Chef Paul Pelt

Paul Pelt was born in Chicago at the tail end of the baby boom. His formative years were shaped by listening to his father's records and being one of the only children at the 1968 Democratic National Convention riot. Paul moved to Washington DC in the 70's where he came of age amidst the milieu carried over from the 60's. While in high school, he began busing tables, washing dishes, doing prep, and finally cooking in various restaurants in DC including Jenkin's Hill, The Underground, La Brasserie, and The Chancery.

For seven years in the 90's, Paul found himself working at the Tabard first as a line cook and then as a lunch chef under the tutelage of Stacy Cosor and David Craig. It was at the Tabard that Paul studied various cuisines, learning not only techniques and flavors but also the history and culture behind the food. Paul became an avid - some might say obsessive - reader of cookbooks with Paul Bertolli's "Cooking by Hand" and Howard Mitchum's "Seafood Gumbo and All That Jazz" being a couple of his favorites.

While the fare of the American South, including New Orleans Creole and Caribbean, were of particular interest to him, Paul's repertoire expanded to include East Asian, South Asian, French, Italian, as well as charcuterie. In 1999, Paul had the opportunity to be a chef at Rocky's Cafe, a restaurant established by fellow Tabard alum Rocky Scott. The restaurant featured a menu built around Paul's eclectic blend of dishes from across the African Diaspora.

In 2005, Paul returned to the Tabard as Executive Sous Chef with a repertoire demonstrably broader than when he left. Paul's food can be described as consistently creative, bold, well executed and, above all, delicious. It was with great pride that the Tabard Inn introduced Paul Pelt as its Executive Chef in the spring of 2007.

Pastry Chef Huw Griffiths

Huw Griffiths came to Washington DC by way of London, England. He began his pastry education at the age of sixteen when his mother, wanting to keep her young son off the streets and out of trouble, recruited him to work with her at a local bakery. At this time, there was a city-wide workers' strike at all of the large corporate bakeries. The job of supplying the city's bread and pastry rested in the hands of London's artisan bakers, at the small, family-owned shops that dotted the city. It was at one such establishment that Huw learned the craft of artisan pastry and bread making. He developed such a passion for the art of baking that he decided to attend culinary school once a week while working as an apprentice.

Having completed his training, Huw felt that he still had much more to learn, about pastry and about life. He uprooted himself and moved to DC in 1986. Here, he expanded his repertoire working for various area catering companies, such as Moveable Feast and Lands Down.

Huw joined the Tabard Inn family in 1997. Since then, he has been delighting guests with a style that he describes as "simple and comforting...English meets American." It is true that many have found comfort in such exquisite desserts as his Pumpkin Pecan Pudding Cake, Bittersweet Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Torte, and Coconut Lemongrass Crème Brûlée, though few would describe them as simple. He works tirelessly with his pastry team to produce items of the highest quality, with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients.

Guests of the Tabard have the privilege of sampling Huw's creations throughout the day, from his delicious scones at breakfast and famous doughnuts at brunch, to his freshly baked breads and luscious desserts at lunch and dinner.

Huw's skills as a pastry chef have not won him recognition by our discerning customers alone--in 2007 he was recognized as the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington's Pastry Chef of the Year. We at the Tabard hope that Huw will continue to delight and inspire us with his artistry for many years to come.