Category Archives: Food and Drink

Food and Drink, Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
By

Southampton Beer Dinner

Photo courtesy of
‘Southampton Cuvée des Fleurs’
courtesy of ‘Bernt Rostad’

I’m a sucker for beer dinners.  Call me a fan boy, but I’m a genuine believer that beer and food were made to be paired.  That’s why I pass on to you, dear reader, any scoop I get on one that’s happening in the near future.  I happen to have such a scoop, now. Commonwealth Gastropub in Columbia Heights is hosting a dinner highlighting the beers of New York based Southampton Publik House. Southampton is a fairly recent addition to the DC beer scene and makes a wide variety of regional styles.  Commonwealth is featuring their IPA, Double White, Altbier and Cuvee de Fleurs.  I’m particularly excited about the Double White, a Belgian Wit, that is supposed to be one of Southampton’s best offerings.  Along with the beer, Commonwealth is offering a four course meal to compliment each beer.  The menu includes a red grapefruit salad, mussels, grilled pork, and ricotta in honey.  The event is tomorrow at 6:30 and will run you $45.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Local, Organic, Delicious…Frozen?

Eat & Smile Prepackaged Meal Delivery

I’m busy. All my friends know this, and you dear readers have probably noticed that yours truly, has been sorely missing from the blogosphere lately. I’ve been hard at work at my actual day job, and behind the scenes here, and all this hard work adds up and leaves little time for actually cooking. If I can’t even blog, how in the world am I going to cook?

Enter: Eat & Smile Foods, the locovore foodie’s answer to “no time to cook”. Chef Oliver Friendly visits all your favorite farmer’s market stands and then hand-makes pastas, breads, and whips up local ingredients into instant-prep dinner.Chef Friendly prepares balanced meals (think grass fed ribeye, strawberry bread pudding with berries from Westmoreland Berry Farm, even fingerling potatoes) then freezes them in airtight packages that just need to be thawed and popped in a pot of boiling water, usually for 10 minutes, and voila! A chef-prepared well-balanced meal all ready for your consumption.

I’ve been trying out dishes for the past few weeks on nights where I have no time to cook, and have adored Chef Friendly’s meatballs in tomato sauce, corn and red peppers, smoked pork and more. Meal delivery is pricey, the standard 7 meals per week is $150 per person, but I had the smarts to buy a Groupon for half price, which just about equaled my bougie Whole Foods grocery bill.

Food and Drink, The Features
By

Restaurant Week 2010: The Best Bets

Photo courtesy of
‘the joys of civilized living’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

Restaurant Week is practically upon us and as usual, everyone’s got their opinions. Some love it. Some hate it. And some use it as an opportunity to get to know their own kitchens a little better. I was always a Restaurant Week hater until a couple years ago when I discovered that a little organization, a lot of Googling and a little better attitude can actually a delightful Restaurant Week make. And since you, dear Washingtonians, are a busy bunch these days, I’ll take it upon myself to handle the organization and the Googling – the attitude adjustment is up to you.

My issue with Restaurant Week has always been those restaurants that feel their “special menu” needs to consist of a choice of two or three dishes for each course. Um…no. That is not a menu, and it certainly doesn’t give me a feel for what a meal would be like the other fifty-one weeks a year. Another problem I have is the fabled “upcharge” where a restaurant will gladly charge me almost a 50% surcharge for getting one of their pricier options. When I am getting the entire meal for $35 and you charge me an additional $15 for the steak, I am not a happy camper. Luckily, there are restaurants out there that forget the upcharges and let you choose from the entire (if not almost the entire) menu. This is the Restaurant Week Holy Grail.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Yeah, yeah, Shake Shack’s coming. But till then?

Photo courtesy of
‘Shake Shack (Times Square)’
courtesy of ‘shinya’

Unless you’ve been under an internet rock you’ve seen the news that Shake Shack has confirmed they’re opening a DC location. Like In-n-Out Burger, you either get the obsession or you don’t. I’m not going to tell you what to think.

But I will ask, what are you going to do till 2011? BoltBus up to NYC to feed your fix?

If you’re at all a DIY type you could follow the instructions from last year’s Serious Eats post on how they replicated the Shake Shack burger at home. If you’re impatient you can skip right to the recipe but I’ll tell you up front that the only pain in the ass part is going to be the three different beef cuts you’ll need ground: a 2:1:1 mix of sirloin:chuck:brisket.

