Culinaire Reopens
• November 6, 2012

Culinaire Restaurant has just re-opened its
doors to the public. Billed as a one-ofa-
kind eatery and a part of the culinary
curriculum of the International Culinary School
at the Art Institute of Washington, the student
run restaurant aims to provide delicious food
and an all-around positive dining experience to
its patrons while acting as a unique instructional
environment for students of the Art Institute’s
culinary program.

Culinaire first opened its doors to the public
in 2008. The restaurant is open for eight weeks
each academic quarter and serves both lunch and
dinner. The menu changes quarterly, and this
term entrées include seared trout, carrot pasta,
Cornish hen, seared pork loin and grilled beef.

“The idea behind having a full service restaurant
at the Art Institute of Washington is to
provide our students with the opportunity to
work in a kitchen that simulates the environment
of a real working kitchen,” said Chef
Andrew Policelli, a culinary instructor at the
International Culinary School at the Art Institute
of Washington.

At Culinaire, students are on the forefront
of both the kitchen and the restaurant fronts.
Though they work under the supervision of
Chef Michael Roll and a team of credentialed
faculty chef instructors, students are involved
directly in all aspects of the restaurant, including
food preparation, serving guests, preparing their
kitchen station and breaking down their stations
at the end of the day.

Policelli further explained the idea behind a
student-run eatery and the benefits of having a
working restaurant to serve as a lab for students.

“[It] allows the students to experience both
sides of working in a restaurant: preparing the
guests’ food and serving them from beginning
to end,” Policelli said, “[It’s] a complete instructional
environment for students that offers a
quality dining experience to its patrons.”

Every Art Institute with a culinary program
has a working restaurant, according to Policelli.
This hands-on experience allows students to
experience a working restaurant firsthand and
is very beneficial in preparing them for careers
in this field.

In the end, Culinaire benefits the surrounding
community as well as students at the Art
Institute.

“Why settle for lukewarm mystery meat, last
night’s leftovers or a microwave dinner, when
you can enjoy a delicious, freshly prepared
bistro-style meal?” ask those of the restaurant in
a press release.

Anywhere from 50 to 150 patrons a week do
just that, visiting Culinaire and seeing the students
in action weekly while enjoying a freshly
created lunch or dinner.

Culinaire’s menu includes their four main
entrées for the quarter and a wide selection of
drinks, appetizers, sides and deserts. Prices
range from $2 to $12.?

Culinaire is located at 1820 North Fort
Myer Drive, Arlington, Va., near the Rosslyn
Metro, and is open on Mondays, Tuesdays
and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
for lunch and 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. for dinner.
Reservations are recommended and can be
made by calling the restaurant at 703-247-3841.

Coldwell Banker and Operation Paws Sponsor Pet Adoption
• October 31, 2012

October has been a good month for homeless animals in and around D.C.

Earlier this month, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Georgetown office partnered with Operation Paws to sponsor a dog adoption event. An estimated 150 people came to Washington Harbour on the Oct. 13 event, and seven furry, barking friends were adopted.

Coldwell Banker Georgetown became involved with Operation Paws through several of its employees who volunteer and foster animals there. Oct. 13 was the third time that these two organizations joined forced for this cause. Previous adoption events took place during October 2011 and June 2012; these two efforts saw a total of 27 dogs adopted. The next adoption event is scheduled for May 2013.

Also, now through Oct. 30, the Washington Humane Society is charging no adoption fees on black or orange animals. More information can be found by calling the Humane Society at 202-723-5730.
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Obama Charms George Mason
• October 25, 2012

The line wound around George Mason University’s athletic field, filled with people eager to see President Barack Obama speak. They sat with energy drinks and made trips to the nearby Starbucks as they waited for the Oct. 19 event to start. Many were there as early as 3 a.m., but most agreed that lack of sleep was well worth it in exchange to see the president firsthand.

