Marcel's

About Marcel's

When you spend countless hours of your days-off in a freezing cold duck blind, or stalking deer, or waiting for fish to bite, you gain a whole new appreciation of the animal you're attempting to kill. That time and effort [and let's admit it: a certain amount of discomfort] makes you respect it more. You have a deeper investment in its fate. And you have a responsibility for what it becomes. It's a responsibility chef Robert Wiedmaier takes very seriously.

He practices classic, whole animal butchery. "If you're going to kill a rabbit, don't strip out its loins and toss the rest. Use all of it!" roars the robust, 6', goatee-d, Harley-riding chef. This attitude applies equally to rabbits as to the 30 Randall Lineback calves that are reared for him annually at Chapel Hill Farm out in Berryville, Virginia, and to the thousands of fish delivered fresh and intact to his restaurants in downtown and suburban Washington.