You can do it yourself with a $38 KitchenAid attachment if you have the mother of all mixers or you can try a place like Del Ray’s Let’s Meat On the Avenue. Or get any old grocery to grind the three separately – they’ll do it if you can actually get the meat counter to pay attention to you – and mix em yourself.

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
By

We Love Food: 2 Amys

Photo courtesy of
‘2 Amy’s’
courtesy of ‘aus_chick’
There are certain unalienable truths for me when it comes to dining out: I don’t like to eat at restaurants with tons of kids, and I hate waiting for a table. 2 Amys is one of the few restaurants that I actually overlook these issues and settle in for a sometimes loud, usually not immediate dinner.

2 Amys is a neighborhood restaurant at its core, though a neighborhood restaurant with a much broader fan base than greater Cleveland Park. The restaurant is small, even with the secret second floor and tiny back patio, and not really made for the tables of four or six that are forced to meander around outside, hoping that a few two-tops will finish at the same time. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
By

Friday Happy Hour: Raki

Photo courtesy of
‘Efe Raki’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

Welcome to the Friday Happy Hour, your single drink primer for the weekend.

Ah, the aniseed! Like cilantro, it has a taste you either love or hate. Absinthe, sambuca, pastis, raki are all anise-flavored spirits that inspire devotion or downright hatred. Me? I love licorice. So you know what side I fall on. Recently the mysteries of one of these aniseed derived drinks was revealed to me at Agora, the new Turkish restaurant on 17th Street NW in Dupont Circle. The charming bar manager, Ismail Uslu, was kind enough to let me sample some raki, Turkey’s official national drink. It was a fascinating experience and one I hope you’ll share.

But what is raki exactly? Like ouzo and grappa, raki is produced by distilling the solid remains of fruit after it’s been pressed, commonly raisins, figs, or grapes. Then it’s flavored with aniseed. Raki can be drunk straight (called “sec”), in which case it’s clear, or diluted with cold water, which turns it milky white. Ice cubes can also be added after dilution according to personal preference. Agora stocks six raki of different styles and distillation levels so you can sample several to see which one you prefer. I tried Efe, which is triple-distilled from grape remains.

Ismail showed me the traditional way to serve raki. Two glasses were placed on the bar, one with plain raki about a third of the way full, and the other with water. From a separate pitcher he poured chilled water into the raki which resulted in the magical transformation known in Turkey as “the lion’s milk” – turning the raki that beautiful opaque color. Then he placed a bowl of ice cubes down for me to add as I liked.

“It’s a slow drink,” he said, “sip some raki, then some water. It’s not like shots.” Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, We Green DC
By

$10 Off at Silver Diner

Silver Diner

When you think about diner food, “fresh” and “local” probably don’t spring to mind. But the fine folks at the Silver Diner are out to change all that – and to let you try some of their new dishes for free.

Starting today, if you “like” Silver Diner on Facebook and enter your e-mail on their form, they’ll send you a coupon for $10 off once they reach 5,000 fans.

Their new Fresh & Local choices mean if you order a salad topped with local blueberries and goat cheese, it’ll taste great.

And you can still order a burger – they’ll just hold the hormones and the long truck ride for your beef, and stack on extra juicy flavor.

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed, We Love Drinks
By

Wrapping Up the Rickey

Alex Bookless wins the Rickey Contest. Photo: Scott Wolfson.

The Third Annual Rickey Month Celebration was Monday night, and I’m only now getting around to recap it after being honored to participate in the final judging. That should give you a better idea of what kind of wild fun party it was than anything I could possibly write, but…

The five final contestants presented a quintet of Rickey riffs highlighting the enormous talent we have on hand here in DC mixology. None were derivative, all were inventive, and it was a very tough call. That’s the sign of an excellent field of contestants – congratulations to the DC Craft Bartenders Guild!

But there has to be a winner, and it was Alex Bookless (The Passenger) with her The Root of All Rickey, a complex mix of both event sponsors Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Hendrick’s Gin. Continue reading →

Adventures, Business and Money, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
By

National Cheesecake Day: Get Your Forks Out

Photo courtesy of
‘The Cheesecake Factory’
courtesy of ‘Bitman’

In honor of National Cheesecake Day, all Cheesecake Factories have slashed prices on all their cheesecakes by 50%.  They’re also debuting their latest addition, Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake, which looks ultra yummy good. So stop in your local Cheesecake Factory, and treat yourself you a slice.

