Capital Spice

Sure, we all try to be more conscious of where our food comes from these days.  To make sure you’re putting as few steps as possible between the farm and your table, you can shop the farmers’ market week after week, or join a CSA, or even try your hand at growing some of your own produce.  But when it comes to dining out, it takes a bit more diligence to ensure that you’re making good choices.

Photo by Moshe Zusman provided by Ellen Gray

One of the local chefs who has been extolling the virtues of the “Fresh, Local, Seasonal” mindset since before locavores knew what to call themselves is Todd Gray.  The chef who recently brought Watershed to NoMA has been cooking in time with the seasons at Equinox for more than a dozen years.  Last year, he got together with the people behind the annual International Wine and Food Festival to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience: the Urban Farm Table Under the Stars.

The Urban Farm Table was a chance for four local chefs to partner with local producers and really show off their fresh, seasonal ingredients to the best of their abilities.  Guests sat at long communal tables on the Woodrow Wilson Plaza of the International Trade Center and Ronald Reagan Building.  It was such a success that they’ll be back for a second seating on Friday, June 17th.

Details on tickets and a sneak peek at this year’s menu after the jump. (more…)

Early on in my introduction to Washington’s sushi scene, a friend suggested I check out Sushi Taro.  It offered a little bit of everything: a la carte sushi and a dinner menu available at a sushi bar, table seating, or semi-private rooms with low tables and tatami mats for a more formal experience.  The fish was among the freshest I had tasted at that point, which helped me branch out beyond my comfort zone and try some new items like uni (sea urchin) and hokkigai (surf clam).

When I heard that they were closing their doors to renovate and focus on more of a high-end dining experience toward the end of 2008, my knee-jerk reaction was one of dismay.  How could they ruin such a good thing?  I was convinced that I had eaten my last meal at Sushi Taro.

And for a while, that was the case.  I was pouting, plain and simple.  If they wanted to change up and go for a more formal atmosphere, they could do it without me (of course they could and did).

Thankfully, my wife is far more practical when it comes to these kinds of things.  She pointed out the very positive experience we had at Makoto and suggested we apply an OpenTable gift check to make the meal a bit less of a splurge.  So we made a reservation for a Saturday night and prepared to see what Sushi Taro had become.

Our experience after the jump. (more…)

Let’s clear something up right away.  DC’s newly-opened Shake Shack is NOT a New York burger joint parachuting into the District and claiming to be God’s gift to quick-service.  Many things about this place – from the menu to the venue – have been tailored to suit Washington.  And we were pleased to see it works.  Well.

Union Square Hospitality Group and the Shake Shack team scouted locations in Washington for two years before finding a spot that offered the combination of community and energy that they were looking for. When the space formerly occupied by Fuddrucker’s where 18th Street meets Connecticut Avenue opened up, they knew they had it.  Their “roadside burger joint” would become a casual gathering place in the nation’s capital, complete with indoor seating.

We took a look on Tuesday, braving the opening day crowd to check out the newest burgers and shakes to enter the already-competitive DC market.  What we found was a restaurant that was ready for the massive crowds that were lined up out the door and down the block.  And, more importantly, a place that could easily stand on its own, without the cache of its New York inspiration.

Lots of photos and our initial tastes after the jump. (more…)

image courtesy of Mango and Tomato

It is a warm spring night. I’m kneading bread dough in a gorgeous white and blue-tiled bakery with three charming Frenchmen. I squeeze the pliant dough with my fingers while pushing it together with the heels of both palms, then flip and slap it back down onto the floured workspace. I am gently teased about my “technique” which is a little bit backward from the norm and occasionally results in flecks of dough arcing through the air. I am a rank amateur. Thirty minutes later, we nibble macaroons (pistachio and coconut are the best) and oozy millefeuilles while bread bakes in the oven.

Cubicle-dweller daydream? Not quite. I’m in the windowed kitchen of Paul, the new French bakery by the Navy Memorial Archives. In what may have been my favorite food event to date, several DC area food bloggers were invited to a bread baking lesson in the kitchen just days before the bakery opened.

I have long lamented the lack of the perfect bakery in DC. A space with an eye toward atmosphere and quality goods. Somewhere the bread is made on site, filling the air with dancing visions of golden crusts and yeasty middles. Where you can stroll in armed with a Kindle and need nothing more but a strong cup of coffee and warm baguette to spend precious spare time in the most delicious leisure possible. Have I finally found it?

Details on Paul after the jump. (more…)

Call it Pink-o de Mayo.  Today at 6 PM, the District’s first outpost of Pinkberry, the California-based tart yogurt purveyor, opens with a bang – and a giveaway.  As of this posting, almost 1,200 Pinkberry fans have indicated on Facebook that they will be there for the opening, which will be celebrated with free yogurt and prizes.

Why so much excitement?  Aren’t we already awash in TangySweetGreenYogFrozBerry establishments offering variations on this theme?  We are, and it’s Pinkberry’s fault.

Pinkberry’s commitment to fresh, never-frozen toppings and eclectic yogurt flavors – and its massive success – provided a blueprint for dozens of other entrepreneurs all over the country.  As far back as 2007, West-coast transplants and other Pinkberry groupies were clamoring for the flavor here in the Washington area.  But Pinkberry wasn’t about to drop a shop in the District just to check a box.  According to local licensee Kamran Ahmed, it was important to the brand that they find the perfect combination of location and atmosphere to make their mark in DC.  While they searched and then navigated the bureaucracy that is DC real estate and permitting, local competitors opened up to meet the demand.

Now the brand that started it all in America is here for you to taste for yourself.  Does it live up to the hype?  We took a first look yesterday and have plenty of details and photos after the jump. (more…)

It’s a great time for democracy, especially among Washington-area food lovers.  You can vote for your favorite Neighborhood Gathering Place, Power Spot, Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene and Your Favorite Restaurant in the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s RAMMY awards over at the Washington City Paper from now until midnight on Wednesday, May 11th.  That last category is completely open – feel free to write in any place you like, as long as you include an address or a location.

And here at Capital Spice we’re whipping votes for another food-related contest.

Our very own Elizabeth is one of TEN NATIONWIDE FINALISTS in OpenTable’s “Mother of All Foodies” contest on Facebook.  Unbeknownst to her, I nominated her and included one of my favorite photos of Elizabeth with Baby Spice this past Halloween (Elizabeth was a diner waitress and Baby Spice was a DC half-smoke).

As with most Facebook contests, this one comes down to a straight-up popular vote.  So we’re reaching out to you, our regular readers, and asking for your help.

If you’re on Facebook, please vote for Elizabeth here.  You’ll be asked to accept the OpenTable “Mother of All Foodies” application in order to vote.  Once you’ve accepted it, you can take a look at the ten finalists and pick your favorite.  The contest runs until 8 PM tomorrow night, so please vote soon!

Sure, it’s a shameless plug for us…but wouldn’t it be nice to bring the title of “Mother of All Foodies” home to the DC area just in time for Mother’s Day?

Make your voices heard in the DC restaurant scene!  And thanks in advance for your help.