Dining
Clearly, fate was at work when Brendan Cox was born at Georgetown Hospital, just blocks away from Circle Bistro and Notti Bianche. Cox's culinary success would take a few years to arrive, however, as Cox's early experiments with his family's hibachi grill produced many overcooked hamburgers and charred steaks.
It was at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, while studying history and philosophy, that Cox discovered his passion for cooking. After embracing vegetarianism in order to impress a girlfriend, Cox frequented the College’s Health Food Cooperative, where instead of a meal plan students could use the kitchen and cook for themselves. There, Cox learned the basics of cooking and managing a kitchen, and, after discarding vegetarianism and eating his first steak in five years, Cox discovered an even greater lesson: food was something more than just a means to stay alive; it had the potential to deeply satisfy people on another level.
Cox first entered the restaurant industry in 1998 as a dishwasher at Spinnakers on the Chesapeake Bay, where, under the direction of Chef John Spinnichia, Cox progressed from dishwasher to sous chef in only eight months. Having ignited his passion for cooking, Cox left college and returned to Washington, D.C., where he talked his way in the back door at Galileo to study haute Italian cuisine under Roberto Donna and his American Executive Chef Todd Gray. In 1999, after a year at Galileo, Cox left to open Equinox with Executive Chef Todd Gray.
At Equinox, Cox worked with local farmers and learned about regional modern American cuisine. In 2002, Cox was promoted to sous chef, and he went on to help Chef Gray open Market Salamander in Middleburg, Virginia. As chef de cuisine at the Market, Cox oversaw a 3,000 bottle wine seller and expanded his knowledge as he “really got into cheese.”
Another return to D.C., in September 2004, led Cox to his current position as Executive Chef at Circle Bistro, where Cox deconstructs traditional Franco-American Bistro fare and rebuilds it with a lighter, more modern touch. In February 2007, Cox will head the kitchens of both Circle Bistro and Notti Bianche restaurants, under Potomac Hospitality Services, and is looking forward to putting his own unique twist on the Italian hotspot.
Of all his accomplishments, Cox is happiest about his marriage to his wife Leslie, his daughters Catie and Charlotte, and his son Evan.
For more information on Brendan Cox, DISH and Notti Bianche, please contact Heather Freeman at Heather Freeman Media & Public Relations at 800.987.9806 or by emailing heather@heatherfreeman.com.