Food and Drink, The Features, We Green DC, We Love Drinks
By

We Love Drinks: Beer that Loves DC – Part 1

Photo courtesy of
‘Jeff Hancock and Brandon Skall’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

“We’re quitting our jobs, next week,” Brandon Skall tells me. I look over at his business partner, Jeff, who smiles wryly. “From here on out, it’s all DC Brau.” Maybe it’s a crazy thing to do. Starting a business in the best of times is tough, but in this economy it’s especially risky. Still, Brandon and Jeff don’t seem worried, which inspires a certain confidence.

“How do your wives feel about it?” I ask, noticing wedding rings on their fingers.

“They’re scared shitless, but they’re excited,” Jeff Hancock replies. “That’s how I knew this was a good idea.” Both men smile, lean back in their chairs and sip their beers. It’s one of the hotter days in late June and we’re sweating it out on the back porch of Little Miss Whiskey’s, talking about their start-up brewery, DC Brau.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Penn Quarter, We Love Food
By

We Love Food: Poste Roast

Photo Credit: Michael Harlan Turkell

I love throwing dinner parties. In my head, they always turn out like the cover of Bon Appetit and there’s always enough delicious food and the wine is perfect and everyone is happy. But in actuality, the food is pretty okay, it never is all ready at the same time, and I usually forget to put forks on the table. I always just assumed that the perfect dinner party was in the same category as unicorns and leprechauns, but Poste Roast proves that is not the case.

Poste Roast is a genius special event put on by the fine folks at Poste Moderne Brasserie in the Hotel Monaco. It’s part pig roast and part elegant dinner party. I admittedly didn’t really know what to expect when I forced seven of my closest friends to give over full control of their dinner and wallets to me that night, but I thought it was bound to be something memorable.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed, We Love Drinks
By

Beer and Food Pairing at Little Miss Whiskey’s

Photo courtesy of
‘Hopeful Light’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

As a beer lover there’s something so interesting that pairings do to the way you experience beer.  You still think about the malt characteristics and the quality of the yeast as you drink, but you get the added element of how your beer is cutting or complimenting your food.  You experience whole new flavors and elements of the brew that the food enhances.  You’re continually surprised by how reality contradicts your intellectual supposition of how a certain beer with pair with a particular food. Continue reading →

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
By

Ben’s Chili Bowl At Six Flags America!

Photo courtesy of
‘ka’
courtesy of ‘CstrzRock’

If you enjoy all the roller coasters, water rides, shows, family attractions for all ages, funnel cake, cotton candy, etc. already available at Six Flags America! then as of today you’ll be able to add chili and half-smokes to your list.

Our favorite chili and half-smokes from historic Ben’s Chili Bowl will be served at two locations: Hurricane Hot Dog in Hurricane Harbor water park and Colonial Cheesesteaks in the theme park. This endeavor will be Ben’s first theme park location and only the fifth place in the Washington, DC area where guests can dine on these famous DC eats.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

It’s Pay Day, So I Bought A Pricey Burger.

Rogue States 1
Inside Rogue States in Dupont/Photo by Rachel Levitin

Every two weeks when pay day comes around I like to treat myself to a lunch that isn’t home-made, off the dollar menu, or from Subway. While I’ve done the whole Five Guys thing, I’ve still never made it to any of the gourmet burger joints in town (shocker, I know, since there are so many). Today I changed that. Continue reading →

Adventures, Alexandria, Arlington, Downtown, Dupont Circle, Entertainment, Foggy Bottom, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Music, Night Life, Penn Quarter, Petworth, The Great Outdoors, The Hill, The Mall, We Love Weekends
By

We Love Weekends: July 24-25

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Rachel: Well, I’m fresh off a stint in Nashville to audition for American Idol. It didn’t go my way but I learned a lot and am ready to rock out harder than ever before after being “cut” from the program before ever seeing any air-time. I’ve got a gig booked for Saturday night at the Tonic Lounge (located at 2036 G Street NW, near the Foggy Bottom Metro). I’m not the only entertainment on tap, several artists from the DC area will take the stage too. So grab a drink at the bar, stay for the tunes, and if you’re a Glee fan I guarantee a solid new cover added to my repertoire from the second half of last season’s show. Not gonna tell you what it is, you’ll have to stop by to hear it. Show starts at 8 p.m. with a $5 cover. I’ll also have albums on sale with proceeds going to the National Kidney Foundation in honor of my late father who received a heart transplant in 1999. Hope to see you there! It should be a rockin’ good time.

