Food

Jody Kurash • September 12, 2013

If you walk into most liquor stores, you’ll notice quite a large space devoted to its vodka selection. Many watering holes will have a rainbow of vodkas on display behind the bar. Vodka is one of the most well-liked spirits in the United States, especially among younger drinkers. Given the tremendous popularity of vodka today, it’s hard to believe that up until the 1950s, gin and whiskey were the preferred liquors of choice.

One of the principle cocktails that propelled vodka into the limelight was the Moscow Mule, a mixture of vodka, ginger beer and lime. This classic tipple was born out of mutual convenience between two men, John Martin and Jack Morgan, in the 1940s.
Martin was trying to introduce his new product, Smirnoff vodka, in the United States. At the time Americans were accustomed to spirits with a more pronounced flavor, making it extremely difficult for Martin to sell his vodka. It is rumored that he had problems giving it away.

One day Martin was having lunch at the Cock & Bull restaurant in Los Angeles. He started a conversation with the owner Jack Morgan, who at the time was trying to sell his Cock & Bull brand of ginger beer, a product he produced on the side.
They decided to mix the two products together, and after a bit of experimentation the Moscow mule was born. Morgan had a friend who had inherited a copper factory and she was trying to unload a huge batch of copper mugs. The two men decided to promote their new concoction by serving it in copper mugs with an image of a kicking mule embossed on it. The cocktail was said to have the kick of a mule.

The Moscow mule became the house special at the Cock and Bull on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Martin set off to market his new drink to bars across the company. He had a clever scheme, which involved taking Polaroid photos of bartenders holding the distinctive copper mug along with a bottle of Smirnoff. He would leave one copy of the photo at the bar and take another photo to competing bars to show them that their competitors were selling Moscow mules.

Between 1947 and 1950 Smirnoff case columns more than tripled, and nearly doubled again in 1951, according to CocktailAtlas.com,
The Moscow mule kicked off a long period of success for Smirnoff. According to Phil Greene, founding member of the Museum of the American Cocktail, as the brand increased in popularity, Smirnoff ran many ad campaigns featuring the Moscow Mule with celebrities such as Woody Allen. The ad campaign touted that Smirnoff vodka will “leave you breathless,” a possible reference to the idea that vodka is undetectable on your breath.

The popularity of the Moscow mule encouraged Smirnoff to promote a variety of cocktails, all of which highlighted the mixability of Smirnoff with other ingredients. As time wore on, vodka became the favored spirit of many leading up to a Renaissance of new cocktails, such as the cosmopolitan, sex on the beach and whole host of drinks served in martini glasses, such as the appletini, flirtini and French martini.

Today, the Moscow mule is a cocktail that stands the test of time, even though its birthplace, the Cock and Bull has closed it doors. The original Copper Mugs are now collector’s items.

It’s a fairly simple cocktail to mix with only three ingredients. Finding the ginger beer can be a bit challenging, but most large supermarkets and better liquor stores will have it on hand. One of the most popular brands is produced by the Black Seal rum company to promote their dark and stormy cocktail. Personally, I prefer Goya ginger beer, which is a spicier than other brands.

THE MOSCOW MULE:

2 ounces vodka

3 ounces ginger beer

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

Build in mug, fill with ice, garnish with lime wedge.

Recipe courtesy of the Museum of the American
Cocktail.

www.MuseumOfTheAmericanCocktail.org

Jordan Hellmuth •

Mad Fox Taproom announced Aug. 12 that it expects to open in Glover Park by first quarter 2014. It will be Mad Fox Brewing Company’s first expansion from Falls Church, Va., to the District.

Mad Fox Brewing Company just celebrated the third anniversary of its Fall Church location in July and now has another reason to celebrate. Madden is hoping to took over the property at 2218 Wisconsin Ave., NW, where Mayfield & Pine once was, in September.

Mad Fox CEO and executive brewer Bill Madden and business partner Rick Garvin started Mad Fox in 2007 and since have become very active in the craft beer and brewpub community.

Falls Church will remain the hub of the whole operation, as all of the beers will be brewed there in its 16-barrel brewery. The new location will showcase Mad Fox’s award-winning handcrafted beers with draught and English-style cast service, including up to 24 draught and cask options.

