Our Team

Haidar Karoum is the Executive Chef of Proof, the 120-seat wine-centric restaurant, featuring modern American cuisine. A Washington, DC native, Chef Karoum traveled extensively throughout Europe with his family, becoming familiar with different foods and cultures at a young age. He was captivated by the culinary world, finding inspiration not only in noteworthy gastronomy havens, such as Harrod’s food hall, but also at home. His Lebanese father, an excellent cook, instilled in him a love for Mediterranean flavors which, in turn, has influenced Chef Karoum’s menu at Proof.

Chef Karoum attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), completing an extended externship at Michel Richard Citronelle before graduating in 1995 with his associate’s degree in culinary arts. After serving as a line cook at Gerard’s Place, Chef Karoum returned to the CIA pursue his bachelor’s degree in culinary management.

In 1998, Chef Karoum joined Restaurant Nora as Sous Chef for restaurateur Nora Poullion. Poullion’s dedication to local and organic produce greatly influenced Chef Karoum’s cooking. He developed strong personal relationships with farmer suppliers, most notably Path Valley Growers, a collective of Amish farmers located in South Central Pennsylvania dedicated to sustainable agriculture, and Tuscarora Organic Growers, a cooperative that manages 30 acres of organic grounds in Pennsylvania for fruits and vegetables.

After a two-year stint at Restaurant Nora, including a promotion to Chef de Cuisine, Chef Karoum was asked to head the kitchen at sister restaurant, Asia Nora. As Executive Chef, Chef Karoum immersed himself in Eastern flavor profiles, learning to meld Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and Japanese influences into his seasonal, organic menu. He also developed significant seafood supplier relationships, working with Jim Chambers of Prime Seafood, with whom Chef Karoum bonded over their shared interest in fishing, and Nancy Hill of Morningstar Seafood, who supplied Chef Karoum with day boat scallops and fresh Peekytoe crab meat that she purchased directly off the docks in Stonington, Maine.

In January 2007, Chef Karoum left Asia Nora to become Executive Chef of Proof, bringing with him the passion for locally grown and organically raised produce that he has developed throughout his career. Chef Karoum’s menu at Proof features clean, balanced cuisine that draws upon  fresh, seasonal ingredients  and Mediterranean and Asian influences to compliment the restaurant’s 1,000+ bottle wine list.

Born in Summerville, NJ, Michael James has been in the restaurant business since he was 15. His interest in fine food and wine took shape in his early 20s when Michael worked as a server at the upscale Barone’s Restaurant in Chambersburg, and later at Chianti’s in Trenton. During this time, owner Frank Chiantese took Michael under his wing, teaching him about the restaurant business and the importance of customer service.

In 1996, Michael moved to Washington, D.C. and began a close relationship with Fabrizio and Ingrid Aielli. Michael served as a waiter at their first restaurant, Goldoni, where his exceptional work led the Aiellis to select him as the opening bar manager of their next restaurant, Osteria Goldoni in 1999. Michael spent that summer touring southern Italy, immersing himself in the food, wine and culture in preparation for his new post.

During his two-year stint at Osteria, Michael was promoted to maitre d’ and continued to hone his base of wine knowledge. In 2001, The Aielli asked Michael to help open Teatro Goldoni and serve as its general manager. Over the next five years, Michael became known throughout DC for his outstanding customer service and restaurant management.

In 2007, Michael joined the team at Proof as general manager and maitre d’. At his new venture, Michael is responsible for all front-of-the-house activities, and continues the tradition of fine service for which he has become known.

Sebastian Zutant realized his calling was in the food and beverage industry at an early age. Raised in Olney, Maryland, in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Zutant dabbled in the restaurant industry, making pizzas and pastas at a neighborhood Italian eatery, before attending the College of Charleston in South Carolina. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in photography in 2000, Sebastian returned to DC and worked as a server and manager at Chef Geoff’s.

After a stint as food and beverage director at the DC branch of the Sports Club LA, Sebastian continued to hone his hospitality skills at Nectar, a fine-dining restaurant known for its eclectic wine list and progressive American cuisine. It was during his tenure as a waiter at Nectar that Sebastian chose to concentrate his career on wine.

