Foodie pop quiz.  What’s the first word that comes to mind when I say “lamb?”  If you’re a Fan of Lamb, the answer is likely to be something like “tender,” “medium-rare” or just plain “delicious.”

If you had asked us just a few years ago, our answer would probably have been “intimidating.”  Restaurant presentations of lamb tend toward the more impressive: racks and chops, slices from the leg and loin, often served with rich sauces.  That frame of reference, coupled with the price tag, was enough to make us hesitant to try it at home.

As is often the case, Trader Joe’s provided us with the impetus to give it a go.  We bought a frozen, seasoned leg section for a dinner party and roasted it.  Served with a simple wine reduction, it was a revelation of bold, meaty flavor without the chew of similarly intense cuts of beef.  We’ve been Fans of Lamb ever since.

When the American Lamb Board invited us to compete with twelve other local bloggers for a chance to cook at their Lamb Pro-Am in March, we jumped at the chance.  We were told we’d be cooking a boneless leg of lamb, supplied by local rancher Craig Rogers of Border Springs Farm – even better!  But we couldn’t just do a traditional leg presentation.  We needed to get creative.

…And that’s where we ran into problems.

Our first inclination, as you can probably guess if you’re a regular reader, was to smoke the lamb on our Big Green Egg.  The low temperatures are great for coaxing out maximal flavor while maintaining a tender bite.  There’s just one problem: the smoke is lost on the lamb.  Even after hours in a BGE with aggressive woods like hickory and mesquite, lamb pretty much just tastes like lamb (not that that’s a BAD thing).

…So our first trick was a no-go.

Then we thought back to our short-lived run as a Charcutepalooza participant.  In working our way through Michael Ruhlman’s “Charcuterie” cookbook, we were intrigued by a recipe for merguez, a spicy lamb sausage.  Why not use some of the lamb to make sausage as part of our dish?

We decided to incorporate homemade merguez into a lamb chili that has become a family favorite.  The dish calls for chorizo, but we tweaked the spice profile to complement the flavors of the substitute sausage.  The addition of roasted red peppers and black beans (chili sacrilege, we know), completed the transformation.

…Remember those problems we mentioned?

As it turns out, we probably shouldn’t have used this contest as our first attempt at sausage-making.  Pork back fat, which Ruhlman calls for in his merguez recipe, is not the same as pork fatback, which we found packaged and sold salted and skin-on in the grocery store.  Needless to say, this was not an ingredient that fed easily (or at all) through our KitchenAid’s sausage-making attachment.  Our dreams of “Chili with Lamb Two Ways” were ground up while the sausage components remained untouched.

Thankfully, we had already planned to incorporate the spices from the merguez into our chili, so we were able to pick out the pork fat and use the cut-up lamb – we couldn’t stand the thought of letting it go to waste!  We made an emergency grocery run for Mexican-style chorizo from local producer Logan’s Sausages and got to work on a re-revised version of our chili.

This is where we make you drool with a description of the lamb.  The leg we received from Border Springs was beautiful – lots of deep purple-red muscle with some creamy white fat around the exterior.  We’ve worked with our share of inferior lamb in the past, fighting our way past large pockets of hard, nasty fat and silverskin.  In this case, we had to do almost no work to get it ready for cooking.

We began by rendering some of the fat from the chorizo and then cooking onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and red pepper flakes in that oil to get the ball rolling.  To that delicious combination we added the chorizo and a chili paste made from chicken stock and chipotle peppers in adobo.  We turned the heat up to high and added the black beans (which we had soaked overnight) and the cubed lamb.

At this point we turned down the heat and let the whole mixture simmer for an hour.  The beans softened up nicely and the lamb took on that firm tender feeling that we always love.  We rinsed golden hominy and added it to the pot with some more roasted red peppers, and we let things cook for 15 more minutes.  That’s when we turned the heat off altogether and let the chili rest for about 5 minutes (we couldn’t stand to wait any longer).

The chili was wonderful all by itself – the lamb picked up the cumin and the paprika while still retaining its own assertive flavor.  Taken together, this gave what could have been a one-note dish a complex, Middle Eastern accent.  But this is a contest, so we wanted to make sure we made it more camera-ready.  We garnished the dish with shredded cheese, sour cream and cilantro.  It may not have been the duo of lamb we originally envisioned, but the final result was a testament to the quality and versatility of the lamb.

