Ellen Kassoff, Co-Owner & Founder

Ellen Kassoff, a D.C. native, earned her economics degree from the University of Maryland and furthered her studies at the University of London. After diverse experiences working on a kibbutz and a scuba diving boat in Israel, she returned to the U.S. and joined Sysco Food Service, the nation's largest food purveyor. It was during her tenure at Sysco, she made a productive sales call to a young cook named Todd Gray, who she has been married to since 1995.

Ellen is a trailblazer in D.C.'s influential food community, recognized with numerous awards such as Manager of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR), Golden Fork Award for Front-of-the-House Excellence, and the Washington Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business honor. She was also a finalist for LDE's Women Who Inspire Award in 2023. In 2013, she and Chef Todd co-authored their first book, The New Jewish Table. Ellen has published various food and wine articles and a travel guide for Virginia wineries.

In addition to her culinary achievements, Ellen is a passionate animal welfare advocate. She founded the Washington Humane Society's Sugar & Champagne Gala, raising over $1 million over twelve years. Her leadership extends to several boards, including the Washington Jewish Community Center, Les Dames d'Escoffier, and The Washington Humane Society. Ellen also actively supports and organizes fundraising for charities like Chefs for Equality, PETA, and Rock Creek Conservancy. She has been a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier International since 2003.

Currently, Ellen serves as the spiritual director, business manager, and front-of-house facilitator for the couple's hospitality ventures, Half Moon & Totally Fried Hospitality.