From Strasbourg, France, to the sidewalks of Washington may seem like a long trek. But for Philippe Reininger, executive chef at J&G Steakhouse, the city is simply another stop in a lifetime of cooking and travel. Reininger and his boss, Jean-Georges Vongerichten (for whom the steakhouse is initialed, as in “J&G”) grew up living about 5 miles apart in Strasbourg. Both chefs worked for Louis Outhier at L’Oasis, a 3-Michelin-star restaurant in La Napoule on the French Riviera, and to be in the same restaurant, that was a real coincidence, says Reininger. The friendship between Reininger and Vongerichten eventually charted the course of Reininger’s culinary life, including his stints in New York and Boston.
As a teenager, Reininger started getting connected to the chemistry of food. To earn spending money, he took a summer job working in the front of the house at a Strasbourg restaurant. For several days, management assigned him to work in the kitchen. Taken by the joy of cooking, Reininger asked to return the following summer. And a career was launched.
| IF YOU GO |
| J&G Steakhouse |
| » Where: 515 15th St. NW |
| » Info: 202-661-2440 |
| » Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday |
As Reininger tells it, he then took some cooking courses at school, with the ultimate goal of working in a Michelin-starred restaurant in France. “I worked many jobs around France at several Michelin-starred restaurants,” he said, “and eventually ended up at L’Oasis with Louis Outhier at La Napoule, I then traveled around for three years, and even worked in Barcelona.”
That city, he notes, is a primo destination for terrific food and an engaging lifestyle. “I was there at the beginning of a new wave of chefs, such as Ferran Adria,” said Reininger, referring to the chef of the famous Bulli restaurant, noted for its approach to molecular gastronomy. “It was all very creative.”
After kitchen jobs in France, Reininger spent much of his cooking career working for numerous Ritz-Carlton hotels, serving as executive chef in such locations as Boston, Barcelona, California and Naples, Fla., and opening properties in Istanbul, New Orleans, Grand Cayman, Osaka, Japan, and, most recently, Philadelphia. Exposure to ethnic cuisines has inspired him to subtly incorporate exotic seasonings and cooking technique into his own style.
Now working with his colleague and lifelong friend Vongerichten, Reininger finds the transition to American steakhouse fare seamless. “I have spent time in all his restaurants,” he said, “and I have spent time studying all his recipes. We always discuss what the local market requires [for tastes, presentations], and he is very involved in planning the menu. He collaborates, but I make lots of decisions.”
As many of his local colleagues do, Reininger has developed ties with local producers for many of his ingredients. As he pointed out, “We have a clientele who enjoy prime cuts and prime seafood. J&G is not your daddy’s steakhouse.”
Q&A
What is your comfort food?
An old traditional dish from my native Alsace: When farmers went to the fields they took a layered meal of potatoes and Alsatian Riesling-marinated meats in a clay pot. They left it at the baker’s, who sealed the edges of the pot with dough and baked it during the day. It’s called “baeckeoffe.”
What’s your favorite ingredient?
Citrus and fresh ginger. I always can use them in a lot of dishes. A little bit of fresh lemon or lime juice! No heavy stocks anymore. Even in a risotto, it’s an herbal infusion.
How have you changed your cooking style?
This has been a very easy transition to cook here.
Which is your favorite restaurant?
I have more restaurants to discover. I have had a great dinner at the Source and Citronelle. I want to try Komi.
What is your signature dish?
Halibut with a scallion-chili sauce, with basil and celery. It has a whole lot of ginger, garlic, soy, chilies, Thai basil and scallions and these are cooked down.
