Capital Spice

Note to self: when it comes to Sunday brunch near the Kennedy Center, it’s probably best to try to do it ANY OTHER TIME BESIDES George Washington University’s commencement weekend.  Call it a hunch, but it’s likely to be just the slightest bit easier to find a reservation in the area.

Thankfully, we turned to those foodie enablers over at OpenTable, and they were quick to offer a handful of reservations that were available before the matinee performance of Ragtime that we were going to see.  They even had a 1000-point reservation at Hook…and it HAD been a while since we’d been to Georgetown’s temple of sustainability.  Having just written about former Chef Barton Seaver’s newest venture (the soon-to-open Blue Ridge), we decided to check out Hook’s brunch.

When we arrived, we were shown to our usual table in the front window.  Now don’t read too much into this – we seem to have a knack for making reservations at times when that front table is unoccupied, and most places along M Street love to keep their window tables filled to draw in the foot traffic.  Within minutes our waiter arrived, asked if we were all right with filtered water (a subtle way to guide diners toward the most environmentally friendly option), and took our drink orders.

A make-your-own-champagne-cocktail bar was tempting in its array of accompanying juices and liquors, but the need to buy a full bottle of sparkling wine made that option a non-starter for us.  For me, there are few brunch joys greater than a good, spicy Bloody Mary.  Hook’s signature version of the classic drink immediately distinguished itself with its garnishes: house-cured bacon and a cocktail shrimp replaced celery and turned it into something approaching an appetizer.  Elizabeth’s choice, the Pear Ginger Lemonade, was a light and refreshing way to start the meal…and probably a better complement to the seafood we’d be enjoying than a tempting Nutella Hot Chocolate.

Of course, before we could even think about our fish, there was the issue of Heather Chittum’s baked goods to consider… (more…)

Here is an unrevealing revelation for anyone who has ever met me: I am not cool. I own this and I am at peace with it. And because I have accepted this fact you will rarely find me trying to do something that is remarkably exclusive like, oh, waiting in line at a new club or trying to talk my way into some hipster party. Because I know that no one running some cooler-than-thou establishment is going to look at the crowd and say “Oh yes. That girl. That one with the preppy purse and no tan who thinks that Deathcab for Cutie is totally overrated. Let’s bring her in.” Not going to happen. And it sure isn’t going to happen in Manhattan, where pretty much everyone works their ass off to be cooler than the person to their left.

photos courtesy of Jen Winter

Yet there I was just a weekend ago, wandering a back alley of Manhattan’s Chinatown looking for Apotheke, a no-name-on-the-front-gotta-be-on-the-list-to-even-get-in bar. Normally a joint like this sets off my alarm system, but this trip we had an in: our friend Winter had a family connectoin with the owner. Allelujah! But first, we had to find the place. Apotheke is located on a strange alley street where I think I’d be as likely to find tiger penis powder (soothes aching joints!) as a well-made cocktail. We actually passed the entrance twice without realizing it – the bar isn’t unmarked so much as mismarked. Turns out the Gold Flower restaurant is not just a happening Chinese eatery.

While the speakeasy reawakening is certainly familiar to residents of DC, it is so prevalent in Manhattan that locals have begun to refer to them as speakcheesies. I see the issue with themes but I would not call Apotheke cheesy. Like other speakeasy style bars, Apotheke focuses on hand-crafted, fine ingredient cocktails in a chic environment. The atmosphere more frenetic than The Gibson, PX or San Francisco’s Bourbon and Branch. There are scattered couches and tables but the space is built for mingling; even the bar encourages traffic mobility with notably absent barstools. Regardless, the bar is where we set up camp.

photos courtesy of Jen Winter

Oh and this bar? It glows. I don’t mean it glows because of the delicious cocktails or the handsome, overly flirtatious bartenders. It actually physically glows. It is a single piece of Italian onyx that is somehow backlit, casting off a constant candlelit tone and bringing drinkers to it like a beacon. There were at least 5 bartenders on hand at all times, each donning a white lab coat with a label reading “dispensing chemist,” a throwback to the pharmecutical theme of the drinks available. 

