Washington metropolitan area in the 1980s.[1] The first restaurant he worked at in the region was the Morrison House in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, at its restaurant, Le Chardon d’Or.[1][6] He worked as a saucier. He worked at the Four Seasons Hotel. He worked at the Watergate replacing Jean-Louis Palladin. He opened his first restaurant in 1999, Marcel's. He has cooked with Albert Roux.[1] He's been asked to be on Iron Chef and has declined, stating in 2012, "that's just not my thing. Not that I wouldn't do it, but I have five restaurants to run."[3]

The Brouwerij De Musketiers brewery in Belgium makes an exclusive beer for Wiedmaier's restaurants called Antigoon.[7] As of 2012, his restaurants served over 7,500 pounds of mussels each month. All mussels served in his Washington metropolitan area restaurants are from the United States.[8]

Restaurants/RW Restaurant Group

Marcel's

Marcel's opened in 1999 in Washington, D.C.'s Foggy Bottom neighborhood with French-Belgian cuisine, fine dining and open nightly. It is Wiedmaier's first restaurant and named after his first-born son. Marcel's menu has adjusted over as of 2013, due to the struggle to find line cooks experienced in preparing high end restaurant cuisine, such as bone marrow flan. Wiedmaier has noted that kitchen staff has gotten younger and less experienced, and menu changes have had to happen until more inexperienced chefs garner more training.[9]

Brasserie Beck

In April 2007, he opened Brassiere Beck, named after his youngest son, which was his first major foray into focusing on mussels and Belgian beer. He described the restaurant as having a "1950s to 60s train station feel," and a focus on French cuisine with Flemish cuisine influences. As of its opening, the restaurant had over 100 beers on the menu and nine on tap including his own exclusive Belgian brew, Antigoon.[1] In 2009, he partnered with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurantss to open Brabo at the Lorien Hotel and Spa in Alexandria, Virginia.

Wildwood Kitchen

He opened Wildwood Kitchen in Bethesda, Maryland in 2012. It has been called Wiedmaier's "little cream and butter" restaurant and is also one of his smallest at 2,000 square feet and seating 55 people.[10] It has a health focused menu, using olive oil instead of butter, and French Mediterranean cuisine.[4][10] Hapstak Demetriou+ designed the restaurant. Green is the primary color used and the facility has lots of wood in the decor, including lights made of branches. Over 60 wines are on the menu sold at under $60.[10] Staff members who have worked at Marcel's for over 12 years were offered part ownership in Wildwood Kitchen.[4]

Mussel Bar & Grille

Wiedmaier started a small chain of restaurants called Mussel Bar & Grille, with locations in Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey. The restaurant, which focuses on Belgian cuisine, pizza, and Belgian beer, with a rock and roll theme. The theme was inspired by his youth, when he would eat mussels and fries in bars in Brussels, Belgium with rock music playing.[3] The first restaurant opened in Bethesda, Maryland in 2010.[11] It cost $1.1 million to build and open.[3]

The Atlantic City, New Jersey location, which opened in Spring of 2012, is his first restaurant located outside of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.[12] It is located at Revel Atlantic City. The location has a 26-seat bar, an open kitchen, dining room, and a stage for live music. It was designed by Hapstak Demetriou+. The Atlantic City restaurant features cameras that allow diners to watch the chefs on televisions. They serve over eight types of mussel styles and has a raw bar. The menu features over 20 beers on tap and 130 bottles of beer available.[3]

In 2013, Wiedmaier opened Mussel Bar & Grille in Ballston, Virginia. It is in a former Chevrolet car dealership. Much of the interior, which was designed by Hapstak Demetriou+, uses reclaimed objects, such a construction crane, beer bottles, windowpanes, and cargo containers. There is a patio and over 100 beers on the menu.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Limpert, Ann. "Robert Wiedmaier on Cookbooks, Kitchen Disasters, and His New Brasserie". Best Bites. Washingtonian. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Fleischman, Alexia. "Chef Robert Wiedmaier's hot new Belgian restaurant: Brabo". Communities. Washington Times. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Cronick, Scott. "D.C.-area Chef Robert Wiedmaier to bring beer, music and great food to new gastro pub in Revel". Life. Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Sugarman, Carole. "Robert Wiedmaier opening Mediterranean restaurant in Bethesda". Table Talk. Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Sidman, Jessica. "Nose-to-Tail Population Control". Young & Hungry. Washington City Paper. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  6. ↑ Wright, Jordan. "Culinary Giant Robert Wiedmaier Brings his Foodheart to Old Town". Local Kicks. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  7. ↑ Sidman, Jessica. "Mussel Bar & Grille Opens in Arlington Tonight". Young & Hungry. Washington City Paper. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Mussels Harvested for Chef Robert Wiedmaier's D.C. Restaurants". Industry headlines. Full-Service Restaurants. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  9. ↑ Sidman, Jessica. "Underfed: Good Staff Is in Short Supply, and Restaurants Are Getting Desperate". Young & Hungry. Washington City Paper. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 Frederick, Missy. "10 Design Details About Wildwood Kitchen in Bethesda". Opening Report. Eater. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  11. ↑ Cooper, Rebecca. "Mussel Bar opens in Arlington". Top Shelf. Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  12. ↑ Blalock, Meghan. "Reveling with Chef Robert Wiedmaier". Homepage. Capitol File. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  13. ↑ Frederick, Missy. "Beer Bottles Everywhere: A Look Inside Mussel Bar". Eater Inside. Eater. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
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