Nora Pouillon

NORA POUILLON was born in Vienna and moved to the United States in the late 1960s. Shocked by the highly processed, preservative-laden foods Americans were eating, she embarked on a crusade to promote a healthier lifestyle, and developed an extensive network of organic and natural farmers in Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. She opened Restaurant Nora in 1979 with her partners, brothers Thomas and Steven Damato, and worked with local farmers to supply seasonal organic produce. After years of careful sourcing, in 1999 Restaurant Nora became the first certified organic restaurant in the United States. Nora also initiated Washington, D.C.’s first producer-only farmers’ market, FRESHFARM Markets, and she is the recipient of numerous awards, including the first Genesis Award from Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. An IACP Cookbook Awards finalist, Nora is a tireless advocate for nutritionally wholesome food and a sustainable, health-focused lifestyle based on the premise that you are what you eat, drink, and breathe.