The cocktail menu is divided into pharmacy based themes: Health & Beauty, Stress Relievers, Pain Killers, Aphrodisiacs, Stimulants, Pharmecuticals, Euphoric Enhancers and Therapeutic Treatments. My first round, a Sparkling Star from the  Health & Beauty category was a light, sweet starter. Made with muddled star fruit, fresh aloe vera, vodka and champagne it was a pink girlie drink that’s freshness kept it from becoming an over the top syrupy concoction (cosmopolitans, I’m looking at you).

The First Sign of Spring – cacacha infused with spring herbs, luxardo, honey liqueur and lime – received mixed reviews. The herb infusion and garnishes were flavorful and fresh. It absolutely tasted like the first sign of spring but that also meant it veered away from “fresh cocktail” into “seasonal salad” territory. The strawberry fennel, on the other hand, was a hit with friends and strangers alike. The drink was sweet and tangy with the fennel-infused vodka and muddled strawberries  which complimented eachother nicely without competing for top billing.

Being the bourbon loving girl I am, there was no way I could pass up the Blood Orange Bourbon Sour. I was not disappointed. The blood orange-infused Bourbon was a smooth base to the lime, sugar cane, egg whites and blood orange bitters making for a savory, complex drink.

The favorite drink of the night was the Deal Closer. Vodka-infused with “local Chinatown aphrodisiacs” (uh oh), fresh mint, cucumber, lime and vanilla essence this was a crisp drink just slightly softened around the edges by the vanilla. The drink itself was fresh and clean. The fact that it was named The Deal Closer and was sent to my friend Philly Utzie from the painfully handsome bartender* she’d been flirting with sent us into over the top giggles. Being an insider can definitely have its perks.

Apotheke
9 Doyers St
New York, NY 10013
 

*See also: Married bartender. No deal was closed there.

BBQ season is definitely here. 18th and Swine prepares for the summer’s competitions.  
 
With hand-crafted boutiquey cocktails being all the rage in DC, we’re seeing a growth in the thought put into ice cubes. I even had an embarrassingly nerdy discussion with Derek Brown at Sova about the kind of ice they use and how difficult it is to make the perfect cube at home. The Violet Hour in Chicago takes it a step further – offering 8 types of ice so there is always one that best suits your drink.  

A new book reviews the life of pauper turned “vodka king” Pyotr Smirnov.  
 
Which food and beverage brands are perceived as having the best value? According to a recent Brand Index story, Subway sandwich chains offer consumers the best value for their money. The lowest performers? Red Bull, Starbucks and Perrier. 
 
Tim Carman, writer of Young and Hungry and DC’s resident Gossip Girl, like totally got tipped off to a spotting of Gordon Ramsey hanging out in Georgetown. Rumors are already swirling that he is looking to take over the Citronelle space, though it seems like odd timing as his company is going through some financial challenges. 
 
Everything’s political. The National Restaurant Association wrote President Obama an open letter thanking him for dining out.

Modern Domestic issues a public service announcement on carrots.  
 
Frito-Lay is launching an interesting new campaign in an effort to hitch themselves to the locavore bandwagon.  The company is promoting the 80 farms in 27 state where they source their potatoes. You can find out which farm your chips came from by going to the Lays website and entering your product code and zip code.  
 
The Office’s Rainn Wilson is unimpressed with a restaurant’s decorative choices.  

Planning a big Sunday dinner? Consider a finale with this chevre cheesecake with a  ginger snap crust from Arugula Files. 
 
Cocaine cheese bust at Dulles Airport.  
 
Screen on the Green, one of DC’s best picnic-worthy events, may be cancelled this year due to lost sponsorship. 

Foodie Tots checks out the new farmers market in Crystal City.  
 
Is the fridge in your office gross? Probably not as bad as this one: 28 people had to go to the hospital when the fumes of rotten food and cleaning chemicals made them vomit. The kicker? The person cleaning the fridge was just fine – she had allergies and couldn’t smell anything.   
 
Chefs share their scar stories. 
 
Business Week has a slide show of the oldest restaurants in America including DC’s Old Ebbitt Grill and The Occidental.  
 
