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D.C.'s Chef Jeff Tunks Sets the Record Straight Today on the Affects of the Oil Spill
July 1, 2010
The Oil Shall Not Spoil It for D.C.
Chef Jeff Tunks Sets the Record Straight Today on the Affects of the Oil Spill
Chef Jeff Tunks Sets the Record Straight Today on the Affects of the Oil Spill
For the past 30 years, chef Jeff Tunks, Executive Chef and co-proprietor of Passion Food Hospitality, five established seafood-centric restaurants [DC Coast, TenPenh, Ceiba, Acadiana, and PassionFish] serving 300 seats on average per meal, has lived and worked in our nation’s coastal cities to become an expert voice for our native seafood. Tunks purchases, on average, $25,000 worth of Gulf seafood per week. As the Chair of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, and owner of noted Louisiana fish house, Acadiana, in D.C., Tunks is letting it be known that this is not the end of Gulf seafood.
“Though prices of Gulf oysters, shrimp, and crabmeat may rise, the seafood itself has been inspected more so than ever before,” says Tunks. The fear of shortages or health violations of Gulf seafood may be innaccurate and irresponsible--just last week, the price of jumbo lump crab meat decreased. Tunks is on the phone with his seafood sources daily to assess the volume, price, and safety of his ingredients. Diners of his five restaurants are his top priority, and Tunks would only provide certified, safe seafood every single day.
After four years as the Executive Chef at the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans, Tunks’ moved to Washington, D.C. to share the rich culinary heritage of Louisiana. With the debut of DC Coast in 1998, followed by Ceiba and TenPenh, Tunks launched Acadiana in September 2005, 12 days after Hurricane Katrina. Committed to his beloved New Orleans, Tunks was resolute in bringing his modern interpretation of a Louisiana fish house to District diners. With a seasonally changing menu that showcases only the most authentic and freshest Gulf seafood, Tunks refuses to turn his back on that region. Not during Katrina and not now.
Underneath a six-foot-three exterior in chef whites is a man with the soul of an artist, the passion of a perfectionist, and an unquestionable devotion to celebrating the bounty of our nation’s oceans, lakes, seas, and waterways. . In August, Tunks will be headed to New Orleans to be a judge at the annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off, and he is positive that there will not be a lack of key ingredients coming from the Gulf. Tunks says, “I remain dedicated to Gulf seafood like I have for so many years, especially after the issues fade from the spotlight.” Read More
