TenPenh: Profiles

A Profile of Passion Food, LLC

The three partners of Passion Food, LLC -- Chef Jeff Tunks, David Wizenberg and Gus DiMillo -- are most accurately described as restaurant entrepreneurs. "Pursuing the truest passions in food and wine" is the guiding philosophy of the partnership, which has over the past five years pioneered a new breed of an American eatery where imaginative food and wine are accompanied by gracious hospitality, comfortable surroundings, and outstanding value. Passion Food was established in 1998 with their first restaurant, DC Coast; their second venture, TenPenh Restaurant, followed two years later, and Ceiba, the third jewel in the crown, opened in September 2003.

From the outset, the restaurants have been garnering outstanding reviews from publications such as Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Esquire, Travel & Leisure, Wine Spectator and The Washington Post. Their success is clearly due to the unique strengths that each of the three partners brings to Passion Food:

David Wizenberg's exceedingly acute business acumen and intuitive skills make him a master negotiator. He also oversees the extensive, cuisine-specific wine programs of all three restaurants. A native of Baltimore, Wizenberg came to Washington to join Capital Restaurant Concepts, where he met Passion Food partner Gus DiMillo.

Gus DiMillo brings to the team a keen sense of style, service and attention to detail. With his razor-sharp savvy, DiMillo assumes responsibility for service and marketing of the restaurants. His extensive management experience has been primarily in his hometown of Washington, D.C., and in 2003, The Capital Restaurant and Hospitality Awards committee named Gus DiMillo the Hospitality Ambassador of the Year.

Jeff Tunks, a longtime Washingtonian and native of Texas, is the third partner in Passion Food, LLC, as well as Executive Chef at DC Coast, TenPenh, Ceiba, and Acadiana. In 2003, The Capital Restaurant and Hospitality Awards committee named him Chef of the Year.

DiMillo, Wizenberg, and Tunks are active leaders in the community by supporting civic and charitable organizations. All three have given their time and service to numerous local and national events including Taste of the Nation's Benefit for Share Our Strength, Food and Friends' Charity, the Humane Society, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Zoo's Zoofari. Their role in making downtown D.C. vibrant, inviting, and beautiful was recognized by Washington's Downtown Business Improvement District with a Momentum Award in 2004. Together, the partners of Passion Food, LLC are making their mark in the nation's capital, and raising the bar for others.

Chef Jeff Tunks
Makes Gastronomic Waves

Chef Jeff Tunks is one of the best and brightest in the ever-growing constellation of new American chefs. There are few who possess as much confidence, extended experience, fine business acumen, and as deep a passion for simply prepared seasonal foods. Underneath a six-foot-three exterior and styled chef whites is a man with the soul of an artist, the passion of a perfectionist, and an unquestionable devotion to running a top-notch kitchen.

Like many in his field, Tunks attended the Culinary Institute of America; unlike many, however, Tunks received the prestigious Frances L. Roth Awardfor outstanding performance. From there, he served an externship under Dean Ferring at the Veranda Club in Atlanta, transferring with him to the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, where Tunks worked at Mistral, a sister restaurant on the complex. There he met his mentor, the classically French-trained chef Takashi Shirmaizu. It was under Shirmaizu’s tutelage that Tunks was introduced to the idea that at the foundation of every great dish must be superior ingredients and solid cooking techniques. Additionally, Shirmaizu’s Eastern influence on Western cuisine became the base for Tunks’ cooking.

Tunks first landed in the nation’s capital in 1987, having been recruited as opening executive chef at the popular River Club Restaurant in Georgetown, where he experimented with varied dishes of the Mid-Atlantic region. In 1991 he ventured west to the luxury seaside resort Loew’s Coronado Bay, where he used the riches of the Pacific to his advantage at the award-winning Azzura Point. Tunks’ next challenge was yet again coastal, this time the Gulf coast. At The Grill Room at the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans, Tunks secured a “Best Restaurant” rating from Gourmet in 1997 and he earned five Mobil stars for the Grill Room, the highest marks bestowed by the association. The Grill Room was the only new culinary establishment that year to acquire five stars.

Shortly after securing the Mobil rating, Tunks decided it was time to go it alone, taking a team of talented chefs with him from New Orleans. With the opening of DC Coast in June of 1998, Tunks created the perfect stage for his distinctive cuisine. Showcasing ingredients indigenous to the tri-coastal areas, Tunks developed a modern American cuisine all his own. A success from the outset, DC Coast has garnered outstanding reviews from Gourmet (one of the top 5 restaurants in Washington), Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Wine Spectator, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. In August 2000, Tunks and his partners launched TenPenh, where they have been delighting diners with Southeast Asian-inspired cuisine. Bon Appétit (1 of the top tables in Washington), Wine Spectator, The Washington Post, Washingtonian magazine, Departures, and Travel + Leisure have praised TenPenh since it arrived on the DC restaurant scene. September 2003 saw the rise of yet another side of Tunks’ culinary passions, Latin American and the Caribbean fare, with the opening of Ceiba restaurant. Two years later amid great anticipation, in September 2005, Tunks launched Acadiana, featuring modern interpretations of Louisiana fish house classics, a cuisine dear to his heart since his years in New Orleans. It has been named one of The Top 20 Restaurants in America 2006 by Esquire Magazine.

