A Quarter Century Later, Equinox Unpacks the Secrets to Its Longevity

Chef Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff are partners in the truest sense of the word. For nearly three decades, the duo have called one another husband and wife. And for the past 25 years, they’ve doubled as co-owners and operators of D.C.’s American fine dining darling Equinox.

First opened in 1999 across from the White House, Equinox has seen (and fed) five presidential administrations, lived through a fire, shifted business models through the pandemic, and entered its 25th year with a bigger downtown address and name: Equinox on 19th (900 19th Street NW).

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“It’s incredibly hard to run a business — just ask any of the many local businesses that have had to close in recent months,” Kassoff tells Eater. That includes chef Robert Wiedmaier’s European stalwart Marcel’s, which served its last dish in May just after celebrating its own quarter-century milestone.

Gray and Kassoff opened the restaurant just four years after tying the knot, and welcomed their son almost immediately after serving the first plates. “Our son really grew up in Equinox, and having a baby in the restaurant really solidified us as a family-run establishment,” says Kassoff.

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And after 25 years, some diehard regulars have dined at Equinox thousands of times. “We can see on OpenTable that some of our loyal patrons have been dining with us two to three times a week for decades,” says Gray. “That’s really special to us.”

Equinox is long known for its regional, super-seasonal cuisine that speaks to mid-Atlantic culinary traditions and Gray’s education at the University of Richmond and the Culinary Institute of America.

“When we started Equinox, we were raising our own cattle in Virginia so that we could control exactly how much corn they were eating; I was going down to handpick soft shell crabs in the Lower Chesapeake,” Gray noted.

The menu remains reliant on what’s available at the local farmers market or what its producers are growing.

Equinox on 19th

“Just the other day, we found these beautiful mushrooms at the market — we knew we had to change our menu once we brought them home,” he says.

Those late spring chanterelle and trumpet mushrooms landed in a Wellington dish alongside celery root puree, wilted spinach, and cabernet wine jus. A creamy asparagus and pickled ramp soup was recently swapped out for a vibrantly hued yellow tomato and golden pineapple gazpacho. And while there’s plenty of proteins to choose from, like slow-cooked Amish chicken and hanger steak, Equinox remains a go-to spot for vegetarians.

“In 2003, we put together one of the first indoor farmers markets with Farm Aid,” says Kassoff. “At the time, it was such a novel concept to have this market taking place inside a restaurant.”

Today, while you won’t find an indoor farmer’s market at the restaurant, Equinox is known for its longstanding “plant-based” Sunday brunch. The family-style meal ($46 per person) includes freshly baked focaccia with a rhubarb-citrus marmalade, homemade spinach fusilli, and vanilla-strawberry griddle cakes.

Equinox on 19th

Of course, being around 25 years comes with its challenges. On December 19, 2009, a raging fire destroyed much of the restaurant, resulting in a six-month shuttering of the space. But rather than throwing in the proverbial towel, the couple took the fire as an opportunity to rebuild and rethink its tasting menu model.

“That’s what all the big chefs like Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud were doing at the time,” says Gray. “But afterward, we wanted to go back to being a la carte and taking a more modernized, approachable spin.”

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Equinox went on to write itself into American history. Gray was the first chef to be invited to speak at the White House for the Chefs Move To Schools campaign by then-First Lady Michelle Obama. “Our involvement in that campaign was a big part of our second 10 years, and really allowed us to build on our vision of serving food inspired by local ingredients,” said Kassoff.

Another decade later, and that vision has remained steady. “We’re still evolving and learning new techniques,” said Gray. That includes getting into cryoconcentration, which creates hyper-concentrated flavors by removing water after the liquid is frozen. And an expanded bar area at its new location carves out room for a new a la carte lineup featuring more happy hour bites and sips.

The couple credits Equinox’s staying power to maintaining a genuine love for the industry.

“I’m as passionate now about cooking as I was in May of 1999; maybe even more so because I’m a little older and a little smarter than I was back then,” says Gray.

Equinox on 19th