Patrick: Weeks of no social life ends this weekend. Noises Off! opens this Saturday at Keegan Theatre in Dupont Circle. As the stage manager I’ll be in the booth playing the role of incompetent sound technician #1. No seriously, come see the show and watch the actors freak out at me during Act III. The show will run through August so I hope to see everybody there eventually. While I’m running the show I’ll also be trying to figure out where to eat and drink before and after performances- anybody have any suggestions for places I should check out around 17th Street?

Continue reading →

Downtown, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Cheap Beer Alert!

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘muohace_dc’

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.  A time to spend $10 on a six pack of craft beer, and a time to kick back with a cheap all-American brew.  A time to savor the complexity of a well made drink, and a time to cool off with an ice cold blue collar type beer. Fortunately, Againn is facilitating the latter of these times with their 99 cent beer special.  When you purchase one of Againn’s four happy hour appetizers, you get two Yueglings for less than a buck.  Surely that’s worth coming off of your beer snob high horse for.

Food and Drink, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
By

Happy Birthday Stephen Strasburg, I Ate A Burger For Ya!

We Love DC would like to wish Stephen Strasburg a happy birthday today. The Nationals phenom pitcher and San Diego native turns 22. Today he’s probably spending the day preparing for his start against the Cincinnati Reds tomorrow but I think he should relax, have some fun, and perhaps celebrate the way I did- by eating one of the many burgers in his namesake.

After a whole adventure on Twitter my fellow co-worker Laura Murphy and I got BGR: The Burger Joint to bring back their Strasburger: a cheeseburger topped with a hot-dog, cheese, and 14 pickles. Today we achieved the lifelong dream of eating the Strasburger and as Laura tweeted: it’s was exactly what a 2.03 ERA tastes like.

So Happy Birthday Stephen, may your future starts be victorious, strikeouts come a-plenty, and Strasbugers taste delicious.

Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed
By

Have Lunch with Stan Kasten at Morton’s

Photo courtesy of
‘PRE_1199’
courtesy of ‘MissChatter’

Want to have lunch with Washington Nationals President Stan Kasten? Well now you can thanks to the next installment of the “legend” series at Morton’s Steakhouse.

The lunch-in is hosted by Morton’s with a baseball-based conversation with Kasten led by DC’s own ESPN radio hosts Thom Loverro and Kevin Sheehan.

The $40 menu includes a Caesar Salad, choice of Broiled Salmon Fillet/Chicken Christopher/Single Cut Filet Mignon, Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Garlic Green Beans and New York Cheesecake from Morton’s private boardroom.

Lunch goes from 12-2 with an 11:30 patio reception and includes a cash bar.

Can’t make it? You can listen to the entire talk on ESPN 980 AM.

Call Kate Scafidi at 202-955-5997 to make a reservation or for more information. You can also e-mail any questions to Morton’s directly.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Looking For Some Post-Quake Relief? Half-Price Shakes At BGR!

So the big news story/joke today is the DC Quake– or lack there of. To fully understand the magnitude of the event I direct everybody to this Twitpic posted by Brightest Young Things:

Anyways to celebrate the seismic event BGR: The Burger Joint will be selling their milk shakes at half price ($2.50) today between 3-4 PM. When you visit check to see the Strasburger is back, after the weekend I’ll be visiting them to make sure they kept true to the promise they made to me earlier this week.

(h/t @aminatou)

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Congratulations to The Passenger!

Photo courtesy of
‘The Passenger 7’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’

Bon Appetit magazine has named local favorite The Passenger as one of the top ten best new cocktail bars in the country in their August edition, with a nod to its internal cocktail club the Columbia Room as well. That should come as no surprise for a bar that has continued to excel since its November opening.

It’s a well-deserved honor for the Brown brothers, co-owners Tom and Derek, who are true gentlemen imbibers and fantastic practitioners of the cocktail craft. So head on over to give them your congratulations. This would be the perfect time to sample DC’s own Rickey!