When you spend countless hours of your days-off in a
freezing cold duck blind, or stalking deer, or waiting for fish to
bite, you gain a whole new appreciation of the animal you're
attempting to kill. That time and effort [and let's admit it: a
certain amount of discomfort] makes you respect it more. You have a
deeper investment in its fate. And you have a responsibility for
what it becomes. It's a responsibility chef Robert Wiedmaier takes
very seriously.
He practices classic, whole animal butchery. "If you're
going to kill a rabbit, don't strip out its loins and toss the
rest. Use all of it!" roars the robust, 6', goatee-d, Harley-riding
chef. This attitude applies equally to rabbits as to the 30 Randall
Lineback calves that are reared for him annually at Chapel Hill
Farm out in Berryville, Virginia, and to the thousands of fish
delivered fresh and intact to his restaurants in downtown and
suburban Washington.
Named Washington's Chef of the Year by the Restaurant
Association of Metropolitan Washington in 2009, Wiedmaier was
inducted in Brussels, in the summer of 2012, into The Knighthood of
the Brewers' Mashstaff, a century old brewer's guild that honors
individuals who embrace and promote Belgian beer. Chef Wiedmaier's
establishments offer the largest selection of Belgian beer around
and also has an exclusive beer brewed for him, Antigoon, a double
blonde ale, named for the gory aftermath of the legendary conflict
between Brabo and the mythical giant, Antigoon, of medieval
Antwerp.
Less concerned with honors than with living life to the
fullest, when he's not in the kitchen Wiedmaier is out on his
32-foot Luhrs, having fun with his boys as he teaches them not just
how, but the full meaning of bringing fish from
open waters to the table. The James Beard award winning PBS program
Chefs A'Field captured that exact scenario in one of its episodes.
As a member of the Wild Alaska Seafood Congress of Conscious Chefs,
Wiedmaier confirms his deep regard for nature. "This is the most
raw and natural way of teaching respect, as it's truly not all
about the sport." His new found branding -Full Circle
Chef-exemplifies what he holds closest to him-living the dream, but
practicing it with grace, admiration, and humility.
