JAMIE LEEDS
Chef/Owner
Hank’s Oyster Bar

Jamie Leeds is one of Washington’s most highly recognized chefs due to her wildly successful restaurant, Hank’s Oyster Bar; her very active role in the community and her 20 plus years of inspiring culinary experience in New York, prior to moving to DC.  In May 2005, she opened her first restaurant as executive chef and owner, the 65-seat Hank’s Oyster Bar, which serves “Urban Beach Food”. Hank’s is named after Leeds’ father, who she credits as her inspiration for becoming a chef.  Since its’ opening, Hank’s Oyster Bar has been praised by Gourmet, Bon Appetit, The Washington Post, Washingtonian, DC magazine, The Washington Times and Fox Morning News.

Leeds came to Washington, D.C. when she joined the Washington Terrace Hotel as executive chef in May 2002, where she launched the 70-seat 15 ria. Her American cuisine with a comfort food twist was an immediate hit at the handsome, new boutique hotel where she was also responsible for developing catering menus. Wine Spectator, The Washington Post, Washingtonian and Bon Appetit were among the publications that praised Chef Leeds for her exceptional fare.

Favorable reviews and a successful launch also earned Jamie Leeds a nomination for “Rising Culinary Star” from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Capital Restaurant & Hospitality Awards in June 2003.   Chef Leeds was also named a “Rising Star Chef” by Starchefs.com for Washington, D.C.’s 2003 awards program, which selected only seven chefs throughout the area for the coveted recognition. In 2006, her new restaurant Hank’s Oyster Bar was nominated for “Best New Restaurant” by the Restaurant Association of Washington and in 2007, Hank’s was nominated for “Best Neighborhood Restaurant”.

Prior to her Washington move, Chef Leeds worked for three years with the renowned Myriad Restaurant Group as an executive consulting chef for several of their successful restaurants including New York’s Tribeca Grill, the Steelhead Grill in Pittsburgh, and the W hotel in Seattle. A self-taught chef, Leeds brought to Myriad a strong sense of American culinary values, incorporating local and seasonal produce into her recipes.

"Jamie has great provenance having worked in a number of America's and Europe's greatest cities and finest restaurants. Her food is very direct and deeply flavorful," confides Drew Nieporent, the president of Myriad Restaurant Group.

From 1997 to 2000, Chef Leeds was the executive chef of The Globe in New York City. Here she orchestrated her concept turning an idea into a $5 million operation, managing a staff of 35 for the popular 180-seat American brasserie.  In 1993 she created a “Global Christmas” experience for patrons at the James Beard House. 

Prior to her role at The Globe, Jamie Leeds served as an independent restaurant consultant from 1995 to 1997, creating menus, kitchen designs and conducting staff training for restaurants in Chicago, New York and San Francisco including Rhumba, and Elka in the Miyako Hotel.  Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, based in Chicago, employed Chef Leeds from 1992 to 1995 as corporate chef.  In this capacity she worked closely with Richard Mellman, the company president, to develop new concepts and menus.  She also worked in Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ 400-seat restaurant Café Ba Ba Reeba as the executive chef for two years, before being promoted to her position as corporate chef.

From 1987 to 1991 Chef Leeds served as a chef at the Union Square Café in New York working with the notable restaurateur Danny Meyer. Here she designed the highly acclaimed Wine and Food Dinner Series.  Meyer hired Jamie as a line cook and when she mastered each of the stations in only one year, he promoted her to sous chef.  He also sent her to Europe for a year in 1991, to apprentice at several Michelin two-star restaurants including Hotel Negresco in Nice; Pain Adour et Fantaisie in Grenade Sur L’Adour, Gascogne and Hostellerie du Cerf, Marlenheim in Alsace.     

"Jamie cooks from her heart with a rare passion that is refreshingly devoid of any culinary contrivance,” say Danny Meyer.

Jamie Leeds is actively involved in many local organizations, serving on the board of the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF) and as a member of Les Dames d’ Escoffier. She is also on the National Board of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WRC). Leeds has been a featured chef at the James Beard House twice in four years, since moving to Washington. Recent charity events she has supported include Saks Fifth Avenue’s Key to Cure; DC Central Kitchen’s Capitol Food Fight each November, and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance “Celebrate Women’s Chefs”.

Chef Leeds has also appeared frequently on both radio and television, as well as being a celebrity chef at prestigious resorts, including the White Elephant in Nantucket and The Sanderling in Duck, North Carolina.  Leeds and Hank’s Oyster Bar were featured on Food Network’s “The Hungry Detective” in November 2006, and Chef has conducted cooking demonstrations for Fox Morning News and Channel 9 in Washington, as well as being interviewed on Ed Hitzel’s “Dining for One” and Bob Madigan’s WTOP “Man About Town.”