Food

Jody Kurash • November 6, 2012

Washington is going pop! In what many consider a transient city, it only makes sense that pop-up retail stores and restaurants have been making a splash in the nation’s capital. Georgetown was treated to the Bloom pop-up shop and the Water Street Project art exhibition earlier this spring. M Street’s newest dining spot Bandolero hosted two pop-up previews before opening their permanent doors.

So as the summer heat climbs to scorching levels, what could be better than a pop-up tiki bar? In my opinion, not much until scientists figure out a way to create a pop-up Caribbean beach complete with swaying palm trees and cabana boys on the Georgetown waterfront.

Well the wait is over — for the tiki bar, at least. Washington bar chef extraordinaire JP Cacheres has transformed the roof top at Connecticut Avenue’s Dirty Martini, into a groovy, open-air topical- themed bar smack in the middle of downtown’s Golden Triangle. Caceres, the chief mixologist for Dirty Martini and founder of Let’s Imbibe, Inc., has spent months experimenting and conjuring up creative cocktails for his new space.

Everything is made from scratch — from fresh-squeezed juices, homemade syrups, hand-carved ice and more than 30 varieties of rum. The cocktail menu will continue to evolve with changing specials. This spot is perfect for the summer drinker who wants something more original and cultivated than a typical piña colada.

During my recent visit, Caceres was playing with an updated version the classic El Presidente cocktail, a refreshing blend of rum, grenadine, orange Curaçao and white vermouth. The El Presidente is a Cuban-born tipple that dates back to the heydays of cocktails. During Prohibition, imbibers from the states flocked to Havana to get their party on.

While many theories about the exact origin of the El Presidente swirl, Esquire cocktail editor David Wondrich believes it was created by Eddie Woelke, an American bartender at Havana’s Jockey Club. Woelke purportedly named the drink in honor of President Gerardo Machado, who ruled Cuba throughout most of the Prohibition years.

Caceres, who is known for his creative liquor infusions, pumps up this vintage potable with a pork-fat infused rum. Caceres starts with Appleton rum, already a full-flavored Jamaican spirit, and uses a fat-washing technique to infuse the liquor with a meaty goodness.

He begins by browning the pork in a frying pan until the fat is melted and liquefied. Next, he takes a sterilized canning jar and measures three cups of rum to which he adds one cup of liquified fat. The mixture is sealed and left to rest. The infusion process takes about five day to complete. The fat and liquid will eventually separate, with the fat forming a hard cover on top of the alcohol. To complete the process, Caceres skims the solidified fat from the top of the jar and strains the liquor through a double cheesecloth.

The second secret to this cocktail is the use of homemade grenadine. Caceres does not use premade syrup; instead he forges this mixer freshly from pomegranate. The finished cocktail is served in a retro tiki mug over crushed ice and garnished with a cinnamon stick for a touch of fragrance. Caceres’ creation results in many layers of flavor. The pork- fatted rum adds a richness that is balanced by the sweetness of the Curaçao. The grenadine, vermouth and aromatic bitters all contribute a bit of earthiness, a sight tartness and subtle spice. While there is no ocean to dip your toes into, sipping this cocktail will transport your taste buds to the sophisticated luxury of a Caribbean resort.

Readers can try the El President Gordo (Fat President) and other delicious Polynesian- and Caribbean-inspired cocktails Monday through Friday, from 5 to 10 p.m. on the rooftop at Dirty Martini, 1223 Connecticut Avenue, NW. ?

EL PRESIDENTE GORDO

1.5oz Appleton VX Pork Fat Infused ()

.75oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth

.50oz Orange Curaçao

1 bar spoons Homemade Grenadine

2 dashes Reagan Orange Bitters

Build drink in a tiki mug, swizzle over crushed ice. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. [gallery ids="100902,128316" nav="thumbs"]

Alexis Williams •

Can’t shake the cupcake craving? Sprinkles Cupcakes has you covered. There are murmurs around the cobbled streets of Georgetown that the cupcake connoisseurs are planning to open a cupcake ATM. Yes… you heard correctly. A cupcake ATM. And they’re planning to do it as soon as next month!

