Food

Sallie Lewis • January 16, 2015

As December dwindles and the year prepares to turn, restaurants and bars around the District are icing down the Champagne and getting ready for their best New Year’s Eve yet. Here are the best places in town to ring in the New Year:

Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown adds sparkle to its annual soiree with festive holiday garlands and dazzling décor. The full dinner menu starts at 4 p.m., and the chef will feature four “Farewell 2014” dinner specials.

At Peacock Café, there will be two seatings with a special prix fixe menu. The first seating ($57) runs from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. The second seating ($69) begins at 8 p.m. and includes a glass of Champagne at midnight.

Enjoy an all-inclusive five-course prix fixe menu with a midnight toast at Café Milano. Guests can also dance to music performed by Manolito the Gypsy and other surprise entertainers. Early seating is from 4 to 7 p.m., with the regular a la carte dinner menu available.

Soak in one of the best views of Washington on New Year’s Eve at the W Hotel’s POV rooftop lounge. Amidst a stunning D.C. backdrop, some of the city’s most sought-after deejays will be spinning tunes throughout the night as the Champagne flows. Limited seating is available for bottle service. Contact POVEvents@Whotels.com for pricing.

Bistrot Lepic has organized a jazzy New Year’s Eve celebration with a three-course menu ($65) and loads of live jazz performed by Natalie Jean.

Cozy up to the big, roaring fire at La Chaumiere and delight in fine French dining in Georgetown. The chef has prepared a special New Year’s Eve menu with everything from baked onion soup and escargots to sautéed sea scallops, beef tenderloin medallions and veal piccata.

Treat yourself and indulge in caviar, oysters and lobster at Plume in the Jefferson Hotel. New executive chef Ralf Schlegel has organized a decadent seven-course New Year’s Eve dinner. The first seating ($165) is between 5 and 6 p.m. The second seating ($225), between 9 and 9:45 p.m., includes a glass of premium Champagne.

Joe’s Stone Crab opened downtown this year, and there’s no better place to tuck into fine crab claws. Joe’s will be featuring its full a la carte menu on Wednesday, Dec. 31, with loads of fresh stone crab. Plus, kick off your evening with complimentary sparkling wine and hors d’oeuvres.

If you’re looking for a classic D.C. institution to ring in 2015, look no further than 1789. The historic restaurant will offer a prix fixe menu ($125) and a prix fixe menu with wine pairing ($175) in addition to its popular a la carte menu.

The swanky Blue Duck Tavern has two events on New Year’s Eve. The restaurant will serve a special four-course menu ($120), including a Champagne toast, from 4:30 to 11 p.m. In the lounge, a New Year’s Eve party ($180) will run from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. The party will feature a premium open bar, small plates, a dessert table and live music by Karla Chisholm.

Wherever you decide to go on New Years’ Eve, the Georgetowner wishes you the best as you celebrate bringing in 2015!

Robert Devaney •

The wait is over, CAPaddicts. Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop will open Monday, Dec. 15. The first 50 persons in line will earn free subs for a year, and the second 50 persons will get a free nine-inch sub on opening day, the company posted on its Capriotti’s Georgetown Facebook page. Of course, there is also an app.

The Delaware-based sandwich shop will make its debut at 34th and M Streets, NW, in the vacant building that housed Philadelphia Cheesesteak Factory and before that the famed Cellar Door music joint. On the west side of town, the shop is a few blocks from Georgetown University and its student population.

Capriotti’s is already downtown at 18th and M Streets, NW, and in Roslyn, Va., on Wilson Boulevard.

Established in 1976 in Wilmington, Del., Capriotti’s is named for the grandfather of founders Lois Margolet and her brother Alan and distinguished itself from other sandwich shops with its turkey sandwiches. It is often touted as a favorite spot of Vice President Joe Biden, formerly a senator from Delaware.

The restaurant serves a large selection of salads, cold and hot subs and sandwiches and a variety of vegetarian options. Since its first shop opened 38 years ago, Capriotti’s has expanded to more than 100 locations in 15 states and the District of Columbia.