“We have plenty of capacity in our brewery and we’ll be able to serve all of our Falls Church fans, wholesale clients and the Glover Park tap room without any compromises,” said Madden.

Just like the original in Falls Church, Mad Fox Taproom will provide guests with not only handcrafter beers, but also with a full menu including appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, salads and small plate options.
“Though the spotlight will be on our beers, our food is a key part of our concept and will help the taproom evoke a brewpub environment,” said Madden.

“I can’t wait to bring the Mad Fox atmosphere and experience to the iconic city of Washington, D.C.” said Madden.

Georgetowner • September 11, 2013

There are lots of reasons why Sarah Biglan loves her cozy studio apartment in East Village. A one block stroll brings her to the Rose Park farmers market or Stachowski?s butcher shop for her favored Italian sausage sandwich. She takes advantage of the nearby tennis courts and Rock Creek Park trails. Ris restaurant, where she works long hours as chef de cuisine with executive chef Ris Lacoste, is just a few streets away in the West End.

?There?s a nice neighborhood vibe,? says Biglan, a native of Atlantic City, N.J., and a 2002 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. ?After two years of living here, you find yourself running into the same people, on their way somewhere. It?s a friendly, convenient community.?

There?s one problem. She would like to have people over for dinner but sadly, ?there is simply no room.? Instead, Biglan?s friends invite her over to watch football (her preference) and together they whip-up a meal, taking advantage of her chef skills.
?And my ratatouille casserole is everyone?s favorite,? she says.

With farmers markets overflowing with late summer produce, her timely recipe takes full advantage of the bounty. A particularly nice touch is the addition of cinnamon sticks, which she says, ?brings out hidden flavor elements in vegetables.?

This is not a throw-together quick dish. There is a good deal of chopping and dicing. For best results, do not saut? the eggplant at high heat. ?You have to be patient,? says Biglan. ?You must develop the caramelization.? Israeli couscous can be substituted for the ?thimbles? of ditali pasta. Don?t care for fresh goat cheese? Use mozzarella or feta. ?But goat adds a tang and is lighter.?
And the main course? Says Biglan: ?My favorite is barbecued chicken.?

Biglan?s current favorite
restaurants: Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons for a hamburger and the dim sum brunch at the Source in downtown Washington.

**Ratatouille Casserole**
Serves: 10

*Ingredients:*
1 medium zucchini, 1/4-inch dice
1 medium yellow squash, 1/4-inch dice
1 medium eggplant, 1/4-inch dice
2 red bell peppers, seeded, 1/4-inch dice
2 medium onions, julienned
4 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1/4 cup fresh thyme, stemmed and chopped
2 tbsp. fresh marjoram, stemmed and chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, stemmed and sliced
2 bay leaf
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb fresh goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound ditali dry pasta (small, short tubes) cooked al dente in salted boiling water

*Directions:*
In a large sauce pot over medium heat, brown the eggplant in the olive oil, lightly salting to extract juices, stirring occasionally, creating a light golden brown paste (about 15 minutes). Add the onions and garlic and wilt lightly (about 5 minutes). Add the zucchini, yellow squash, corn, and red peppers. Toss in a pinch of salt to establish flavor. Once the mix is cooked down (about 10 minutes), add the canned tomato, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks. Simmer for about one hour, uncovered, until the mix has developed a ?chili? like consistency. Add the thyme, marjoram, and basil. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spread the pasta in a 2 1/2 quart fireproof casserole dish and cover with the ratatouille mixture.. Place goat cheese disks on the top and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

What?s Cooking, Neighbor? visits with wine, food and entertaining professionals, who call the Georgetown area home. Walter Nicholls is the food critic for Arlington Magazine and a former staff writer for The Washington Post Food section.

Corrie Dyke • September 9, 2013

Peacock Café (3251 Prospect St., NW) is a favorite of Georgetown dining. Recently, its chef Maziar Farivar was selected among a group of 60 chefs across the U.S. to the “Diplomatic Culinary Partnership Initiative, Setting the Table for Diplomacy,” through the State Department. Farivar received his blue jacket as a member of the State Department Chef Corps for Diplomatic Culinary Partnership. Eleven embassy chefs joined other well-known Washington area chefs for the event at Blair House. Discussion of the universal power of food headlined the event. The State Department’s Diplomatic Culinary Partnership looks to promote the role of culinary engagement in America’s public diplomacy.