With the battle of FroYo versus Cupcakes as the trendier anytime snack, Sprinkles ATM might just be the deciding factor. First premiering at their Beverly Hills location, the Sprinkles Cupcakes ATM is impossible to miss due to its multicolored paint job.

And with the success of the west coast venture come plans to expand. Sprinkles ATM might just give the famed residential cupcake shop, Georgetown Cupcake, a run for their money. Dieters beware of the blue, green, pink, and magenta hues of the Sprinkles ATM—they’re sure to summon you for a delicious dessert.

The 24-hour ATM is continuously restocked with fresh cupcakes ranging in flavors from red velvet to peanut butter chocolate. They even stock cupcake dog treats for your dog!

At $4 each, Sprinkles Cupcakes won’t break the bank and are sure to satisfy. Be on the lookout for the multicolored cupcake sensation this August in Georgetown at 3015 M St. NW.

Jody Kurash •

The first thing I notice when I meet Big Ted is not his size. It’s his smile. It’s a friendly, welcoming type of grin; similar to the ones proudly displayed by most of the locals I meet in Saint Lucia.

Ted Barnard, or “Big Ted” as he is called, is the bar manager at the Coconut Bay beach resort, which is tucked away on the southern tip of the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. The vacation spot, which boasts multiple bars spread out over its mile-long stretch of beachfront property, is known for its lengthy drink choices. Between the swim-up bar, the lobby bar, the nightclub, sports bar, restaurants and the tiki bar beside the well-shaded adult pool, I lose count of the different cocktails by my first evening.

Each bartender seems to have his or her favorite potions. Everything from the self-named “Terry in a Cup” to Kay’s “I Like” and Hami’s killer “Negroni,” I ask Ted to mix me the most popular tipple at the resort. He whips up a “Dirty Banana,” a delicious smoothie-like concoction forged from fresh bananas, coconut cream, rum, coffee liqueur with an optional squirt of chocolate syrup.

Because it is forged from fresh bananas, this cocktail sips more like a milkshake. Its thick texture gives it a dessert-like quality. But don’t be fooled, the dirty banana packs quite a punch thanks to three ounces of liquor. Later, I am informed that Ted has an extra-special version of the drink known as a “Filthy Banana.” When I ask him to elaborate on its contents, he slyly tells me it’s made with even more rum.

Ted likes the dirty banana because it showcases the island’s local ingredients, St. Lucian rum, bananas, coconut and Ti Tasse, a rum- based coffee liqueur that is also produced in St. Lucia.

Like most Caribbean nations, Saint Lucia takes great pride in its native rums. The flagship spirit, Chairmen’s Reserve, is blended rum concocted from a combination of continuous distilled and double-distilled rums. The result is a full-bodied spirit with just enough sweetness and a little bit of bite. The spiced version of Chairmen’s Reserve contains local spices and fruits including cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut, all spice, lemon and orange. It is also rumored to include Richeria Grandis – known locally as “Bois Bande” – a bark renowned in the Caribbean as a potent aphrodisiac.

While I specifically requested Chairmen’s rum in my drinks, Ted usually blends his dirty bananas with a light locally-produced overproof rum. Hence the potency of this drink. A few too many, will have you floating off your barstool.

Unfortunately, many of Saint Lucia’s spirits can be difficult to find in the states. If you’d like to replicate the dirty banana at home, I would recommend using either Wray and Nephew overproof rum — or if you like a fuller flavored spirit, Flor De Cana seven-year-old rum. For the coffee liqueur, you may substitute Kamora. The smooth frozen tropical coconut-banana flavor is a fine anecdote for Washington’s recent scorching Caribbean-like weather. ?

THE DIRTY BANANA

1 banana, sliced

1-ounce milk

1-ounce coconut cream

1.5-ounce coffee liqueur

1.5-ounce overproof light rum

Squirt of chocolate syrup

Add ingredients to blender with ice. Blend until well mixed. Garnish with a pineapple wedge. [gallery ids="100878,127477" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Balducci’s former location on New Mexico Avenue, NW, was not completely taken over by La Forchetta. The remaining space (4,000 sq ft) that was Balducci’s will become a new Wagshal’s, which is well known in Spring Valley. Wagshal’s Family of Fine Foods owner Bill Fuchs says in addition to the butcher shop and prepared foods and sandwiches, it will offer fresh seafood, a hot food bar and chopped salad station. The new space will have a Barcelona design look.

