Greg Sharpe, CEC

It’s not often that a chef is credited for assisting with international peace talks but Executive Chef Gregory Sharpe is an extraordinary exception. Since
his arrival to Finn & Porter in 2006, Chef Sharpe has conveyed his culinary excellence to the hotel’s restaurants and banquets with innovative menus and foodservice.

Baltimore native Chef Greg began his training at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. His experience includes positions at the Chestnut Ridge Country Club in Baltimore and Loews Hotels in Annapolis. Chef Sharpe joined Marriott about ten years ago as Executive Chef at Marriott’s Wye Conference Center and moving to other positions in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area including the Key Bridge Marriott the very first Marriott hotel and the Crystal Gateway Marriott adjacent to National Airport among other properties. Additionally he held positions besides Executive Chef such as Director of Restaurants.

It was during his tenure at the Wye Conference Center that Chef Sharpe had the honor of overseeing the food production and presentation for the 1998 International Peace Talks between the United States, Palestine and Israel. The State Department gave Chef Greg and his team a mere two days notice to plan and prepare for what developed into an event of massive scale both in terms of its culinary and political significance. During the talks, Chef Sharpe and his team prepared more than 2000 meals a day for nine consecutive days. All of the meals had to be representative of all three countries and respect the dietary requirements. To add further pressure, Chef Sharpe and his team plated all meals at the (business end:) of an Ouzi machine gun held by an individual who pre-tasted every dish. At the conclusion of the Peace Talks, President Clinton wrote a personal letter to Chef Sharpe thanking him for all of his efforts, which (made a difficult situation during the Peace Talks go much more smoothly.)

Chef Sharpe continually strives to stay active within the industry through a variety of top culinary competitions. His many achievements include, (First Place) at the 1998 Annual Salon of Culinary Federation Events, (1999 Chef of the Year) by the Chesapeake’s Chef Association and (1999 People’s Choice Award) at the Mid Atlantic Wine Festival. Recently, he has begun to compete again with a team of local chefs. They have traveled together to Cleveland, OH, Glen Burnie and Baltimore, MD and plan to travel more in the coming years. He has had the pleasure to bring home several gold medals along with a few silver and a couple of bronze medals in 2006. He also continues to develop and sharpen his skills through travel to Italy and several trips to California wine country to further his wine expertise.

In 2003, Chef Greg Sharpe, Mie N Yu’s culinary mastermind, teamed with Executive Chef Tim Elliott, to enhance Washington’s (Feast For the Senses) with a newly evolved menu at the most innovative new restaurant in the Nation’s Capital. The menu continues to feature, la carte proteins and a wide variety of (sensible) side dishes for the table to share. New twists on Mie N Yu’s most popular dishes include the Five Spice Ahi Tuna Steak, Korean Barbecued Short Ribs, Wasabi Crusted King Salmon, Thai Marinated Filet Mignon and Pistachio Crusted Pork Loin. Many of Mie N Yu’s original side dishes will remain on the menu including the acclaimed Edamame Succotash, Grilled Chinese Eggplant and Kimchee, Peruvian Mashed Potatoes and Thai Fried Rice.

Immediately before taking over the helm at Finn & Porter, Chef Greg was the Executive Chef at the Washington Convention Center. While there he was involved in the second Inauguration for President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney as well as many other high profile events attended by world leaders, congressional members, industry innovators, and much more. He was integral in center’s refocus on culinary and service excellence.

When not showing his culinary skills, Chef Sharpe is an active member of his community. His many activities include Chairperson for the inaugural year of the Cystic Fibrosis Virginia Chapter, participant in the Chesapeake Chef’s Association, which raised more than -2.4 million for Cystic Fibrosis. He was also an organizer of the Annapolis and Baltimore (Dine Arounds) benefiting a variety of local charities. Chef Sharpe is a regular participant in the local MS bike ride and AIDS Bike Ride. In 2006 he organized the Nation’s Capital Chef 's Association’s Golf Tournament, reviving an annual event and establishing a strong foundation for the tournament to be around for many years to come.

Chef Sharpe shares his expertise with his colleagues as a sponsor of American Culinary Chef apprentices and as an instructor at the Anne Arundel Community College in Culinary Arts.