Barton Seaver
Encyclopedia
Barton Seaver is a chef, author, speaker, and National Geographic
fellow in Washington, D.C.
. He graduated with honors from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York
, in 2001 and taught meat and fish classes on a fellowship post under the guidance of chef Corky Clark. He worked in restaurants in Chicago and New York, and then traveled abroad to southern Spain and Morocco, where he worked with local villagers on fishing boats and in small family-run hotel restaurants.
at the restaurant Jaleo. Seaver became executive chef of Café Saint-Ex and later its sister restaurant, Bar Pilar. He was chef-owner of the sustainable seafood restaurant Hook in Georgetown in 2007. Over the course of one year, Hook served 78 species of seafood. In addition, Seaver helped launch the casual seafood eatery Tackle Box. Seaver left Hook in 2008. He became chef of a new restaurant in the Glover Park
neighborhood called Blue Ridge in 2009. His work at Blue Ridge led John Mariani of Esquire Magazine
to name Seaver the 2009 Chef of the Year. The designation polarized restaurant critics.
Seaver left Blue Ridge in early 2010 to work on other projects. His plans for a 6700 square feet (622.5 m²) combination sustainable seafood market and restaurant in Logan Circle to be called Diamond District Seafood Company were put on hold indefinitely in 2010 due to problems with the location.
In 2011, Barton Seaver worked with The Pink Line Project to throw the second installment of its Cuisine Contra series, an unconventional and exquisite summer dinner party and awareness event at The Textile Museum in Washington, DC.
, wellness, and community as they relate to food. He sits on the board of the hunger-fighting organization D.C. Central Kitchen
. He also has collaborations with the School Nutrition Association, the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School
, and Future of Fish. Seaver received a Seafood Champion Award from Seafood Choices Alliance
in 2008. He is a fellow with the Blue Ocean Institute
.
fellow in 2010, working with the global partnership initiative Mission Blue. He developed a list of ocean friendly substitutes for popular yet depleted seafood species, and co-created the Seafood Decision Guide for consumers which evaluates seafood based on health and environmental factors. He also hosts the National Geographic Web series Cook-Wise.
. His first book, For Cod and Country: Simple, Delicious, Sustainable Cooking (Sterling Epicure
, 2011) is a cookbook of seasonal, environmentally responsible seafood and vegetable recipes.
on sustainable seafood aboard the National Geographic Endeavour as part of a conference-at-sea conceived by TED Prize winner and Mission Blue founder Dr. Sylvia Earle
as part of the Mission Blue Voyage.
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
fellow in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Early years
Seaver grew up in Washington, D.C. and attended St. Albans SchoolSt. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)
St. Albans School is an independent college preparatory school for boys in grades 4–12, located in Washington, D.C. The school is named after Saint Alban, traditionally regarded as the first British martyr. Within the St...
. He graduated with honors from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....
, in 2001 and taught meat and fish classes on a fellowship post under the guidance of chef Corky Clark. He worked in restaurants in Chicago and New York, and then traveled abroad to southern Spain and Morocco, where he worked with local villagers on fishing boats and in small family-run hotel restaurants.
Culinary
In 2005, Seaver returned to Washington, D.C., and worked with chef José AndrésJosé Andrés
José Ramón Andrés Puerta , known as José Andrés, is a Spanish chef often credited for bringing the small plates dining concept to America...
at the restaurant Jaleo. Seaver became executive chef of Café Saint-Ex and later its sister restaurant, Bar Pilar. He was chef-owner of the sustainable seafood restaurant Hook in Georgetown in 2007. Over the course of one year, Hook served 78 species of seafood. In addition, Seaver helped launch the casual seafood eatery Tackle Box. Seaver left Hook in 2008. He became chef of a new restaurant in the Glover Park
Glover Park
Glover Park is a neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C., about a half mile north of Georgetown and just west of the United States Naval Observatory and Number One Observatory Circle...
neighborhood called Blue Ridge in 2009. His work at Blue Ridge led John Mariani of Esquire Magazine
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
to name Seaver the 2009 Chef of the Year. The designation polarized restaurant critics.
Seaver left Blue Ridge in early 2010 to work on other projects. His plans for a 6700 square feet (622.5 m²) combination sustainable seafood market and restaurant in Logan Circle to be called Diamond District Seafood Company were put on hold indefinitely in 2010 due to problems with the location.
In 2011, Barton Seaver worked with The Pink Line Project to throw the second installment of its Cuisine Contra series, an unconventional and exquisite summer dinner party and awareness event at The Textile Museum in Washington, DC.
Sustainability
Seaver has shifted his focus away from the restaurant business toward promoting sustainabilitySustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
, wellness, and community as they relate to food. He sits on the board of the hunger-fighting organization D.C. Central Kitchen
DC Central Kitchen
DC Central Kitchen is a nationally recognized "community kitchen" that recycles food from around Washington DC and uses it as a tool to train unemployed adults to develop work skills while providing thousands of meals for local service agencies in the process....
. He also has collaborations with the School Nutrition Association, the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment
Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment, affiliated with Harvard Medical School researches environmental health topics...
, and Future of Fish. Seaver received a Seafood Champion Award from Seafood Choices Alliance
Seafood Choices Alliance
The Seafood Choices Alliance is a program of the nonprofit ocean conservation organization, SeaWeb. It was established in 2001 to bring together the disparate elements and diverse approaches in a growing "seafood choices" movement in the United States and expanded into Europe in 2005...
in 2008. He is a fellow with the Blue Ocean Institute
Blue Ocean Institute
Blue Ocean Institute is a 5013 nonprofit conservation organization headquartered in East Norwich, New York, that was founded in 2003 by MacArthur Fellow Dr. Carl Safina and collaborator Mercédès Lee. A central focus of Blue Ocean Institute is to inspire a closer relationship with the sea through...
.
National Geographic
Seaver became a National GeographicNational Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
fellow in 2010, working with the global partnership initiative Mission Blue. He developed a list of ocean friendly substitutes for popular yet depleted seafood species, and co-created the Seafood Decision Guide for consumers which evaluates seafood based on health and environmental factors. He also hosts the National Geographic Web series Cook-Wise.
Writing
Seaver has written opinion pieces for Seafood Business News, Treehugger, Stop Smiling magazine, StarChefs.com, and the Albany Times-UnionAlbany Times-Union
The Times Union is a major daily newspaper, serving the Capital Region of New York, United States. Although the newspaper focuses on Albany and its suburbs, it covers all parts of the four-county area, including the cities of Troy, Schenectady and Saratoga Springs. It is owned by the Hearst...
. His first book, For Cod and Country: Simple, Delicious, Sustainable Cooking (Sterling Epicure
Sterling Publishing
Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. is a publisher of nonfiction titles, with more than 5,000 books in print. Founded in 1949, it publishes a wide range of nonfiction and illustrated titles in categories which include art, biography/autobiography, body/mind/spirit, crafts, culinary, do-it-yourself,...
, 2011) is a cookbook of seasonal, environmentally responsible seafood and vegetable recipes.
Speaking
In 2010, Seaver delivered a TED TalkTED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
on sustainable seafood aboard the National Geographic Endeavour as part of a conference-at-sea conceived by TED Prize winner and Mission Blue founder Dr. Sylvia Earle
Sylvia Earle
Sylvia Alice Earle is an American oceanographer. She was chief scientist for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 1990–1992. She is a National Geographic explorer-in-residence, sometimes called "Her Deepness" or "The Sturgeon General".-Education and career:Earle received a...
as part of the Mission Blue Voyage.