Restaurant trends are having an impact on the snack market, influencing what consumers want available to them as an at-home snack option.  
 
Are urban chicken coops the next gardening trend in DC?  
 
Here is some food news I’m loathe to report: Inside Edition’s “rat patrol” temporarily shut down two Five Guys locations in the District. An update from the owner calms the situation somewhat.

Ben & Jerry’s launches a new ice cream flavor (chocolate macadamia nut!) and a contest to create the next Ben & Jerry’s flavor.  
 
Elevation Burger expands to Manhattan.   
 
It’s hard to believe but pasta primavera was once so new and so different that it was the talk of the Manhattan dining crowd.

<<EDIT 1:20 PM:  Nice to see the big TV star hasn’t let fame go to his head.  Teddy Folkman emailed to inform us: ”I must admit, the menu is definitely Ann Cashion with input from me, whether taken or not. And you have to mention Chef Pablo [Cardoso - formerly of Cashion's Eat Place and Jackie's in Silver Spring] who is running the thing.”  Thanks for the heads up, chef!>>

As we mentioned in yesterday’s First Look at Blue Ridge, restaurants seem to be opening all over Washington these days.  But few of them have been as eagerly anticipated – and certainly not for as long – as the H Street Country Club.  Rumors and speculations about Joe Englert’s newest H Street concern have run rampant for more than two years, fueled by regular updates from Tim Carman, the Going Out Gurus, FrozenTropics and pretty much everyone else.

But now that Teddy “The Next Food Network Star” Folkman’s (second) Food Network premiere is less than a month away, the stars finally seem to have aligned.  The H Street Country Club will open to the public on Wednesday, May 27th (two days after Memorial Day)!

We had the opportunity to take an early look at the space with Teddy a few weeks back (okay…it was almost two months ago), and we’ve been waiting for the official announcement to share what we learned.  Believe me – it’s been hard.  Long story short: this is a restaurant/bar unlike anything you’ve seen in DC, and it has the potential to cement H Street’s reputation as the go-to place for unique nightlife opportunities.  In other words, it’s classic Joe Englert.

But Englert’s visions (tortured though some of them seem to be) aren’t the only ones playing out inside the massive Country Club space.  Folkman’s Mexican-inflected menu draws heavily on the input of one of his chief culinary influences – his former boss, Ann Cashion.

Food, Folkman, fun and photos after the jump. (more…)

<<EDIT 5/22/09 @ 9:45 AM:  A couple of changes since we posted this.  Blue Ridge has pushed back its opening to the very end of the month, instead of next week as originally stated.  Additionally, Brightest Young Things and others have indicated that Justin Guthrie will no longer be tending bar, having taken a position as the beverage director for the new W Hotel.  Silver lining: table-service punch bowls are still expected to be on the menu at Blue Ridge.>>

We’re in the middle of another heat wave when it comes to restaurant openings here in Washington, and there are few hotter prospects than Eli Hengst’s Blue Ridge.  When it opens just after Memorial Day, DC diners will not only be treated to a RAMMY-winning Rising Culinary Star in the kitchen, they’ll also be able to enjoy cocktails mixed up by one of the all-stars behind the sorely missed Hummingbird to Mars.

We had an opportunity to take a look around the space – formerly occupied by Thai restaurant Busara – over the weekend, and it’s clear that they’re putting the finishing touches on what will be an impressive blending of modern and classic elements in a space that is roughly 100 years old.

Yesterday’s Washington Post offered some insight into Chef Barton Seaver’s commitment to sustainability, and it sounds like he’s going to have a chance to bring it to full fruition in the new Glover Park locale.  With a farm-to-table ethos that’s going to emphasize “whole animal” cooking, Blue Ridge is poised to bring a new level of sophistication to this stretch of Wisconsin Avenue without breaking the bank.

More photos, philosophies and details on what to expect behind the bar after the jump. (more…)

Between writing about the newest places to open and enjoying some impressive high-end meals, it’s easy to get a reputation as something of a food snob.  But it’s not all truffles and sparkling wine for us by any stretch (well…maybe the sparkling wine part).  We’ve got our share of comfort foods and guilty pleasures, and it’s about time we shared one: chili at Hard Times Cafe.