The Georgetown Capriotti’s is at 3347 M St., NW, and owned by franchisee George Vincent Jr. It opens daily at 11 a.m.; its phone number is 202-659-3354.

Peter Murray •

After being forced out of Cleveland Park last spring, Frank Ruta has been hired as the executive chef at the Capella Hotel on 31st Street, NW, in Georgetown.

Ruta and his concept, Palena, became a neighborhood and city institution, but both were given the boot by the landlord over back rent payments that reportedly reached more than $100,000. Ruta called the incident “sad, embarrassing and somewhat painful” in an email to the Washington Post when the restaurant closed.

Since Palena’s closing, Ruta has taken charge over Bread Feast, a multi-course dinner series held at Mark Furstenberg’s Bread Furst bakery on Connecticut Avenue in Van Ness. He will cook his last dinner there on Dec. 19 before moving to the Capella. He has expressed hope, though, that the Bread Feast tradition continues in some shape or form.

The Capella opened its Grill Room and Rye Bar with great fanfare last year with Swedish chef Jacob Esko at the helm to provide patrons with a luxurious dining experience to match the hotel’s rooms, which range in cost from $500 to $7,000 a night. Esko left the Capella in June and is now the executive chef at W Barcelona in Spain.

Ruta arrives at the hotel’s restaurant with a mission to bring in more Georgetown locals. In an interview with the Washington Post, Ruta mentioned the possibility of lowering price points by expanding menu options beyond the Grill Room’s staples of seafood and steak in an effort to make the Grill Room a regular destination for Georgetowners. He also said that he expects to bring more Italian and French influence to the menus.

Before taking over the kitchen officially, Ruta is expected to take time to fill out key staff positions and evaluate the hotel’s kitchens. He told the Washington Post that having “final say” over staffing was a key part of his negotiations with the hotel’s management team.

Ruta starts at the Grill Room and Rye Bar on New Years’ Day.

Georgetowner •

If Washington, D.C., has indeed become a hub for top-notch restaurants, the D.C. arrival of Nobu, one of the world’s top Japanese restaurants, would highlight that distinction. While it remains only a possibility, a source told the Washington Business Journal last week that Nobu is in talks for a West End space at 2501 M St. NW., two blocks east of Georgetown.

It is speculated that Nobu will occupy the ground floor of the former American Association of Medical Colleges building, which will be converted to luxury condominiums with retail space at the bottom.

With more than 30 locations nationwide Nobu isn’t hurting to open its doors in D.C., but we’re sure every sushi lover might feel a bit differently.

Georgetowner • January 14, 2015

Pizza Studio plans to open two personalized fast-casual restaurants this month. It’s a gourmet-pizza-quick-casual-create-your-own pizza-cooked-in-two-minutes concept. They will be the first locations for the company in the D.C. and Baltimore metro areas. The D.C. store will open in Dupont Circle where Baja Fresh was. The Baltimore location is in Charles Village near the Johns Hopkins University campus. The principals, who now reside in California, have local connections: Samit Varma used to live in Rockville and partner Ron Biskin lived in Owings Mills, a suburb of Baltimore.

Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises loves the D.C. metro area and has plans to open a few more restaurants. In 2015, the plans include opening Summer House Santa Monica in North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose neighborhood. It’s a California-inspired American restaurant (not to be confused with Summer House in Rehoboth Beach). Stella Barra Pizzeria, serving artisanal pizza, small plates and handcrafted pastries and breads is also slated for Pike & Rose. And LEYE will open RPM Italian, a modern Italian restaurant, in partnership with celebrity couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic. It will open at 601 Massachusetts Ave. NW in the second quarter of 2015. Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak and Stone Crab is their most recent entry into the D.C. market, celebrating one year at the end of January.

