Nora Pouillon
On Tuesday last week the James Beard Foundation announced Nora Pouillon as recipient of a lifetime achievement award. This honor is long overdue for someone so visionary.
Nora is worthy for many accomplishments: a pioneering female chef; a singular voice for ensuring the term “organic” meant something; the force behind farmers markets in the nation’s capital; the creator of a scholarship for women to be formally trained at the Culinary Institute of America, funded by other female chefs; author of multiple useable cookbooks, and works on food itself; a leader in movements to reduce overfishing of seafood; and at the helm for three plus decades of the first designated “Organic” restaurant in the Unites States.
I was privileged to be one of her first employees when Restaurant Nora opened its’ doors in DuPont Circle in a small place that had been a grocery, then a Yugoslavian sandwich shop, and today a world famous establishment.
In the early days it was a place for affordable lunch, dinner, and even brunch on Sundays. She worked with purveyors and Thomas, the sommelier, to introduce new wines to the palates of our customers. Nora was our teacher and coach in being better table attendants, bus persons, dishwashers, and bartenders. Each afternoon we would come in to do set up, and then we would all sit down and dine on the specials of the day. So we could recommend with truth. We learned with every meal even more about sourcing and preparation (we became true foodies). Nora’s was a haven for the neighborhood during the President’s Day Storm of 1979. We kept the doors open for three straight days as the far-flung organic farmers she supported from the start, made their way to her kitchen door in-spite of 18+ inches of snow.
Her dedication to good, whole, and clean, food transformed us all (immigrants, artists, college students, and chefs in training) into a real team, pooling tips and sharing equally with all. She taught me about the importance of creativity, belief in self, trust in others, and patience – appreciating that understanding and recognition might or might not happen, and makes no difference if you believe in your vision.
Over the last decade chefs have become celebrities, and bigger than life characters.
Nora has been mindful of keeping focused on what matters. She was one of very few women in an industry subjugated by misogyny. She altered the history of Washington DC eateries, and groceries, by believing people would come to care about the food they ate, how it was raised, prepared, and offered, if only given a chance. She has done much more; she has changed the world, one plate at a time.