Alan Popovsky of Hudson and Lincoln plans to open Teddy & The Bully Bar, named after President Teddy Roosevelt. It will open on 19th Street in downtown DC where Sam & Harry’s used to be. The food program includes small plates with lots of wild game, as Teddy was an avid hunter. Alan seems to have a thing for presidentially themed restaurants, as his new company is called Presidential Restaurant Group.

Passion Fin is in expansion mode. Not only does the Japanese restaurant plan to open in the new Goose Creek Village in Ashburn, VA by the end of the year, they also plan to open at The Shops at Sumner Place in Bethesda, just off Sangamore Road in this quarter. Joining them on the restaurant and QSR front will be Starbucks, Bethesda Market and Praline Bakery & Restaurant. Passion Fin owner/operators Jeffrey Fox and Jin Lin also own Sake Steakhouse in Laurel, MD and Fuji Sushi in Bel Air, MD.

The Sweetgreen owners signed a lease for its 13th location on the East Coast at CityVista at 5th and K Streets, NW, where Michael Landrum had planned to open a coffee house restaurant. That may be lucky 13 for Sweetgreen. An early fall opening is planned.

Ch-ch-changes: Jacques Haeringer just added a bar to Jacques’ Brasserie, the more casual restaurant he opened last year on the lower level of the iconic L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls, VA. The bar was a natural addition to the neighborhood spot, as it complements the neighborhood feel to the Brasserie. Jacques also quadrupled the size of his on-premises garden, growing herbs, squash, tomatoes and peppers for his restaurant.

Chef Update: Matt Baker has been named Chef de Cuisine at the Occidental Grill, working under Executive Chef Rodney Scruggs. Previously he served as executive sous chef at Brasserie Beck in D.C. and as sommelier for Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak in Miami… Salvatore Ferro was named Executive Chef of The Hamilton, part of Clyde’s Restaurant Group … Eddie Moran is now cheffing at Station 4, a Mediterranean-American restaurant in southwest D.C., not far from his last gig as chef de cuisine at Sou’Wester at the Mandarin Hotel. He will work under Executive Chef Orlando Amaro … Rebecca Albright, the new Pastry Chef for Ted’s Bulletin previously worked as Assistant Pastry Chef at 1789 and at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel where she oversaw and produced pastries for their high tea service. Should we anticipate a new kind of pop tart? Tony and Joe’s and Nick’s Riverside Grill are also pleased to announce their newest team member, Chef David Stein. David hails from St. Michaels where, for the past 16 years, he owned and operated his own Bistro St. Michaels, MD …. Chris Ferrier has been named Executive Chef for 2100 Prime at The Fairfax at Embassy Row, a Starwood Luxury Collection hotel. Previously he worked Hyatt Regency Hotels in the D.C. market.

Jose Andres will find a home for Minibar at the Zola Kitchen & Wine Bar in Penn Quarter while America Eats Tavern, formerly Café Atlantico undergoes another change. There is no concept yet, but he hopes to have something in place so that the new space opens by October. The new location for Minibar will offer 12 to 18 seats, as opposed to the six seats they have now — with an astounding wait list.

Although Thompson Hospitality has pulled Austin Grill Express and their burger concept, brb, from the Boilermaker Shops project at Capitol Riverfront/Ballpark District, Huey’s Diner, Buzz Bakery, Willie’s Brew and Que Sports Bar and Bluejacket Brewery still have banners up (thank you Prince of Petworth) so are still planning to open there. Bluejacket plans to open in the first quarter of 2013.

Sebastian Zutant, Mike O’Malley and Mike Friedman plan to open Red Hen, an Italian-influenced American restaurant in the Bloomingdale section of D.C. at 1st Street and Seaton Place, NW. Zutant and Friedman are veterans of Proof. O’Malley has 9Group in Las Vegas. They are targeting a first quarter 2013 opening.

