OUR TEAM
Anthony Chittum
Executive Chef
Iron Gate
After many years working his way up through kitchens, including Elite Cafe in San Francisco, Tony moved to DC to work at newly opened Equinox restaurant under the tutelage of Todd Gray. Gray’s focus on seasonality and proper technique made an impression on Chittum, who quickly climbed the ranks from garde to chef de cuisine. After serving as executive chef of Notti Bianchi for two years, Chittum joined NRG, where under his guidance, Vermilion restaurant in Old Town Alexandria received numerous accolades including a three-star review from the Washington Post. Chittum has continued his work with NRG, opening the beautiful, award-wining Iron Gate in 2014 where he showcases his creative renditions of Southern Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.
Nate Anda
Head Butcher + Executive Chef
Red Apron + The Partisan + B-Side
Nathan began working for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group in 2004, serving as Executive Chef of Tallula in Arlington, where he gained critical notices from USA Today and The Washington Post for his charcuterie, and especially his house-made bacons. In 2008, Anda founded Red Apron Butchery, a creative collaboration with NRG and a handful of dedicated regional farmers to serve as a locally-sourced whole animal butcher and small-batch producer of handcrafted charcuterie and fine provisions. Red Apron currently operates three stores in Dc & Virginia.
Greg Engert
Partner & Beverage Director
Neighborhood Restaurant Group
As Beverage Director and Partner, Greg Engert has opened countless landmark projects with NRG, including ChurchKey, Bluejacket, The Sovereign, The Partisan, and The Grand Delancey. Engert draws on his extensive beer knowledge to source, serve and care for beers at each of the company’s 22 outlets. He applies that perspective to all of the wine, spirits and coffee programs at each restaurant as well. The James Beard Foundation nominated Engert for “Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional” and Food & Wine Magazine named him their first ever “Sommelier of the Year”. His beer bars have received countless accolades, including most recently Imbibe Magazine’s coveted “Beer Bar of the Year” award for The Grand Delancey in New York City.
Jonathan Till
Executive Chef
Evening Star
A third-generation chef, Jonathan Till has worked in some of the most esteemed restaurants in the country, including L’Espalier in Boston , Hermitage Hotel’s Capitol Grille in Nashville and Beekman Street Bistro in New York. He brought these talents and more to Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s original restaurant, Evening Star in 2018. This 22-year-old neighborhood place, known for its convivial setting and seasonal American menu, also features herbs and produce grown on the rooftop garden. Till utilizes these resources as well as his established local foraging spots and relationships with farmers to bring his unwavering commitment to sustainable sourcing to the Del Ray neighborhood restaurant.
Nick Farrell
Spirits Manager
Neighborhood Restaurant Group
A former government contractor, Nick Farrell began bartending for Neighborhood Restaurant Group on his birthday in 2014 as a placeholder for his next step in life. It did not take long for him to realize where his true passions lay. He led the charge on concocting complimentary cocktails to Chef Tony Chittum’s Italian and Greek dishes at Iron Gate, created a locally-minded mixology program for Virginia’s Vermilion restaurant and infused Middle-Eastern influence into the beverage offerings at Hazel in Shaw, all in under two years. On the cusp of launching his own bar this spring called Show of Hands, Farrell is first pouring his heart and soul into the spirits and cocktail items offered at Neighborhood Provisions.
Robert Curtis
Executive Chef
Hazel
Robert Curtis brings over 10 years of experience to his post as Hazel’s Executive Chef, including his most recent apprenticeship at the world-renowned Noma in Copenhagen. After graduating from Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, NC, Curtis cut his teeth at Brabo and Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, followed by a three-year tenure as sous chef at Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak in Georgetown. While at Bourbon Steak, the Mina Group tapped Curtis to join the team at the now-closed RN74 in San Francisco. Before returning to the East Coast, Curtis spent time traveling through Turkey, which ultimately inspired much of the menu development and culinary direction for Hazel when he took the helm in 2018.
Jarrad Silver
Executive Chef
Birch & Barley/ChurchKey
By the age of 15, Jarrad was washing dishes at Pie-tanza in Arlington, VA, where he spent nights and weekends in between attending high school and tennis practice. He spent the next six years working nearly every position at the neighborhood pizza spot – from prep cook to pizza cook, busser to general manager. After seven years working for Isabella Concepts, Silver joined Neighborhood Restaurant Group in 2018, taking the helm of its seminal Logan Circle food and beer destinations, Birch & Barley and ChurchKey. Silver’s Modern American menu draws on culinary influences from around the globe, while artfully incorporating locally and regionally-sourced products when possible.
Nazia Khan
Director of Coffee & Counter Service
Neighborhood Restaurant Group
Inspired to learn about coffee after a particularly life-changing latte, Nazia Khan sought out a weekend job at a newly opened coffee shop, The Wydown, while working at a bipartisan DC think tank, the Atlantic Council. As a barista, Nazia quickly delved into the chemistry of coffee extraction and the diversity of single-origin beans, realizing that working with roasters around the world complemented her background in international affairs. She left her policy job in 2016 to help open The Wydown’s second shop on H Street, serving as General Manager for both locations. In 2019, Nazia was tapped by Neighborhood Restaurant Group to helm the coffee programs at its 20 D.C.-area properties.
Allie Cheppa
Executive Pastry Chef
Buzz Bakeshop
Allie Cheppa leads the charge at Buzz Bakeshop, a beloved neighborhood bakery where she and her team offer a myriad of sweets, pastries, cakes and so much more. Allie first joined Neighborhood Restaurant Group as Pastry Sous Chef at Buzz Bakeshop in spring 2018, and was promoted to Executive Pastry Chef just months later. Before that, she spent three years at RareSweets Bake Shop, and boasts over 10 years of experience working in local bakeries across DC and Virginia. At Neighborhood Provisions, she heads up all things sweet, including everything from ‘take and bake’ items like chocolate chip slice & bake cookies and pancake mix, to scratch-made pies, cupcakes, and more. Allie’s work has been featured in Washingtonian, The Washington Post and Northern Virginia Magazine.