When it’s cold and damp outside, chili con carne has a great way of warming you from the inside out.  First the beef, with its just-this-side-of-tough meatiness, warms you as you chew (assuming it’s served hot, as it should be).  Then the peppers take over, suffusing you with the warmth of a slow burn that lingers.  Got a chill?  Fight it with chili.

Here in Washington, chili appears on the menu at a wide range of establishments.  More often than not, however, it’s an afterthought; a throwaway alternative to soup up there among the appetizers at the top of the menu.  Ask a few questions of your server, and it quickly becomes clear that this is not the kind of chili that warrants a Johnny Cash cameo.  Ben’s Chili Bowl is a rare but noteworthy exception, though chili enthusiasts will tell you that theirs is a unique take on the chuck wagon classic.

The other great exception we’ve found around here is Hard Times Cafe.  On a recent rainy Wednesday – which just happened to be “National Wing Day” at Hard Times – we paid a visit to the Clarendon location and enjoyed a no-frills chili dinner.  It was messy, a little greasy…and just what we were looking for.

Five ways’ worth of flavor after the jump. (more…)

Eagle-eyed Top Chef fans will recognize wd-50 Chef Wylie Dufresne (read: Du-FRANE) as an occasional guest judge; a bespectacled wonder on the New York City dining scene who looks as if he would just as likely be teaching high school chemistry and playing bass on the weekends as creating one of the most lauded tasting menus in the city. 

On a recent girls weekend in Manhattan, we were lucky enough to score a prime Saturday night reservation at wd~50 and I was even luckier to be dining with two friends willing to go for the adventurous tasting menu. Chef Dufresne, and in turn his restaurant, are a study in barely contained eccentricity. Main components of the 11-dish tasting menu are recognizable to the average diner: scallops! fried chicken! rabbit! squab! Okay, maybe not that last one. I had to convince my companions the squab was not actually “farmed” on the front curb. But with a few exceptions, the menu leads the diner to think the plate will be a dressed up version of recognizable. As it turns out, that diner would be wrong.

In DC dining terms, wd~50 is a combintation of Komi and MiniBar. Like Komi, the small restaurant is intimate (it only seats around 30) , high-end but relaxed. Like MiniBar, the menu borders on familiar science fiction. When my companions shared they were interested in the tasting menu but concerned about specific ingredients such as the rabbit and snails, our waitress enthusiastically encouraged them to  point out what they weren’t interested in and the kitchen would supply substitutions.  “They’ve been doing this for years,” she shared, “they can make adjustments without a problem.”

Our second course, the “everything bagel” is a perfect example of the molecular gastronomy that made Chef Dufresne famous. The menu bills the dish as an “everything bagel, smoked salmon threads, crispy cream cheese.” What we received was a bagel-shaped dollop of ice cream with white and black sesame seeds and a side of shredded, crispy salmon that had a brittle crunch of well-done shoestring fries but with the potent, unmistakable flavor of salmon. To achieve this consistency, the salmon is treated, dried until is completely out of moisture and then shucked with a grater. I wondered if astronauts had enjoyed a similar dish in the 60s.

The following course, foie gras with passion fruit and chinese celery veered away from the unexpected presentation and into the “I can’t believe it’s not gross!” category. The circular cut of foie gras arrived on its end, sprinkled with chinese celery and looking like a bologna salad. Cutting into it and taking my first bite, I was not at all surprised to find the fois gras rich, creamy and decadent. By my third bite, I was most definitely surprised to find an injenction of passionfruit (gel? compote?) in the middle of the cylinder. Paired against the chinese celery, which offered just the slightest kick, and the depth of the fois gras, it was a trifecta of flavors – a perfect balance, a wonderful harmony, a veritable symphony of things-I-never-thought-would-work.