Brookland will get a neighborhood bar and grill (fingers crossed) that will be run by three U Street operators in the industry. John Solomon from Solly’s, Frank Hankins from Sova and Tony T from The Pug are planning to take over the Library space at 3514 12th Street, NE. They have still to hire a chef and decide on a name. They hope to open this fall.

Quick Hits: Carolina Kitchen Bar & Grill expects to open their third operation on Rhode Island Row in Northeast D.C. this fall. Their other operations are at The Blvd at Cap Cen in Largo, MD and in University Town Center in Hyattsville, MD. Luke’s Lobster in Penn Quarter, D.C. opened a second location in Bethesda on Bethesda Lane. Brothers Mustafa and Omar Popal, popular owner/operators of Café Bonaparte and Napoleon Bistro, plan to open a third Georgetown restaurant on Water Street this fall. ?

Linda Roth Conte is president of Linda Roth Associates, Inc (LRA) specializing in making creative connections through media relations, marketing initiatives, community outreach and special events for the hospitality industry. Contact Linda at 703-417-2700 or linda@lindarothpr.com, or visit her web site at www.lindarothpr.com [gallery ids="100894,128227,128221" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Jeff Buben’s Full Baked empire expands, when he takes over Potenza restaurant at 15th & H Streets, NW to open Woodward Table, named for the building it’s in. The new restaurant features what Buben does best: regional American cooking. The bar will remain the second longest in the city. The pizza ovens will remain as well. Buben will add a takeout concept for breakfast and lunch called Woodward Takeout Food, affectionately referred to as WTF. Joe Harran, his chef de cuisine at Bistro Bis will become the chef de cuisine at Woodward Table. Dwight Griz of GrizForm Design will once again design the new space, as he did for the renovated Vidalia 10 years ago. The Fully Baked empire includes Vidalia, with 20 years at 20th & M Streets, NW, and Bistro Bis in the George Hotel on Capitol Hill. Buben takes over the space to renovate in September. A November opening is planned.

Elizabeth Banker plans to open Slate Wine Bar on Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park, where Kitchen 2404 used to be. It will offer a full menu as well but will feature family-owned vineyards that are sustainable and organic. Banker has taken a leave from her law career to pursue her passion for small production wines. The focus will be on specialty wines sold by the glass.

Although Tony & Joe’s and Nick’s Riverside Grill have been serving grilled items outside on the patio at Washington Harbour by the Georgetown Waterfront, all of the interior space will be open for business early this month, after 15 months of recovering from the April 18, 2011, flood.

Founding Farmers, also at Washington Harbour, had flood damage and plans to open this fall as Farmers Fishers Bakers, a new farm-to-table restaurant with a bakery. The farm theme, designed by GrizForm Design, includes sculptural farm animals and gardening tools. The bar area will resemble field grids and the back room will be more nautical (hence, the Fishers in the title). Alongside the tables in the pantry area will be barrels and shelving with items that the restaurant grew and pickled.

Keith and Chery Early’s newest restaurant, Bungalow Lakehouse, in Cascades, Va., will be the largest in Loudoun County, with more than 500 seats, including more than 100 on a large lake. Jason Maddens, formerly of Michel Richard’s Central in Penn Quarter, is the executive chef. It may be fate, as Maddens is a Loudoun County native and grew up in that same neighborhood. His first restaurant job was with the Lone Star Steakhouse, which is the site Bungalow Lakehouse now occupies. The Earlys have owned successful restaurants for 30 years in Northern Virginia, including Riannon’s, Bungalow Billiard’s (7) and two Bungalow Alehouses. General manager is Kip Olson, a longtime veteran of Clyde’s Restaurant Group as well as managing partner at the Capital Grille Tysons Corner. An August opening is planned.

