Growing up in Frederick and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, celebrity chefs Bryan Voltaggio and Michael Voltaggio — known together as the Voltaggio brothers — first got their start in the food industry at a Holiday Inn.
In an interview with WTOP, Bryan joked that the hotel, which has changed names since, was “the premier hotel in Frederick, Maryland, at the time.” It was the first kitchen he and brother Michael shared. Soon, the siblings are set to join together once again on another hotel restaurant venture.
Earlier this year, The Washington Post reported that the brothers plan on opening a restaurant, called Wye Oak Tavern, in the nearly 170-year-old Visitation Academy in downtown Frederick, Maryland.
The former convent and Catholic boarding school for girls is currently being redeveloped by developer Jim O’Hare into three new condominium buildings, plus a boutique hotel affiliated with Marriott.
In an interview with the chefs, WTOP learned Wye Oak Tavern’s opening is planned for this fall.
While Bryan wasn’t able to provide information on the menu or other details, he said the brothers are excited to eventually open the doors to the public, “It’s a bigger venue. It’s a bigger opportunity.”
WTOP met with Bryan and Michael in their 8-year-old restaurant, known as the Voltaggio Brothers Steak House, located at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The restaurant represents “the home we always wanted to grow up in,” according to Michael, as well as the brothers’ first business partnership.
Since the restaurant’s opening in 2016, the brothers have partnered on STRFSH in Los Angeles and Estuary in CityCenterDC’s luxury Conrad Washington, D.C. hotel. However, STRFSH has since closed, and the Voltaggio brothers parted ways with Estuary in 2022.
According to Eater DC, the brothers are also partners with Live Nation and have 47 locations of Volt Burger nationwide, including one at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia.
The pair first gained fame in the sixth season of the competition TV show, “Top Chef,” which originally aired in 2009. That season, Michael won against his brother, Bryan, who was a runner-up.
When it comes to what to expect next from the brothers, the refreshed menu for the Voltaggio Brothers Steak House includes what Michael describes as “an ellipses to every single thing.”
“It’s traditional steakhouse fare, but every single thing on the menu comes with its own surprise,” Michael said.
Some of the twists that can now be found on the menu include the blue crab pop tart dish, which has a crab cake inside a buttery pastry crust and paired with Louis sauce and Old Bay seasoning, plus the Voltaggi O’s, which is a pasta dish formed in the shape of o’s, with chicken parmesan meatballs and an arrabbiata sauce.
Bryan told WTOP he’s proud of the region and what can be found.
“It’s a very interesting food scene,” Bryan said. “It’s probably one of the best in the country right now … I’ve seen it evolve over the last, more than, 20 years and it’s just been nothing but incredible to be a part of.”
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