You have got to admit that Ryan Fichter, executive chef of Georgetown’s upscale burger joint, Thunder Burger & Bar, has got it pretty good. He can create and cook up one of America’s most favorite foods, and do so in a classy setting that bears no resemblance to a fast-food burger joint. Fichter’s burgers are not mere patties but are signature items — ranging from free-range beef to elk, boar, turkey, and bison to Kobe beef — and are obviously enhanced by his classic culinary training. A Maryland native, Fichter is a Culinary Institute of America graduate. He has worked in some top-notch restaurants, including several from the local Clyde’s Restaurant Group and D.C.’s Smith & Wollensky. In between these various stints, he also worked in Charlotte, North Carolina with James Alexander at the Myer’s Park Country Club, and, as he says, he got a taste for the country club atmosphere, gained appreciation of the Southern cooking, and walked off with a passion for Southern barbecue styles — that is, long, slow cooking
That he has scored work in top-tier restaurants reflects his life-long passion for food and cooking. “I always wanted to be a chef,” said Fichter. “I always loved cooking,” noting that as a youngster, he often helped prepare family dinners with his mom and dad. More than that, the young Fichter became a fan of such celebrity chefs as Julia Child and Graham Kerr. With support from his family, the teenaged Fichter started working as a busboy at Clyde’s in Columbia.
| If you go |
| Thunder Burger & Bar |
| » Where: 3056 M St., NW |
| » Info: 202-333-2888 |
| » Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday to Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Sunday |
In retrospect, Fichter says he cannot pick out just one influence in his culinary career, with the possible exception of chef Kenny Clay, his mentor at Clyde’s. “Each place I’ve worked has given me unique experiences,” he explained. “I look at my career as a whole. I gained my love of pastries from school; of barbecue from the South; of seafood from my time in Hawaii; of fresh greens from working at Clyde’s.”
With all the training and high-profile input from various chefs, Fichter explains that the challenge of cooking topnotch burgers appeals, especially because he enjoys incorporating game meats, such as elk, into his repertoire. “When I cook these burgers,” he said, “I cook them with love. If you do something with love, it shows.” That perspective underscores Fichter’s cooking credo: don’t manipulate ingredients, and use proper techniques when you cook.
When all is said and done, does Fichter have any regrets about his career choice? “Well,” he said, “on the days when I work 13 or 14 hours, maybe I should have been a salesman. But really, I wholeheartedly love this industry. Restaurants are my life, the path I chose.”
Q&A
What is your comfort food?
Lasagna. I love it, love it. Then barbecued chicken, mac ‘n cheese and pizza.
What is your essential ingredient?
Salt. I love salt. Then garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and then love. That’s the secret ingredient.
Which is your favorite restaurant?
Clyde’s, any of them. I also [like] Il Canale pizza. There are really a lot of good restaurants.
What’s in your fridge?
Draft beers, milk, eggs, rack of lamb, mustards, peanut butter and jelly, bread, lots of produce and milk.
Which chef do you admire most in the world?
Thomas Keller; he’s very, very good. And Daniel Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York.
Pumpkin and Coconut Soup
Serves 4
2 Tbsp.s extra virgin olive oil
2 medium-sized white onions, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small pumpkin, about 3 pounds, seeded, rind removed and chopped into large dice
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
Water to cover the pumpkin
1 (12-ounce) can coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Toasted coconut as garnish
In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the pumpkin, chili flakes, and allspice, and cover with enough water to completely cover the pumpkin. Add the coconut milk, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the pumpkin is tender. Using an emersion blender, puree the mixture until then with and emersion blender puree until it is smooth; adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and garnish with toasted coconut.