Bo Blair plans to open another Surfside, a fast-casual restaurant, in Dupont Circle this month. The first one is in Glover Park. His new southern concept, Due South, is due to open in the Lumber Shed Building at the Navy Yard in the third quarter of 2015. Rusty Holman, who has worked for Bo at Bayou in the West End, has been tapped as executive chef. Next up for Bo in this area is a Millie’s, which should open in Spring Valley. The original Millie’s is in Nantucket. (This one will have the same menu if not the same amazing seaside view.)

Chef Update: Frank Ruta, formerly of the now closed Palena, takes over as head chef of The Grill Room at the Capella Hotel in Georgetown. His pastry chef from Palena, Aggie Chin, will join him at Capella. Will Greenwood will be taking over the chef duties at Elizabeth’s Gone Raw in D.C.

Will the new restaurant that José Andrés will open at the new Trump International Hotel (where the Old Post Office was) be anything like his Bazaar at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills? That takes over much of the lobby and has various rooms creating the overall concept. Stay tuned.

Jose Garces may be opening a 20,000-square-foot market that will offer a range of Latin groceries and prepared foods at Union Market in D.C.’s NoMa neighborhood. It will be located in a new 520-unit residential building. It’s not the Philadelphia-based chef’s first venture in this market; he opened Rural Society in the Loews Madison Hotel last summer.

Quick Hits: Charlottesville-based Green-berry’s coffee shop plans to open in downtown D.C. on the corner of 18th and E Sts. NW…Potomac’s Grilled Oyster Company will open a 4100-square-foot seafood restaurant at the new Cathedral Commons development on Wisconsin Avenue NW. The original location is at Cabin John Mall in Montgomery County … Liam LaCivita, former chef at Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall and Northside Social, plans to open Bar Civita in Woodley Park where Murphy’s was at 2609 24th St. NW. The restaurant will serve modern American food. An opening in the first quarter of this year is planned.
David Guas’s Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery in Arlington is opening a second location in D.C. at 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Renovations to a two-story carriage house will create a 53-seat restaurant on the first floor and a kitchen on the second floor, with seating for 36 in the summer garden.

Local restaurateur Ammar Daoud will take over management of The Heights in Columbia Heights this month. His plans include an update to the menu and the décor, but not to the staff. The Heights will continue to honor EatWell (previous management company) gift certificates through March 31. EatWell DC will continue to focus on their restaurants: The Pig, Logan Tavern, Commissary DC and Grillfish.

Openings Update: Tadich Grill is now expected to open in late February or early March.

Georgetowner • December 19, 2014

Here’s the latest dish on restaurants moving in and around Washington, D.C.

Chef/owner Ruth Gresser is adding to her empire – by going fast casual. She plans to open Veloce by Pizza Paradiso, leveraging her incomparable 23-year-old Pizza Paradiso brand. This quick-serve pizza concept is slated to open by the end of 1Q in downtown DC at 19th & L street NW. Veloce (means “speed” in Italian) will offer personal pizzas with a variety of choice toppings, all cooked in EuroGourmet gas-powered ovens for just two minutes. Breakfast (think pizza frittata), lunch, dinner and carryout will be offered at the 30-seat restaurant, which includes an outdoor patio.

Mike Isabella hearts Ballston. He plans to open a Mexican cantina, Pepita, at 4000 Wilson Blvd, which also houses Kapnos Taverna, another Isabella restaurant. The focus of Pepita is the bar, meaning there may be up to 40 cocktails, many of them featuring tequila or mescal. Pepita will feature a limited menu of Mexican bar food. Mike also plans to open Yona, an Asian noodle bar in the same Ballston building. Jonah Kim, most recently at Pabu in Baltimore, will be the chef at the helm of this new restaurant. Kapnos Taverna is slated to open in 4Q 2014; Pepita in 1Q 2015; Yona is 2Q 2015.