In November 2003, Sebastian joined chef Johnny Monis to open the highly acclaimed Komi. During their second month, Sebastian was put in charge of Komi’s international wine list, selecting bottles to complement the wide array of Mediterranean flavors found on Chef Monis’ menu.

In December 2005, at 28 years of age, Sebastian was tapped to serve as sommelier of Rasika, the modern Indian refuge in DC’s Penn Quarter. At Rasika, Sebastian developed a distinctive wine and beverage program meant to pair with both sweet and spice; the cocktails he developed featured premium ingredients and creative touches, while his wine list focused on unusually hearty choices. For his forward thinking and unique wine list selections, Sebastian was nominated for the StarChefs’ Rising Star Sommelier Award.

Prior to joining the team at Proof, Sebastian spent three months in California working at Deloach Vineyards under Greg Laffollet to learn the ins and outs of wine making: working the fields, grape tasting, production and bottle blending. His work in making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Russian River Valley continues to inspire him in his wine selections for Proof’s clean, balanced cuisine.

Prior to Proof’s opening, Sebastian successfully passed the intermediate level exam administered by the Court of Master Sommeliers and became a Certified Sommelier. He plans to pursue advanced certification in 2008.

As the Wine Director at Proof, Sebastian tasted his way through over 3,000 wines in order to develop a list of  over 1,000 selections for the restaurant. He also coordinates wine and beverage education and training for all front-of-the-house staff, including daily staff wine tastings.

Sebastian will soon host wine forums at the restaurant and will, along with Chef Karoum, design wine and food tasting events with wine makers, vineyard owners and other wine professionals for interested guests.

Adam Bernbach’s love of mixing began at the age of 7 when he made his first egg cream. Not long after, his career in hospitality began in the resorts and restaurants of his native Cape Cod.

After moving to Washington DC when he was 16, Adam began apprenticing at a micro coffee-roastery near his high school. It was as an apprentice and later, as a roaster, that he first appreciated the importance of tasting. Moving from estate -grown coffees to illicit sips of single-malt scotch, he fell in love with well-crafted spirits, laying the foundation for an interest in mixology that would follow later.

After stints bartending at a pool hall, a jazz club, and an art-house movie theater, Adam became the Bar Manager at Cafe Saint-Ex. At Saint-Ex, Adam built an extensive whisky list and also took the opportunity to share in his employers’ interest by beginning his education in wine and beer.

In 2006, Adam became the opening Bar Manager at PS7s Restaurant. There, Adam was able to experiment with unusual ingredients and preparations in crafting an ever-changing cocktail list.

In 2007, Adam returned to the Saint-Ex family as General Manager of their sister establishment, Bar Pilar. At Pilar, Adam immersed himself in his craft working outside the box in pursuit of new and unusual formulations. As part of this process Adam created the Tuesday Cocktail Sessions, for which he gained a reputation for creative artistry."

Coming to Proof, Adam, again, has the fortune of working with respected colleagues who are already close friends. He will work closely with Executive Chef Haidar Karoum to craft drinks that mesh well with the cuisine and compliment Haidar’s strong tradition of seasonality.

Kim Burke is a DC native, and with Irish roots in Chicago and Philadelphia and Southern grandmas in North Carolina, meals have always been quite the event. Her oceanographer dad had her wielding a mallet at crabhouses and knocking back oysters by age 2; he had made fast work of creating a food geek.

In 2006 Kim received a BFA in Painting and Printmaking at VCU, which has progressed into sewn fiber sculptures and nonstop drawing. Richmond also left a lasting impression on her dining preferences, with its abundance of unique, small-staff, intimate restaurants. Bred on PBR and cheap whiskey, Kim honed her palate at two wine shops, then headed to Philly for two years to feast on hoagies. She returned to DC and work in the hospitality industry, dining out as much as she could to rediscover the city’s burgeoning restaurant scene.