Capital Spicy Lamb Chili

1 lb merguez sausage (or Mexican chorizo in a pinch) removed from casings, if any
1 red onion, diced
10 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 chipotle chiles in adobo (roughly 1 small can)
2 cups chicken stock
1 pound dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained
4 pounds lamb (preferably leg or shoulder), cut into 1” cubes
2 cans hominy (golden or white), rinsed
1 red pepper, roasted and peeled

Garnishes to taste: sour cream, shredded cheese, diced raw onion, cilantro

1. In a small saucepan, cook chipotle chiles in chicken stock for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool, then pulse mixture in a blender until thoroughly combined.
2. Sautee the sausage in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat for 10 minutes or until it gives up a slick of oil
3. Remove sausage from pot and set aside.  Add onions, garlic, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes or until onions soften.
4. Return chorizo to pot and add chipotle-chicken stock paste.  Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add cubed lamb and black beans.  Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
6. Simmer covered for one hour.
7. Taste beans and lamb.  If cooked to taste, add hominy and diced roasted red pepper.  Simmer uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and allow to rest for five minutes.
9. Serve with garnish of your choice.

As we mentioned at the top, this post is our entry into the Lamb Pro-Am bloggers’ challenge.  When voting opens up, we’ll be sure to provide you with a link.  Take a look at all of the competitors, and then we’d love it if you could help us make it into the finals by voting for your favorite!

If you didn’t make it out to join us last night, you can still stop in any night this week and enjoy that same $20.12 Meat Week platter they served us last night.  It includes 1/4 pound of pulled pork, 1/4 pound of chopped brisket, one brisket sausage link, 3 pork spare ribs and 1/4 smoked chicken plus any two sides.  It’s easily enough for two people (or one hungry Meat Weeker).

The other thing you missed last night was a great Meat Quiz created by Hall and administered to unsuspecting Meat Weekers throughout the evening.  It includes some fun questions and some real head-scratchers.  To our knowledge, this is the first time Meat Week has included a trivia component, and it makes us wonder…how could we have overlooked this?!?

The quiz can be found in its entirety in the following three images.  We took the liberty of blacking out the answers, but the rest of the document (including the sauce stains) are original.

Enjoy, and we hope to see you at the rest of our Meat Week events between now and Sunday!

For starters, they’re tempting us with food – free sides to go with our ‘cue.  As they put it, “Come for the meat, stay for the sides!”  Urban is also offering a free commemorative gift to everyone who joins us on Sunday night at 6.

And the cherry on the sundae is Happy Hour bar pricing   Oh…did we forget to mention that this Urban puts the “bar” in “barbecue?”  Add that to the extra space and their best Southern Pride smoker (brought over from the Silver Spring location), and we’ve got every indication that this will be the best kick-off event yet.

Need some more to whet your appetite?  We asked our Captain, Jenelle Dennis, and our First Mate, David Gootzit, a couple of questions about Meat Week.  These are their answers…and just to be fair, we’ve answered them as well.

1) What is it about barbecue that appeals to you most?

JD: Obviously, the taste.  There’s nothing that can match the complexity of flavors that infuse into meat after a low and slow experience in a smoky environment.

DG: Real barbecue requires a committment to craftsmanship and an
investment of time that is absent from many of modern life’s
day-to-day activities.  Throwing something on a charcoal grill and
cooking it quickly can be fun and, if done right, even tasty.
However, the amount of sweat (both literal and proverbial) that goes
into real barbecue reflects an attitude that the cook cares. It’s a beautiful thing.

MB: There’s something really impressive about the way barbecue turns some of the toughest, least desirable cuts of meat into something so tender and tasty.  There’s a lot of skill that goes into getting it just right, and the combination of smoke, spice and richness results in a flavor that you can’t get any other way.

2) As a KCBS Certified Barbecue Judge, what do you look for in GOOD barbecue?

JD: The KCBS judging standards, but with a personal twist when I’m not in a judging environment.  Taste:  Has to appeal to me personally.  I tend to prefer the sweet and tangier flavors.  Texture:  Has to come of the bone easily, but not completely fall off (for ribs),  pull apart easily (for brisket).  Nothing turns me off more than tough or dry meat.  As far as appearance, I’m pretty forgiving.  But a nice bark on a rib really turns me on.

DG: The three criteria in a KCBS-sanctioned contest are appearance, taste and tenderness.  In a restaurant, the barbecue shouldn’t be arranged in too fussy a fashion. It’s barbecue, not haute cuisine. Without the right degree of smoke, it isn’t good barbecue. You can go overboard on smoke and miss the mark, but overall there’s a window with degrees of smokiness, and anything in that window is “good.” Tenderness is tricky for many cooks. In my experience, if you find a good smoke ring, you are much more likely to find a tender piece of
barbecue.  I look for barbecue that gives a little resistance to my teeth, but even that once it yields still provides a touch of chew. To paraphrase the Supreme Court – good barbecue is like pornography – you know it when you taste it.

