Robert Wiedmaier is a

West German West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

-born,

Belgian American Belgian Americans are Americans who can trace their ancestry to people from Belgium who immigrated to the United States. While the first natives of the then-Southern Netherlands arrived in America in the 17th century, the majority of Belgian immi ...

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

. He owns multiple restaurants in and around

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and is known for creating dishes involving

Belgian cuisine Belgium, Belgian cuisine is widely varied with significant regional variations, while also reflecting the cuisines of neighbouring France, Germany and the Netherlands. It is sometimes said that Belgian food is served in the quantity of German ...

, specifically

mussels Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,0 ...

Personal life

Robert Wiedmaier was born in

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

and lived there until he was about 15. He described his mother, who was born in California, as a "great cook" who focused on

French cuisine French cuisine () is the cooking traditions and practices from France. It has been influenced over the centuries by the many surrounding cultures of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, in addition to the food traditions of the re ...

. He attended cooking school in the Netherlands, and now resides in

Kensington, Maryland Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,213 at the 2010 United States Census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 ZIP code, with a population of 19,054. History The area around th ...

. He has been described as an "avid

hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

" and

fisherman A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreati ...

and "full circle chef".

Career

He began his career working at restaurants in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

but relocated to the

Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgin ...

in the 1980s. Upon arriving in the D.C. area, he took his first job as a

saucier A saucier () or sauté chef is a position in the classical brigade style kitchen. It can be translated into English as ''sauce chef''. In addition to preparing sauces, the saucier prepares stews, hot hors d'œuvres, and sautés food to order. ...

at the Morrison House in

Old Town Alexandria Old Town Alexandria is one of the original settlements of the city of Alexandria, Virginia and is located just minutes from Washington, D.C. Old Town is situated in the eastern and southeastern area of Alexandria along the Potomac River. Old ...

, Virginia, at its restaurant, Le Chardon d’Or. He then worked at various hotels, including the Four Seasons and the

Watergate The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...

(replacing Jean-Louis Palladin). In 1999, he opened his first restaurant, ''Marcel's'', and now operates a group of restaurants in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and Atlantic City. He has been invited to compete in the television program ''

Iron Chef is a Japanese television cooking show produced by Fuji Television. The series, which premiered on October 10, 1993, was a stylized cook-off featuring guest chefs challenging one of the show's resident "Iron Chefs" in a timed cooking battle bui ...

'' but declined, stating in 2012, "that's just not my thing. Not that I wouldn't do it, but I have five restaurants to run." In 2009, Wiedmaier was honored as Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (the RAMMY Awards). In August 2012, Wiedmaier was inducted into The Knighthood of the Brewers' Mashstaff at the Belgian Beer Weekend in Brussels.

Marcel's

''Marcel's'', named for Wiedmaier's son, opened in 1999 in Washington, D.C.'s

Foggy Bottom Foggy Bottom is one of the oldest late 18th- and 19th-century neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., located west of the White House and downtown Washington, in the Northwest quadrant. It is bounded roughly by 17th Street NW to the east, Rock Cr ...

neighborhood with fine French-Belgian cuisine. In 2015, ''Marcel's'' underwent a major renovation with new additions to the menu. Diners at Marcel's can create their tasting menus with four, five, six or seven courses. In 2016, ''Marcel's'' won the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMMY) Award for formal fine dining restaurant of the year.

RW Restaurant Group

In 2007, Wiedmaier opened a second restaurant in D.C., ''Brasserie Beck''. He opened his third restaurant in 2009, ''Brabo'' in Virginia. In the following years, he expanded to open several more restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, under the umbrella of the RW Restaurant Group.

Brasserie Beck

In April 2007, he opened ''Brasserie Beck'' (named after his youngest son), his first major foray into mussels and

Belgian beer Beer in Belgium includes pale ales, lambics, Flanders red ale, Flemish red ales, sour Oud bruin, brown ales, strong ales and Stout (beer), stouts. In 2018, there were 304 active breweries in Belgium, including international companies, such as A ...

. He described the restaurant as having a "1950s to 60s

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing suc ...

feel" and a focus on French cuisine with

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

influences.

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

called Brasserie Beck one of the Best New Restaurants in America in 2007. ''Brasserie Beck'' boasts one of the largest selections of Belgian beers outside of Belgium. This includes the house special Antigoon, which is brewed for Wiedmaier's restaurants by Belgium's Brouwerij de Musketiers.

Brabo

In 2009, he partnered with

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants The Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, LLC is a San Francisco, California, based hotel and restaurant brand owned by IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) since 2015. Founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton and led by Chief Executive Officer Mike DeFrino, the group ...

s to open ''Brabo'' at the Lorien Hotel and Spa in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...

Mussel Bar & Grille

Mussel Bar - Ballston - 2018 - Stierch 02

In 2010, Wiedmaier opened a more casual restaurant, ''Mussel Bar & Grille'' in

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

. In 2012, he opened a second (now-closed) ''Mussel Bar & Grille'' in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

. A

Ballston, Virginia Ballston is a neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia. Ballston is located at the western end of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. It is a major transportation hub and boasts one of the nation's highest concentrations of scientific research agenci ...

outpost of ''Mussel Bar & Grille'' opened in 2013. Another ''Mussel Bar & Grille'' opened in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

in 2015.

Wildwood Kitchen

In 2012, Wiedmaier tapped five of his longest-serving employees to become part-owners of ''Wildwood Kitchen'' in

. It is a smaller restaurant, at 2,000 square feet, seating 55 people.

Villain & Saint

''Villain & Saint'' is a gastropub and live music venue that opened in 2015 in

. Robert partnered with Brian McBride and Joe Lively to share their passion for the lifestyle of the freewheeling rock 'n' roll era. Celebrating various music and food, the restaurant offers a spread of tastes in music and food.

Lock 72 Kitchen & Bar

In 2015, Wiedmaier acquired a neighborhood American and seafood restaurant in

Potomac, Maryland Potomac () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named after the nearby Potomac River. Potomac is the seventh most educated small town in America, based on percentage of residents with postsecondary deg ...

, the ''Tavern at River Falls''. In 2016, the restaurant changed its name to ''Lock 72 Kitchen & Bar''.

Siren by RW

In 2017, Wiedmaier opened ''Siren'' in the Darcy Hotel in Logan Circle, Washington, D.C. The menu is focused on seafood, featuring a grand plateau of oysters, clams, prawns, lobster, and several styles of sashimi, and caviar service. ''Siren'' received a Michelin Star in the 2019

Michelin Guide The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin star (classification), stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The ac ...

for Washington, D.C. In February 2019, Siren closed, with the goal of reopening in a different location. As of January 2020, it has yet to reopen.

References

External links

RW Restaurant Group
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiedmaier, Robert 1950 births Living people Belgian emigrants to the United States German chefs Chefs from Washington, D.C. People from Kensington, Maryland American restaurateurs American chefs American male chefs Head chefs of Michelin starred restaurants