Ed Witt
Chef Ed Witt brings his renegade style and attitude to 8407 Kitchen Bar, creating adventurous contemporary meals that delight our friends and support local family farmers.
A proud childhood survivor of frozen vegetables and crock-pot dinners, Chef Witt has dedicated his career to honoring the vital culinary, social, and economic relationships between exemplary restaurants and nearby agricultural partners. The centerpiece of Chef Witt’s meticulous attention to detail is his commitment to sourcing ingredients based on a thorough knowledge of the provenance and methods by which his meat, fish, poultry, and produce are brought to market.
Witt graduated from Damascus High School and attended the University of Maryland before learning his trade at the Culinary Institute of America. His externship led him to San Francisco’s Rubicom, followed by a personal invitation to join Chef Tracy Des Jardin in her kitchen at Jardinière. A move to mc² in San Francisco followed before Witt relocated to New York for the reopening of Restaurant Daniel. Chef de cuisine at Nicole’s on the Upper East Side was his next assignment, working with leading upstate farmers to provide much of the restaurant’s ingredients.
In 2002, Brooklyn’s venerable River Café recruited him to be their sous chef, and by 2004, he was named executive chef at Il Buco. Witt returned to Washington in 2010 as executive chef of Morso in Georgetown and then was tapped by Ashok Bajaj to be the new executive chef at 701 Restaurant. Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post’s food critic praised Witt’s cuisine with ** ½ stars (out of four) in November 2010. In 2012, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington awarded him the RAMMY Award for “Rising Culinary Star.”
Rita Garruba
Rita Garruba began working at an early age in small neighborhood bakeries and pastry shops in and around her hometown in New Jersey. Under the tutelage of her European mentors, Rita became fascinated with the science of baking, the beauty of perfectly decorated cakes and pastries and the unmistakable aroma of pure chocolate. Gaining invaluable experience at all levels, and in-depth knowledge from each new pastry environment, Rita decided to pursue her craft at a higher level. After graduating from college she moved to New York City and attended the restaurant management program at New York City Technical College, the Peter Kump cooking School and later L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda MD.
Since moving to Washington DC, Rita has directed numerous pastry departments including: Farrah Olivia by Morou, Butterfield 9, Vidalia, Marvelous Market, Restaurant Nora, Morrison Clark Inn, Chanterelle Caterers, Four Ways Restaurant, City Club of Washington and Leathercoat Restaurant in The Plains, Virginia. Rita has also developed her own company, Garruba Dolci, which specializes in handmade Italian desserts, including Chocolate Truffles, Panforte and Biscotti.
Rita’s repertoire successfully combines classic desserts with innovative interpretations, a disciplined approach to technique, and simple plate presentations with the unwavering mantra “it’s all about taste”. To that end, Rita is excited to be working with Ed Witt and the 8407 team with local farmers and artisan producers in an effort to source and showcase the freshest local ingredients on her seasonal dessert menus.
Rita has been recognized in Chocolatier Magazine, Art Culinaire, The Washington Post and numerous other print media. She was nominated for Pastry Chef of the Year 3 times by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (Rammys).
Nancy Hart
Before becoming 8407's General Manager | Managing Partner, Nancy Hart was active locally as Consulting Manager at Nicaro in Silver Spring, General Manger of the Yin Yankee Cafe in Annapolis and Culinary Director at Red Rock Canyon Grill.
Nancy began her career as a chef and consultant in some of New York's most well-known and innovative kitchens such as Café Dom, Matthew's and Restaurant Associates. Nancy's passion for food and excellence led her to become the General Manager of City Bakery's flagship 18st location in New York where she developed the off premise catering and special events department while she coordinated the expansion for Maury Rubin, transitioning from a 1,200 square to 4,500 square foot retail store.
Expanding her skills into management as the Director of Operations for Chow Down, Nancy worked on such exciting and diverse New York venues as Xing, Modern Chinese cuisine; Therapy,lounge and dining; Reunion Coffee and Tea, coffee bar; Vynl, American and Asian inspired upscale diner and Hell’s Kitchen, progressive Mexican cuisine.
As Chef and Operations/Special Project's Manager for The Vinegar Factory, a landmark integrated gourmet market of the Upper East Side, Nancy was responsible for the vision and implementation behind many of Eli Zabar's highly successful projects as well managing both catering and wholesale projects.