Gary Tischler •

As Yogi Berra fondly said, it was almost like “déjà vu all over again.” The front bar at Clyde’s of Georgetown was full and busy, the back rooms and the omelet room and the atrium were bustling and young waiters and waitresses scurried about carrying coffee and plates with Clyde’s omelettes and eggs Benedict.

The scene could have been a 1980s Georgetown Saturday morning rising out of and recovering from a Friday night. It was something better. It was a Monday morning — Aug. 12, 2013 — and Clyde’s was celebrating its 50th anniversary. That’s right: 50 years, and 14 restaurants and counting.

At 3236 M St., NW, is and was, as Clyde’s board chairman Sally Davidson, widow of the late, founder Stuart Davidson, recounted, “where my husband turned a biker bar into a Georgetown fixture. This is where it all started.”

“It’s a Washington legend now, and we’re delighted to be a part of the history and success of D.C.,” said Tom Meyer, president of Clyde’s Restaurant Group, looking around at the scene in the atrium. Soon enough, an ebullient Mayor Vincent Gray came and made it official. “This is such a great part of Washington, such a legend, and it’s part of the city that’s becoming world class, thanks to folks like this,” he said. “I’ve been here a lot. Look all over this city. There’s the downtown Clyde’s, there’s the Old Ebbitt Grill and the Hamilton. Isn’t that one something special? We’re right up there now with San Francisco, Chicago, even New York. We’re getting known for our restaurants and food.”

Gray made it official, along with the District Council, proclaiming August 12 “Clyde’s of Georgetown Day.” Clyde’s got the party going with some free breakfast food in the morning and kept it up with nostalgic menu items from the past, as well as the publication of a book, “How We Do Business: Clyde’s Primer for Beating the Odds in the Restaurant Business,” by J. Garrett Glover. Among many, Clyde’s could show off some new honors—it got a 2013 Honorary Milestone RAMMY Award this year.

“I love being a part of this whole history,” said waiter Daniel Leimberg, a George Washington University student from St. Louis. “It’s a terrific place to be.”

Gray noted the fact that Clyde’s 50th birthday was historic and that it coincided with the upcoming 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. “I was there, sure, I was,” the mayor told us. “I was 19, going to GW and being part of that, being there was just a tremendous experience. That was the greatest speech I’ve ever heard in my life, the most inspirational.”

There will be more inspiration and retelling of history this evening at Clyde’s of Georgetown as former employees gather for another birthday celebration.
[gallery ids="154890,154884,154889" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Restaurant Week in Georgetown kicks off today with the last course served Sunday, Aug. 25. Restaurant-goers can enjoy three-course, prix-fixe meals at 16 Georgetown restaurants. Lunches are $20.13 and dinners $35.13. Participating restaurants include:

Bandolero (3241 M St., NW)

Bistro Francais (3224 M St., NW)

Bodega Spanish Tapas & Lounge (3116 M St., NW)

Café Milano (3251 Prospect St., NW)

Filomena Ristorante (1063 Wisconsin Ave., NW)

The Grill Room (1050 31st St., NW), La Chaumiere (2813 M St., NW)

Malmaison (401 Water St., NW)

Morton’s Steakhouse (3251 Prospect St., NW)

Neyla (3206 N St., NW)

Nick’s Riverside Grille (3050 K St., NW)

Ristorante Piccolo (1068 31st St., NW),

Sea Catch (1054 31st St., NW)

Thunder Burger & Bar (3056 M St., NW)

Tony & Joe’s Seafood Place (3000 K St., NW)

Unum Restaurant (2917 M St., NW).

Also, explore Chilean Wines during Summer Restaurant week, then vote for your favorite winery and participating restaurant at Tastechile2013.com. By voting, you could win an amazing wine dinner for you and 9 of your friends at your favorite participating restaurant, courtesy of Wines of Chile. Wines of Chile will be on hand to introduce you to new wines during your dinner!

To learn of other participating restaurants and to learn more about restaurant week DC, click here/restaurantweek/)

Georgetowner • August 21, 2013

Adam Mahr invites, on average, four to 12 guests per week to join him for dinner at his snug English cottage-style house near Foxhall Road. And no matter what the occasion, number of friends expected or menu, this longtime Georgetown resident and detail-driven tabletop professional still finds time for a quick nap before the first knock at the door.