The wait was certainly worth it for Nicole Berg, a student from Germany at American University for the fall semester, who said, “Especially for an international student, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was either grasp it or never have it again.”

People were able to enter the field at 8:45 a.m. Tickets were available for free online but did not guarantee admission, which was why many arrived early.

The excitement was palpable. Chants of “four more years” could be heard throughout the event. Obama took the stage around noon. It took him little time to increase the already high levels of enthusiasm that were present.

A crowd favorite – and a phrase that has quickly found its way online – was “Romnesia.”

“I mean, [Mitt Romney]’s changing up so much and backtracking and sidestepping, we’ve got to name this condition that he’s going through. I think it’s called “Romnesia,’” Obama quipped.

Throughout the morning, volunteers with Obama for America were emphasizing the importance of the days remaining before the election and encouraging people to sign up to participate in neighborhood canvassing or the phone banks.

This event was an important one for Obama, as Virginia is considered a swing state. Fortunately for the president, if those in attendance on Friday are any indication, many are skeptical of Romney and the profound case of “Romnesia” with which Obama has diagnosed him.
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VP Debate: Biden Came on Strong, Ryan Pushed Back
• October 24, 2012

Vice presidential candidates — Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) debated for a lively 90 minutes last night. The exchange was moderated by Martha Raddatz of ABC News and focused on both domestic and foreign policy issues. Described by the New York Times as an aggressive quarrel, neither candidate hesitated to harshly criticize or scoff at the other.

Ryan and Biden’s clash of philosophies centered around multiple topics, including healthcare, Libya, tax cuts, the Middle East, defense cuts and Social Security. Throughout the night, there was little that the candidates agreed upon – Ryan made a strong case for conservative policies, whereas Biden sharply criticized Ryan’s proposals and advocated a liberal Democratic agenda.

Medicare in particular was a fiercely debated topic. Biden argued, “Their [Republican] ideas are old and their ideas are bad, and they eliminate the guarantee of Medicare.” Ryan countered that Democrats “got caught with their hands in the cookie jar, turning Medicare into a piggybank for Obamacare.”

The candidates also contrasted sharply when Raddatz asked what role their Catholic faith had played in shaping their views on abortion. Ryan, who identifies as pro-life, made it clear that his faith and politics are intertwined, saying that he was not able to see how persons could separate their public life from their faith. Biden stated that although he has considered himself a practicing Catholic for his entire life and accepts the Catholic Church’s position that life begins at conception, he refuses “to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews. . . [He does not] believe that we have a right to tell other people that – women they can’t control their body.”

Foreign policy further emphasized the divide between the candidates. Ryan was critical of the way the Obama administration handed the terrorist strike in Libya, saying he was unsatisfied that “It took the president two weeks to acknowledge that this was a terrorist attack.” He questioned why the United States lacked protection for the diplomatic compound. When Ryan went on to further criticize the Obama administration’s response to the Middle East, Biden retorted that his criticisms were “a bunch of malarkey,” causing the phrase to significantly trend online.

Throughout the debate, Biden had no shortage of quips for his opponent, and his smirk at Ryan was a constant presence. As the New York Times wrote, “Mr. Biden showed no hesitation in hectoring, heckling and interrupting his challenger.” Biden’s sharp responses included “These guys bet against America all the time” and “But I always say what I mean. And so does Romney.”

Biden’s demeanor was a popular topic on social media. “Malarkey” was trending on Twitter, and images of the smirks he gave Ryan were prominent on Tumblr. Sam Youngman, a campaign correspondent for Thomson Reuters, tweeted, “People who like Biden will think this is the greatest debate ever. Folks who don’t will find him at his most obnoxious.”

While Biden definitely made a strong impression, polls were divided as to who won the debate. A survey by CNN declared Ryan the winner; another survey by CBS News called it a clear victory for Biden. The CNN survey stated that 48 considered Ryan the winner of the debate, while 44 percent said that Biden was the winner. CBS News found that 50 percent thought the night was a win for Biden.