• 29Apr

    Put Next Week’s Beer Events on your Calendar!

    Savor-Crowd-577x1024For beer lovers who won’t be attending Savor, the huge (sold out) American craft brew event is May 9th and 10th or the 2014 RAMMY Awards, you can still attend some great (and related) beer events.

    Many of the breweries that will be in town for Savor are planning events the week of the show. Click here for the official list of these events. The City Tap House events are not listed individually on Savor’s website (but are all listed under one entry for the 8th), so rather than miss them on the calendar, check them here. Three of the four Jack Rose Dining Saloon events are not on the Savor calendar, but you can find them here.

    Tuesday, May 6, 2014 from 6:30 PM to 9:00: Leading up to the always-sold-out SAVOR American Craft Beer + Food Experience (May 9-10), The Fainting Goat will pair four savory and sweet spring dishes with craft Atlas brews – one being an exclusive Fainting Goat cask ale created just for the event – while guests can meet and chat with Atlas head brewer Will Durgin. You can obtain ($45) tickets here.

    Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is planning the following Savor related events:

    – Tap invasion event at Rustico Arlington on 5/8 with Cigar City

    – Tap invasion at Bier Baron 5/9 with Green Flash and Funkwerks

    – Tap invasion at Meridian Pint on 5/10 with Firestone, Funkwerks, and Elysian.

    2014 RAMMYS Beer Program of the Year finalists are holding these in-house promotions Thursday, May 8:

    RFD SavorStarting at 6pm, Birch & Barley & ChurchKey will feature drafts and casks from Surly Brewing Company at The Surly Brewing Company Draft & Cask Takeover. With no fewer than 10 rare and elusive Surly drafts and casks on tap, don’t miss the opportunity to taste amazing ales otherwise unavailable in Washington, DC.

    Brasserie Beck will keep the RAMMYS celebration going throughout the day with an all-day $10 Antigoon Beer and Brats Special. Opened by Chef Robert Wiedmaier in 2007, Beck’s stunning and spacious bar boasts the city’s most comprehensive Belgian beer list outside Belgium with nine draught beers and over 100 offered by the bottle.

    Granville Moore’s will have special promotions that evening, but they have not yet been specified.

    Lyon Hall’s spacious patio will feature a fabulous Pig Roast/BBQ May 8th. Executive Chef Matt Hill will roast two whole pigs and serve it up with his gourmet side dishes and desserts made by Executive Pastry Chef Bridie McCulla. Beer Director David McGregor will be holding court outside, pouring special draft offerings from house favorite breweries and hosting a special tasting session of “Barrel-Aged” Beers that have been cellared at Lyon Hall.

    Mad Fox Brewing Company Executive Brewer and CEO Bill Madden will host brewery tours at 5pm, 6pm and 7pm, where guests will learn all about the brewing process and even have the chance to sample the freshest beers straight from the fermenting vessels of Mad Fox’s state of the art brewing facility. After the tour, congregate at the massive 63 foot bar and enjoy over 18 drafts on tap among a variety of other products like the 2011 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal award winning Kellerbier Kölsch.

    -JAY

    Editor’s Note: It turns out that Goose Island is hosting DC beer events this week (4/29-5/3).

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  • 28Apr

    The Blue Jeans Ball

    I was lucky enough to have my best friend invite me to the Capital Area Food Bank’s 11th Annual Blue Jeans Ball. Over 700 people attended! The Blue Jeans Ball is an exclusive charity and tasting event featuring some of DMV’s popular and well-recognized restaurants; they all come together to raise money to fight hunger in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. Not only did the event have awesome sponsors that helped raise money (Whole Foods Market contributed $25,000), there was also a silent and live auction for guests to partake in. Auction items included  a signed Redskins football, spa treatments, and cruise ship packages.

    Fun fact: Michelle Obama was the Blue Jeans Ball’s honorary chair.

    Sad fact: She did not attend the event.

    Some of the participating restaurants and vendors included:

    Cava Mezze, Chef Geoff’s and Lia’s, Dean & DeLuca, EPIC Smokehouse, The Fourth Estate, Hank’s Oyster Bar, La Tasca, Oyamel, PAUL Bakery, The Palm, Pinch Dumplings, Policy Restaurant and Lounge, Restaurant Nora, Sangam, Sonoma, SILO, The Melting Pot, Thrive DC, and much more.