MB: I want my barbecue to taste like meat, first and foremost.  The smoke is important, and I definitely like a good sauce, but I want to be able to taste the pork or the brisket as soon as I bite into it.  As far as texture, I just can’t stand dried out barbecue.  I know that restaurants have to prepare their meat in advance to be able to handle crowds, but the way a place rests it ‘cue before serving can make all the difference.  I’m pretty forgiving in terms of appearance, but a nice crusty exterior always makes me smile.

3) How would you describe Meat Week to someone who has never heard of it before (and isn’t necessarily a barbecue junkie)?

JD: A gathering of energetic, friendly and hungry people with a love of BBQ or an interest in learning about BBQ.

DG: It’s a week of meat, what else do you need to know?    Seriously - I would say we’ve identified eight of the best barbecue restaurants in the DC-VA-MD metro area and all eight places are working to put their best foot forward for anyone who wants to stop by.

MB: It’s a low-key, week-long celebration of barbecue and you can attend as many or as few nights as you’d like.  I’m with Jim Shahin on the name, though.  If it were “Barbecue Week” people would know exactly what we were talking about as soon as we said it – Meat Week conjures up images of steak.

4) What’s the best barbecue you’ve ever had outside the DC area ?

JD: The best BBQ I’ve had is in competition.  I always think there are strong competitors in Pickin’ in the Panhandle and Smoketoberfest.

DG: It’s a tie between Smitty’s Market in Lockhart, Texas and Cooper’s BBQ in Lano, Texas. Both were incredible experiences and I’ll consider myself fortunate in life if I ever get to return to either.

MB: To me, the best barbecue in the country is in Kansas City.  And the best barbecue in Kansas City is at Oklahoma Joe’s (the original location, at the gas station).  Even Anthony Bourdain has acknowledged its superiority!

===

With that, we wish you a happy Meat Week and we hope to see you at one or more of our celebrations.  Look for the big red-and-white banner with our new DC flag-inspired logo and the crowd of smiling faces smeared with sauce.

And when you’ve finished with Meat Week, think about participating in DC Meat Free Week.  Also in their third year (they started in direct response to our inaugural Meat Week), they’ve put together a terrific lineup of meat-free menus to enjoy all over town from Monday, February 6th through Monday, February 13th.  They’ve convinced ten of the best local food trucks to offer special deals on vegan and vegetarian menu items on Wednesday, the 8th, and they’ve even got a book signing with John Schlimm, the Tipsy Vegan, on Thursday at Meridian Pint.

Trust us – after a full week of barbecue your body will thank  you for some down time.

For the third year in a row, Washington will be celebrating “the holiday that time forgot” with a tour-de-carnivore that will highlight some of the best barbecue the area has to offer.  Beginning at Urban Bar-B-Que’s newest location on Sunday night and ending at long-time favorite Rocklands the following Sunday, we’re taking it to the next level for this year’s Meat Week.  We’ve got so much new talent on the DC barbecue scene, we just had to add an eighth day (finally bringing us in line with the national organizers’ recommendation).  And with one of those shiny new logos that plays off the DC flag, you know we’re ready.

If you’ve been following along from the beginning, you know that we started DC’s Meat Week chapter after an introduction to the event by the Washington City Paper’s Tim Carman.  I’m pleased to report that our Meat Week team from last year is back together again this year, with Jenelle Dennis (aka Babeque) as our Captain and David Gootzit as First Mate.  Both are KCBS-Certified Barbecue Judges, and they’re quick to extol the virtues of crisp bark and a well-defined smoke ring in quality ‘cue.  I asked each a few key questions about Meat Week and will be posting their answers tomorrow.

As befits a celebration of the best of the area’s barbecue offerings, we’ll be returning to several of our most popular venues from last year.  In addition to the two I mentioned above, we’ll be hitting up the PORC crew for a second response-requested buffet at Wilson’s in Shaw) and Mr. P’s Ribs and Fish for another round of parking lot barbecue.

We’re also proud to finally be able to visit the guys from Pork Barrel BBQ in their own space after two consecutive Meat Weeks featuring “coming soon” sneak peeks.  They’re rolling out the red carpet, with a Meat Week sampler special and the first official taste of their new Carolina Vinegar sauce.  It’s been a long time coming, but good barbecue is all about taking the time to get it right.

The rest of our Meat Week slots this year are given over to ‘cue joints that didn’t exist when Meat Week 2011 rolled around:

Hill Country’s DC outpost has been winning rave reviews since they opened, and their all-you-can-eat Monday night special seemed like the perfect way to welcome them to the lineup.  As it turns out, this Monday Hill Country offers a chance to do some good with your meal: they’re holding a charity concert to benefit the victims of the recent Texas wildfires.  Tickets are $20 and the restaurant is also donating 20% of their food and beverage sales for the night to the relief efforts, as well.  If you’re thinking about coming out Monday night, please consider making a donation.

