Capital Spice

We have to hand it to Prince of Petworth.  There we were, on our way to take a sneak peek at Rogue 24 in Blagden Alley off of 9th Street, NW, and we get an email from a friend pointing us to PoP’s post announcing the opening of SUNdeVICH in a nearby-but-different alley off of 9th Street, NW.  We had no idea they were even close to opening, but thanks to PoP we were able to drop in just as SUNdeVICH opened its doors.  We went in anticipating bold flavors, and we weren’t disappointed.

Of course, first we had to find the place.  Walking up to N Street from Rogue 24, we could see the alley we were looking for through a parking lot, but to get there we had to head out to 9th and then cut back in.  It being their first day, SUNdeVICH didn’t even have a sign in the window yet.  We might still be wandering around the alley if we hadn’t seen someone enter the corner garage through a sliding glass door.  This was the place!

We had read about their intention to provide “a wide range of bold flavors,” representing cuisines from across the globe, which immediately sets them up to encounter two potentially fatal challenges: a “jack of all trades, master of none” approach that sacrifices expertise for diversity of flavors; and a menu so scattered that it becomes a minefield of bad combinations.  So we decided to try a sandwich and a side to check out the flavors – both on their own and in tandem.  Two gallon-sized containers of pickles at the cash register caught our eye, so we had them throw in a whole pickle to round out the meal.  What we found was surprising.

Will we be going back to get our passports stamped with other flavors soon?  Find out after the jump.

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Toward the end of his stint at Vidalia, Chef RJ Cooper had jumped into the world of the multi-course “experience” tasting menu with both feet.  His “24″ menu got some great coverage from Tim Carman when he was still at the Washington City Paper, and when news came that his first solo concept would be Rogue 24, a restaurant built around the tasting menu, the buzz started building almost immediately.

We’re just a day away from opening now, and those who’ve had a chance to experience dishes firsthand – either in soft opening service over the weekend or at Cooper’s pop-up test run in New York City – have been raving.  We may not have been so lucky as to try the food yet, but we did get to stop by last Friday as Cooper was putting his team through their paces on a couple of dishes.  We got to see the open kitchen in the center of the room alive with activity, and we can only imagine how much more energy there will be when all the seats are filled, too.

Of course we took some pictures, and we also took the time to chat up sommelier Matthew Carroll about the challenges of creating appropriate pairings for a 24-course tasting menu while we were there.

Photos, conversation and “olive paper” after the jump. (more…)

When it comes to dining in Alexandria, it’s hard to avoid Cathal Armstrong and his team – not that you’d want to.  Each of the Eat Good Food Group’s establishments offers a different dining experience, from the high-end tasting room at Restaurant Eve to the quick casual bite at Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper.

Until recently, the only thing missing from their repertoire was a laid-back space big enough to gather with friends for a fun night out. That’s where Virtue Feed & Grain comes in.  You can easily fit 350 of your closest friends into the space, though you’re probably better off sticking with six or eight at a time.  Walk in the front door of the former warehouse (and brewery), and you’ll have your choice of spaces where you can settle in with a good beer and a menu that takes comfort food to some new and tasty places.

We visited Virtue for an early dinner last Sunday and then returned for a late-night drink this weekend.  As you might expect, we found two very different but equally welcome scenes.  The constant?  Todd Thrasher’s inventive “hoptails” that take beer-based drinks far beyond the boilermaker and the shandy.

A tour of Old Town’s newest establishment after the jump.

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For most of us, July 4th is a day to sit back and relax as we celebrate our nation’s independence.  For Jose Andres, not so much.  The outgoing head of the ThinkFoodGroup has a busy Monday lined up, what with the opening of his new America Eats Tavern and his work with the National Archives’ “What’s Cooking Uncle Sam?” exhibit. We even got an inside tip on what he’ll be doing that morning (which we’ll share after the jump).

America Eats, conceived as a complement to the exhibit, is a pop-up restaurant that has possessed the body of Cafe Atlantico on 8th Street, NW in Penn Quarter.  The restaurant features seating on three levels and a significant facelift that focuses on iconic American images and artwork.  And although the menu is not yet complete, Andres has promised a bill of fare that will serve as a history lesson on a plate, featuring historically significant American recipes along with background information on where, when and why.

