From our friends at Park Hyatt Washington...
Park Hyatt Washington General Manager Andrew Davidson is pleased to announce the appointments of Franck Loquet as executive chef and David Collier as the pastry chef of Park Hyatt Washington, the 216-room luxury hotel with its landmark restaurant Blue Duck Tavern. Additionally, Brad Deboy, who has served as chef de cuisine at Blue Duck Tavern since September 2014, will lead all culinary activity in the restaurant. The new team brings exceptional talent to their positions having gained valued experience working under renowned chefs as Alain Ducasse in Paris, France; John Tesar, two-time James Beard semifinalist; and Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett.
A native of France, Franck Loquet joins Park Hyatt Washington after serving as the executive chef for the Hotel Sofitel Lafayette Square since June 2011. He relocated to the United States from Paris, where he worked for Alain Ducasse from 2008 to 2011. While there, he provided culinary training for professional chefs and focused on menu consultation, recipe development and testing for Alain Ducasse Enterprise. Loquet also contributed to the opening of Ducasse’s first school for amateur cooks, Ecole de Cuisine Alain Ducasse, in Paris, France, leading individual and group classes as well as corporate events. Loquet also worked under James Beard award-winning Executive Chef Adam Siegel at the 180-seat Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and served as the executive sous chef for Calihan Catering of Chicago. His culinary experience includes working at multiple one and two-star Michelin restaurants throughout Europe including Ze Kitchen Galerie in Paris, cooking with William Ledeuil, winner of the "Chef of the Year 2010" by the Gault Millau guide; Midsummer House Restaurant in Cambridge, England under Chef Daniel Clifford; and at Inverlochy Castle in Fort William, Scotland, among several other exceptional restaurants.
David Collier is returning to Washington, D.C. to join Park Hyatt Washington after serving as the corporate pastry chef for Knife Modern Steak & Oak in Dallas, Texas, a position he held since February 2014, working with “Top Chef” contestant John Tesar. Knife was named one of the “Top 50 New Restaurants in the World” by Conde Nast Traveler and Esquire magazine. Prior to this appointment, Collier served for approximately two years as the pastry chef for Spoon Bar & Kitchen in Dallas, which was named among the “Top 50 New Restaurants in the World” by Conde Nast Traveler and “Top Three in America” by Bon Appetit.
His career also includes serving as the executive pastry chef for three years at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas, working with Michelin-starred Executive Chef Bruno Davaillon. Collier also worked under the National Pastry Gold Medal winner Laurent Lhuillier at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner. From 2003 to 2007, he served as the pastry chef and then corporate pastry chef for Kinkead’s Colvin Run Tavern and Kinkead’s American Brasserie. An Academie D ’Cuisine graduate, Collier is a James Beard semifinalist for National Pastry Chef of the Year in 2009. He has appeared on the NBC Today Show, and presented dessert multiple times at the James Beard House in New York. His creations have been featured in Dessert Professional Magazine and in Pastry Art & Design.
Brad Deboy has worked at Blue Duck Tavern since March 2013. He began serving as lead line cook before being promoted to sous chef. In September 2014, he was promoted to chef de cuisine of the award-winning restaurant. Prior to joining Blue Duck Tavern, from July 2010 to March 2013, Deboy worked as a sous chef at the award-winning Vidalia restaurant in Washington, D.C. Before moving to the nation’s capital, Chef Deboy worked at Cielo in Boca Raton, Florida under awarded Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett, a Gordon Ramsey protégé.
About Park Hyatt Washington:
Park Hyatt Washington combines dynamic modernism with classic American style. Located in the fashionable West End Georgetown neighborhood, near Embassy Row and the Smithsonian Museums, Park Hyatt Washington affords guests convenient access to shopping, dining, and cultural attractions of the nation’s capital. With 216 guest rooms and suites, a Tea Cellar offering rare and vintage tea selections, and an intimate Spa Room, Park Hyatt Washington provides a truly unique experience. The hotel is home to the award-winning restaurant, Blue Duck Tavern, an elegant neighborhood tavern offering menu selections focusing on the freshest ingredients available from regional purveyors. Park Hyatt Washington offers flexible meeting and event space, The Gallery, with seasonal catering by Executive Chef Franck Loquet. To make a reservation for Park Hyatt Washington in the U.S. or Canada, please call +1 (800) 778-7477 or visit www.parkhyattwashington.com.
About Blue Duck Tavern:
Located in the Park Hyatt Washington, at the corner of 24 and M Streets, NW, the dining room of Blue Duck Tavern is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily - breakfast from 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM; lunch from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM; dinner from 5:30 PM to 10:30PM on Sunday-Thursday and 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM on Friday-Saturday; and Saturday and Sunday brunch from 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM. The restaurant has seasonal outdoor seating for 45 guests, a semi-private dining room for up to 12 guests, and a Chef’s Table situated adjacent to the open kitchen seats up to 20 guests. Reservations for Blue Duck Tavern may be made by calling +1 (202) 419-6755 or by visiting www.blueducktavern.com.