Smoke & Barrel knows how to draw a crowd with their combination of barbecue and beverages (most notably bourbon).  Due to their limited size – at least until expansion is complete – they’re participating in Meat Week with a reservations-required.  That’s the good news.  The bad news?  Reservations are already completely booked.  If you’re not already on board, you’ll have to check them out another night.

Finally, Memphis Barbeque in Crystal City is doing its namesake city proud, smoking everything from pork to salmon (not to mention a few sides) in a massive sit-down space on 23rd Street.  What better way to celebrate the Friday night of Meat Week?  We had the privilege of taking a First Look when they were ready to open.

The official website features the schedule, addresses and special offers that will be available each night.  While you’re on the site, take a look around at some of the photos from last year and check out the Meat Week Hype that we’ve created for this year, too.  Like that flag logo?  You’re in luck – t-shirts will be available for sale each night (just find the Captain or First Mates).

Except where noted above, all events are come-as-you-are and everyone is free to order whatever they please.

If you’ve ever left one of the Eat Good Food Group’s Alexandria restaurants wishing you could replicate what you just ate at home, consider yourself one step closer.  Tomorrow at 6 PM, Society Fair opens its doors to the public, offering many of the ingredients used at Restaurant Eve, the Majestic, Eamonn’s, PX and Virtue Feed & Grain.  Get ready to raid Chef Cathal Armstrong’s pantries.

We had an opportunity to take a look around as Rob Shinn and his team were getting ready for this week’s opening, and we were like kids in a candy store as we moved from butcher’s counter to coffee station to bakery racks.  Goods we’d only read about before (being unable to find them at local grocers) were all around us.  Where’s Julie Andrews to sing about “favorite things” when you need her?

Lots of pictures and your plan of attack after the jump.

First things first: don’t think of Society Fair as a wine bar.  Sure, they’ve got a posh seating area with 25 wines by the glass (including 4 on tap) and a tempting menu of light fare.  But focus on that, and you’re missing the forage for the trees.

Nevermind the fact that you’re not going to be able to get a seat in the wine bar anytime soon.  The real reason to turn your attention away is the fact that it’s all an elaborate advertisement for the market.  Everything you eat, drink – even the glassware – is available for purchase in the retail shop.  So let’s turn our attention that way to begin.

Walk in the front door of the market, and you come face to face with the massive coffee station.  Shinn described Society Fair’s coffee program as “aggressive,” pointing out offerings that included a daily pressed coffee, drip-poured options, and even a rotating signature seasonal drink (the first is an orange-tequila caramel latte, just to give you an idea of where they’re setting the bar).

From there, head to the right and you approach a marble table laden with cakes, pastries and assorted treats.  Along the windows, you’ll see baskets of the “daily bread,” which will come out hot and fresh three times a day at Society Fair.  Baker Nathan Hatfield is a veteran Eat Good Food guy, and anyone who’s ever demolished a bread basket at Restaurant Eve knows what he can do.  He’ll be working with a French Pavailler oven that’s just visible through the rear window of the shop.

Walk back toward that window, and you’ll encounter a standing cooler with a well-edited selection of American and Irish cheeses.  These, again, are some of Chef Armstrong’s favorites and they run the gamut from creamy and soft to firm and salty.  Fromagier Justin Owens’ creations will also be available for sale at Society Fair, and we’re eager to taste them for ourselves.

Now turn your attention to the wall.  See the larder menu with its hefty list of recommended meats and charcuterie?  You probably won’t find every item on this board in front of you every time you stare into the butcher’s case, but Society Fair can get them for you if you ask.  Even better, they can also trim the meat to your specifications and offer suggestions on how best to use it, if you’d like.  Welcome back to full-service butchery.

The butcher’s counter is also the place to go to try Society Fair’s rotating menu of tempting sandwiches.  We envy anyone with an office within walking – or even driving – distance.  Try though we might, we just can’t find a nearby source for roasted pork shoulder with pimento aioli, sliced egg and lemon on toasted potato roll (or as they call it here, the “Spaniard’s Lunch”).

The rest of the shop is given over to a combination of prepared and packaged foods that represent everything you need to replicate a restaurant meal at home.  Yogurts, olives, butters, pickles, stocks, spreads…they’re all ready and waiting for you in the coolers at Society Fair, having been made by hand the same way they are for use in the kitchen at Restaurant Eve or the Majestic.  Spices are sold in small tins under the Society Fair label, ground fresh and likely to be far more flavorful than those red-capped jars gathering dust in your cabinets.