Just Opened: City Perch restaurant inside the iPic movie theater in Rockville’s Pike & Rose complex. The chef at the helm is Matt Baker, formerly of Brasserie Beck and Occidental Grill. Thip Khao, a Laotian restaurant, opened at 3264 14th Street where Thaitanic was in Columbia Heights. Chef Seng Luangrath was formerly at Bangkok Golden in Falls Church, which offered Thai and Laotian menus. Thip Khao translates to “sticky rice basket.” Plan B opened at 801 Pennsylvania Avenue serving 20 varieties of burgers in the Market Square West building.

The Brig, a Bavarian beer garden, is slated to open in lower Barracks Row at 1007 8th Street at L Street SE. It will seat 210 and serve 299. Alan Gaunoux has partnered with Mark Brody and Chris Chambers of Biergarten Haus on this project.

Chef & GM Update: Pastry chef extraordinaire Beverly Bates is now at Vidalia. Armani Malik Copeland at Flight Wine Bar replaced Bradley Curtis. Susie Morrison was promoted to executive pastry chef at the White House. She replaces Bill Yosses.

the Georgetowner •

Dog Tag Bakery invites Georgetowners and visitors to celebrate its grand opening this Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to noon. Started by Father Rick Curry, the bakery is a social enterprise that supports veterans in a number of ways, including through a work-study program that provides wounded veterans with a high-quality business education in the kitchen and through classes at Georgetown University.

Curry and co-founder Constance Milstein said in a statement, “Dog Tag Bakery blends our passion for supporting veterans with business, entrepreneurship and baking. We hope to create a supportive environment so that the men and women who have given so much to their country can find success in a new and enriching chapter in their lives.”

The event will feature a bread breaking ceremony in lieu of a ribbon cutting. Patrons can support veterans and the bakery by donating $250 and adding their custom-made dog tag to the bakery’s chandelier, or by using the hashtag #kneadtoserve on social media accounts.

The bakery, at 3206 Grace St. NW, is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. during the week and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. [gallery ids="101940,135981" nav="thumbs"]

Sallie Lewis • December 5, 2014

Marcel’s, the haute French flagship owned and operated by chef Robert Wiedmaier, had a big year in 2014.

Having celebrated the restaurant’s 15th anniversary in March, Wiedmaier completed a major dining room refurbishment last month. Since its opening in 1999 at 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Marcel’s has been redesigned in a succession of renovations.

This year, revamping the dining room has been the primary focus. Its completion brings a fresh facelift to one of the District’s favorite dining destinations.

“It has a European look with a lot of American sensibilities,” said Wiedmaier about the space. “It’s very comfortable and spartan at the same time.” He added that the look is a flirtation of classic and modern elements, without being too modern.

From contemporary chandeliers and angular sconces to fresh china, providing “a bigger canvas to play on and paint on,” these modern appointments have beautifully updated the ambiance at Marcel’s. In addition, chef Wiedmaier hired Doyle Mueser of New York to create tailor-made, bespoke suits for the entire front-of-house staff. From top to bottom, this revamped look augments the first-class dining experience at Marcel’s and signals the beginning of a reinvigorated presentation.

In an age when casual dining and dressing down are pervasive, an evening at Marcel’s is a welcome change. “We’ve always pushed the pedal on fine dining and we’re going to continue to push the pedal harder,” said Wiedmaier, who attributes his success to a steadfast focus on fine dining, even while it was diminishing in popularity.

“The look is very elegant, but my staff exudes friendliness and unpretentiousness,” he said. “It’s a great combination.”

At Marcel’s, the objective is to make patrons feel special from the moment they walk through the door. Fostering this welcoming feeling are Marcel’s hard-working team and staff, which Wiedmaier created and has sustained over the years. In fact, from the dishwashers to the waiters, almost his entire crew has been with him since the restaurant’s conception – in today’s marketplace a virtually unheard-of distinction.

At the heart of this welcoming service and elegant experience are the gastronomic talents of chef Wiedmaier himself.

Born in Wiesbaden, Germany, to an American mother and a Belgian father, Wiedmaier went to culinary school in the Netherlands, then worked in Belgium before coming to Washington.

