Just as the District finally sheds its stuffy dining reputation, one of the city’s true food pioneers is announcing her retirement.

Nora Pouillon said today that she plans to sell her eponymous restaurant after nearly four decades on a historic stretch of Dupont Circle. The transition may take some time as she looks for “passionate heirs” to Restaurant Nora, which became the first certified organic restaurant in the U.S. in 1999.

“Since none of my four children want to take over Restaurant Nora, it won’t be a fast transition,” Pouillon said in a release. “It might take years to find the right person who is as passionate as I am about organic, healthy food, but I have so much confidence in today’s enthusiastic generation of chefs and restaurateurs.”

Last year, Pouillon published a memoir about her achievements, called “My Organic Life.” She plans to devote more time to the organic restaurant industry after stepping down.