Spike Mendelsohn plans to open his third restaurant on Capitol Hill this fall. Bearnaise Restaurant will offer steak frites, a nod to his time spent in France working for chef Gerard Boyer at Les Craveres. It will be on the same block on Pennsylvania Ave., SE, as Good Stuff Eatery and We The Pizza. Matchbox Food Group has three concepts in one block too, on Capitol Hill on 8th Street, SE – Matchbox, Ted’s Bulletin and DC3.

Nizam Ali of Ben’s Chili Bowl plans to expand into the H Street corridor (aka Atlas District), its first serious expansion since 1958, even though they opened Next Door next door and a concession stand at National Park. Lower level will be a Ben’s Chili Bowl, while upstairs will be a more upscale concept that includes a roof deck. Being the community people they are, the owners plan to contact nearby Gallaudet University to learn what they can do to enhance the dining experience for the hearing impaired.

Quick Hits: Mark Kuller of Proof and Estadio, has decided on a name for his new Asian restaurant: Quan… Papadopoulos Properties has more locations confirmed for Roti Mediterranean Grill. The latest is in the Westlake Crossing Shopping Center. The space used to be a Baja Fresh. Roti has seven locations locally, with spots in Union Station and College Park slated to open soon. Crios Modern Mexican recently opened where Vento was at 2120 P St., NW in Dupont Circle. The owner-operators are Joanne and Julie Liu, who also own Jenny’s Asian Fusion on the southwest waterfront and Scion Restaurant in Dupont Circle. Beau Thai on New Jersey Ave., NW, plans to open a second location in Mount Pleasant on Mt. Pleasant St, NW.

Chef, GM & Sommelier Update: Yo! Sushi has hired Thomas Hanson as its general manager for its Union Station store which recently opened. He was previously at Masa 14… Gregory Webb has been named executive chef of Tortilla Coast in Logan Circle. Previously, he worked as executive chef at McLean 1910 Restaurant in Virginia… Karen Pawelec joins Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro as its new sous chef. She is a Culinary Institute of America graduate…Ryan Sol has been named Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro’s certified sommelier. He is a recent graduate of the French Culinary Institute’s wine studies and sommelier program, as well as the Court of Master Sommelier’s Certified Sommelier Exam. Previously, he managed the World Gourmet Wine Shop in Potomac, Md. … John Donnelly was named manager for Matchbox 14th Street when it opens this fall. He currently manages at Matchbox Rockville. Jason Gehring, formerly of Fiola, is now the pastry chef at Bethesda Food Wine & Co. Nate Waugman is now the chef for Tallula and EatBar in Arlington, which is part of Neighborhood Restaurant Group. He had been executive chef at Addie’s in Rockville, as well as personal chef for Washington Redskins owner, Dan Snyder. Jon Mathieson is the new chef at BLT Steak. He comes from 2941 in Falls Church, and Michel and Inox in Tysons Corner. Expect more French-inspired menu items. Mathieson replaced Victor Albisu, who plans to open his own Mexican-themed restaurant in Falls Church. John Toigo is the new sommelier in at Fiola in Penn Quarter. Most recently, he was the cellar master at the Inn at Little Washington. Tom Wellings is the new pastry chef at Fiola. Previously, he was at Equinox. Brandi Edinger has taken over as pastry chef at Equinox. Steve Yoon has taken over as chef at Sushi Rock in Arlington’s Court House village. He’s worked at Japanese restaurants in Venice, Calif., and in Texas. Jason Cote is the chef de cuisine at Mayfair & Pine, recently opened in Glover Park by “Top Chef” season two contestant, Emily Sprissler.

Linda Roth Conte is president of Linda Roth Associates, Inc. (LRA), specializing in making creative connections through media relations, marketing initiatives, community outreach and special events for the hospitality industry. Contact Linda at 703-417-2700 or linda@lindarothpr.com or visit her web site at www.lindarothpr.com. [gallery ids="100934,129833,129827" nav="thumbs"]

Alexis Williams •

The Smithsonian’s Ocean Initiative program hosted “Sustainable Seafood: Ensuring a Healthy Supply,” a sustainable seafood dinner at the National Museum of Natural History. The June 7 event, which addressed the importance of maintaining safe seafood supplies, strategically fell on the eve of World Ocean Day. What does “sustainable” mean to the Smithsonian as well as for fish? “ ‘Sustainable’ means species can maintain a healthy population and the natural balance is not disrupted by harvesting,” according to the Natural History Museum.

