• 13May

    Lyon Hall’s Winemaker Dinner (Report)

    Filet mignon & smoked shortrib.

    I’ll admit it.  A truly terrible experience with a nasty bartender at Liberty Tavern when it was still relatively new made it less likely that I’d ever want to eat there.  Eventually, Liberty Tavern opened Northside Social and Lyon Hall. So, I figured it was time to give the restaurant group a chance again and I tried Lyon Hall (a while back when they had an event for food writers) and I’m a regular at Northside Social.

    But, I’m not a fan of food that I think is more upscale and pretty than good, and that is the impression I get from that restaurant group (except for the desserts). I had sampled one good dessert at Lyon Hall at that point, some sort of chocolate cheesecake hybrid. The baked goods at Northside are really good and in my opinion, and much better than the food. I would have even cut Northside some slack on the food and say they aren’t a restaurant but a wine bar (although I was not happy with the two wines I tried there) and a (very good) coffeehouse, but when an employee told me I couldn’t use my laptop upstairs , she told me “it’s a restaurant” and that they want to keep the “restaurant feel” upstairs.

    Dessert Tasting.

    So, is that the end of the Lyon Hall story? I certainly wasn’t putting it at the top of the list to return to.  But, Lyon hall then had a twitter contest for tickets to the following wine dinner and I won so gave the restaurant another shot:

    Winemaker Dinner: Chateau Rivalerie

    Lyon Hall is honored to host a winemaker dinner with Jerome Bonacorcie from Chateau Rivalerie in Blaye, Bordeaux. Together, we will taste ten vintages of Rivalerie’s signature red Bordeaux blend 1995-2005. All ten tastes will be paired with a small bite created by Chef Liam LaCivita. ($50 per person plus tax and gratuity.)

    I knew that they recently had farm dinners, one featuring pork, and one featuring strawberries, and was curious, and now had tickets, so CAF and I attended.

    Strawberry rhubarb almond cake with vanilla yogurt sorbet from the regular menu.

    There were 2 dishes per course, paired with two (red) wines from Bordeaux‘s Chateau Rivalerie. Both Rivalerie’s vintner (Jerome Bonacorcie) and distributer were present, the former of which walked us through the dinner with wonderful commentary about the vintages we were trying, including describing what the weather was like during the years in question, and how it affected the wine.  One of Jerome’s wines is the house red at Lyon Hall ($10 a glass).

    The menu (and vintages of the red Bordeaux pairings):

    • Scallop & foie gras (1996, 1997):  Scallop crudo/Bordeaux gelee/peppercorns & seared foie gras/poached rhubarb.  Seared seems to be the only way I like foie gras, so this dish worked for me.  The rhubarb was close to flavorless, so was the weak point of the dish.
    • Veal “carpaccio” & veal confit (1998, 1999): Foie Gras sabayon/olives/Bordeaux poached white asparagus & morel froth/ramps.  You already know how I feel about non-seared foie gras.  I didn’t taste the Bordeaux on the asparagus.  They had to not include the morels (since I’m allergic to mushrooms).  Still, a good dish.
    • Lamb chop & braised lamb shoulder (2000, 2001): Pistachio pistou/ash ripen chevre & roasted garlic chevre/favas.  My lamb chop was unfortunately cooked less than that of other diners, but the lamb shoulder was one of my two favorite things that evening and was paired (with wine) well.

    • Scallop & foie gras.

      Filet Mignon & smoked shortrib (2002, 2003):  Bordelaise sauce & gribiche/Spring vegetable salad.  This was my favorite plate (and wine pairing) of the evening, with the shortrib being my favorite component (and the lamb shoulder being the second).

    • Dessert Tasting (2004 & 2005 (with the desserts), 2006 (at end of meal)):   Blackberry napolean and soft chocolate ganache.  The chocolate ganache was smooth, rich, delicate, and had a deep chocolate flavor.   The Blackberry napolean was tasty and was peppery.  Both desserts were very good.

    CAF can’t eat chocolate, so when one of the cooks (who I happen to be friends with) came to see how we were doing at the end of the meal, found out about the allergy, and did a very sweet thing by giving us a strawberry rhubarb almond cake with vanilla yogurt sorbet (from the normal menu ($8)); that particular dessert had many components (including strawberry maracons) and was very good.

    Room for improvement (I’m sure this is all being taken care of since one of the chefs asked me for feedback):

    • Lamb chop and braised lamb shoulder.

      We checked in at front 10 minutes early, but they never came to get us when they started seating the group. We had to ask them if they were ready, so we were one of the lats tables seated.