Along with his Belgian grandmother, Wiedmaier credits his mother for instilling the culinary calling. “My mom was always a great cook, always in the kitchen, always in the markets. And I was always tagging along with her,” he said.

Growing up, he worked at the surrounding farms, learning how to hunt, fish and live off the land. Hunting and fishing would become a lifelong interest, particularly as they pertained to cooking. Wiedmaier practices whole-animal butchery, conserving the entire animal, using each piece with no waste.
This regard for nature and sense of responsibility about using food respectfully make Wiedmaier a standout chef in D.C., where he has worked for 30 years.

“I knew what I wanted to do from a very young age,” he said. “I stuck with what I loved and never looked back.”

Sallie Lewis • November 19, 2014

With the plethora of great restaurants in Georgetown, one could argue that there’s no reason to dine elsewhere, but consider what you’d miss. Washington, D.C., has been having a city-wide restaurant renaissance over the past few years, with new concepts popping up alongside old classics, creating a thoroughly modern patchwork.

Take the highly lauded Rose’s Luxury on 8th Street SE, along Barracks Row, which snagged Bon Appetit’s prestigious “Best New Restaurant in America” award this year. At Rose’s Luxury, the service is warm and welcoming, the cocktails are lovingly crafted, the family-style menu is playful and ever changing, and the overall experience is bliss.

Chef Aaron Silverman, the mastermind behind Rose’s, has succeeding in creating a menu of small plates that encourage noshing and sharing (think warm challah bread with wildflower honey, charred broccoli with caesar dressing, pork sausage and habanero lychee salad, pickle brined fried chicken glazed with honey, fresh raw Toro sashimi, pasta with eggplant and tomato). The restaurant is housed in an eclectic building with a spirited neon “Awesome” sign, walls of exposed brick, a bustling open kitchen and strings of twinkle lights that give off a warm, cheery glow. Arrive early (as early as 4:30 or 5 p.m.) and prepare to wait, but rest assured, you’re in for a night of gastronomic greatness.

Just north in the historic Bloomingdale neighborhood on First Street NW, is the Red Hen, an Italian-influenced American restaurant that is equal parts relaxed, experimental and comfort-driven. Michael O’Malley, Sebastian Zutant and Michael Friedman are general manager, sommelier and chef, respectively, who came together as friends to create a laid back, indie-dining destination for the emerging Bloomingdale neighborhood. Their menus change seasonally, taking advantage of all the best flavors and ingredients over the course of the year. Currently, you will find everything from a smoked ricotta crostini with balsamic brown butter and truffle honey to a wild mushroom soup with crispy sunchokes, thyme and truffled mascarpone for starters.

Pastas like spinach fettuccine with braised duck, sweet potato, mint and Parmigiano-Reggiano grace the menu. Large plates like caramelized scallops with grilled kale, bacon, roasted cauliflower and polenta delight as do wood-grilled chickens with fingerling potatoes, currants and preserved lemon. Spiced pumpkin cakes and maple brown butter gelato sugarcoat the dessert menu and an impressive wine and cocktail list awaits your arrival.

On 14th Street NW, near Logan Circle, the Pig, a prodigious pork-centric restaurant continues to rake in the accolades along with bacon-loving patrons. The Pig features a local, seasonal menu with vegetables grown on its farm in nearby La Plata, Md. The concept is a celebration of the pig and all the flavors that accompany it, with rustic dishes from around the world inspiring much of the menu. There’s a focus here on respecting food, and the Pig uses only humanely raised animals, while wasting little. Diners can chomp on starters like shaved Brussels sprout salads and crispy sweetbreads. The Face Bacon is the melt-in-your-mouth favorite. Pig Boards are a popular sharing item with fresh bread, pickles, charcuterie, olives and mustard dipping sauces. For supper, enjoy dishes like stuffed suckling pig, crispy pork shanks and Korean barbeque for two. They also offer a unique menu of eco-friendly wines and American craft beer. Venture to the Pig for a totally unique dining experience that’s quite literally hog heaven.
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Jody Kurash •