More food, photos and what Chef Dufresne does if you don’t clean your plate after the jump. (more…)

Back in January, Washington cheese-lovers got some alarming news.  The price of Roquefort, that oh-so-rich-and-pungent French blue cheese, was slated to skyrocket due to a tripling of its import duties.  Thankfully, negotiations concluded last week will spare the cheese from additional tariffs while tripling the amount of hormone-free American beef that will be allowed into the EU for sale.  When we saw the tweet from FoodieTots (who also writes Cheese & Champagne), we were thrilled.

For those of us who enjoy the salty, spreadable delight in recipes and even on its own, the implication was unmistakable: a world without Roquefort.  For Cheesetique propietor Jill Erber, it was even more than that.  Roquefort has been a consistent seller in her shop, despite its already hefty price tag (due in part to a previously imposed 100% import duty).  But these new tariffs would have effectively priced the cheese out of the market, making it far too expensive for retailers to sell it at a point where they could make a profit and still entice customers.

The situation was enough to move Erber to action.  She wrote a response to the news and published it on her site’s Cheeselog, summing up with the thought “Protectionism is bad.  Roquefort is good.  Long live the latter.”  But she didn’t stop there.  As a ‘culinary protest,’ Erber promised to carry Roquefort at cost for as long as she was able to buy it.  The pricey delicacy has been selling at $20/pound in Del Ray since January, and customers have been reaping the benefits.  It was only a matter of time, she reasoned, until Roquefort joined unpasteurized Brie and Camembert among the delicacies that Americans just wouldn’t be able to experience, so we might as well enjoy it while it lasted.

Erber has continued to follow the saga of the blue cheese since January, celebrating the decision mid-March to delay the tariff’s original March 23rd implementation date by a month.  On April 22nd (nothing like waiting until the last minute, guys), US Trade Representative Ron Kirk postponed the tariff again, this time to May 9th. 

Jamon Iberico

Finally, with the clock ticking down again last week, a preliminary agreement was reached.  Although hormone-treated American beef still isn’t accepted by EU countries (the issue that caused us to respond with these threatened duties in the first place), the agreement allows for a three-fold increase in the amount of non-hormone-treated beef exported to Europe.  The retaliatory tariffs that were scheduled to go into place on items like Roquefort, Spanish jamon iberico and Italian sparkling water wouldn’t have to happen after all.

We contacted the Cheese Lady herself to get her thoughts on the decision.  She was celebratory, but thoughtful:

“I was thrilled to hear of the delay in the tariff increase for obvious financial and culinary reasons. However, the theoretical issue still looms large: while the threat of tariffs as international policy retaliation exists, our free choice is at stake. In this case, US bullying worked in our favor (more non-hormone meat purchased by Europe, tariffs delayed for US), but we cannot be sure of the same in the future. The end result is great news, but the method is still questionable. But for now, Roquefort lives to fight another day!”

There is a downside to this good news, of course.  With Roquefort’s continued availability, there’s no way Cheesetique can afford to continue selling it at $20 a pound.  Murray’s Cheese in New York retails it for $32.99 a pound, and other sellers’ online pricing consistently puts Le Papillon (the brand carried by Cheesetique) at more than $30 a pound.  Don’t be surprised if Roquefort is that much harder to come by at Cheesetique for as long as their discount pricing lasts.

It’s not every day that a trade decision is cause for foodie celebration (in fact, the opposite is frequently the case), but this one is begging for it.  Or maybe I’m just hungry after thinking about Roquefort, Spanish ham and San Pellegrino?

AP Photo by Charles Dharapak, from www.dcist.com

Presidential date night! The Obamas dined at Citronelle in Georgetown last Saturday.  Then Tuesday, Obama and Biden stopped by Rays Hell Burger for lunch.   Chompasaurus has a video of the big event.  Yesterday, DC365 and a crowd of super-psyched onlookers saw the First Lady and her staff pay a visit to Good Stuff Eatery, tasting a sampling of burgers including the “Prez Obama” (bacon, blue cheese, horseradish mayo and onion marmelade).  If this is their new plan for stimulating the local economy, we’re all for it! 
 
We already gave you an update on DC’s TV chefs. Now check in on four former Top Chef contestants based in New York: Leah, Harold, Hung and Nikki. 
 
Check out this dream job in California wine country.    
 
