Our Team
Colin McClimans
Co-Owner / Executive Chef
May’s Dad
Native Washingtonian Colin McClimans began what would be his future vocation at a tender age working the family’s stove with his father, an excellent home cook. He became interested not only in the food, but in restaurants—how they worked, the camaraderie of the kitchen and the team effort. While visiting his grandparents in Ohio each summer, he began working at 14 years old in the kitchen of a local eatery in the evening, and a career was born.
The former college lacrosse champion has worked in large kitchens all over the country, but it was the call back home to his favorite city, Washington, DC, where he really started to make his mark on the food scene. He served as Chef de Cuisine of Equinox Restaurant for over 6 years. There he helped owner Chef Todd Gray open multiple large projects including Salamander Resort, Manna, Milk + Honey, and a dedicated restaurant in the Museum of the Bible. Colin was named Zagat’s 30 under 30 in 2015 for his work in the industry.
Danilo Simic
Co-Owner / Restaurateur
Danilo was born in Serbia where he graduated from the University of Belgrade. He majored in field accounting and finance management. This specific focus has helped him successfully run five restaurants in the DMV area. Danilo was part of the well-known restaurant group called Street Guys Hospitality Group which includes Ambar Restaurant, Baba Cocktail Bar, TTT Restaurant and Buena Vida. Prior to that, he worked for Equinox Restaurant, where he met McClimans, and Ping by Charlie Chiang as lead Bartender.
Throughout his many years in restaurants, Danilo has truly learned what passion for hospitality means and what it takes to transform a restaurant into a successful business.
Danilo has had great success as a Mixologist, including awards for “best cocktail in Arlington VA” two years in a row. Additionally, he is the recipient of the award for “10 best cocktails in USA” by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine. His cocktails have been featured in Washingtonian, Eater DC, Liquour.com, Bethesda Magazine and Arlington Magazine.