I remember seeing the pictures when the Petronas Twin Towers opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the mid-1990’s overtaking the World Trade Center for the crown the world’s tallest building. I was living in the big apple at the time and all New Yorkers were astounded that someplace else could now brag about having the world’s highest skyscraper. This was a period of great upswing for New York, it was a time when then-mayor Rudy Giuliani proudly boasted on David Letterman, “Our city can kick your city’s ass.” Suddenly, a small country on the other side of the globe had stolen a little bit of thunder from New York.

With this memory etched in my mind, the Petronas towers were at the top of my must-see list when I visited Kuala Lumpur in early August. For me, the best way to experience this architectural wonder was by enjoying a few cocktails while marveling at this architectural phenomenon.

In New York, if you wanted to glance at the twin towers while enjoying a swanky drink, you headed for the legendary rainbow room in Rockefeller Center. In Kuala Lumpur, if you want an up-close view of the Petronas Towers in style, you go to Marini’s on 57.

This upscale lounge on the cutting edge of KL’s evening scene is Malaysia’s highest rooftop bar. To arrive at Marini’s you are whisked up 57 floors in seconds by a high-speed elevator. You can choose to sit outside on one of the patios or imbibe from indoors where floor-to-ceiling windows give you an almost dizzying view.

The lounge is located in the third, shorter building of the Petronas complex. The lounge wraps its way around the building, providing visitors with 360-degree views of the city skyline and an imposing view of the towers. While sitting there, you visualize Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones, scaling across building like they did in the film “Entrapment.”

Marini’s on 57 has an impressive list of signature cocktails, concocted by mixologist Junior(one name only). I started off with a chocolate espresso martini. While I usually avoid cutesy candy-flavored faux martinis, I found this one to be a cut above. Instead of being mixed with chocolate or coffee flavored vodka, this one featured Maker’s Mark Bourbon as its base spirit, which gave it a hearty full flavor.

The next drink on my list was the Mellow Sundown cocktail, a tipple conceived by Junior to celebrate the lounge’s, sunset hour, when guests can enjoy watching the sunset between the towers. This drink had a sunny taste, which came from a mixture of fruits, including pineapple, apple, lime and predominantly passionfruit. Junior mixes this cocktail with vodka to highlight the bright fruit flavors.

My favorite of the three was the 57 Sour, Junior’s twist on the classic whiskey tipple. Like a proper whiskey sour, this one was shaken with an egg white to give it a frothy texture and sprinkled with bitters for added spice. The two main differences that make this drink stand out are the addition of grapefruit juice to the standard lemon for a more rounded tart sensation and the use of honey as a sweetener which provided a robust compliment to the semi-sweet Maker’s Mark bourbon.

When Junior heard I was a tiki drink enthusiast he whipped me up a Jungle Bird, a long-forgotten tropical drink that, according to lore, was created at the Aviary bar at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in 1978. Junior became familiar with this lost cocktail after finding the recipe in one of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s tiki books. For me, this drink – a combination of 5-year-old rum, Campari, pineapple and lime juice – took the cake. Campari, a bitter Italian aperitif, may seem out-of-place in a tiki drink, but somehow this odd combo of sweet yet complex rum, tropical fruits and herbs melded perfectly together.

As the day turned to dusk, I enjoyed these lovely cocktails as I watched the changing light dance across the towers. When the moon began to rise, I headed back to my hotel, knowing I’ve visited a KL’s signature landmark the way I wanted to see it – with a drink in hand.

The Jungle Bird
(Courtesy of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry)
1/2 ounce simple syrup?
1 1/2 ounces dark aged rum (Junior uses Angostura 5-year rum)
?3/4 ounce Campari?
1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice?
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice?

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all of the ingredients except the garnish. Shake until well chilled and strain into a glass filled with ice.