Bethesda continues to lead the culinary scene in the DC metro area driven by top chefs.  Here is a look at a few of Bethesda’s Top Chefs:

Damian Salvatore
Chef and owner of Bethesda’s Persimmon, Damian Salvatore, is a local chef that graduated from the L’Academie de Cuisine. Salvatore’s style is considered New American with attention to local ingredients combined with an original eclectic twist.

The food at Persimmon is a distinct showcase of Salvatore’s style. The menu highlights the rich seafood tradition of Maryland, with trout, mussels, scallops, oysters and fish tacos all gracing its pages. The dishes are hearty and comforting, maybe because Salvatore is a father of three and recognizes the need for kid friendly menus. Many items on the menu would be recognizable to little ones but they are designed with such an upscale hand that they can still entice a grownup palate.

Damian Salvatore recently opened Wild Tomato located in Cabin John, MD located just outside of Washington D.C. This small restaurant seats less than 50 diners and has a welcoming neighborhood feel. Salvatore selected Cabin John as the location for his new venture because of family ties to the area. Instead of going the touristy D.C. route of so many other successful local chefs, Salvatore specifically designed Wild Tomato for the local population.

Jeff Heineman
Seafood is synonymous with Maryland and when chef Jeff Heineman decided to start opening restaurants around Bethesda, he crafted them around this local inspiration. Heineman graduated from L’Academie de Cuisine, a Maryland cooking school that has been listed in the top 10 in the nation.

Grapeseed American Bistro and Wine Bar is based around Heineman’s personal love of shellfish. He artfully crafts dishes that are simple and allow for the natural goodness and flavor of the seafood to serve as the shining star. While this restaurant has a slightly seafood shack feel, the warm and inviting bistro setting sets the overall tone. The menu is both fry shack and chic bar, with clam strips and fish and chips sitting alongside lobster and pot of bouchot mussels on the menu.

Directly next to Grapeseed is Heineman’s newest venture, Freddy’s Lobster + Clams. This New England style fish shack showcases Heineman’s childhood family vacations to New England, with Rhode Island style calamari, Maine shrimp rolls and whole belly clams as a few choices.

Domenico Cornacchia
The mastermind behind Bethesda’s Assaggi is Italian born Domenico Cornacchia. This central Italian native first started in the kitchen at age 12 when he worked as an apprentice making pasta by hand. Cornacchia worked in kitchens across Western Europe, from Switzerland to Southern France, before trying his hand at kitchens in America, where he has worked in Las Vegas, New York City and Georgetown.

Assaggi stands for tasting in Italian and Cornacchia designed this restaurant around the concept of a whole table sharing an assortment of smaller dishes. The restaurant even features a mozzarella bar, the first of its kind in the United States. The food that is put out from Cornacchia’s kitchen is described as being true Italian cooking. Each morning, Cornacchia prepares freshly made pastas and uses the freshest ingredients, including top quality meats and seafood, to showcase an array of authentic Italian dishes.