Family Matters
Christopher Clime, Chef de Cuisine, Ceiba

As the son of a career naval officer, Clime had a colorful childhood in northern Virginia and in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, where Clime senior was Commanding Officer at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. After their time in Ceiba, the family returned to northern Virginia, where Clime senior was once again installed at The Pentagon, and where Clime junior attended Fairfax High School. No matter where they lived, the Climes were always entertaining—their guests often high-ranking dignitaries—and for the Clime family, entertaining was always a family affair. And not one of the lessons was lost on the young Christopher, who started honing his skills in restaurant kitchens while still in high school. When he graduated at age 17, Clime headed straight for Providence, Rhode Island, and Johnson & Wales University.

Post-graduation opportunities were waiting in Charleston, South Carolina, at Blossom Café, J Bistro, and at the very exclusive five-diamond Woodlands Resort, where Clime served as chef de partie, a job he describes as “basically, a jack of all trades.” When friends opened Zebo, an upscale, white tablecloth brew pub, Clime was asked to serve as Executive Chef, a position he accepted enthusiastically. In addition to developing a menu that paired seasonal items with beer, Clime also met the challenges of large catering functions and managing a staff of 35, all of which would stand him in good stead for the future. But after rave reviews in Zebo’s first year, Christopher Clime’s future suddenly had to be put on hold; his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and he was determined to stop everything and go home.

As hard as the days and months of his mother’s illness were for Clime, he has no regrets. When he needed a distraction, he brought his application to Jeff Tunks at DC Coast, and he was immediately hired as a tournant (“basically, another jack of all trades position, a kind of substitute Sous Chef”), which suited Clime’s schedule well. He was willing to work hard while he was there, he just did not want a chef’s hours at that time in his life. After a year of constant dedication to his mother’s care, Clime was ready to take on more responsibility. His strong work ethic and proven track record secured the position of Executive Sous Chef at Tunks’ new venture, TenPenh.

Never looking back, Clime forged ahead at TenPenh, and the restaurant was a winner before it ever got out of the starting block. Praised by local and national critics—from The Washington Post to Bon Appétit—TenPenh provided a creative outlet for this young man during a very difficult time in his life. All the while, Tunks and his team were already planning the third jewel in their crown, and Clime was the logical candidate for Chef de Cuisine, an especially natural choice, given that the new restaurant will be Latin American and Caribbean in flavor. The name of the restaurant, not coincidentally, is the same as the town in Puerto Rico where the Clime family lived.

On recent trips to Mexico and Brazil to research dishes and purchase furnishings for Ceiba, Clime eagerly sampled all manner of local specialties, and he and Tunks are looking forward to bringing their interpretations of these dishes to DC diners. Clime’s particular favorites from their travels were the pompano with chile limon sauce, the snapper prepared Vera Cruz style, and the moquetas they had in Brazil. He is also excited about the freshwater lobsters planned for Ceiba’s menu. Some of Clime’s fondest culinary memories from his youth in Puerto Rico are the school lunches. Often the children were served rice and beans, a high protein dish flavored with bay leaf and cumin. They also loved the cubes of white farmer’s cheese that accompanied the meal, and the cubes of guava jelly they would have for dessert. Fried plantains in black bean sauce, a dish from the El Junque rainforest region, is also an old Clime family favorite, and no one should be surprised if these foods find their way onto the new Ceiba menu as sentimental winners. After all, for this family-oriented chef, home is where the heart is, and Clime is happily bringing a taste of his former island home back to Washington.