It wasn't enough for Bo Palker, as a teenager growing up in Vermont, to work in one kitchen. The executive chef of Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro, studying culinary arts at a vocational school, took a job in two Burlington eateries.

He'd grown up baking cakes and pastries at home, enjoying "dabbling at the stove," he says. He would have continued with baking at the Culinary Institute of America, except that someone pointed out that in general executive chefs weren't plucked from such a specialist field and needed a broader based background.

His training led to jobs in states from Vermont all the way to Florida. But he has a special affection for the cuisine of the South West with its flatbreads and spices, which he met when he was picked to help open the restaurant of a Hyatt Resort hotel on a Native American Indian reservation in New Mexico. "I gotta tell you, I'm from the East Coast. I never really knew how to make chili till I went down there and learned working with people who really knew how to do it."

He likes food with punch. Cooking in Miami before his stint in New Mexico he learned dishes from all over the world from chefs whose own cuisines they came from. "I worked with a lot of different cultures in Miami. A lot of guys worked cruise ships and got really tired so they jumped ship." He learned how to make curry "the real way" from an Indian chef, he says.

Although Palker grew up in Vermont, he was born in Virginia, so is glad to be back in the area. He should fit in well. After all, he'scooked for three presidents - both Bushes and for President Clinton. But what excites him is the local culinary scene. "There are a lot of creative guys here and nice restaurants. Everybody has great ideas." He's particularly pleased by the interest his diners are taking in wine. "More and more people are thinking about pairing their wines with the food. They're buying by the glass to try more." And he's planting a herb garden on Vinefera's patio and making connections with local producers and purveyors.

He arrived in the capital after seven years with his family in New Jersey where he was chef at the Westin Princeton. The only downside to his move is that he only manages to get back home once a month. He's had to leave his family there because two sons of 14 and 15 (he has another of 20) are settled in school.

"I gave them my chefs' jackets from my old job with the logo on them. They'll slip them on and go into the kitchen and cook," he says with pride.

Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro is located at 11750 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston,
703 234 3550.

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