    • When we checked back regarding being seated, one hostess was seating people upstairs, and the other was on the phone, so there was a further lag in seating.
    • There was lag between courses at certain points, and it as particularly bad at one point.
    • Due to food allergies there were a couple of people who asked for the exclusion of mushrooms (ok, one was me) and one who asked for the exclusion of nuts. They would have delivered the dishes that didn’t have mushrooms to the wrong couple (if that couple hadn’t have noticed) and they gave a dish with nuts (a pistachio pisto) to a woman with a nut allergy. Nut allergies are particularly dangerous, so this could have been a real problem.
    • There was a typo on the (event) menu and the desserts weren’t listed and described (as the other items were).

    The dinner was well-executed and well worth the $50 price tag, especially when you count all the wine pairings.  They do seem to excel at desserts (even on their regular menu) which shouldn’t be surprising since Northside Social (as I mentioned) also excels at desserts (baked goods).

    -JAY

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  • 11May

    Ted’s Bulletin, Not Just For the Kids

    The Nutty Professor.

    A recent trip to Capitol Hill brought a friend and me to Ted’s Bulletin on Barrack’s Row. Overall, we could not decide whether the meals were created to accommodate palates of all ages or to create nostalgia in adult patrons.  However, the retro surroundings, complete with early jazz and Leave It To Beaver theme music playing in the background suggest the latter view.

    I had the special – a summer salad with seared to order tuna, banana peppers, cherry tomatoes, oranges, red onions and almonds.  The greens comprised mostly of crisp, sweet iceberg lettuce, which is not my favorite, but may appeal widely.  My companion opted for Ted’s breakfast anytime items and cornbread.  Her eggs were prepared well, and her cornbread, while surprisingly dense and moist was a bit too sweet for our tastes.  It might have been favored by the children we saw dragging their parents inside Ted’s.

    The highlight of the meal were our milkshakes – a White Russian and The Nutty Professor.  The White Russian is what you think it is and did not disappoint. My friend found the hazelnut flavored Nutty Professor with vanilla ice cream and Bailey’s to be reminiscent of buttered popcorn, in a good way. We were delighted to have a Happy Hour drink and an ice cream social treat in one glass.  There’s nothing childish about that.

    -CAF

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  • 10May

    Opening of the Authentic Neapolitan Pizzeria With Free Pizza on Monday, May 16th

    In my inbox.

    -JAY

    ——————————

    Pizzeria da Marco Announces the Opening of the

    Authentic Neapolitan Pizzeria With Free Pizza on Monday, May 16th

    Bethesda, MD, (May 10, 2011)— Partner/General Manager Alessandro Ferro is pleased to announce the May 16th opening of Pizzeria da Marco, a new neighborhood Neapolitan pizzeria at 8008 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda.  Guests of the 5,000 square-foot, 130-seat restaurant can look forward to free pizza for those who dine on opening day from 5 PM to 10:30 PM, and a 50% discount on all pizza purchases from May 17-31. This special savings is limited to one pizza per customer, and only applies during this preview period during lunch and dinner service.  Pizzeria da Marco will be the first pizzeria in the Washington area to have a 4,500-pound handcrafted, SF Allestimenti brick oven, http://www.sfallestimenti.it/ created by Stefano Ferrera, which cooks pizzas in 60 seconds at a temperature of 900 degrees.

    Italian born Chef Dino Santonicola has been tapped to run the kitchen at Pizzeria da Marco.  Born and raised in the Naples, Santonicola began his career at age thirteen working at a neighborhood pizzeria.  Over the years he has worked in some of the top pizzerias throughout Naples including the renowned Fiorenzano Pizzeria and Brandi Pizzeria.  In 2004 Santonicola moved to Seattle, Washington to open Via Tribunali pizzeria. Then he left to start designing pizza kitchens for other Seattle pizzerias in 2008, including Ristorante Picolinos and Mamma Melina, before relocating to Washington, DC in October 2010 to join Pizzeria da Marco.

    Santonicola’s menu will focus on authentic, ingredient driven Neapolitan 12-inch pizzas and the pleasures of Mediterranean dining.  The double zero flour for a lighter crust, Buffalo mozzarella, and organic San Marzano tomatoes he will incorporate into his creations are all imported from Naples, Italy.  The Marco with tomato sauce, smoked Mozzarella, mushrooms and sausage and the Bianca of fresh Mozzarella, Gorgonzola ricotta, basil and baby arugula are two of his 12 pizzas specialties on the opening menu.

