With the various meanings of the word “zest” — enthusiasm, appetite, flavor — Lonnie Zoeller, executive chef of U Street’s compact wine-food destination Vinoteca, fits the bill. For him, working the kitchen has fulfilled his life’s dreams and ambitions. “I am really passionate about cooking,” he explained.

As with many of his contemporaries, Zoeller’s kitchen dreams were launched early on. A native of Cooperstown, N.Y., and a big baseball fan, he nonetheless decided as young as 12 that he preferred the kitchen to the baseball diamond. His next step: going to work in a local restaurant as a dishwasher and line cook.