September 24, 2002

For Immediate Release

Contact: Heather Freeman

Jorge A. Chicas Is Appointed Head Chef At Zaytinya

Washington, D.C.—Restaurant partners Roberto Alvarez, Rob Wilder and José Andrés are pleased to announce the appointment of Jorge A. Chicas as Head Chef of their new Mediterranean inspired restaurant Zaytinya, located at 701 9^th Street, NW in historic Penn Quarter. Zaytinya officially opens October 14th, 2002 featuring small dishes or Mezze, reflecting the cuisines of Greece, Lebanon and Turkey.

Jorge Chicas was formerly Executive Chef/Partner in Capital Restaurant Concepts (CRC) of Washington, D.C. His tenure with CRC includes creative management responsibilities with several restaurants, including Georgia Brown’s, Paolo’s, Georgetown Seafood Grill and J. Paul’s. His career path also encompasses two years working with Neyla Restaurant as the Chef/Partner and Executive Chef. At Neyla he trained chefs for all three locations (Detroit, Las Vegas, and Washington, DC) after spending time working in three restaurant kitchens in Lebanon. Furthermore, his experience in the industry included his studies of Mediterranean cuisine at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The 200-seat Zaytinya has a dynamic floor plan, which incorporates a 50-seat bar, a double-tiered mezzanine, and a large outdoor dining area to seat approximately 75 people, creating a festive environment, enhanced by music indigenous to this alluring region. Chef Chicas will be responsible for the daily operations of the kitchen, working closely with Chef Andrés on the restaurant’s authentic Mediterranean menu. Guests will find dishes listed under the country of origin on the Zaytinya menu, such as Garides Saganaki Shrimp with tomato, onions, dill, Graviera cheese and Ouzo from Greece, and the Adana Kebab Skewer of ground beef and lamb served with Lavas bread, onion and parsley from Turkey.