    Not only was I happy about the casual denim dress code (hence, the event name), everyone was genuinely passionate about the event because it benefits a great cause. Capital Area Food Bank did an absolute superb job in raising over $350,000 that night and I would definitely attend next year if I could afford the $200 ticket (or if my friend invites me again).

    -EHY

    Permalink Filed under: Events, Restaurants Tags: , 2 Comments
  • 15Apr

    Food Porn from Alba Osteria

    We recently attended the April DC Food Blogger Happy Hour at Alba Osteria in DC. The food was excellent, and it is nice that all pizzas are half off on happy hour. Above are some pictures of the evening’s food highlights.

    -JAY

    Alba Osteria on Urbanspoon

    Permalink Filed under: Events, Restaurants Tags: 4 Comments
  • 14Apr

    DC Food Blogger Happy Hour will be at Mio May 7th!

    May 2014 DCFBHHMay’s DC Food Blogger Happy Hour will be at Mio Restaurant. This month’s Hosts are Chito of RUNINout and Bindesh of DesiGrub.

    Please only RSVP ‘Yes’ if you will definitely attend, and keep your RSVPs updated. We need a good count for the restaurant.

    -JAY

    Mio on Urbanspoon

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  • 12Apr

    Feast Your Eyes on Food Films at Filmfest DC!

    Filmfest DC is returning for its 28th and final year! The festival runs April 17th -through April 27th. Unfortunately, the festival is $250,000 short of the funding needed to return next year, so if you have any pull with local investors or county governments, the festival can use your help.

    This year, one of the main themes is right along our lines, Feast Your Eyes: Films on Food. Below are the pictures, descriptions, and schedule for films selected for this year’s Feast Your Eyes series.

    -JAY

    ———————————————

    Filmfest DC - Le ChefLe Chef:   Daniel Cohen – France, Spain – 84 mins
    In this delicious comedy about the behind-the-scenes antics in the food industry, Jean Reno plays veteran chef Alexandre Lagarde, who runs a three-star restaurant that carries his name. A new CEO wants to modernize and bring in a new menu, or chef. As Lagarde frets over his future, brash young cook Jacky (Michaël Youn) stumbles into his kitchen. Jacky … more
    Sun, April 20    7:00 PM    Landmark E Street Cinema
    Tue, April 22    6:30 PM    Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema

    Filmfest DC - EdenEden:   Michael Hofmann – Germany, Switzerland – 93 mins
    Eden was presented by Filmfest DC eight years ago and though raved about by our audience, never received commercial distribution in the United States. This year’s Feast Your Eyes series provides reason to give it a reprise. Writer-director Michael Hofmann mixes disparate emotions into a filling meal of a film. Eden is the beguiling  … more
    Sun, April 20    4:45 PM    Landmark E Street Cinema
    Wed, April 23    6:30 PM    Landmark E Street Cinema

    Filmfest DC - love & lemonsLove and Lemons:   Teresa Fabik – Sweden – 99 mins
    At first, Agnes (Rakel Wärmländer) seems to have everything going for her: a job at an upscale restaurant, a rock-star boyfriend, and good friends and family. When she gets wrongly fired by her cruel boss and dumped by her cheating boyfriend on the same day, it’s time for some soul searching. Agnes decides to join a former colleague in starting their own … more
    Wed, April 23    6:30 PM    AMC Mazza Gallerie
    Thu, April 24    8:30 PM    AMC Mazza Gallerie

    Filmfest DC - PaulettePaulette:   Jérôme Enrico – France – 87 mins
    This crowd-pleasing comedy focuses on Paulette (Bernadette Lafont), who used to run a lovely restaurant filled with friends, music, and fabulous food. Now that she’s a widow living in a housing project outside of Paris, she’s unable to make ends meet on her meager pension. While making her rounds between the church—where she complains instead of confesses—and … more
    Wed, April 23    8:45 PM    Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema
    Fri, April 25    6:30 PM    Embassy of France

