Category Archives: Food and Drink

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
By

Capital Chefs: Eric Brannon of Ted’s Bulletin (Part 1)

Photo courtesy of
‘Eric Brannon of Ted’s Bulletin’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

Eric Brannon serves up more than your average meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Since Ted’s opened a little more than a year ago, the chef has been serving up comfort food reminiscent of mom’s cooking but with more flair at Ted’s Bulletin in Eastern Market.

“I’m cooking food that gives you memories,” he says. “It’s so rewarding to have people come up to you and say, ‘This is like how my mom made it.’ It pays homage to folks at home.” For Brannon, his cooking is about revamping the simple and attainable classics, which is still a challenge.

The restaurant’s homemade pop tarts and adult (read: liquor-laced) milkshakes have generated worthy buzz around the city. This year the restaurant was nominated for a RAMMY as one of 2011’s Best Neighborhood Gathering Places, one of the few public vote categories. And he says new milkshakes, pop tarts and some fun entrées such as a Texas style brisket will be making their debut on the menu this spring.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Food Truck Tracker

Photo courtesy of
‘Sabora Street’
courtesy of ‘yostinator’

Forgive us, foodies and city dwellers. We’ve been remiss with our Food Truck Tracker. But it’s back and in action. Check out where the food trucks are rollin’ this afternoon. After all, you’ll need something in your stomach to soak up all those margaritas you’ll be drinking tonight in honor of cinco de mayo.
Continue reading →

Arlington, Food and Drink
By

Top Dog Half-Smoke Challenge

Photo courtesy of
‘Top Dog – Jackson 20 & The Grille’
courtesy of ‘Hans Bruesch-Olsen’

The half-smoke is a venerable DC institution, dating back to the 1930s when Briggs & Company Meatpackers combined equal mixtures of coarsely ground beef and pork. Locals and tourists alike flock to Ben’s Chili Bowl and various cart vendors around the Mall to experience this glorious bit of Washingtonian foodstuff.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink
By

First Look: Lincoln Restaurant

Photo courtesy of
‘Hallway mural, Lincoln’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’
Lincoln Restaurant in McPherson Square is one of those places you could almost walk by without even stopping to take a glimpse inside…for now. Something tells me that in a few months the exterior of the Lincoln will stand out as much as the interior.

I always think it’s a tad unfair to judge a place based on its opening week, so I went to Lincoln three times in a three week period. The drinks are solid, the service is still inconsistent, the decor is amazing, and most dishes suffer from the “presentation beats taste” syndrome. No dish left me disappointed, per se, I just had high hopes because they all looked beautiful. My guess is that in one month or so this will all be resolved as happens with most restaurants.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink
By

One Year Later: The Chesapeake Room

My favorite part of The Chesapeake Room is the decor. Everything inside looks absolutely beautiful and hand-crafted. There aren’t many bars I would call elegant, but this one is a beautiful maple color and has some of the highest and most comfortable bar stools.

When Chesapeake Room opened on Memorial Day 2010 I was there just one week later, and the place was still working out the kinks. One year later, I think some of its dishes are just amazing. The restaurant has what it calls a simple mission, highlighting products from Mid-Atlantic farms and waters, so you can taste how fresh all the ingredients are.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Friday Happy Hour: Pimm’s Cup No. 13

It’s time for Friday Happy Hour, highlighting a drink we’ve recently enjoyed, every Friday at 4pm! Please share your favorites as well.

Some of my favorite things: London, gin, ridiculous hats, men in morning dress, and pomp. I have even been told I am “a bit of a princess” (though that may not have been meant as a compliment). In other words, I have somewhat greater than a passing interest in this morning’s Royal Wedding.

I am writing this column whilst drinking Bellocq tea – No. 35, naturally – from a William and Catherine commemorative mug purchased at my favorite store in the world, Liberty.

Of course, that does not make for nearly so good a happy hour as a Pimm’s Cup.
Continue reading →

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
By

Capital Chefs: Scott Drewno of The Source (Part 2)

Photo courtesy of
‘Dumplings at The Source’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

I’m the type of cook that likes a challenge in the kitchen, and one that I’ve been meaning to take on is making my own Chinese food rather than calling for delivery. So these dumplings are the perfect solution. They’re delicious and you’d be surprised that they’re not all that hard to assemble.