?You must be organized, make lists and do the basics well in advance,? says Mahr, owner of the European-inspired home decor shop, A Mano, which he opened in 1994, just below the Georgetown Public Library on Wisconsin Avenue. ?When I?m doing the cooking, the last thing I want to do is run around at the last minute.?

Whether it?s a buffet or seated dinner, he sets the table a day in advance, preferring a low centerpiece of seasonal fruit in a footed glass bowl to a floral arrangement. ?I like to drape grapes over the side.? (For flexibility, a folding table top, stored behind a tall 1820s French library cabinet, increases the dining room capacity from eight to 14.) There are always lots of votive candles in place and lighting fixtures are set on dim. ?All the better, the older we get.? A favored main course is grilled lobster, basted with a spicy Thai sauce, served on a bed of baby arugula. The choice is simple. ?I love Asian food and I love lobsters.?

Loyal A Mano customers know that Mahr makes house calls, pulling together settings for a dinner party or special event, using both pieces from the clients? collection as well as new purchases from the store. (Handmade imported French and Italian ceramics, fine linens, crystal and decorative accessories.) ?So many people today have things passed down to them. We bring it all together, creating a cohesive collection that?s very personal.?

A Mano stocks more than elegant house wares. He gives a nod of recognition to buyer Kim Hayman for the ever-growing children?s gift department of toys and crafts, which rings-up 30 percent of the shop?s sales. Says Mahr: ?It?s so fresh and new.?

Current favorite restaurants from Adam Mahr:
Le Diplomate in Logan Circle and Al Tiramisu in Dupont Circle.

Grilled Lobster Basting Sauce ? la A Mano
Ingredients:
? cup butter (1 stick)
? cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbs. fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp. hot sesame oil
2 tbs. chives, chopped
4 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, to taste
2 tbs. soy sauce
4 11/2 to 2 pound lobsters
4 cups baby arugula

Directions:
Over low heat, saut? garlic and ginger for about 5 minutes. Add butter, sesame oil, chives (reserve a teaspoon for garnish), lemon juice, hot sauce and soy. Simmer on low for another 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly until all the flavors have combined.
(Mahr prefers to purchase live lobsters and prepare them for grilling himself. Our suggestion: Ask your fishmonger to partially cook and split the lobsters and further remove the tamale and detach and lightly crack the claws.)

Prepare gas or charcoal grill to medium high heat.

Brush claws and both sides of split lobster with basting sauce, generously applying to meat side. Place claws on grill and cover with baking dish or roasting pan.

Place split lobsters on grill, shell side down, and baste again. Close grill cover for 3 minutes. Open and baste split lobsters. Close grill for another 3 -5 minutes until meat is opaque.

(Grills cook at different temperatures, but 1 1/2 pound lobsters generally take 8 to 10 minutes.)

When fully cooked, remove split lobsters, set aside, and continue to cook the claws for about two minutes.

Place split lobsters and claws on a large platter covered with baby arugula. Spoon-on remaining sauce. Garnish with four quartered lemons and reserved chopped chives.

A Mano, 1677 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.,
202-298-7200, www.amano.bz.

What?s Cooking, Neighbor? visits with wine, food and entertaining professionals, who call the Georgetown area home. Walter Nicholls is the food critic for Arlington Magazine and a former staff writer for The Washington Post Food section.

Georgetowner •

Clover Restaurant Group will open its fifth Cafe Deluxe restaurant at the corner of 22nd& M St., NW in D.C.?s West End. Located in the Hilton Garden Inn, the restaurant is slated to open in spring 2014. Cafe Deluxe will open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekday happy hour and weekend brunch. It will seat 130 in the dining area, 38 at the bar, 50 in the PDR and up to 225 in hotel event space (can you say ?holiday party??). Room service will also be provided by Caf? Deluxe.Other Caf? Deluxe restaurants are located in D.C?s Tenleytown, Tysons Corner,Va., Bethesda and Gaithersburg, Md.

