Ed Witt
Zagat Buzz caught up with chef Ed Witt, who started his career at DC's Occidental Grill and went on to work in acclaimed kitchens in NYC and San Francisco. Witt has returned to the area to open Morso, a modern Turkish restaurant in Georgetown (3277 M St. NW) by the end of September.
Zagat Buzz: What brings you back to DC?
Ed Witt: DC is really popping now – it’s about the only place where the economy doesn’t seem to have hurt start-ups.
ZB: What can you tell us about your plans for the restaurant?
EW: It will have some 70 seats, with modern decor and a bar. There will be some 20–30 small plates on a seasonally changing menu. We’ll be using local produce and playing with ideas like serving a boned-out rouget with an eggplant purée, preserved lemons and green olives. There will be some interesting cocktails. In Turkey, they drink raki with everything… we’ll have some on our list.
ZB: Did you visit Turkey to get ideas?
EW: Yes, I just returned from Turkey, where I was eating, as well as hanging out in some kitchens.
ZB: You are known for head-to-tail cooking. Will you be doing that at Morso?
EW: I hope to – possibly as specials. I hope to source beef, lamb or possibly goats, and to put a different spin on whole animal cooking.
– Olga Boikess