Legendary food, legendary restaurant

Here’s a case of “does the chef define the restaurant?” Or is it the other way around? James Claudio, executive chef of D.C.’s eponymous Marvin restaurant, has charted the course of its cuisine. On the other hand, you’ve got to know that the earthy mix of Southern and Belgian cooking really speaks to the nature of the restaurant’s namesake, Marvin Gaye.

You can say plenty about the restaurant, a tribute to D.C.’s native son and one of America’s most notable musicians in the R&B/soul/introspective genres. With Bo Didley as a mentor, and with experience such as working with Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Gaye forged a musical career that has made him something of a local legend and as someone worthy of his very own restaurant as a memorial.

So that’s the restaurant, as buzzy as a beehive in mid-June at almost any hour you drop in. Try a Sunday brunch without reservations and you may just barely snag a perch on a barstool to enjoy your fried chicken and waffle meal. Clearly, besides paying tribute to Gaye himself, folks come for the attitude, the chicness and, of course, the food — and that’s where Claudio comes in.

A native son himself, Claudio started cooking while he was in high school.

“I used to play around in the kitchen, and cooking just grabbed hold of me,” he says, though he admits cooking was not “a big deal” in his family. But he was so enamored of the craft that he enrolled in the California Culinary Academy, where he was classically trained in the Cordon Bleu program. “We did it all,” he says. “All the world cuisines.”

Interning in Hawaii, Claudio returned to the Washington area and worked with the mother of his sous chef, Brendan L’Etoile, at her local catering company. He later moved to France, where he worked first in Paris and then in Lyon, where star chef Pierre Orsi hired him for a six-month stint. Later, Claudio moved on to Northern Italy, where he cooked for four months before heading back home to Washington.

Now running the kitchen of this relative newcomer, Claudio, despite his youth, has gained enough culinary experience to shape him and for him to shape Marvin’s menu.

“What has shaped my cooking is mainly from the places where I’ve stayed,” he says. “I like to dabble in everything.”

That helps with this Southern American-Belgian menu, which Claudio describes simply as a “unique fusion. We keep it simple and delicious,” he says, noting that pricing is fair and ingredient quality, high. If crowds are any indication of success, you’d have to say that Marvin is a smash hit.

“People enjoy it and come back — From Sunday to Wednesday nights, we serve 120 people,” he says. “On Thursdays, it’s 160, and on Fridays and Saturdays, 200.”

Yes, Claudio admits he’s pleased with what he has achieved, and hopes his family is proud and happy with this success. But even more, Claudio is really grateful for the people with whom he works.

“It’s like a family business,” he says. “My stepdad is the owner. The general manager is a family friend. And Brendan [the executive sous chef] is a childhood friend.” Indeed, Claudio is one lucky guy.

Q&A with Chef James Claudio

Do you cook at home?

I try to, but I am here most of the time.

What is your comfort food?

Vietnamese pho and the spring rolls.

What is your favorite cuisine?

Vietnamese, French and Japanese

What is the key to cooking success?

Experiment with food. That’s what I did when I was younger. I learned from my mistakes. Follow a recipe [at first] but once you are on your feet, develop your own recipes.

What’s in your fridge?

Roast chicken from last night, carrots, celery, milk, cream, bacon, butter and fresh herbs.

From the Chef’s Kitchen

Waffles

Try one of Marvin’s staple dishes, the waffle that accompanies the fried chicken.

Serves 4 to 6 (makes about 8 waffles)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter

4 cups whole milk

16 egg whites

10 egg yolks, gently beaten

1 pound all-purpose flour

Melt the butter over low heat. In a separate pot, warm the milk over low heat. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

In a mixing bowl, combine the warmed milk with the yolks, stirring well. Stir in the flour and mix in the butter. Fold this mixture into the beaten egg whites. Heat a waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions and cook the waffles.