Scott Drewno has included two recipes for chicken dumplings and pork potstickers. Read the full recipes after the jump. An make sure to visit his dumpling restaurant if you love these as much as I do!

Continue reading →

Food and Drink
By

Food Tweet of the Week: Founding Farmers

Photo courtesy of
‘Founding Farmers’
courtesy of ‘angela n.’

This might just be cheating, since the winner is actually a retweet…but it was just that good.

Founding Farmers doesn’t mess around when it comes to food or Twitter. Anyone who’s eaten here knows the food served comes from family farms, ranches and fisheries across the U.S. Aka your dish will be full of style and color.

The restaurant actually doesn’t put up many pictures of food, but that might be because it can count on happy diners to do it FOR them. In just the past couple of days I’ve seen pictures of corn on the cob, a fab pasta fish, and a burger. Hello mouth watering.

But my fave of the week from @FoundingFarmers is something completely different.

Continue reading →

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
By

Capital Chefs: Scott Drewno of The Source (Part 1)

Photo courtesy of
‘Scott Drewno of The Source’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

Having cooked for the President and one of the most renowned chefs in the world, as well as having cleaned up consistently at cooking competitions throughout DC, you would think that Scott Drewno would have an ego even bigger than his over six-foot frame. But when I asked him how he deals with the hectic schedule and all of the pressure that comes with such success, his answer revealed just how humble and grounded he is.

“The thing I’ve learned is that you’re only as good as the team you surround yourself with,” Drewno says. “At times it’s stressful, but it’s also a really exciting job.” When I met with Drewno, executive chef of The Source by Wolfgang Puck, he had just gotten back from a corporate retreat in Las Vegas where Wolfgang Puck had asked his various chefs to cook something he had “never seen before.” No big deal, you know, cooking for a chef who’s palate has tasted just about everything and just so happens to be your boss. “Wolfgang Puck is a visionary. He’s very smart and he’s built a great team,” Drewno says.

For Drewno, who was named chef of the year at the 2010 RAMMY’s, he was the type of person who knew he always wanted to be in the kitchen. “Did the industry find me or did I find it?” he jokes. “I really like the roller coaster. No two days are alike and it’s exciting every day. Fifteen years and it’s never felt like a day of work.”
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, People, The Features, We Love Drinks
By

We Love Drinks: Andy Duffy

Photo courtesy of
‘Duffy’s’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

We Love Drinks continues our series where we look behind the bar, profiling the many people – from mixologists to bartenders, sommeliers to publicans – who make your drinks experience happen.

Up to this point in our profile series, we’ve mainly focused on the craft of bartending, a profession that’s finally getting its due. We’ve also talked to a few beverage program and bar managers, the people who design menus and run operations. But what about doing all that and more? What does it take to own your own bar?

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of owning a pub, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that idea. To get behind the dream to the reality, I sat down with Andy Duffy on a Saturday afternoon while hockey fans cheered in the background. As I spoke with him about Duffy’s, the Irish tavern that bears his name on Vermont Avenue near the 9:30 Club, it struck me that its one of those “third places” in my life. I’ve had friends work there, close friends are regulars, and hardly a week goes by without someone saying, “I’m heading to Duffy’s tonight.” There have been hockey game viewings, dart league matches, birthday parties and New Year’s. Duffy’s is my neighborhood pub.

Andy Duffy is most definitely the reason why we keep returning. But like the best publicans, he shies away from self-aggrandizement. There isn’t even a picture of him in this profile, at his request, because he believes the bar should be front and center. For him, the primary motivation to have his own place is the people factor. His low key pub is the “living room” for this intersection that used to be marked only by being a rough and tumble wasteland, now occupied by condos, the nearby Howard Plaza Towers, and newer bars like American Ice Company. More development is coming soon, but it’s still a bit rough in a different sense – Duffy’s has restrictions on its hours and is unable to stay open after midnight on weekdays, meaning when concerts let out he loses those potential customers. That’s a financial impediment to a pub’s success, and hopefully the results of a recent hearing will help change that in the future.

