Who: Chef Frederik de Pue, 37Chef/owner of Table DC and Menu MBK What I do: “I run Table DC and Menu MBK. Table is a Euro-style restaurant with seasonal dishes, and I just opened Menu MBK earlier this ...

But why exactly do chefs wear these tall hats, and where did this unique tradition originate? The answer is a fascinating blend of practicality, history, and a dash of royal influence.

For the current generation of culinary professionals, having a tattoo is almost as much a given as having impressive knife skills. “I’ve never met a chef who didn’t have . . . at least one ...