While the Ocean Initiative’s sustainability message was prominent throughout the night, the hors d’oeuveres and entrees prepared by some of Washington’s top chefs, including Victor Albisu, Jeff and Barbara Black and Mike Isabella were equally enticing. With a reception in the Sant Ocean Hall, guests were treated to an array of dishes, cocktails and wine while perusing various educational stations run by scientists and chefs who explained the nutritional risks and benefits of seafood. Some of the appetizers included Upper Bay Eastern Shore oysters from Rappahannock River Oysters, Blue Bay Mussel salad from Hank’s Oyster Bar and smoked trout panna cotta with smoked steelhead trout caviar from RIS. Majestic Café provided Maryland striped bass sashimi, Thai chili, sesame seeds, nori and daikon, while Moorenko’s Ice Cream Café brought a selection of ice cream. Finally, BlackSalt arranged bronzini ceviche with squid and small shrimp.

In the museum’s rotunda, a four-course dinner followed the reception where guests listened to a keynote address by Steven Phillips, CEO of Phillips Seafood restaurants. The meal included velvet corn soup, jumbo lump Maryland crab, and roasted peppers from The Source by Wolfgang Puck. A grilled fillet of red grouper with diver scallop, yellow potato mousseline, fava beans, silver queen corn reduction and tempura soft shell crab from chef Richard Hetzler of Mitsitam Native Foods Café complimented those dishes. The meal was topped off with a cheese course and an almond and peach tart tatin, caramel ice cream, apricot gastrique and streusel for dessert, which were also provided by The Source.

The dinner was sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Marine Fisheries Service, Wegman’s Food Markets and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. [gallery ids="100881,127499" nav="thumbs"]

Ari Post •

Delicious (di-?li-sh?s) adj. 1. Highly pleasing or agreeable to the senses, esp. of taste or smell. 2. Very pleasant; delightful.

How would you define delicious? Perhaps the most ubiquitous word in the English language to denote appreciation of the culinary spectrum, delicious signifies our love for everything from a single exquisite bite to the grand flavors of a cultural heritage. From lemongrass to lemon ice, if it makes our tongues jump, “Delicious!” seems to say it all.

But what is it? How do you place it? And in a city like Washington, with a newly erupted, sprawling and vibrant food culture awash in international influence, where is it?

My quest for delicious took me through the ringer of Washington’s food scene. The Fancy Food Show exposed me to the geography of the world’s gastronomic and agricultural landscape. The Rammy Awards, which honor the District’s area restaurant industry, helped me hunt down the places to sample delicious in my hometown. Finally, it was my conversations with local chefs—the torchbearers of all that is delicious—that opened my senses to the essence of unforgettable food. This is the story of how my culinary boat got rocked.

Delicious was on my mind the evening before the Summer Fancy Food Show kicked off at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center last week. The Fancy Food Show, put on by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, is a celebration of food from around the world. Each year, thousands of vendors gather to showcase their latest innovations in food, from cutting edge ingredients to new food products, which keep the world fed in continually creative—and sometimes astonishing—ways.

From June 17 through June 19, the main hall of the convention center was transformed into an epicurean Epcot Center. As D.C. restaurant patriarch José Andrés said, “In every corner, you’re gonna find a surprise.”

Walking among the stands, largely arranged by international and state regions, there were new food fancies you never knew about and old favorites you can’t believe you forgot. When is the last time you had a bite of perfectly cooked kielbasa, for instance? Or how about caramel corn? Or some good old-fashioned bread dipped in olive oil and salt?

Granted, at the Fancy Food Show, you won’t just be sampling some standard McCormick kosher salt. This year, you were tasting mineral-rich natural salt blends by Chef Salt, a Pennsylvania-based company that harvests salt from natural deposits and rare salt ponds around the world. The results are packed with gorgeous varieties of earthy, unique, yet wonderfully familiar flavors. What it could do to a piece of bread was wild. What it could do to a cut of tenderloin is unprecedented. It was… delicious.

