Brightest Young Things

words by Alex Nicholson, photos by Dakota Fine

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Last week Dakota and I met with Chef Jamie Leeds at her Columbia Heights restaurant CommonWealth. Known for Hank’s Oyster Bar and her new gastropub, she might be lesser known as a disarmingly funny person. In fact, her observations on this season of Top Chef might totally affect my Fantasy pool. I won’t repeat what she said about the last remaining member of Team Europe, but it made me think.

CommonWealth opened in early 2008, the decision to open in Columbia Heights has only added to a thriving neighborhood. Widely celebrated for it’s excellent bar selection, CommonWealth has had to work a little harder to push the idea of a gastropub on D.C. CommonWealth elevates traditional pub fare into easily shared comfort food. The Sunday roasts create an opportunity to bring the ‘family’ back to the table for the common meal. This is not fine dining, this is everyman’s food. I have a fondness for eating this way and encourage others to try some things they’ve never had before.

Chef Leeds was generous enough to do a Q&A with me. We look forward to hearing from more chefs like her...

BYT: I’ve followed your career since the days at 15Ria, and then over your own place Hank’s. Now with CommonWealth you have shown another side of your cooking. Why did you decide on a gastropub, and should we expect any more surprises from you in the future?

Chef Leeds: We decided on a gastropub because we wanted to appeal to the Columbia Heights neighborhood. I wanted to create a place where people could come have a great burger, experience interesting foods like head cheese, homemade black pudding, sweet breads and enjoy a variety of beers. The gastropub concept lent itself to that idea.

BYT: When researching gastropubs, you spend some time in the UK. What did you come pack with, and did you make any changes to the food you found to make it more appealing to the D.C. audience?

CL: We traveled in and around London honing our knowledge of gastropubs. Some of my favorite new haunts in the United Kingdom include: St. John, The Marquess Tavern, which was voted best gastropub by Time Out magazine, and The Cow, for its lively, convivial atmosphere, large selection of beers with British comfort food. Some of the changes that we made to the cuisine we experienced was crafting three different sauces for the scotch eggs and making our frog in a puff with lamb sausage. In general at CommonWealth there is an emphasis on locally sourced product.

BYT: Head cheese, black pudding, trotters, sweetbreads, marrow…All those things make me incredibly happy, what about everyone else? Has the idea that these are just good things to eat, finally taken over from the idea that they are adventurous food?

CL: The idea is catching on.  It is still an educational process with the diners, which is part of the fun of having that type of food on the menu.

BYT: A person walks into CommonWealth, what do they HAVE to order?

CL: The Butcher’s Plate

BYT: Name five ingredients you think everyone should have.

CL: Milk, butter, jelly, good bread and coffee

BYT: What your favorite ingredient or kitchen tool right now?

CL: Micro zester

BYT: What’s your guilty pleasure?

CL: Uni with quail egg

BYT: Who is your biggest influence, or your hottest food crush?

CL: My food crush is Marco Pierre White

BYT: One thing everyone should know how to make?

CL: Great roast chicken

BYT: Best meal you ever had?

CL: Antica Posto Del Ponte outside of Milan

BYT: Someone comes to DC to visit, where do you take them?

CL: Corduroy

BYT: You just got a phone call and you need to make dinner for four in under an hour. Using only what you have in your house right now, what’s for dinner?

CL: Frittata with goat cheese