He took a serious risk opening his own bar. The five year anniversary is May 11. I wanted to know, has it been worth it? Continue reading →

Downtown, Food and Drink, The Features
By

Sneak Preview of PAUL

Photo courtesy of
‘PAUL Bakery’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

Ask a Washingtonian if there’s a good place to get bread in the city and you’ll get an earful. I’m not about to debate our city’s carbohydrate merits. Rather, I want to talk about the opening of PAUL, a new bread shop and bakery that might be the one to raise the bar for bread in DC.

PAUL already has more than 450 bakeries elsewhere in the world (mostly in Europe), and so at first I was a little nervous about a “chain” bakery opening their first U.S. store in DC. What I found though was a bakery with a rich history, dedicated people behind it and quite frankly, fantastic bread.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
By

Drinks Special: Spring Cocktails at Saint-Ex

Photo courtesy of
‘Whipping up A Sour Thyme cocktail’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

With any luck, every once and a while I attend a drinks tasting where cocktails and setting perfectly align to create a rather magical experience. Ok, maybe the magic is all due to the haze of booze, but there are worse ways to spend an sun-soaked spring twilight than sitting outside at Saint-Ex’s patio with a few fellow drinks lovers and be catered to by the gentlemanly charms of bar manager Jonathan Fain. Al fresco gets me every time; start me off with a champagne cocktail and you definitely have my attention.

Cafe Saint-Ex is something of a Logan Circle/U Street institution now, weathering the changes to the neighborhood and its clientele while still maintaining its credo to feature local sustainable ingredients in a relaxed bistro environment. Do I grumble about its popularity denying me space at the bar? Sure, but I still value it after the eight years it’s been open. And after trying six of Jonathan’s spring cocktails last week, I will definitely be rotating up to that bar on a more regular basis.

First up in that marathon of spring sips was their famous Champagneson. Jonathan explained that you could improve the taste of cheap bubbly by adding whiskey (in this case, Jameson). It makes sense upon reflection, as the oakiness of a good whiskey will elevate the sparkling wine to a more vintage taste. It certainly worked for me, and as I’ve got loads of whiskey at home I intend to blind taste test this on guests very soon. Garnished with a lemon twist, this was a seriously refreshing drink and far sexier than you might think.

Next up, A Sour Thyme. Jonathan pulled out a sheaf of pressed gelatin, some eggs, and got to work making foam. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Friday Happy Hour: The Josephine

It’s time for Friday Happy Hour, highlighting a drink we’ve recently enjoyed, every Friday at 4pm! Please share your favorites as well.

I hate jelly beans. I do not care if this makes me some kind of easter bunny hating grinch, I think the neon-colored gelatinous orbs are gross. However, even the jar of them that arrived with my drink at Last Exit last night did not sour me on the place.

The new Mount Pleasant bar specializes in simple drinks that showcase house infused sprits and pairs each one with a little snack like grapes, popcorn, or, in the case of The Josephine, jelly beans. The pairing makes sense – the sugary, fruity beans are meant to play off the dry, savory qualities of the drink. The Josephine takes a thyme and grapefruit infused gin and lengthens it with a bit of club soda. The result is a sophisticated, not remotely sticky, sort of a take on a “gin and tonic” and perfect for the coming summer.
Continue reading →

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
By

Capital Chefs: John Critchley of Urbana (Part 2)

Photo courtesy of
‘Shellfish stew at Urbana’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

With spring finally in the air, chef John Critchley’s shellfish stew with coconut and lime is great for this time of year. The coconut milk and lime keep it light, but it still has a rich and creamy broth. For all you seafood wary cooks, this isn’t a difficult recipe to make, so it’s good for taking the plunge into cooking with shellfish. The flavors are great and it’s a dish that will definitely impress your friends.