Cocktails more your culinary style?  General Manager and “liquid savant” Todd Thrasher’s contributions to Society Fair include packaged versions of his homemade tonic, his dirty martini mix, and even his cocktail onions.  A whole table is given over to the bar tools and mixers he prefers, including Bittermens bitters and Dolin vermouth.

Okay…now we can head into the wine bar and take a peek at the menu.  Each of the wines available by the glass is accompanied by helpful – and less helpful – tasting notes.  One sparkling wine is “charcuterie pairing perfection,” while a Spanish white is described as a “crowd pleaser? Not so much.”  And how can you resist a wine that’s “u-turn on rte. 29 good?’  Glasses run from $8 to $22, with most in the $10-12 range.  ”Professor” Sommelier John Wabeck is someone whose taste in wine we’ve enjoyed since his days at Firefly, and we’re looking forward to trying some of his latest selections by the bottle and the glass.

Just like Virtue Feed & Grain’s beer-centered bar offers a few inventive “hoptails” for those who want something different, Society Fair invites you to try their “vin-tails,” which are described as “artisanal wine influenced libations.”    They blend white wines with spirits, bitters and botanicals to play up the wines natural inclinations in drinks like the “Pleasantly Bitter Beginning.”  We’re suckers for Todd Thrasher’s creations, so put us down for two right now.

At the end of the bar is a full demonstration kitchen with seating for ten.  Three-course dinners will be prepared and served by reservation only Tuesday through Saturday. They’ll have a single $45 seating on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 PM, and two $55 seatings on Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 and 9 PM.  Each night’s menu will be guided by a different theme, and there are plans to bring in guest chefs and eventually expand the offerings to include wine and cocktail classes, as well.

So when and how should you get there?  If you just can’t wait for tomorrow’s official 6 PM opening, rumor has it you’ll be able to stop by the market at lunchtime today for a sandwich or any of their prepared goods.  Once they’re fully up and running, the market will open at 7:30 AM and close at 10 PM daily, and the wine bar will open at 11:30 AM and close at 10 PM (though Friday and Saturday nights may run later than that).  Society Fair will offer parking in an underground garage accessible via Columbus Street (turn west onto Duke Street from Washington and then make your first right).

The only thing you won’t be able to buy at Society Fair is the years of training and know-how that go into those dishes.  Guess you’ll just have to keep practicing.

Society Fair
277 South Washington Street
Alexandria, VA

On the surface, Lime may seem like another quick-service Mexican restaurant – Baja Fresh, Chipotle – but we stopped in to take a look around, and what we found surprised us.  Lime is much closer to a fast-casual sit-down restaurant, as evidenced by their focus on service (and their adult beverage menu).  They’re planning to offer speedy lunch options for office-workers on the go as well as a more relaxed sit-down experience for those who prefer to savor their meals.

We walked in on Lime during service training, and they were kind enough to give their cooks an impromptu test run as well so we could see a few of their more popular dishes as they’ll be served.  Check them out after the jump along with some photos of the inviting decor and the amenities that Lime is most proud of. If you manage to get there at a time when there’s no line blocking your view, the first thing you’ll probably see is the countertop tub mounded with ice and beverages.  Beers and Jarritos sodas poke out every which way, making it look like you’ve just arrived for a backyard barbecue, and they also offer frozen margaritas, sangria and even splits of wine.  But don’t get distracted – you’ll have a Lime staffer just inside the door to greet you and help you navigate the menu in case you need a hand.

Place your order and pay, and you’ll receive a numbered Lime tentcard to keep with you – when your food is ready, a server will bring it to your table.  Then work your way along the hammered copper counter and select your condiments.  With a target of ten minutes from order to receipt of food, it’s not uncommon for first-time visitors to still be poring over the many hot sauces and fresh-made salsas when their number is up.  You’ll find plenty of limes at the salsa bar, but no lemons (a manager told me they “consider ‘lemon’ a four-letter word” – though I’m not sure how many letters they see in ‘lime.’)

If you do make it to a table before your food is ready, you’ll have your choice of seating areas.  The front of the restaurant features high-top tables and stools below golden yellow walls decorated with art incorporating Lime’s namesake.  Toward the rear of the restaurant, a more traditional seating area is framed by wooden beams and windows that reference southwestern architecture.

But you probably won’t be paying much attention to your surroundings at that point, as the food is likely to have your focus.  Lime  makes it a point to source all-natural meats that are raised hormone-free, and their veggies are prepped on-site.  Not a meat-eater?  You’re in good company – one of Lime’s founders is a vegetarian and has always insisted that every item on Lime’s menu be adaptable to a meatless diet.