Tunks was named Chef of the Year 2003-2004 by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. He is listed in The International Who’s Who of Chefs. Washingtonian magazine named Tunks and his partners Restaurateurs of the Year in 2005. But never let it be said that one chef is an island. Tunks knows how to build a team to his best advantage. Over the years, his vision and good sense has created a diverse group of chefs who have helped him forge ahead with his dream projects: Cliff Wharton, Chef de Cuisine at TenPenh, followed Tunks to Washington from New Orleans; Wharton, who was raised in The Philippines, was a natural choice for TenPenh’s Asian-inspired menu. Chris Clime, Chef de Cuisine at Acadiana, has been with Tunks at both DC Coast and TenPenh, and was the Chef de Cuisine who opened Ceiba. Travis Timberlake, Chef de Cuisine at DC Coast, brings a strong sense of Mid-Atlantic regional cuisine to the modern American seafood-based menu of DC Coast. One chef, four completely different types of cuisine. A satisfied Tunks can ride his wave.

It's Music To My Mouth…TenPenh Brings On A New Chef

Cliff Wharton didn't grow up thinking that one-day he would become a chef. No, he wanted to be a rock star! But the road to rock and roll glory is a tough one. After several years in a band that made it to the top 10 in Kansas City, but didn't quite place on Billboard's hot list, Cliff decided that maybe he wasn't destined for a life in the music limelight. But the desire to do something creative and imaginative tugged at his soul. When a financially rewarding outlet for his creative restlessness wasn't apparent, he worked in kitchens to pay the bills. Little did he know this would be the opening act for a life as a culinary superstar.

His familiarity with the kitchen began in Kansas City, Missouri, the place he called home from the time he was five. As Cliff will proudly reports, before that time, the Philippines was home--his birthplace and the country from which his mother hails. But it was in the Heartland of the U.S. that he took his first job 11 years ago - in the kitchen of a restaurant called Figlio, where he became determined to know which end was up. From there he moved to La Mediterranean, where under the tutelage of Gilbert Javier, Cliff learned classic French food preparation and culinary technique.

In 1992, eager to leave Kansas City and experience the world, Cliff followed his brother to a naval posting in San Diego, California. There, he secured a job in Executive Chef Jeff Tunk's kitchen at Loew's Coronado Bay, working at the hotel's restaurant for a year under the careful guidance of Tunks, who Cliff now regards as his mentor and the man to foster in him a serious commitment for the profession. But it was not long before Chef Tunks decided to venture to Louisiana to accept responsibility for the dining room at the prestigious Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans.

Tunks requested that Cliff Wharton join him as sous chef. "It was then," says Wharton, "That I realized I had chosen the right career. My desire to prove myself in the kitchen grew. I started to take things seriously when Jeff acknowledged that I had talent."

As the evening sous chef at the Windsor Court, Wharton learned how to manage a kitchen. Although he claims no formal training, he insists the three years he spent at the Windsor Court with Jeff were " a formal apprenticeship"-a time to refine the skills he learned on the fly as he made his way from kitchen to kitchen. "In a sense," says Wharton, "Not going to the likes of a professional culinary school has challenged me to work harder. Interestingly, he quips, "My days in the band when I was younger were excellent preparation for life in the kitchen-working on the line is a lot like working with a group of musicians. You've got to perform under a lot of pressure, when times are tough."

From the Big Easy, Wharton journeyed to Washington with Jeff Tunks, opening the instantly successful restaurant, DC Coast in 1998. "Putting 80-hour work weeks was bearable, he says, because I really like and respect the staff. Jeff has taught me a tremendous amount, especially about decision-making. It's really gratifying to see what can happen when everyone pulls together."

In August 2000, Wharton, the young man who wanted to be a rock and roll star, will become the leader of the band, rising to the position of Chef de Cuisine at DC Coast's Asian-Pacific inspired sister restaurant, TenPenh. Diners can be sure he'll be including dishes familiar to him as a child-favorites his Philippine mother, Jessie, and his two aunts, Ludy and Pet, prepared daily. They insisted that he simply cook the families in the Philippines do; so, Wharton builds his meals around fresh vegetables and grains, deftly seasoned with vivid spices that are roasted, ground and blended specifically for each dish. Indulgences such as juicy shrimp and creamy sweet accents provide an occasional lush counterpart.

