A 1992 graduate of Maryland’s L’Academie de Cuisine, native New Yorker Jeff Heineman is yet another local boy who makes good in the restaurant business. Well, actually, makes great. Owner and executive chef of his own Bethesda restaurant, Grapeseed American Bistro and Wine Bar, Heineman is low-key, casual and unassuming, despite his very outgoing personality that elicits at least a “hello” from the salesman dropping by on a recent Thursday morning.
And he is quite outgoing about his successes: Visitors learn right away that Heineman with his carefully chosen wines paired with his imaginative cooking has earned awards and write-ups from such prestigious foodie publications as Food & Wine magazine and Wine Spectator. What else should visitors know? That Heineman cooked in France after graduating from L’Academie and returned to work with such D.C. culinary notables as Bob Kinkead of Kinkead’s and Ann Cashion of Cashion’s Eats Place, both award-winning venues. And that he opened Arlington’s funky Rhodeside Grill.
“But I wanted something more upscale,” he says. And that’s how his casually chic Grapeseed Bistro came into being.
Although he originally wanted Grapeseed to be a tapas-and-wine bar, customer pressure caused him to re-evaluate his concept.
“You can keep to your ideas to a certain extent,” he says. “Our first menu was wine-friendly tapas, but our customers demanded a more traditional dinner setup. But we still do wine and food pairings and small wine-friendly plates, and we will have tasting menus after the end of summer.”
“I figure out the main flavor, such as beef, pork, chicken, or fish,” he says. “Then I concentrate on the main flavor theme. I might prepare a filet mignon with braised oxtail as a complement. I want every dish to be complete on its own or to be designed so the whole meal is complete in balancing texture, taste, sound, touch and visual.”
That’s why you might find an orange-braised pork shank accompanied by a boniato sweet potato, black beans, bacon and a guava glaze.
“I generally don’t like each protein served with the same starch and vegetables,” he says. “That’s one dimensional, not satisfying, and saying every protein is the same.”
With his bundles of energy, Heineman is already expanding his current space to accommodate more seating. And he is definitely planning on other culinary challenges, like maybe serving fast food at tollbooths?
In Heineman’s own words
Do you cook at home? Not as often as I would like. We moved up to New Market, so I spend a lot of time commuting. We have 18-month-old twins, so I do cook a lot so we have leftovers.
Is your family proud of your career? My parents love what I am doing. My mom is pretty proud and claims she taught me how to cook. She cooks well and can season food.
What is your favorite comfort food? Roast chicken, seasoned just with salt, pepper and garlic under the skin. I love chicken, the skin and fat in particular. That would be my last meal.
What are your favorite kitchen tools? A sharp knife, sharper than most people have. And heavy, sturdy cookware.
What is your luckiest moment? I’ve had more than one, but so far, it’s not being involved with a restaurant that is not closed. That’s pretty lucky, considering how the industry goes.
What is your favorite cuisine? If there were just one, I would pick modern American cooking because it uses different cuisines. Thai, Creole, andprobably Southeast Asian. But I love eating in France.
Who is your favorite television chef? Honestly, the only one who consistently makes food I’d want to eat is Mario Batali.
Wild Mushroom Ragout
Serve the mushrooms over soft polenta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Serves 6
4 cups assorted wild mushrooms, quartered
6 cloves garlic, cracked with the side of a knife
8 springs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and pour off the juices released by the mushrooms; reserve for another use. Discard the garlic and thyme, and reserve mushrooms.
Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 shallots, finely diced
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a sauté pan large enough to hold the mushrooms in a thin layer, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the shallots. When the shallots are translucent, increase the heat to high and add the reserved mushrooms. When they are sizzling, deglaze the pan with the sherry vinegar. Cook for about 1 minute to reduce the liquid. Add the heavy cream, and continue cooking until reduced and thickened. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve.