Conan and Genevieve O?Sullivan plan to open Sona Creamery and Wine Bar at 660 Pennsylvania Ave., SE on Capitol Hill by early November. The restaurant will feature cheese made on-site at the creamery. The couple relocated to D.C. from the Seattle, and will feature wines from their hometown region. Their passion translates in the name, as Sona means ?happy? in Gaelic. Wine and cheese equal happy.

Farmers Restaurant Group plans to open a Founding Farmers at 1800 Tysons Blvd. where Inox used to be. This will be their fourth restaurant: Founding Farmers in downtown D.C. and Potomac and Farmers, Fishers and Bakers on the Georgetown waterfront. Founding FarmersTysons will seat 280 between the bar and dining areas, with the potential to add outdoor seating. A spring 2014 opening is planned.

That Atlas District continues to grow. Miss Kitty?s Saloon is slated to open the end of August at 1208 H St., NE. The managing operator and executive chef, Scott Webster, is a CIA grad who worked for Clyde?s Restaurant Group for 16 years, including executive chef at Clyde?s in Tysons Corner. The rustic mid-western saloon will be on two floors. Second floor expected to open in the fall, featuring a bourbon/whiskey bar.

Quick Hits: America Eats Tavern may have closed in Penn Quarter, but it will be reborn at The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner where Michel Richard used to be. Chef-owner David Hong of TBSP (The Best Sandwich Place) in Georgetown?s Washington Harbour, signed a lease to expand to downtown D.C. at 1776 Eye St, NW.Fatty Crab restaurants plan to open units in D.C., with the help of Philadelphia-based Stephen Starr of STARR Restaurants. Starr opened the uber-popular LeDiplomate here in Logan Circle. Thally will open in the Shaw neighborhood, serving modern American cuisine created by executive chef and co-owner Ron Tanaka, along with a rotating wine list, and craft spirits and beers. California Tortilla plans to open at Hampstead Square in Merrifield, Va. San Francisco-based Tadich Grill recently signed a lease to open at 1001 Penn Ave., NW. They have been a San Fran institution since 1849.NYC-based Max Brenner Chocolate Bar opens soon in Bethesda Row.

Openings Update: Dublin (Ireland)- based Ri Ra now plans to open in early December in Georgetown. Cleveland-based Latin-Caribbean chain Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar(over 50 rums!) plans to open in Rockville?s North Bethesda Market development in mid-August. The company also plans to open in Gaithersburg at the Downtown Crown development and in Tysons Corner at 1934 Old Gallows Road.

El Centro D.F. will open a second location in Georgetown by mid-August where the Third Edition used to be. This store will be different from the 14th Street location, with over 200 types of tequila and mescal to complement Mexican comfort food. This is brought to you by Richard Sandoval and his Georgetown chef, Juan Romero.

Georgetown: If it?s not a whiskey bar, then it?s a wine bar. ENO Wine Bar is scheduled to open by summer?s end, a value-added food and beverage spot of the Four Season Hotel. The wine bar features flights of three 3.5 oz. glasses as well as an extensive wine-by-the-glass list. Wines, charcuterie and chocolates are locally sourced.

Chef Update: Graham Bartlett was named new regional executive chef for Richard Sandoval Restaurants in the, D.C. area. Graham, a graduate of Ecole Ritz Escoffier in Paris, France, worked for Sandoval when he opened the first Zengo in Denver. He was chef de cuisine for Zengo D.C. and now oversees the Sandoval D.C. empire of restaurants: Masa 14, El CentroD.F. (soon to be two) and the soon to open Toto Toro.

In related news, Jason Streiff was promoted to chef de cuisine of Sandoval?s Zengo restaurant on 7th Street, in Penn Quarter.
Chef Nick DeLuca, formerly of Brasserie Beck and Bean & Bite, is now heading the pastry department at Purple Onion Catering Company.

Todd Gray has named former sous chef Colin McClimans as chef de cuisine at Equinox.

GM Update: Curtis Allred was named the general manager for Ovvio Osteriain in Merrifield, Va. Previously, Curtis was General Manager and Beverage Director for Concepts under the management of Tuscarora Mill Restaurant Group in Leesburg, Va. He also managed The Capitol Grille in D.C. Tim Donah was named general manager for Del Frisco?s Grille at 13th& Penn. Previously, the Johnson & Wales graduate was Director of Operations and Franchising for Vapiano International, overseeing daily operations for restaurants in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. And speaking of Grays, this time out of the kitchen, Travis Gray, formerly of Equinox, is the new general manager at Occidental Grill & Seafood. Shelly?s Back Room in D.C.?s Penn Quarter hired Derrick Williams as its Beverage Manager. Previously, he worked at Old Ebbitt Grill. Atef Tayarihas been named general manager for Vinifera at the Westin Reston hotel. Previously, Tayarihas worked as food and beverage operations manager at Key Bridge Marriott.