Cooking with his two charismatic aunts sent aromas throughout the household that one could almost taste what they were having for dinner. Learning about the lively, ever-changing interplay of such flavorings as citrus, herbs, chilies and spices is what Wharton searches for to contribute to his attractively presented cuisine. So fiery and pungent notes of fresh ginger, chilies and garlic set a base for all other seasonings. Familiar flavors like mint, coconut, and peanuts add dimension to the savory context. Best of all, these flavors and smells will permeate the air in TenPenh's kitchen as they did so intensely in his Aunts' kitchen.

Behind that welcoming smile lurks a visionary ready to lead the band in playing the simple truth: Thanks to Wharton locals will become acquainted with traditional delicacies from the Philippines such as Lumpia, a crispy rice flour roll filled with cabbage, beef or pork, water chestnuts and bean sprouts; an elegant version of Chicken Adobo, a flavorful chicken dish that's slow-cooked with black peppercorns, bay leaf, soy sauce, and vinegar; and Pancit, a noodle dish containing vegetables, meat and Longaniza (Philippine made) sausage.

So what's on the frontier for the Philippine cook with a loyal DC Coast following? Think cilantro, chili, cumin, garlic, lime, and ginger…then spin the globe to the Southern Hemisphere. Striving to prove his belief that "simplicity sells," Wharton will be preparing beautifully simple food with complex tastes taken from his native country, the Philippines, as well as Vietnam, Thailand, China, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Dishes destined for the restaurant's hit parade include a range of unusual choices such as Luscious Shrimp Dumplings with Ponzu-butter sauce, Lobster with Jasmine Rice, Green Thai Curry and Edamame, Cylinder Shrimp Toast with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, Curried Crabmeat Spring Roll, and Lobster Thai Curry in a Young Coconut.

As Wharton says when asked about his road to TenPenh, "Cooking is pretty much a career that chose me. DC Coast patron's palates are primed for the combinations hot and sweet, spicy and cool dishes. Little did they know that the last six months they were sampling were meant for TenPenh." Watch out D.C., a bright new chef will take the center stage in a short time and introduce a new cuisine reflecting the flavors, colors, textures and tastes of Southeast Asia and the Pacific coasts.

John Kilkenny
General Manager, TenPenh
John Kilkenny, raised and educated in Pennsylvania, now finds himself managing one of Washington's most acclaimed restaurants right on the pulse of political power on Pennsylvania Avenue.

It's a long way from the Red Lobster where he was washing dishes at age fifteen, and from his bartending job right out of college. But when he moved to the nation's capital and began graduate work in arts management, John supported himself waiting tables, which led to a management position at 219 Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria. The money was good, he enjoyed his work, and he clearly had a talent for what he was doing, so he left his studies and accepted a position as General Manager at RT's, an award-winning local casual restaurant. Over the course of the twelve years that John was with the company, it expanded to open four more restaurants.

His next step was to create a restaurant of his own: Stardust, in Alexandria, Virginia, in which he still has an ownership stake. From the initial business plan to full operation, John used the expertise he had gained on the job to build this unique and funky international fusion restaurant, with a definite slant toward Asian cuisine, thanks to its Thai chef. After two years, when he had met the challenges of establishing his own successful restaurant, John needed to "decompress."

As luck would have it, TenPenh, the second venture of Passion Food Hospitality at the corner of Pennsylvania and Tenth Street, was about to open. John interviewed at the elegant southeast Asian-inspired restaurant to be a server, which was all the responsibility he wanted. Within six months, he was promoted to General Manager, and has never looked back.

"The excitement of being right here on Pennsylvania Avenue, blocks from The White House - that never gets old - even for a kid from Pennsylvania," jokes John. "Our clients' expectations are high, the pace is always busy, and I could give you an anecdote on nearly a daily basis involving guests who are in the national headlines." This seasoned GM is too discreet to tell, though, swiftly moving on to how much he still loves the dramatic richness of TenPenh's décor, and how the chefs manage to keep the menu new and interesting, even for someone like him who has now been on staff for over five years. John claims he doesn't have favorites on the TenPenh menu, but when pressed, he will admit that he's partial to the Spicy Tuna Tempura Roll appetizer, and that (at the risk of seeming predictable,) he does love the restaurant's signature dish, the Chinese Style Smoked Lobster.

Does he like to cook, himself? "Well, it's not my area of expertise in the restaurant, so they don't let me in the kitchen," he laughs. "But Sunday, our day off -- that's my day of cooking."