Eric Ziebold facts for kids
| Born | 1972 (age 53–54) Iowa |
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| Education | University of Northern Iowa |
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Current restaurant(s)
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Previous restaurant(s)
CityZen
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Award(s) won
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Eric Ziebold is a famous American chef and restaurant owner. He was born in 1972. He has two restaurants in Washington, D.C., called Kinship and Métier. Both of his restaurants have earned special awards called Michelin Stars. Before opening his own places, he was the main chef at a restaurant called CityZen from 2004 to 2014. There, he also won many awards, like the James Beard Award.
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Chef Eric Ziebold's Early Life
Eric Ziebold was born in Iowa. He started working in restaurants when he was a teenager. After school, he worked at a place called Aunt Maude’s. There, he learned a lot from a chef named Matt Nichols.
When Eric went to the University of Northern Iowa for college, he spent more time learning in the restaurant kitchen than in his classes! He loved cooking so much that he decided to go to a special cooking school. He transferred to the Culinary Institute of America.
After cooking in a few other famous restaurants, Eric joined Thomas Keller's amazing restaurant, The French Laundry. This restaurant is in Napa Valley, California. Eric worked his way up to become the head chef there. He stayed at The French Laundry until 2003. Then, he moved to New York City to help Thomas Keller open a new restaurant called Per Se.
Working at CityZen Restaurant
In early 2004, Eric Ziebold moved from New York to Washington, D.C. He opened a restaurant called CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental Washington hotel. This restaurant quickly became very popular and received great reviews.
In 2007, Forbes magazine named Eric Ziebold one of the "10 most influential chefs working in America." This was a big honor! In June 2005, CityZen was named the best new restaurant of the year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
Eric Ziebold won a very important award in 2008. He received the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the mid-Atlantic region.
CityZen closed its doors on December 6, 2014. Eric Ziebold left to open his own new restaurants in downtown D.C. The hotel decided to close CityZen completely. This allowed a new chef to create a brand new restaurant in its place.
Kinship and Métier: Eric's Own Restaurants
Eric Ziebold opened his very first independent restaurant in December 2015. It is called Kinship. It is located in the Mount Vernon Square area of Washington, D.C. Just a few months later, in April 2016, his second restaurant, Métier, opened in the same building.
About Kinship Restaurant
Kinship is a larger restaurant with a dining room that can seat 55 people. It also has a lounge with 27 seats and a bar with 15 seats. The name "Kinship" means "a feeling of being close or connected to other people." This meaning is even explained on every menu!
The menu at Kinship is divided into five different parts:
- Craft: These dishes show off special cooking techniques.
- History: These are classic dishes that have been given a new twist.
- Ingredients: These dishes highlight specific foods, like surf clams or Rohan duck.
- Indulgence: This section is where you can find fancy ingredients like truffles and caviar.
- For the Table: These are larger dishes meant for sharing, like a whole fish or a big steak.
About Métier Restaurant
Métier is located right below Kinship. You take an elevator to get to it. The elevator opens into a lounge and a smaller dining room with about 40 seats. You can even see the kitchen and the chefs working behind glass!
The name "Métier" is a French word that means "skill in one's job." This restaurant offers a special seven-course meal in a cozy setting.
Awards for Kinship and Métier
In 2016, the first-ever Michelin Guide for Washington, D.C., was released. Kinship received one Michelin Star, which is a very high honor in the cooking world.
The next year, in 2017, Métier also received a Michelin Star. In 2018, Washingtonian magazine named Métier the number one "Very Best Restaurant in DC."
Awards and Recognitions
Eric Ziebold has received many awards for his amazing cooking:
- Best New Chefs, Food & Wine, 2005
- Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, James Beard Foundation, 2008
- Chef of the Year, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, 2008
- Michelin Star, Kinship, 2017 to current
- Michelin Star, Métier, 2018 to current