Mike Isabella just opened G Sandwich , an Italian sandwich shop at 2201 14th St., as well as Kapnos, his Greek restaurant, also in U Street Corridor. Korean twice-fried-chicken chain BonChon opened in Arlington recently on Pershing Drive. Their first in the region is in Centreville, Va.

Chris Bukowski (of ?Bachelor Pad? fame) is opening Bracket Room in Arlington on N. Garfield Street. Roland Kator, the chef, graduated from the Las Vegas campus of Le Cordon Bleu. Previously Kator worked at Grand Lux Caf? in Chicago.
Congratulations to Ripple restaurant in Cleveland Park, celebrating its third anniversary this month.

Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, a public relations & marketing firm that specializes in the hospitality industry, providing creative connections through media relations, marketing initiatives, community outreach and special events. Reach her at: Linda@LindaRothPR.com or 703-417-2700. www.lindarothpr.com.

Georgetowner • August 15, 2013

“This is the last of the grandchildren,” joked Tony and
Joe’s manager Dean Cibel, as he surveyed his family’s
restaurants with manager Dave Peva and designer
Dennis Shea and looked at the ice skating rink being built over
Washington Harbour’s fountain. After 17 months closed down
and nine months of a $4-million reconstruction, Tony and Joes’
Seafood Place and Nick’s Riverside Grill are fully and officially
back in the action next to the Potomac at the complex.

At one of Washington’s hottest places to see and be seen, the
Cibels’ elegantly redesigned restaurants — now even more open
and with bigger windows to the river — are joined by Sequoia,
Farmers, Fishers and Bakers, Bangkok Joe’s, the proposed Fiola
Mare and others.

The folks at Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place and Nick’s
Riverside Grill—people like Tony Cibel, his sons Nick and Dean
and their cousin Greg Casten—must have thought it was déjà vu
all over again as they awaited and endured Hurricane Sandy.

After all, it’s only been less than two years, and a major renovation
since the great April 2011 Washington Harbour floodgates
crisis and Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place, a classic Georgetown
and Washington legend of a restaurant reopened bigger, and better,
with more flavors and a lot of hoopla — and here was another scary
storm bearing down on the Potomac River.

Not to worry. As fictional President Morgan Freeman assured
us in the film, “Deep Impact,” “. . . And the waters receded.”

Now, Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place, once built on nothing
but the sand on the harbor, can continue to go about its business
of becoming a Washington dining legend, combining the good
words of legendary food critic Phyllis Richman with an enduring
popularity. It embraces all sorts of diners, locals in Georgetown,
tourists, business folks, couples canoodling over seafood and
a spectacular Potomac River-Watergate-Kennedy Center view
and, of course, the recognizable faces who parade through here,
and the equally successful Nick’s Riverside Grille, with singular regularity.

Imagine what you’d have if many of the stellars who came
to Tony & Joe’s arrived on the same night: Hillary Clinton,
Andy Garcia, Clint Eastwood, minus the empty chair, Denzel
Washington (he’s got a new hit movie), comedian Jackie Mason,
Eddie Murphy, Redskins running back Joe Riggins and quarterback
Sonny Jurgensen, Jerry Jones, another Redskins quarterback
Billy Kilmer, the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and Nicholas
Backstrom, Frank “Hondo” Howard from a different D.C. baseball
era, President George W. Bush, no less, William Shatner, beaming,
up and sideways, former Redskins coach Norv Turner, bad boy
Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger (hopefully, not at the same table),
Kathleen Turner and others. You’d have even more of a heck of
a Tony and Joe’s party.

