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. In addition, Sebastian is responsible for the creation of Proof’s inventive cocktail list, which offers patrons unique infusions and playful concoctions. 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.

Ben Turkus, a native of Washington, DC, is the bar manager and Fromager at Proof, a position that pairs well with his diverse food and wine experience. After graduating with a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in history and minored in film studies, Ben began work at BlackSalt, one of Washington’s premier seafood restaurants. Starting out as a server, Ben set his sights on a profession in the wine industry, and traveled to Napa Valley, California, to complete the Professional World of Wine course through the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

Within his first year at BlackSalt, Ben was promoted to bartender. He continued to hone his wine education, first at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in Arlington, Virginia, where he passed with merit the intermediate course in wine, and then again at the CIA, enrolling in intensive courses covering the wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone Valley.

In 2006, Ben was promoted once again at BlackSalt, this time to Assistant Manager and Wine Director, a position he held for a year until joining the management team at Proof. Before assuming his new position, Ben took a month to travel through the wine country in France, visiting vineyards and cheese makers in the Burgundy and Rhone Valley regions.

In his new position at Proof, Ben is responsible for the restaurant’s dynamic artisanal cheese selection, which changes on a daily basis. In addition, Ben works with Sebastian Zutant, Proof’s wine director, to implement the restaurant’s extensive beverage program, which includes more than 40 wines by the glass, over 1,000 different wine offerings, an imaginative cocktail list and a selection of hand-crafted boutique beers.

Karen, a native of Smithtown, New York, began her career in the restaurant industry at an early age when she took a job as a hostess in a neighborhood restaurant.  While there, she worked her way through virtually every position in both the front and back of the house.  When her General Manager left to take a position as a Food and Beverage Director for a large group of restaurants Nassau County, New York, he asked Karen to join him with him as a manager for the Boardwalk Restaurant.

After graduating from SUNY at Stony Brook, Karen relocated to Washington, DC. There, she continued to further her restaurant experience by working as a  manager at John Harvard’s Brew House for 2 years and as  General Manager of a busy downtown Potbelly's for 3 years.  Wishing to return to fine dining management,  in the fall of 2006  Karen joined the opening team of the DC outpost of BLT Steak as their Office Manager.

In November 2007, Karen joined the team at Proof as the Director of Operations, applying all the knowledge and experience she had gathered in her 10 years in restaurant management.  In this role, Karen is responsible for coordinating all front and back of the house administrative functions as well as all large party events and buyouts.

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.