Wonderful Chef's in Loudoun!

Coming to the Loudoun County area to stay? Have a preference to a certain type of cooking? Read these local restaurants chef bios to find a restaurant perfect for your taste!

Get to know Loudoun's chefs.

		Author Clark, Jr., Grandale Farm Restaurant Grandale Farm Restaurant opened October 1, 2005 under the guidance of Culinary Institute of America graduate, Author Clark, Jr., who later became partner in the restaurant. Grandale Farm special¬izes in catered events, elegant dining, and dinner-lecture events. Chef Clark takes a serious culinary approach to the farm-to-table concept, supervising menu planning and food preparation opera¬tions. He is a certified SafeServ graduate as well as an experienced executive chef.  Grandale Farm Restaurant serves American Haute Cuisine and takes pride in the use of fresh ingredients and the “From Scratch” method.  Grandale Farm Catering is a thriving part of the operation and has become well known in many of the local venues. Chef Clark’s catering menus are available upon request and he will also work with you to customize your event.
		Christopher Edwards, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm A passionate drive and an undeniable focus on technique and flavor are what define the cuisine of Chef Christopher Edwards.  Clear presentation of the ingredients, with artistic flourish, allows the diner to experience the natural flavors reflected by the organic offerings of Patowmack Farm and its community of local growers. Attending Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, SC, Edwards worked his way through the kitchen at McCrady’s Restaurant under the tutelage of Michael Kramer. Beginning in the garde manger section and ending his four year tenure as Sous Chef, Edwards gained the initial experience and passion that would shape the future of his career. Leaving behind this distinguished position to work in Spain at Restaurant El Bulli with Ferran Adria, widely regarded as the world’s best chef, was a natural choice. As an apprentice in El Bulli, the equally lauded Michelin three star restaurant of worldwide notoriety, Edwards learned many of the modern techniques that have influenced today’s best chefs. An appreciation of seasonal ingredients also developed as the cooks of El Bulli foraged the hillsides for wild herbs, flowers, fruits, and other ingredients. Returning from Spain, Edwards joined Fabio Trabocchi’s team at Maestro in Mclean, VA.  During Edwards’ tenure at Maestro, Trabocchi was awarded the esteemed James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic, among many other accolades for Maestro.  Lured by Gaylord Hotels’ newest property at National Harbor, MD, Edwards, as Sous Chef to Duane Keller, opened Moon Bay, a regional seafood restaurant with a focus on local and sustainable cuisine.  Here, Christopher fine tuned his executive skills and management style with leadership and training being his utmost priority. During his time at Moon Bay the cuisine garnered many positive reviews.
		Todd Gray, Market Salamander Since opening Equinox in 1999 to universal acclaim, Todd Gray has emerged as one of the leading culinary talents in the nation's capital, as well as a tireless champion of sustainable farming and fishing practices, and a passionate promoter of local, mid-Atlantic foods. Chef Gray developed Equinox's distinctive cuisine by resurrecting historical recipes and crafting them to reflect his unique Virginia-Piedmont cuisine: a style that draws on his classical Italian training while showcasing ingredients from the Piedmont region in Virginia. His refined yet approachable style made him the perfect choice for Culinary Director of Salamander Hospitality, where he will oversee the menu development at the Salamander Resort & Spa, blending his dining concepts with the resort's vision to create a simple yet elegant menu featuring provincial Virginian accents with hints of country Italian. The 340-acre Salamander Resort & Spa is slated to open in the lush wine country of Middleburg, VA in the summer of 2013. In 2008 Equinox won the Restaurant Association Award for Best Fine Dining. Gray's cooking has earned him five nominations for the prestigious Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic award from the James Beard Foundation. He also is a five-time nominee for Chef of the Year from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. Equinox has consistently been rated one of the city's top restaurants by many local publications, and has appeared on numerous "best of" lists in national epicurean magazines. Equinox has achieved Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence six years in a row, and is consistently recognized with the Award of Excellence from the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNa).
		William Walden, The Goodstone Inn & Restaurant Executive Chef William Walden brings years of experience and expertise to the Goodstone Inn. He has a refined approach to French cuisine keeping to traditional and classical preparations. Chef Walden draws much of his culinary knowledge from his many years working at L'Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls, as well as owning La Fleur De Lis restaurant in Lovettsville, VA. He has a passionate and straight-forward philosophy in the kitchen, using only the freshest and finest ingredients available, mostly sourced from Goodstone's own organic herb and vegetable gardens and only the finest purveyors in the country.

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