Against the will of her pork-obsessed friends and her offal-loving taste buds, Kim became a vegetarian, and started seeking out restaurants that elevate vegetables to the level of fine dining. It brought her to Proof in 2010, where she knew the talented chefs respected, and could show the true potential of, all their ingredients. Proof’s management invited her to lead their events team, a perfect fit after her extensive experience organizing food, art, and music events, including with Food and Friends and the collective Bored of Trade. Kim is constantly reading menus, eating her way through vacations, visiting markets, and currently is conducting a highly scientific experiment to find the best pizza in the city. Though she plans intricate dishes when cooking for friends and family (dog included), Kim thoroughly enjoys standing and eating right from the fridge, bachelor style.

Whether it be for a large party or a special occasion, Kim would love to help enhance your dining experience at Proof. She can be reached at 202.737.7663, or at

Joe Quinn was a part of the opening waitstaff at Proof; in the summer of 2010 he became a sommelier at Proof and at sister restaurant Estadio under Wine Director Sebastian Zutant.

Joe’s interest in wine came about almost by accident. During his senior year of college, he took what was intended to be a temporary job in a specialty food, beer and wine shop. Not long after, he became the shop’s beer buyer. The owner insisted that Joe familiarize himself with the shop’s wine selection. His interest was not strong until a glass of the spectacular 1998 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape was presented to him. Like any great wine, this one told the story of a place and a time, and it was utterly captivating to Joe. He had to learn more. He took over wine buying for the shop.

In 2003, Joe left the states for a six month stay in Spain, but didn’t return for two years. While teaching English to pay the bills, he steeped himself in the food and wine culture of the country, learning how the cuisine and the wine of a place evolve in tandem and influence one another. He left Spain with a powerful appreciation for its diverse wine landscape and a strong belief that wine and food belong together on the table as partners.

Upon returning to Washington, Joe spent two years developing a high-end wine retailer’s Web business and online content. Tasting and writing about dozens of wines a week, he honed his ability to communicate, translating wine’s elusive qualities into useful vocabulary. When Proof began looking for staff in anticipation of its 2007 opening, Joe jumped at a new challenge. The restaurant environment offered an opportunity to work with wine and food together, helping guests to find that perfect wine for the dish in front of them.

The varied influences and vivid flavors of Chef Haidar Karoum’s menus at Proof and Estadio present an exciting world of opportunities for wine pairing; there is always a chance for a surprise combination. Joe loves the challenge of guiding guests to a new experience. And with the restaurants' massive array of wine offerings, there’s always a new discovery to be made.

Mark Kuller, a native of New York City, first developed his love for food from his parents. His mom, Milly, taught him the joys of comfort food – like brisket and meatloaf . Meanwhile, his dad, Sol, would take him to great lower Manhattan foodie havens like Katz’s delicatessen, Vincent’s Clam Bar, and Russ and Daughters. Sol also would smuggle Italian charcuterie into Milly’s kosher kitchen and dish it out to Mark and his brothers on the sly. Pretty soon, Mark was on the street corner hocking his yarmulke for ham. Let’s face it, when you’re kosher, pork products are like crack.

Until his mid-20s, Mark’s interest in wine was limited to Manischewitz and an occasional sangria. After graduating from UCLA Law School, Mark experimented with California cabernet and chardonnay, largely as a means of getting his girlfriend drunk. After taking a job at the Treasury Department, he became friends with Bill McKee, who would become his mentor in tax law and in wine. One evening, Mark discovered a treasure trove of old Bordeaux in a DC liquor store. Upon learning of this cache from Mark, Bill promptly bought all of it. Bill opened a bottle of 1966 Latour to reward Mark and a passion was born. That passion grew, along with Mark’s cellar, as he started smuggling bottles into his home in much the same way Sol would smuggle prosciutto into Milly’s kitchen.

As a lawyer with a diverse international client base, Mark had the opportunity to visit the world’s great cities, where he made it his business to seek out the finest restaurants and wine shops. Before long, the fantasy of opening a wine-centric restaurant in Washington, DC took hold. After years of distractions and detours, that fantasy became a reality with the opening of Proof. Calling on a “dream team” of local restaurant professionals, Mark is committed to making Proof a world class dining and wine destination. His next goal is to make sure that none of the 7,000 bottles that reside in his private cellar are left for his two beautiful children, Max and Candace.

©2012 Proof
775 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
202.737.7663

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