Click through to find the full recipe after the jump.
Continue reading →

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, The Features
By

Capital Chefs: John Critchley of Urbana (Part 1)

Photo courtesy of
‘John Critchley of Urbana’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

Like many chefs, John Critchley, the new executive chef of Urbana, is cooking because he says, “I don’t know anything else.” Cooking, albeit his full-time job, doesn’t even feel like work sometimes. John started working in a kitchen in his freshman year of high school where he learned that many times your kitchen staff becomes like a family.

“I try to promote that same feeling in my kitchens now,” he says. “You spend 60 hours a week working with each other so it becomes a family. It becomes what you grow to love doing.”

While working in the kitchen creates a family of sorts, he does admit that it’s a challenge to balance everyone’s different cultures, attitudes and work habits. However, John strives to bring his team together and says that he likes seeing people reach their goals because it helps the development of his team in the kitchen. “I want to see my line cooks move up to sous chef. I want to see that they’re motivated to improve,” he says.

Continue reading →

Downtown, Food and Drink
By

Seasonal Cocktails at POV

Photo: Daniel Swartz for W Washington DC

I need to write this sentence: Warm weather whistle-whetters await at the W. Now, that out of the way, we can talk about some drinks.

The terrace of POV at the W is stunning and the perfect spot for a drink on a warm, pleasant evening. It was on just such a lovely evening this week that I was invited by the hotel to sample their spring and summer seasonal cocktails – and was delighted by several of the offerings as well as the setting. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Spring Cocktails at AGAINN

Photo courtesy of
‘Spring cocktail trio, AGAINN’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

Fresh off his excellent showing at ARTINI, Brent Davis invited me to sample a few of the new spring cocktails over at British gastropub AGAINN. As I sat sipping drinks observing the happy hour crew, Brent greeted regulars with a friendly wave and a jibe. It was obvious that they love him. Just after telling me a funny story about the gin and cucumber drink he created for a regular called The Modest Lobbyist, the young lady herself entered. It’s that kind of bar.

AGAINN’s beverage menu still has the signature cocktails created by the very talented Bon Vivants of San Francisco, such as the Lady Macbeth and the Bareknuckle Boxer. Brent has added a few of his own, and my favorite was his riff on the Hemingway Daiquiri, called RedRum (ok, the R’s are reversed, like in The Shining, but I am not technologically savvy, so just imagine that font looking far sexier!). Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Features
By

Eat for Good Causes: Charity Events Roundup

Photo courtesy of
‘Rows of Desserts’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’

You like eating to begin with. That much we know already. But it doesn’t hurt when you can eat good food and support a good cause at the same time.

After the jump, here are three upcoming charity events that incorporate some good food and good causes.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Cook like a Pro: Learn to Roast a Whole Pig at BLT Steak

Photo courtesy of
‘The main entree – pig’
courtesy of ‘wfyurasko’

It’s not every day that you get to roast an entire pig, and frankly, it seems like a daunting task. But this weekend executive chef Victor Albisu of BLT Steak can break it down for you, as well as show you how to break down the whole hog.

The April 23rd class will run from 12:30 until 3 PM and is $100 per person. The class includes a four-course lunch and cooking demonstration. At the end, you get to feast on lechon asado, whole roasted suckling pig, crispy pig ears and artichokes, a valencia salad with Iberico ham and a chorizo stuffed pork loin. In hog heaven, yet?

To snag a spot, you can make reservations with Erica Frank at 202-689-8989 or email her at erica@bltrestaurants.com. Enjoy the Saturday afternoon literally “pigging out.”

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Friday Happy Hour: DC Brau Public Ale

It’s time for Friday Happy Hour, highlighting a drink we’ve recently enjoyed, every Friday at 4pm! Please share your favorites as well.

This Friday Happy Hour is a little unusual: I have never tried the thing I am going to recommend. In fact, only a few people I know have yet had the chance to sample it. However, starting tonight, that is all going to change.

DC Brau is the first brewery to be crafting beer within the District in a generation. Much has been made of the risks the entrepreneurs behind it took and their forays into public policy to make the city more hospitable to themselves and other new breweries that might want to crop up. For more, one can read a profile we did on Brandon Skall and Jeff Hancock last year.
Continue reading →