    He will also make calzones and offer seasonal salads, charcuterie, Italian cheeses and house-made gelato along with traditional Italian sweets such as Tiramisu and Budino al Caramello.  Prices range from $6.50 to $9 for salads, $11 to $14 for antipasti selections, $8.50 to $13 for signature pizzas and $6-$8 for desserts.

    The beverage program at Pizzeria da Marco will offer a selection of lesser known, great value Italian red, white and sparkling wines from various regions of the country.  Over 45 wines will be available by the bottle along with 12 wines by the glass.  Prices range from $6 to $12 for wines by the glass and $22 to $60 by the bottle.  Nine beers will also be available by the bottle and four on tap:  Peroni, Miller Lite, Bass Ale, Sam Adams Boston Lager.

    GTM Architects coordinated with Alessandro Ferro to transform the space into an Italian pizzeria.  Architectural details include exposed brick, iron chandeliers, mosaic tiles and the custom SF Allestimenti brick oven.  The restaurant’s color scheme reflects a palette from Tuscany with splashes of olive green, warm orange and crisp blue. Two semi-private dining rooms are available for private parties. One can seat up 12 guests and the larger room can accommodate 30. An outdoor patio will also be available during the spring and summer months (weather permitting) with seating for 26 guests.

    Pizza da Marco will only accept reservations for large private parties and the neighborhood has ample public parking options and is walking distance from the Bethesda Metro station. The hours of operations are as follows: Sunday thru Thursday from 11:30 AM to 10:30 PM; Friday and Saturday from 11:30 AM to 11:30 PM. For more information, please call (301) 654-6083 or visit the website at www.pizzeriadamarco.net.

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  • 06May

    Ardeo + Bardeo

    Parmesan soup. They served it both in bowls and shot glasses.

    I recently attended an event at Ardeo. We tried a variety of their pizzas:

    • Duck ham, pineapple, fontina, foie gras
    • Mozzarella, tomato, basil
    • Wild mushrooms, black garlic, sottocenere, fontina ( I had to skip this one due to an allergy.)
    • Soppresatta, pancetta, house bacon, bresaola (This was very good and my favorite if the pizzas I tried.)

    Other dishes we tried included:

    • Involtini of burrata
    • Pork belly with pineapple and ham
    • Steak on fingerling “crostini” with horseradish creme fraiche
    • house-cured Bresaola with potato salad
    • Flatbread with roasted garlic, Parmesan and dried cherries
    • New Potato and parmesan soup

    The food was very good, and the standout dish was one I didn’t even think I’d like (since my mom over used this particular cheese in most dishes when i was growing up), the Parmesan soup (which came with a Parmesan frico).  The soup was smooth, creamy, and had a great flavor while not being overwhelming.  This paired well with the Mandarin Blossom Sour (cocktail).

    I also tried the Strawberry Basil Wine Punch, which was good, once I stirred it, since it wasn’t mixed well.

    And, met (owner) Ashok Bajaj. I’ve been to one of his other restaurants, Bibiana, for a great lamb-themed dinner (that I wrote about).

    -JAY

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  • 06May

    Sixth & Rye

    Yes, the Jewish food truck (Sixth and Rye) is launching May 20th at Sixth and I. Here is the web page (with the menu) and press release. Great that Chef Spike Mendelsohn is involved. This project’s idea came from a suggestion campaign at Sixth and I; I remember putting a bunch of suggestions in but I probably should have been thinking corned beef.

    I have my eye on:

    Signature Smoked Corned Beef Sandwich Cured and Smoked Beef Brisket on Seedless Rye with Original House Hot Mustard ($9) and a Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry ($2).

    -JAY
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  • 06May

    Café Saint-Ex’s 3rd Annual Memorial Day Chili Cook-Off Returns with 14th Street Chef Throwdown!

    In my inbox.

    -JAY

    —————————

    Café Saint-Ex‘s 3rd Annual Memorial Day Chili Cook-Off Returns with 14th Street Chef Throwdown

    Mid-City Community Street Festival Offers Chili from 14th Street’s Best Chefs, Flowing Brews, Live Bands and Kids Activities for Charity

    WHAT: 14th Street restaurants are all the rage – but which one of them makes the best chili? Café Saint-Ex is bringing back their annual Memorial Day Chili Cook-Off on Monday, May 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., this time gathering 14th Street’s best chefs for a Chili Smack Down competition. Closing down T Street for the community street festival, the afternoon will offer chili tastings from the best local chefs, flowing brews, live music and kids’ activities, all to raise money for the local Garrison Elementary School.