    Filmfest DC - Romantic BrasserieRomantic Brasserie:   Joël Vanhoebrouck – Belgium – 97 mins
    Forty-something Pascaline runs a brasserie and her exquisite dining room is fully booked for Valentine’s Day. She thinks she is fully prepared and ready for the heart-shaped holiday, but how could she predict that an old flame from 20 years ago would walk in and ask her to go with him to Rio? Her diners must also cope with the unexpected. There’s Rose, a … more
    Sat, April 19    2:15 PM    Landmark E Street Cinema
    Mon, April 21    6:30 PM    Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema
    Thu, April 24    8:30 PM    Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema

    Filmfest DC - Zone Pro SiteZone Pro Site: A Moveable Feast:   Yu-Hsun Chen – Taiwan – 145 mins
    Taiwan’s traditional ban-doh, an outdoor market where rival caterers vie for the public’s taste buds, is given a magical, musical, and colorful treatment in this stylishly fun film. On the run from her deadbeat boyfriend’s creditors and escaping a failed modeling career, perky Wan (Kimi Hsia), the daughter of a ban-doh chef, returns home to find … more
    Sat, April 19    6:15 PM    Landmark E Street Cinema
    Sat, April 26    3:00 PM    Landmark E Street Cinema

    Permalink Filed under: Events Tags: 1 Comment
  • 01Apr

    DC Food Blogger Happy Hour is Tomorrow!

    April DCFBHH Alba OsteriaReminder:

    Next DC Food Blogger Happy Hour is at Alba Osteria tomorrow (Wednesday April 2nd), 6-8pm.

    We will be tasting the delicious Piemontese-inspired cuisine of Executive Chef Roberto Donna and Chef de Cuisine Amy Brandwein.

    Please RSVP here and keep your RSVPs updated, since we need a good count for the restaurant!

    Your Hosts this month are Lili Kocsis of My Amused Bouche and Laetitia-Laure Brock from French Twist D.C.

     

    Permalink Filed under: Events, Restaurants Tags: 2 Comments
  • 26Mar

    Beer Paired: RFD & Oskar Blues

    Cy and I were in attendance a couple of weeks ago at RFD‘s Oskar Blues Brewing Dinner. We did get lost finding the back room, but we didn’t know RFD has a back room.

    Oskar Blues has one brewery each in Colorado and North Carolina, and was one of the pioneers in beer canning. Apparently, beer bottles and Colorado mountain travel aren’t a great combination.

    This my first time drinking Oskar Blues’ beers, and I have to say that there was not a single brew I did not enjoy. I did try to pace myself since five beers can hit pretty hard when two of them are over 10% alcohol). RFD did a great job pairing great dishes and beer.

    The evening’s pairings:

    • Cheese (Grafton 2 year Cheddar and Maytag Blue) & Chopped Liver with Dale’s Pale Ale (6.5% ABV). I loved the cheddar, but avoided the blue cheese. This was billed as Cheese & Charcuterie, but there was none of the latter to be found. The chopped liver was tasty, and had apples in it, which lightened and sweetened it.
    • Melon & Prosciutto with G’Knight Imperial Red Ale (8.7% ABV). This was plated with a Parmesan tuile on top.
    • Crawfish & Andouille Gumbo with Gubna Imperial IPA (10% ABV). Crab stock Risotto!
    • Classic Brew Burger “Oskar Blues Style” with Ten Fiddy Russian Imperial Stout (10.5% ABV). These great Bourbon Barrel Bacon Burgers (holy alliteration, Batman) were stuffed with blue cheese, except for mine, which thankfully was stuffed with Gruyere.
    • Flourless Chocolate Torte & Smoked Chocolate Mousse with One Nut English Brown Ale (6.1% ABV). This was a great chocolate dessert, especially the mousse.

    Cy’s Beer notes:

    • Dale’s Pale Ale: Light amber color, clean hoppy aroma, nice mellow hop flavor.
    • G’Night Imperial Red Ale: Deep red color, grapefruit/citrus aroma, citrus/cereal flavors.
    • Gubna Imperial IPA: Dark amber color, caramelized orange aroma, spicy/hoppy/citrus flavors.
    • Ten FIDY Russian Imperial Stout: Black color, light malt aroma, roasted  malt flavor.