The tale of Tony and Joe’s is a part of Washington restaurant
lore, going back to October 9, 1987—that’s 25 years almost to
the day, give or take a week or two. The key figures were all
friends—developer Herb Miller, who saw a city mall (The Shops
at Georgetown Park) on a busy street, and the waterfront design
that would become Washington Harbour in a pile of sand, plus his
old friend Tony Cibel and Joe Rinaldi who owned the Dancing
Crab, a seafood fixture in Tenleytown, renowned—you guessed
it—for its crab dishes as well as other signature seafood dishes.

Tony and Joe, who had been partners for a while, figured that
the Dancing Crab—while popular in a down-home, raffish, nittygritty
way—needed a little fine tuning for the tonier location at
Washington Harbour. (The Cibel family recently sold the Dancing
Crab.) So, they added a signature crab cake dish, and made sure
that they had a world-class seafood house in a city more noted for
steaks and French restaurants.

Tony Cibel and Joe Rinaldi were a perfect pair of partners—
Cibel, a man with a gift for the business, running D.C. liquorrelated
businesses, including the Barrel House Liquor Store on
14th Street, Rinaldi in his role as a top salesman for Capital Cadillac for years.

They were also big family guys, and it’s no surprise to find Rinaldi and Cibel offspring in the business—Cibel has two sons and two nephews and Rinaldi had four children, and all of them, at one time or another including today, were involved in the creation, building and running of the restaurants.

Tony brought in top chefs in the beginning like Ron Goodman and Billy McNamee, creating quality dishes and building a reputation—Richman called the restaurant “a contender on the waterfront.” The two also pioneered the use out of outdoor patios at a time when not many restaurants thought much of dining outside.

In 1992, it was time for a little add-on, with Joe buying the bottom part of what was chef Victor Testa’s Leonardi Da Vinci, which had closed its doors. This became Nick’s Riverside Grille, after Cibel’s son, a spot that soon became not quite like Tony & Joe’s, something special in its own right, a neighborhood-style restaurant saloon on the Riverfront.

In the world of Cibel, there’s always somebody from the family around—Cibel is, after all, the patriarch of the Oceanside Management Family of restaurants, which included the Dancing Crab, Tony & Joe’s Seafood Place, Nick’s Riverside Grille, Kaufmann’s Tavern, Cabanas and the Rockfish.

It’s been 17 months since the difficulties with the floodgate systems at Washington Harbour, but Tony and Joe’s and Nick’s are back. And so is the office-residence complex itself, Washington Harbour, with a new fountain, wood work and lighting—and an ice skating rink. Executive chef David Stein, for years heading his own restaurant, Bistro St. Michael’s, presides over a menu that doesn’t neglect old Tony and Joe’s favorites but also includes its share of new choices. ? [gallery ids="101043,136325,136310,136320,136316" nav="thumbs"]

Charlene Louis •

Heritage India on Wisconsin Avenue has been a Georgetown favorite for many years, and we are happy to hear that Sanjeev and Mitul Tuli of Heritage Management Services have recently opened Crossroads at 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Crossroads is located in the basement of a building at the corner of 19th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, sharing half the space with Heritage India.

Chef Ravi Narayanan created an ever-changing menu of small plates, reflecting the cuisines of North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. To add to the mix, Narayanan has included a variety of Japanese sushi and sashimi, in-house made pate, charcuterie and an offering of local cheeses. After being seated, we were very intimidated by the ambitious wide range of items the menu had to offer. After speaking to the chef, it was decided that he would compose a tasting that allowed us to travel the world in flavor.

We began the tasting in North America with a delicate tuna tartare tower with the cucumber caviar. The ginger crisp helped to create a delicious yet delicate flavor that we were all hoping to get seconds of. The composition continued with grilled romaine salad with herb dressing and phyllo dough wrapped prawns. A favorite of the table was the deep fried kale and Brussels sprout chips with baharat spice and tzatziki sauce from Africa. Being a fan of kale chips, the combination of the Brussels sprouts and tzatziki sauce is one that is a must-try on the menu. The chef continued the tour by offering braised pork belly and a duck confit with homemade thyme crackers.

If there were ever a misstep, it may have been the house-cured salmon. Though beautifully displayed, the amount of salt made the dish something to only admire visually. We finished the meal with homemade sorbets that were light and refreshing and made a perfect end to the tasting. Crossroads offers a lovely selection of wines. Most dishes range from $10 to $12.
[gallery ids="119184,119207,119200,119213,119190,119197" nav="thumbs"]