    Chefs will present unique chili recipes which will be judged by a panel of food journalists and bloggers  including Amanda McClements of Metrocurean (www.metrocurean.com) and Alejandra Owns of Borderstan (www.borderstan) and tasted by over 1,000 consumers. Prizes will be awarded in a number of categories including First Place, Second Place, Best Use of a Unique Ingredient and People’s Choice, which will be judged by those who attend the Smack Down. First place will be awarded $500 and second place will be awarded $200.

    The community event will also feature live music from local Washington, DC bands, flowing beer from an on-site Peroni truck, and a family-friendly interactive Kids Zone. All proceeds from the 14th Street Chili Smackdown will be donated to Garrison Elementary, and the public is invited to join the festivities and sample some of DC’s best chili while supporting the local community.

    WHO:

    ·         Café Saint-Ex

    ·         Bar Pilar

    ·         Garrison Elementary School

    WHEN: Monday, May 30, 2011

    11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

    WHERE: Café Saint-Ex (and along T Street)

    1847 14th Street, NW

    Washington, DC 20009

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  • 05May

    All Next Week: 5 Nights Of Birthday Fun At Rustico (Alexandria Location)

    In my inbox.  I believe that you can’t post actually prices of alcoholic drinks in VA, so I removed a prices.  I’ll double check if that is necessary.

    -JAY

    ———————

    Celebrating 5 Fine Years In Alexandria

    With 5 Days & Nights Of Fun In The Suds

    Festivities Begin Monday!

    Alexandria’s Rustico is turning 5 next week and to mark the occasion, we’re hosting 5 days and nights of fun in the suds and invite you to join us for the party all week long. The activities were designed with everyone in mind as a way of saying thanks to one and all – and to showcase the heart of what we’re all about – good people, honest food and great beer. Grab your friends and come out for some good cheer and good beer on Slaters Lane all week long, and on behalf of each and every one of us here, a hearty and heartfelt thank you for five amazing years.

    Monday, May 9 | 4 to 6 p.m.

    $5 Until 6 Pizza

    Let’s get this party started! Order any one of Steve’s pizzas on the menu for only $5. The catch? You’ve got to eat it here and you’ve gotta get in between 4 and 6. Better than a late lunch – an economically-sound reason to knock off early!

    Tuesday, May 10 | Beginning at 5 p.m.

    Original Bartender Reunion

    Greg Engert, Nahem Simon and a few other originals will all be behind the stick beginning at 5. This original squad will be pouring and pontificating on all things ale throughout the evening and every draft beer in the house will be available at a discount, all night long.

    Wednesday, May 11 | Beginning at 6 p.m.

    Big Glassware Giveaway With Red-Hot Local Brewers

    Rustico welcomes red-hot local beer makers DC Brau + Port City Brewing Company to pour a few of their fine ales and they’ll be handing out glass swag all night long. As most of you know by now, these things are pretty huge, so come early.

    Thursday, May 12 | 6 to 8 p.m.

    Outdoor BBQ Bash with Chef Steve Mannino

    Come sip in the sun as Steve smokes up Slaters Lane. This outdoor feast has all the classics from Beef Brisket to Deviled Eggs, Slaw and more for only $15 a plate. As a bonus, Buzz Bakery will be handing out cake to finish off the meal. While supplies last, naturally.

    Friday, May 13 | Beginning at 4 p.m.

    The Final Stretch

    Those crazy drink deals we typically offer only in the afternoon? Well, tonight they’re here, ready, willing and just waiting for you all night long.

    One last detail: If you’re local to our Ballston restaurant, please take note that all the festivities are happening in Alexandria and you’re welcome to accept this as an open invitation to stop on by the original!

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  • 04May

    (Chef) Sammy Davis Jr. Can Cook!

    Chef Sammy Davis Jr. making shrimp and grits.

    Last night, we attended Kidsave International’s “Best Main Dish in D.C.” Chef Competition.   Kidsave International is a great charity dedicated to finding families for older children forgotten in foster care and orphanages around the world.  K Street Kate and Lauren DeSantis were in attendance.

    My favorite dishes were Chef Sammy Davis Jr‘s shrimp & grits (with sausage), The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm‘s Doro Wot (Ayrshire Farm Chicken Breast in Berbere Spice Gravy with Boiled Farm Egg and Injera), and Evo Bistro‘s Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Butternut Squash Ravioli, Wild Mushrooms and Sage Cream.  I voted for Evo (after having them hold the mushrooms) because the raviolis were amazing.