The attention to freshness and flavor in the menu starts with their handmade salsas and continues through to tacos, salads and fajitas.  The tastiest menu items we encountered were the ones that really let the ingredients shine – like the fajitas that are perfectly grilled and served with all the fixings to make your own tacos.  If you want a real treat, try the queso dip made from real shredded cheese and blended with Lime’s asado salsa for a deep smoky flavor.

Catering is available, and Lime also offers delivery in the nearby area at no extra charge.  They also point out their commitment to the environment in the form of biodegradable beverage cups and take-out containers.

With prices that top out at $11.99 (and most under $9), Lime offers a reasonable lunch option and a definite dinner deal in Clarendon.  If you manage to save room for dessert, you can pay tribute to Lime’s Miami roots with a thick slice of sweet-tart key lime pie.

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill
2900 Wilson Blvd. #104
Arlington, VA (Clarendon)

Fortunately, you’ve still got plenty of time to shop if you Think Local First.  We’ll save the pitches about supporting the local economy and encouraging eclectic and diverse retail options for another time…right now, all you need to think about is the fact that you can buy your last-minute gifts right up until the Night Before Christmas if you shop in-store.

Stumped for gift ideas?  If you’re shopping for someone who loves cooking, eating or drinking in the Washington area, we’re here to help.  From now until Christmas Day we’ll be offering twelve of our favorites – some old, some new, all tasty.  We’re starting off with a delicious source for sweet treats on Barracks Row:

On the first day ’til Christmas, my true love gave to me…a Caramelized Pear and Goat Cheese macaron from the Sweet Lobby!

The siblings, originally from Trinidad, are both graduates of MIT with degrees in engineering…not your average patissier‘s background.    Winnette fell in love with macarons and French pastry while in Paris, and she has been applying her scientific training to perfecting her recipes ever since.  When the opportunity came to open their own shop on Barracks Row, these Hill-dwellers jumped at the chance.

While their technique and attention to detail are traditional, some of the flavors that the Sweet Lobby works into their macarons are anything but ordinary.  Think black sesame pumpkin, hazelnut praline salted caramel (yes, all those tastes are in one macron) and chili-spiked chocolate.  The little treats are sold individually or in stylish orange-and-cocoa boxes of 4, 16 or even 40!

Despite (or possibly because of) their delicate texture and air of refinement, it’s highly unlikely that macarons will ever supplant cupcakes as DC’s go-to sugar fix.  Thankfully, the Sweet Lobby has you covered on the cakier front, as well.  With buttercream frosting (on most) and cake that is moist and dense, they’ll go toe-to-toe with almost any DC cupcake contender.

Since opening in June, the Sweet Lobby has been establishing a reputation as a go-to source for some of the most delicious macarons this side of the Seine.  The complex little pastries, with their brittle shells and near-liquid interiors, demand a perfectionist’s touch.  Fortunately for us, the Sweet Lobby has Winnette and Timothy McIntosh.

And as if the cupcakes and the macarons weren’t enough for such a small space, the McIntosh siblings sell madeleines and shortbread in several flavors.  They’ve also created Steep, a line of custom blended loose-leaf teas.  Work with the Sweet Lobby staff and you’ll be sure to find a gift combination that works for your loved one.

The flavors of both the macarons and the cupcakes change daily, so you’ll want to check in with them via Facebook or Twitter to get the latest update. Prices are better than many competitors’, with cupcakes selling for $2.75 and macarons go for $1.75 each.

The Sweet Lobby
404 8th St., SE
Washington, DC

Since July of 1997, Evening Star Cafe has been an integral part of both for the residents of Del Ray.  It has been the site of first dates, proposals and countless other milestones in their lives.  So you can understand the level of interest caused by the restaurant’s recent remodel, and the pressure on the Neighborhood Restaurant Group to get it right.

The wait ends tonight at 5:30, when new chef Jim Jeffords and his team throw open the doors to welcome the neighborhood back for the first time.  Although there are plenty of changes to ooh and aah over, the regulars will be pleased to see that it’s still the same old Evening Star at heart.  And the fact that they can now make reservations throughout the evening via OpenTable will likely be a welcome addition, as well.

We stopped by yesterday for a quick look around and a chat with the staff.  Details, including some work-in-progress photos and a few new menu items to whet your appetite, after the jump.

Check out the redesigned black-and-white tile floor.  Take a peek at those aerodynamic-looking red chairs and the white tabletops.  The overall effect is a nod to the “modern” look of the late ’50s and early ’60s, and it’s meant to evoke a time when restaurants were an integral part of their local community.  Along those lines, a new banquette runs the length of the dining room, providing a family friendly element and additional seating that brings the room’s capacity to 60 people.

