For boldly establishing fine dining along the H Street corridor, Frederik De Pue deserves some kudos. As executive chef of the recently opened Smith Commons, De Pue is something of a betting man, for he is gambling that this strip of commerce will gentrify into D.C.’s newest, best-food part of town. “I like challenges,” he says. “I never take the easy road. H Street is an up-and-coming neighborhood.”
To show that he means this, De Pue has opened a restaurant that exudes the same kind of upscale charm you might find in Penn Quarter or even Georgetown. But that he has set his sights on this Northeast location should surprise no one who knows this Belgian native, whose reputation as a culinary trendsetter seems firmly established.
| IF YOU GO |
| Smith Commons |
| » Where: 1245 H St. NE |
| » Info: 202-396-0038 |
| » Hours: Dinner, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Thursday; 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday |
Unlike many of his contemporaries, De Pue did not know from early childhood that his dream job should be cooking. “I asked Dad what I should do,” he says. “I had always done some work in the kitchen, and I decided that going to chefs’ school is what I wanted to do with life. Cooking was my dad’s passion, so we went back and forth. … He said he would send me to the best culinary school in Belgium, and if I didn’t like it, I should move on.”
As it turned out, he trained at the Hotelschool Ter Duinen before moving to France where he had the great good fortune to work at several premier restaurants, including under famed Alain Ducasse at Le Louis XV. When he was only 21, he worked at Yves Mattagne’s Sea Grill in Brussels for several years before moving to Washington to work as the executive chef for the ambassador of the European Commission delegation.
De Pue classifies his cooking style as “modern bistro,” citing as an example the veal porterhouse or the pork chop seasoned with mace. “This is really a modern take on the bistro,” he says.
With a mini-library of cookbooks that he never refers to — “I have not opened a cookbook in five years,” he says — De Pue says he picks up recipe ideas every day from everywhere, particularly from Belgium. “I go back at least one time a year,” he says. “These last six months, I’ve been back three times. … I get a lot of ideas because I eat out a lot.”
But as it turns out, De Pue eats out a lot here, and will even travel to Philadelphia or to New York City for dinner. “I like high-end restaurants, the whole experience,” he says. And when he stays in town for dinner? He lists the following as among his favorites: Central, Blue Duck Tavern, BlackSalt, and Equinox.
Q&A
What is your comfort food?
It is a good cheese platter, great wine, and a good piece of bread.
What has been the greatest influence on your cooking?
It probably was one chef in particular, Yves Mattagne, executive chef of Sea Grill in Brussels, and he introduced me to combination of flavors and improvisations. Also Philippe Jousse at Alain Chapel in Lyons; he taught me fine dining because I had to go to market in the morning, and he taught me how to select the best produce. At 21 years old, he made me a sous chef in this fine restaurant.
What is your favorite ingredient?
Fleur de sel, one of the best. It is very gorgeous, and olive oil, these are basic for what you need to get started.
What would you most like to do with a year off?
Travel the world and discover cuisines and go around and work with people around the world … I am working at [doing[ that, for 2, 3, 4 weeks at a time…. I would love to go to South America or Asia, Morocco.
Which is your favorite restaurant? Cuisine?
For cuisines, I like a lot of Asian food, or good comfort food, such as European food, beef steak and eggs. … As for restaurants, Central, Blue Duck Tavern, which is where I go the most.
What is your signature dish? Most memorable dish?
A risotto with confit of pheasant all rolled up. It is very time-consuming to make. It is great.
Recipe
Smith Commons Seared Sea Scallops, Creamed Yellow Corn, and Gingerbread Crumble
With Baby Arugula Salad
Serves 4
3 ears yellow corn
3 Tbsps heavy cream
2 Tbsps olive oil
16 sea scallops
4 ounces baby arugula
1 tsps commercial red wine dressing
1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) dried ground gingerbread or crumbled gingersnaps
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Remove kernels from corncob and place in saucepan. Add heavy cream, bring to a boil, and reduce until you obtain a thick cream.
Heat a saute pan with the olive oil and add sea scallops; season with the salt and pepper. Sear until you have a caramelized, or golden, coat on each side.
To serve, divide the ingredients among four plates: Place a portion of corn in the center of a plate, and place four scallops on the corn. Top with baby arugula and with some ground gingerbread or crumbled gingersnaps. Repeat.