    -JAY

    Editor’s Note (April 6, 2014): Oskar Blues has 2 beers on Thrillist’s list of top 15 underrated canned beers.

    Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events.

    R.F.D. Washington on Urbanspoon

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  • 26Mar

    Teach your Kids to Cook & Eat Healthy and you just might Meet Michelle Obama!

    calling-all-talented-junior-chefsI know many of my readers have kids, so am passing this along.

    -JAY

    “Teach kids to cook and eat healthy and you might be rewarded with a VIP trip to DC to attend a Kids’ “State Dinner.” The 3rd Healthy Lunchtime Challenge hosted by the First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious will select one winner from each state and the territories to be flown by Delta Airlines to Washington, D.C. for a once in a lifetime trip. Create a healthy recipe, submit it by April 5 and you could win.

    Read Epicurious’ latest bog post about it here. Find the guidelines and enter by April 5th here.”

    Permalink Filed under: Events, Restaurants Tags: , 3 Comments
  • 19Mar

    The Bridge to Turkey

    Turkish Baklava

    Baklava!

    A few weeks ago marked an international holiday perhaps few Americans appreciate, and even fewer are familiar with. The Embassy of Turkey gave the holiday the full recognition it deserves on March 7th, when members of the Turkish Embassy and distinguished guests both from abroad and from the D.C. area gathered in the Turkish Embassy Chancery to celebrate International Woman’s Day.

    Under the auspices of the Embassy of Turkey, The American Turkish Association of Washington, D.C., and Turkish Airlines, the Bridge to Turkiye Fund presented the night’s program. Guest speakers included: Schroeder Stribling, Executive Director of N Street Village, a prominent community that provides empowerment and recovery for homeless and low-income women in the Washington, D.C. area, and Diana Mayhew, President of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and recipient of the ATA-DC International Women’s Day award.

    We were treated to a showing of “Kardelen, The New Hope of Turkey,” Tino Soriano’s National Geographic documentary about the struggles and triumphs of young women growing up in Turkey. Mr. Soriano has made the film available online.

    It was a genuinely inspiring night full of heartfelt stories and hard working people whose work is admirable (to say the least). Also, there was a long delicious buffet that topped off the inspiring night of thoughtful conversation about global feminism and equality with a serving (or two) of baklava.

    Noteworthy items from the menu included the baked pasta stuffed with cheese and parsley. As a fan of anything stuffed with cheese, this dish was addicting. There were newsworthy (call the presses!) baked potatoes that my date and I assaulted (we waited till nobody was looking), and delicious green peppers stuffed with orzo.

    Of the protein courses, the tuna fish salad and diced fried lamb were my favorites. At the head of the table was a ginormous whole smoked salmon that stared at me with knowing eyes, judging me for my dining choices as I dished out my second helping of cheese-enhanced pasta. I’m a tuna melt kind of a girl, so the tuna salad was more my style. Some of you are perhaps thinking, “Can you mess up tuna salad?” You can. I’ve eaten some. It was a haunting experience.

    There was also a small refreshment station that offered wine, soda and juice. To the very nice man in the grey suit and brown tie that served me several glasses of wine that night: thank you.

    Also, did I mention the baklava? There was baklava that night and I might have consumed half of it. No shame. Salmon, stop looking at me.

    -MAS (Mary)

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  • 18Mar

    10 Spice Wings, Short Rib Tacos, and Duck Fat Fries!

    We had a great DC Food Blogger Happy Hour at City Tap House a couple of weeks ago. Above are a few pics of the great food we tried there.

    City Tap House also has a good fried shishito pepper dish and a mezze plate (including curried hummus). They have a great beer selection, good happy hour specials and serve La Colombe coffee, which I wrote about recently. Oh, and I’ll admit to ordering their happy hour cocktail of the day, the Crabby Mule (a take on a Moscow Mule), which was awesome.

    Info on the next DC Food Blogger Happy hour is here.

    -Jay

    City Tap House on Urbanspoon

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