The “retro diner” effect is reinforced in the main dining room through lighting and not-yet-in-place artwork from Rick Singleton.  Singleton designed the unique Erector-set lighting that you may remember from Evening Star’s former incarnation, and his new pieces are equally inspired.   Take a look at the nosecone fixture over the table in the front window and see what we mean.

The menu at Evening Star has undergone a similarly subtle revision.  With the arrival of chef Jim Jeffords (no relation to the former Senator from Vermont), the restaurant’s traditional Southern roots are more visible than ever.  New dishes include “Poppadews” – fried red and golden peppadew peppers stuffed with pimento cheese – and crispy black drum with sautéed brussels sprouts, chili roasted butternut squash sauce and homemade
pork rinds.  Sausages will be made in house, and there’s a new emphasis on nose-to-tail preparations (look for crispy pig ear croutons to make an appearance).

In the Majestic Bar, at the rear of the restaurant, guests will find an atmosphere “like your cool uncle’s basement.”  Mason jar lighting over the bar, a wall of sports trophies commemorating real victories (some donated by Evening Star regulars), and a trio of repurposed vintage G.E. refrigerators set the tone.  But I don’t care how cool your uncle is/was…there’s no way he had the kind of beverage selection they’ll be offering at Evening Star.

This being a Neighborhood Restaurant Group establishment, Evening Star benefits from the expertise of Beer Director Greg Engert, the man who brought you the impressive beverage programs at Rustico and Birch & Barley.  Expect more than two dozen beers on tap, featuring “the Best of American Craft” and including a cask ale.  Local labels like Port City and Lost Rhino will be prominently featured, as will old-school classics like Pabst Blue Ribbon.  And the fact that they’re dispensed from classic refrigerators (still in working condition) makes the whole experience that much cooler.

NRG synergy doesn’t end with the beer list.  The dessert list features some of Executive Pastry Chef Tiffany MacIsaac’s best work yet, and any wine you can buy next door at Planet Wine can be purchased and enjoyed at Evening Star Cafe.  The renovation even added a pass-through between the two spaces, which will help when Evening Star resumes its private-dining “Farm Table” dinners inside Planet Wine.

Evening Star Cafe officially opens for business tonight, but it will be a while before they’re operating at full speed.  Brunch service won’t resume until after the New Year, and the Number 9 lounge upstairs is still undergoing renovation and will be opening soon.  Considering the loyal fan base they’ve developed in the neighborhood, none of this can come soon enough.  For now, though, Evening Star is starting with a comfortable “Welcome back.”

Evening Star Cafe
2000 Mount Vernon Ave.
Alexandria, VA (Del Ray)

First, we’ve seen several members of the DC Food Truck Association posting about a toy drive that the association is undertaking to benefit My Sister’s Place.  Participating trucks are accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys every day from now until December 15th.  The toys will be given to children staying at the shelter during the holidays.

My Sister’s Place has been serving victims of domestic violence in the Washington area with emergency shelter for more than 30 years.  They have since expanded their services to include transitional housing assistance, counseling, and a program for immigrants victims of domestic violence, as well.  They have helped more than 1,100 families in need.

Want to know if your lunch destination will be accepting toys on behalf of My Sister’s Place?  Your safest bet is to tweet them and ask – they’ll likely welcome the chance to remind their followers that they’re helping. But chances are they will be participating…the DC Food Truck Association lists more than 20 members on their website, and a quick search for the #DCFTA hashtag on Twitter turned up tweets from TastyKabob, AZNEats, Rolling Ficelle, PORC, the Cheesecake Truck, DC Empanadas and Cajunators asking customers to bring toys.

Second, we’ve got some good news for you if you work in the public sector.  GovLoop, the social network that connects more than 50,000 federal, state and local government employees and provides insight into issues like federal benefits open season, is celebrating their 50,000th member (in just three years).  That means free food for you, if you’re a government employee.

GovLoop has partnered with CapMac and BBQ Bus to provide free lunches for the first 500 public sector employees who show proof of employment tomorrow (Thursday, December 8th).  Your freebies await as follows:

-200 free lunches from CapMac at Federal Triangle, with your choice of classic macaroni and cheese with a drink or goat cheese macaroni and cheese with a drink

-300 free lunches from BBQ Bus at L’Enfant Plaza, featuring your choice of a pulled pork sandwich with chips and a drink or three bean vegetarian chili with a drink

Both trucks will open for service at 11:30 and will be serving until all of the giveaways have been claimed or until 1:30, whichever comes first.  To claim your free lunch, bring a government ID, business card or some other proof of employment.  And don’t forget – this isn’t just limited to federal employees, so state and local workers can take advantage of these deals, too.

Watch Twitter for each truck’s exact location, and definitely plan to be early.  The only thing longer than a food truck line is a food truck line waiting for free food!