We had a chance to drop by the restaurant yesterday and take a look around.  They’ll be working around the clock between now and lunchtime Monday to make sure it’s all ready to go, but what we saw was already well on its way to completion, and there are some decorations that will make you stop and smile no matter where you enter the story of America’s dietary history.

Details and photos – including an impromptu chat with Archivist of the United States David Ferriero – after the jump. (more…)

Good news, Eastern Market!  At 11 AM tomorrow, Pitango Gelato will open its third DC location next door to the original Peregrine Espresso.  Damn – now I’m craving an affogato.

When we got word that tomorrow would be opening day, we immediately took a walk over to Eastern Market to check out the space.  We had been watching the construction with interest, but the news that they were ready still took us by surprise.  What we saw when we got there was a Pitango shop that was just about ready for business.

A few more shots of the interior after the jump. (more…)

Think back to that first episode of Top Chef Las Vegas in August of 2009.  What was your first impression of “Mike I?”

Photo Credit: Greg Powers

Chances are, the Zaytinya chef registered as loud, brash and maybe even a bit obnoxious.

Now picture him in the final episode of Top Chef All-Stars this spring.  The Graffiato chef/owner was composed and thoughtful, but still easy-going and clearly enjoying himself.  Within a year and a half he had evolved from a subject of criticism to one of pride among supporters of the DC dining scene.

When the first patrons taste his food at Graffiato’s opening tonight, that evolution will be on full display.  The concept is his.  The menu is his.  The kitchen is his.  It’s been a team effort to get here, for sure, but this is his show.

Buzz surrounding Graffiato’s opening has reached a fever pitch over the past few weeks (we fueled the fire a month ago when we saw Chef Isabella and he teased “Could be two weeks!”).  This is absolutely one of the most anticipated restaurants of the year, and details about the pizza oven, the local partners and the prosecco on tap have only made us more eager to actually taste the food.

We had a chance to stop by for a First Look as the Graffiato team was working through some of the finishing touches in advance of tonight’s opening.  Photos and some more details on what to expect after the jump. (more…)

The action may have been at home plate for Nationals fans in last night’s 8-6 victory over the Cardinals, but four newcomers to the stadium stole the show out in center field.  Last night saw the debut of the new lineup along the Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk, with four of the Union Square Hospitality Group’s restaurants open for business. Fans can now enjoy burgers and custard from Shake Shack, barbecue from Blue Smoke, fries from Box Frites and tacos from El Verano Taqueria in addition to the already robust lineup of stadium concessions.

If the stadium location is anything like the Connecticut Avenue site that opened last month, you’ll need to brave lines longer than the Nats’ six-run rally last night to sample the Shack Burgers and custard creations.  Get there early – they’re worth it.  We had a chance to take a look at the four new concessions and some of their menu items before last night’s game, and we’ve got a first look at each.

The operations team at Nationals Park worked on the deal with Union Square Hospitality Group for more than a year.  They saw Danny Meyer and his variety of restaurant concepts (not to mention his success with a similar venture at the Mets’ Citi Field) as a “premium” offering that could help to elevate the experience at the stadium.  The new concessions are part of an effort to rebrand the Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk as a place that offers more ambience.  To that end, shade sails and cafe lights help to tie everything together in an “open market” atmosphere, creating a park within a park.

We got to talk with Meyer before the game.  As the restaurateur put it, the goal with the stadium offerings was to present “destination-worthy” food that was still in keeping with the kinds of food you would want to see at a ballpark.  “No one wants fussy food at a game,” said Meyer, “but concessions aren’t playing to a captive audience like they once were.  We want to offer restaurant-quality food that’s as accessible as fast food.”  He indicated that USHG had an opportunity to work with the concession employees that would be staffing the four restaurants, encouraging them to embrace the Union Square mentality of quality service at all price points.

Check out El Verano’s tasty tacos, Shake Shack’s stadium-only specials, Blue Smoke’s ‘cue and Box Frites’ dipping sauces – along with copies of all four venues’ menus – after the jump.

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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…)