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Todd C. Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray
The Powerhouse Behind Equinox
Since opening Equinox in 1999, Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray have risen to the top of Washington DC’s vibrant culinary scene, and created one of the area’s most popular restaurants built on their inventive interpretation of American cuisine, sophisticated style and standards of excellence in all they do. Today, their shared passion for comfortable fine dining and overall support of community have made them leading lights and a formidable force among Washington DC restaurateurs.
For more than a decade, the co-owners of Equinox have remained steadfast in their commitment to seasonality and sustainable farming … supporting local farmers within a 100-mile radius of Washington, DC, and using only the freshest, local dairy products and vegetables as well as their own line of Black Angus beef from Warrenton, Virginia.
Working in tandem, Kassoff Gray oversees a bustling front of house, staff training, marketing and management, while Chef Gray spins his magic and know-how in the kitchen. The two are especially proud of their son Harrison who at a very young age developed his own gastronomic inclinations, inspiring Chef Gray to offer cooking classes and culinary education to young students and their families.
Year after year, the Gray’s have been recognized with industry awards, garnered applause from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, Southern Living, Town & Country, Gourmet Magazine, Newsweek, Time, Travel & Leisure and many others, and been featured guests on television cooking, news and magazine shows.
Despite the demands of running a successful restaurant, the Grays make time in their personal lives to spread the word and promote the benefits and fundamentals of seasonality, sustainability and healthy eating. Among their recent ventures is a program they initiated at DC’s Murch Elementary School where they teach students where food comes from, how to cultivate their own crops, and most significantly how to cook and enjoy what they grow. The other is the new community market, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, which they opened in October 2009 and manage. Specializing in fresh, local produce and products from more than 18 of the region’s most respected farmers, the “Capital Harvest on the Plaza Farmers Market” is closed for the winter, but will re-open on Fridays in spring 2010.
On a national scale, the Gray’s have been tapped by the White House to help advance their Healthy Kids Initiative, promoting healthy eating and exercise among elementary students and their families. The program is part of the Healthier U.S. School Challenge, a project that encourages schools to serve healthier meals and reduce junk food.
Chef Todd C. Gray
Already a star chef when he opened Equinox, Todd Gray is a top culinary talent in the nation’s capital and an avid promoter of local, seasonal mid-Atlantic foods. Known for breathing new life into historical recipes, Gray developed Equinox’s distinct cuisine, enhancing Virginia-Piedmont ingredients and recipes with his classical Italian training. His refined taste, stellar reputation and high standards landed him the culinary director position at Salamander Hospitality where he is overseeing development and implementation of an elegant menu of provincial Virginia specialty dishes for the 340-acre Salamander Resort & Spa, slated to open in Middleburg, Virginia in 2010.
Gray has earned many awards for his artistry and inspired menu combinations, including the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s (RAMW) 2008 award for Best Fine Dining; five nominations for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic award and eight nominations for RAMW’s Chef of the Year. Other honors include top ratings in the ZAGAT Guide Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence six years in a row and numerous Awards of Excellence from the Distinguished Restaurants of North America.
Gray’s strong background in classical French and Italian techniques and proclivity for invention have also made him a popular teacher. Over the years, he has conducted cooking classes for youngsters and their families, and become a magnet and mentor to apprentices climbing the culinary ladder. Today, some of his former students are among top area chefs. A frontrunner and advocate for humanely raised and slaughtered animals, Gray works with local farmers to develop food of all varieties from custom-grown beef to fresh, organic produce.
Raised in Virginia, Gray studied at the University of Richmond, and graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America. Soon after, he worked in many fine restaurants, including Galileo where he was the first American chef in its history. |