Metrocurean reports that Freshii, a salad chain from Canada, is on its way to DC. 
 
DC was completely shut out of the James Beard Awards this year.  Tim Carman over at Young & Hungry points out that the judging panel of the Beard Awards are made up of food writers and editors, past winners and restaurant owners, which builds a population slanting very favorably to New York residents and perhaps creates a self-fulfilling prophecy of New York dominating the awards since, hey, these are the restaurants the judges know best. The inherent risk here, other than irritating all non-New York observers, is that the Beard Awards could quickly smug themselves into national irrelevance.
Side note: We were pleased to see Douglas Kean of Cyrus in Healdsburg, CA win for best regional chef. We scored a table on Valentine’s Day weekend and the tasting menu took our breath away. 
 
The WSJ reports that some healthier food options like chicken or yogurt may not be as healthy as consumers believe they are.   
 
Mmmm… homemade rhubarb poptarts, courtesy of Arugula Files. 

Cookbook author and actor Dom DeLuise died this week at age 75. 

McDuff Wine, a Philly blogger, shares his photo journal of foraging for wild ramp.  
 
Get a peek at Tom Colicchio’s apartment in this Q&A.  
 
The Albemarle Fizz, a bright, citrusy drink from Brightest Young Things, looks like the world’s most perfect Sunday afternoon cocktail.  
 
Oprah gave a plug to KFC’s free grilled chicken promotion, overwhelming both stores and the website with the resulting stampede of soccer moms. 
 
Who doesn’t love breakfast al fresco? PQ Living has the scoop on an outdoor café for bagelry Brueggers on E St NW. 
 
Sales are strong for weak beers.  
 
Quote of the week: “Never lower yourself to your customers’ tastes.” – Mark Furstenburg, founder of Marvelous Market and Breadline.  Okay it’s a little out of context but for realsies, that was advice he shared with another baker. Check out Y&H for the full story.
 
NPR shares some trout recipes.

Mother’s Day is around the corner and for those of you lucky to have moms in town (or visiting for the weekend) you may be thinking about Mother’s Day brunch and a fun activity she’ll love. Here are four distinct ways you can celebrate Mother’s Day, based on your own mom’s interests.

City-Loving Mom
Kick off your Sunday on Barracks Row with a Bloody Mary (oooh, celery foam) or a violet champagne (sparkling wine made with a dollop of lavender simple syrup) in the al fresco sunshine at Belga Cafe,. Belga Cafe offers a fresh twist on Belgian food and one of our favorite brunches in DC. The menu is weighted equally between sweet (waffles with caramelized apples and cinnamon), savory (warm goat cheese waffle with roasted tomato), eggy, and lunch options for those non-breakfast eaters out there. True to its Belgian roots, Belga Cafe takes its strong Belgian beer selction a step further by offering a beer cocktail menu. We love Belga for the variety, good service and unique offerings. Itty Bitty Bitter Betty loves it because it’s one of the few places in town she can order beer before noon and no one gives her a second glance for it. To each her own. After brunch, take mom to some of the eclectic independent shops on Barracks Row like Hill’s Kitchen, Chateau Animaux and then across Pennsylvania Avenue to check out the goods at Eastern Market.

Belga Cafe’
514 8th St SE
Washington, DC 20003
 

Artsy Mom
Art-loving mothers in DC are in for a never-ending stream of opportunities. Take her off the beaten Smithsonian path to DuPont Circle, where out-of-town moms will have a chance to marvel at world-class pieces, small galleries and gorgeous turn-of-the-century architecture. Kick things off at Teaism with a light breakfast and your choice of teas in an environment unique to DC. If your mom is also a history buff, take her on a walking tour of DuPont, featuring stories from DC’s Gilded Age and a peek at DuPont’s hidden Spanish steps. Cap off your walk with a trip to Kramerbooks - one of the few independent bookstores left in DC – then head over to The Phillips Collection to take in a few masterpieces.  While you’re there, be sure to check out This Is Not That Cafe, a living, inhabitable art installation in the museum that doubles as a cafe.

Two more Mother’s Day recommendations after the jump! (more…)