WE GOT TO HANG OUT WITH TOP CHEF STEPHANIE IZARD!

Ah, much better.  If you’ve read Capital Spice before now, you know we’re kind of huge Top Chef fans.  And our first big interview was with Chef Spike Mendelsohn as he prepared to open Good Stuff Eatery, so we’re especially partial to Season 4 (Top Chef Chicago).  So when we were given the chance to attend a dinner prepared by Spike and Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard, we jumped at it.

The dinner, which took place on Wednesday, November 16th, was part of Chef Izard’s tour promoting her new cookbook, Girl in the Kitchen.  Rather than subject herself and her fans to a series of low-key bookstore signing events, Izard has partnered with local chefs in cities across the country to put on special dinner events benefiting Share Our Strength.  The “Goat Tour” (the name is a nod to her year-old, critically acclaimed Girl and the Goat restaurant) has the look and feel of a concert tour, right down to the t-shirts worn by Izard and her team featuring a map and a list of dates on the back.  With everyone from Jimmy Fallon to the Wall Street Journal calling chefs “rock stars,” it’s only fitting.

A four-course pizza feast with a pair of fun chefs after the jump.

We arrived at We, the Pizza unsure of exactly what kind of dinner we would experience.  The menus were already set up, and we learned that we would be having wings, salad, and pizza, with both chefs doing their versions throughout.  We struck up a conversation with a couple – let’s call them Armand and JDQ – who knew Elizabeth through a mutual friend, and settled in for a full-on feast.  This was going to be a marathon, not a sprint.

Although the menu made no mention of which preparations belonged to each chef, we recognized several We, the Pizza menu items and figured out others through a process of elimination.  We grabbed a beer and settled in to meet our fellow guests while we waited for the chefs to come up and explain their dishes to us.

The first course was a pair of chicken wing recipes whose heat had many people grabbing for another beverage right off the bat.  Interestingly, both chefs opted to use harissa in their sauce, resulting in one dish dosed with even more heat from jalapenos and one that brought a lighter, more citrusy flavor courtesy of yuzu.  It was a bold way to begin the event, and it made us hungry for more.

The food was served buffet-style, so we piled the wings and salad onto our first round plates.  The salad course matched up Chef Izard’s offering of shaved kohlrabi, fennel and red oak with Chef Spike’s chopped antipasto salad.  Izard’s dish was more complex, with fennel, cheese and a ginger-maple vinaigrette.  Spike’s salad topped lettuce with Italian meats and cheeses, tomatoes, onions and a red wine vinaigrette.  Even knowing what lay ahead, we were tempted to go back for more greens.

And then came the pizzas.  They were relentless, with pie after pie making its way up from the kitchen to the event.  It felt like a grown-up version of every kid’s dream birthday party.  We saw pizzas topped with goat chorizo, ricotta and pickled peppers (Stephanie brought the chorizo with her from Chicago).  Spike’s fall classic, with butternut squash, goat cheese and balsamic onions, was a huge hit.  The surprising star of the night was a pizza topped with fried chick peas and eggplant caponata.  It had a great balance of acidity and creamy mozarella, and we were all excited when Chef Izard told us that the caponata recipe can be found in her cookbook.

Just when we thought we couldn’t eat any more, we were treated to a surprise dessert of gelati from We, the Pizza’s handmade selections.  Sure, the vanilla and chocolate were rich and smooth, but people pretty much lost their minds when the salted caramel made an appearance.  If you haven’t tried it yet, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

After the plates were cleared, we had a chance to chat with the chefs and hear about what went on behind the scenes.  Though Chef Izard and her team travel with some key ingredients (like that goat chorizo), they tend to shop locally and keep things simple.  In this case, that meant using We the Pizza’s dough for their crust, resulting in larger, denser pies than they normal serve at Girl and the Goat.  As Chef Izard put it, “Spike knows what he’s doing when it comes to pizza…why would I travel with all those extra ingredients?”

Our friends for the evening were pleased across the board, commenting favorably on the yuzu wings, the “earthy” Shroomin’ pizza and the aforementioned caponata pizza.  But it was the overall feeling of the event that they really enjoyed.  Armand summed it up best when he described the event as having “amazing atmosphere.  It felt like we were having dinner with old friends!”  JDQ agreed that the chefs were fun and accessible, and they both made sure to point out just how much they had enjoyed the food by showing off an impressive stack of gelato cups.

The Goat Tour is terrific on so many levels – a chance to interact with Chef Izard and taste her food, team-ups with some of the highest profile chefs across the country, and all to benefit Share Our Strength!  Keep an eye on the website, as there are plans to do an event in Philadelphia in February though the date, location and guest chef are still being kept under wraps.