Jonathan Seningen
Executive Chef

Born in the quaintly historic city of Chestertown on Maryland’s picturesque Eastern Shore, Jonathan Seningen grew up surrounded by rolling farmland and freshwater rivers and streams. Fishing and hunting was a way of life. He developed a respect for the product; a love for the freshly harvested. But his love of the actual kitchen process began with the unlikely—sugar cookies. At about seven years of age, his craving for his mother’s freshly baked cookies became strong enough to send him to the kitchen on a mission to make them himself. “…and they weren’t bad,” he reminisces.

Soon Jonathan was fishing for the plentiful Perch of area and grilling fish skewered on sticks over an open fire with childhood friends. The fact that today, these creeks and rivers that used to be pristine enough in which to swim and yield fish that would easily fill a net, are no longer clean enough for swimming and barely have any living thing left at all, have added to Jonathan’s passion for sustainable seafood and healthy waters. Today, as chef de cuisine at Hook, Jonathan brings his culinary expertise honed over the past 16 years, as well as his passion for nature’s products to the restaurant’s menu.

Jonathan’s professional culinary career began as executive banquet sous chef at Frenchman’s Reef resort in the Virgin Islands—overseeing parties of 10 to 3,000 in seven diverse on-site locations, including opening their five themed restaurants. He soon left the resort to open a private catering to multiple locations on the Virgin Islands.

Seningen’s next island foray was to the highly visible island of Manhattan where he spent the next four years working for such esteemed chefs as Paul Liembrant, Terrence Brennen, Alex Lee, David Waltruk and Rocco DiSpirito—moving up from line cook to chef de cuisine at Atlas, Artisanal, Chanterelle and Union Pacific restaurants. Also during his years in the big Apple, he served as a private chef and consultant to Sotheby’s, The Dylan Hotel and the Harrington Restaurant Group.

Jonathan left New York to join acclaimed Chef Yannick Cam at the critically acclaimed Le Paradou in Washington, DC—opening the restaurant as poisonier. Two years later, he joined the popular Oya restaurant and Lounge as chef de cuisine. At Oya, he created a French/Asian small plates menu that made the restaurant a local destination.

Now at the kitchen’s helm at Hook in Georgetown, Jonathan brings not only a varied background but a homegrown flair for the region’s products that reflect the restaurant’s sustainable, earth-friendly philosophy as well as his own.

Heather Chittum
Pastry Chef

Heather Chittum, a 2006 StarChefs.com Rising Star Chef and 2008 Pastry Chef of the Year ‘RAMMY’ Award recipient, may have taken a non-traditional path to her current role as Pastry Chef of Pure Hospitality’s Hook restaurant in Georgetown, (3241 M Street NW, 202.625.4488, Hook DC), but she has certainly always felt comfortable creating delicate sweets in the kitchen.

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Chittum was exposed to diverse cuisines, which sparked a deeper interest in food. Although her passion for food would not translate into a career until years later, it was this early exposure that she credits with her decision.

Food became a secondary interest for Chittum when she left New York to study government and international relations at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Upon her graduation in 1994, Chittum moved to Washington, D.C., to work for former New York State Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. During her four years working on Capitol Hill, Chittum developed a particular interest in fighting poverty and hunger, which led her to her next job working for Share our Strength (SOS), a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger. SOS introduced Chittum to some of the most influential chefs in the United States, and inspired Chittum to revisit her longtime passion for cooking.

In 2001, Chittum enrolled in the Fundamentals of Pastry Arts program at L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and began working alongside Equinox’s acclaimed Pastry Chef Lisa Scruggs. Three years later, Chittum was appointed Pastry Chef for Circle Bistro, Dish and, soon after, Notti Bianchi, which opened in May 2005.

In November 2005, Chittum was tapped as Pastry Chef of acclaimed Chef Michel Richard’s Citronelle restaurant, working under the mentorship of Chef Richard, who himself spent fifteen years as a Pastry Chef. The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington duly recognized Chittum’s fast-growing prestige when she was nominated three years in a row for the Pastry Chef of the Year award which she went on to win in 2008. In May 2006, Chittum returned to her position as Pastry Chef at Dish and Notti Bianchi, and Circle Bistro.

In March 2007, Chittum left Potomac Restaurant Group to take on a new challenge, Pastry Chef of Pure Hospitality’s Hook restaurant in Georgetown. Chittum develops the restaurant’s desserts which mirror Pure’s dedication to sustainability and locally grown produce. With a platform that embraces her methodology of purity through ingredients, Chittum concludes guests’ meals with decadent, flavorful delights such as a Lingonberry Linzertorte with Tallegio Ice Cream and Port Wine Reduction, Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Local Cherries and Pistachio Biscotti, Carrot Cake with Crème Fraiche Sorbet and the Bittersweet Chocolate Cake. Her love of ice cream shines through with flavors ranging from Gorgonzola Dolce, Lavender Honey, Black Pepper, and Concord Grape, Frozen Yogurt Mousse Granola with red currants and raspberries.

Chittum’s new venture not only provides a strong platform for her desserts to shine, but also gives her the room to grow and hone her skills for future Pure Hospitality projects.

Christian Pendleton
General Manager

As a child, Christian Pendleton was lucky enough to dine in some of the world’s finest restaurants. He was always amazed and fascinated with his culinary adventures. As a child in a military family, young Christian had the opportunity to travel the globe, growing up mainly in Korea and Turkey—and several points in between. He discovered his love of meeting new people and the diversity of experiences.

As an adult, Christian followed in his father’s footsteps serving in the military. Serving in the Special Operations Command, Pendleton developed the skills of task organization and management. Pendleton then left the Army to continue his education at Park University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management, further expanding his skills. But he knew that the hospitality industry was where he ultimately belonged. Pendleton established himself in a variety of restaurants beginning as a server in family eateries and working his way up the ranks to fine dining.

In 1999, as Floor Director and Director of Recruiting for the Great American Restaurants Group, Pendleton was responsible for ensuring staff training and implementation of a recruitment plan for the company’s six establishments. In 2002, after three years of overseeing their internal workings, Pendleton left the restaurant group to work for Events International, where he helped host fine dining affairs, including Head of State dinners.

The next dining room to call on Pendleton was Washington DC’s IndeBleu. Beginning in 2004, Pendleton served for two years as Manager and Service Director, responsible for staffing and overall property operations. Under Pendleton’s direction, with mentoring by the restaurant’s general manager, Jay Coldren, the restaurant gained much recognition, including a feature in the 2005 edition of Condé Nast Traveler’s “Hot List.”

Briefly leaving the Nation’s Capitol, Pendleton was recruited to New York to serve as Maitre D’ for world renown Chef Thomas Keller’s Per Se. Here, Pendleton assumed the leadership role in directing service and staff development, along with food and wine education.

Returning to Washington, DC, in early 2007, Pendleton was immediately drawn to the newly opened Hook, which had recently received its two and a half star review from the Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema. Pendleton spent a year as Special Events Manager and soon became General Manager of the 162-seat establishment. Since then, Pendleton has become dedicated to maintaining the highest quality of service within the dining room walls of Hook.

For more information on General Manager Christian Pendleton or Hook, please contact Flash Communications at 202-776-0136 or info@flashcommunications.net