    Dilmah Tea was present and I snagged some samples.  I’m drinking a satchel of their green tea with jasmine flowers right now. I’ve also tried the satchel of sweet almond black tea and the standard teabag of cinnamon green tea.  Dilmah Tea has a social mission, and their tea both tastes great and has twice the antioxidants of other teas.  From their website:

    “In the 1950s I set out to offer tea drinkers the finest tea on earth whilst ensuring a genuinely ethical brand. It took me nearly four decades to fulfill my mission, but in 1988 I launched my family tea – Dilmah – the first producer owned tea brand in the world, handpicked, perfected and packed at source and shipped within days to tea drinkers around the world. This ensures that Dilmah tea is the freshest, brimming with antioxidants.”

    -JAY

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  • 04May

    Somebody Obviously Has Money to Burn

    Deserted in the desert

     

    From the fine folks at Arlington Now – the ersatz food truck graveyard on Columbia Pike is described, and, in the comments, the ersatz food truck graveyard is explained:

    Thanks so much for all the interest in sauca and my other trucks. I am opening a sauca restaurant at 4707 Columbia Pike. It will be opened by the end of May. The Meathead and LGM trucks, while wonderful, were taking my eye off the sauca ball, so I decided to sell the trucks and focus on sauca; my original concept. So, as for the property; it is mine; and the trucks are parked there to be sold. So as you can see it is all rather simple and without intrigue. Just an entrepreneur simply making decisions that are in the best interest of the business. I hope this answers all of your concerns and questions but feel free to contact me any time for more info.
    All the best, Farhad

    I wish Farhad Assari the best of luck in starting up the restaurant, for as difficult as setting up a food truck can be, it only gets amplified with a brick-and-mortar establishment. Building codes, electrical systems, drainage, food storage – and, unlike a food truck, you can’t just drive to a new spot if you don’t like your neighbors. Fortunately, he’s got enough revenue-generating advertising built-in with his existing food trucks

    Still, I am surprised by the quick-trigger on Meathead and La Gloria Mexicana. If you thought Paul Reiser’s new show on NBC got yanked in a hurry – two episodes and GONE – then these two vehicles would be the food truck version of Emily’s Reasons Why Not – one and done.

    While the market for mobile flavors from South of the Border has become more crowded with Sabor’a Street and Sol, the carnivoire-based offerings from Meathead were different enough from, well, Carnivoire BBQ and PORC to draw customers.

    The “for sale” signs are a welcome invitation for any enterprising young chef looking to make a name in the world of DC/NoVA street food. The trucks are ready to go – now we just need a daring new concept that hasn’t been done before – I’m thinking CUPCAKES.

    -RAY

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  • 03May

    My Recent Wine Adventures

    Fried green tomatoes at the Chesapeake Room.

    A couple of weeks ago, I attended Newton Vineyard’s Eco Chic Media Tour at (the relatively new) Chesapeake Room (501 8th Street Southeast) near Eastern Market. Michael Wisner was present; he is a contemporary American artist and designer of the new 2011 Newton Limited bottle chiller and an official partner of Newton Vineyards eco – conscious initiatives. I got to meet Chris Millard as well; he is the winemaker for Newton Vineyards. I’ve never had unfiltered wine before, and was expecting something like unfiltered grape juice (which is basically juice with pulp). No. there was no grit or pulp because wine sits longer and settles into sediment that does not wind up in your glass. Was it good? Yes, definitely better than expected.

    Cheese & fig compote. The (delicious) seafood salad is to the right.

    How was the food at Chesapeake Room?  I had a variety of appetizers including fried green tomatoes with goat cheese tomato creme, seafood salad on cucumber slices, Appalachian cheese with (their house made) fig compote, shrimp & zucchini skewers with chimmichurri (I’ll go with their spelling), and smoked duck breast with Pomeranian sauce. My favorites were the seafood salad and the shrimp skewers, but i enjoyed all the dishes except the duck, which I felt was too tough. The fig compote was good. The chef is new to this area and is originally from North Carolina.

    I attended Biagio’s sample day a couple of weeks ago. They had many great chocolate samples out (like a 100% bar, and one with pink peppercorns). They also had the list of winners from a British chocolate show and were selling the chocolates that won awards. First Vines was the guest vintner and had some great French wines at the tasting; they can actually deliver to DC or ship to Virginia (sorry Maryland). Biagio’s sample days are monthly, and while they announce the dates a few days in advance, they are (at my request) sending me the dates a couple of weeks in advance.

    One nice thing about the Biagio tastings is that two wine stores on the same street have wine tastings on Saturdays. So, we hit 3 tastings in one shot. The other two shops we hit were A.M. Wineshop (which only carries French wines), and Ansonia (which has prepared foods as well).  De Vinos might have tastings as well.

    -JAY

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