Tom Power

The Path

At Corduroy in Washington, DC, Tom Power worked as chef/owner through 2024, a position that concentrated responsibility in one place. That kind of role is less about distance from the line than about holding the line together: shaping the menu, setting the rhythm, and keeping the operation aligned with the same standards day after day. Corduroy became the place where that practice was made visible.

The Work Today

The craft signals attached to Tom Power’s 2024 chef-owner title are direct: soups, New American cooking, and farm-to-table sourcing. Together they point to a kitchen organized around seasonality, clean handling, and a style that relies on ingredient quality rather than excess dressing. The cooking reads as deliberate and structured, with emphasis on clarity of flavor and restraint in presentation.

Signature

Tom Power is a chef working in New American cuisine. That label places the work in a field broad enough to adapt, but specific enough to signal a recognizable kitchen grammar. Power’s signature sits in that balance: familiar forms, handled with enough precision to register as his own.

In Their Words “The concept is much simpler than Corduroy. The menu will be blackboard and playful. We will have pizzas, pupusas, whole roast chicken, and Jersey Shore-style hot dogs.” The quote is plainspoken about a concept built for immediate reading. Its list of dishes is the craft detail: concise, direct, and framed around accessibility rather than display. The language suggests a menu intended to be understood quickly and executed without ornament.

Acclaim

Recognition here follows the work itself: a Washington, DC restaurant, a chef-owner role held through 2024, and a stated focus on New American cuisine, soups, and farm-to-table sourcing. The reputation attached to Tom Power was built in the repetition of service, the shape of the menu, and the sustained evidence of the room over time.