If you’ve never been to the Fancy Food Show, be advised: the amount of good food is overwhelming. There is no way to describe it all. But Below are some personal highlights from the event. Fortunately, most of the foods discussed are available at specialty stores around the Washington area or will be soon. Keep your eyes and mouths peeled, or take a trip to your nearest search engine to find out where you can get a hold of these products.

With each taste, my curiosity deepened. Good as everything was, the foods were entirely unique to one another. There wasn’t any particular unifying thread. I was still left thinking, “What is delicious?”

Is it exemplified by the natural product of nature, like a slice of ripe summer peach? Is it a prepared and plated experience, liked fresh grilled squid on a bed of polenta? Is it the balance of flavor, the sweet, sour, spicy, salty and savory? Maybe it’s just the nature of flavor itself that we enjoy.

Does delicious account for location, season, tradition, mood, knowledge, price or preference? Well, yes—but it’s all relative. A watermelon might be delicious, but you won’t likely find a delicious watermelon in the middle of winter. Roasted butternut squash can be delicious, but in its raw state it is inedible to most people. Salt makes things delicious in the proper doses, but — as we all have likely experienced — over-salting will ruin a dish. Palates are also different and inconsistent—to some, licorice is delicious, while others wouldn’t touch it with a stick. If you are stressed or under the weather, your palate can be off—you might not even notice a perfect bite of food if you had it.

I could run in logistical circles until I lost my appetite, but at the heart of this screwy little dilemma there is something fundamental and significant: food keeps us alive, and to consider the nature of good food is to consider the essence of a good life. Because that’s what food is: life.

On June 24, the Rammy Awards announced to Washington the local restaurants they deemed most noble in their pursuit of delicious. Put on by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) each year for the last three decades, the Rammy Awards give out accolades to metropolitan Washington’s exemplary restaurants.

Understanding the full spectrum of food tradition, they have continually expanded their program to recognize achievements in numerous food service capacities. This year, the Rammys gave out 18 awards in categories ranging from Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year and New Restaurant of the Year, to Rising Culinary Star and Beverage/Mixology Program. See winners here.

It’s important to have an institution like RAMW to honor the culinary achievements of Washington’s restaurant scene. But still, I wanted to know more about the what and why of restaurants, the spark behind the flame of culinary obsession. More importantly, though, I was still after the essence of good food, the root of delicious.

I decided to go right to the source. I wanted to talk to chefs about the essence of delicious, to find out what it means to them, and how they employ those principles in their kitchens. With the help of chef and restaurateur Ris Lacoste, I began contacting a diverse selection of local chefs—people who know delicious. What I learned left me happy, satisfied and in wonder. Not unlike a delicious meal.

SPECTRUM OF DELICIOUS: FANCY FOOD SHOW FAVORITES

We already discussed our favorite salty offering at the Summer Fancy Food Show—and Chef Salt is definitely worth tracking down (hint: it’s available at Crate & Barrel)—but how about our other flavor receptors? Below is The Georgetowner’s breakdown of the best of the sensory experiences from this year’s Show: the savory, the sweet, and some less traditional but equally pleasurable taste categories. If you want, you can turn the list into a citywide foodie scavenger hunt.

Savory
Italy showcased a swath of oils, wines, chocolates and cheeses, as well as a mouthwatering Porchetta from Fa Lu Cioli, a near century-old company operating in Via delle Cerquette, about an hour south of Rome. Porchetta, a whole deboned pig (including the head), is a traditional early Roman preparation. Roasted for hours at nearly 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the final product is a perfectly roasted cut of meat with crackling orange skin and a soft, herbaceous center. Whether sliced alongside pickles and mustard as an appetizer, served as the main course with potatoes and vegetables, or layered into a sandwich, this stuff is great. You can buy pre-roasted cuts of Fa Lu Cioli’s Porchetta to heat up at home in the oven.

Sweet
In Townshend, Vermont, Big Picture Farm is making farmstead goat milk caramel, a wholly unique agricultural product that takes any caramel experience you’ve had to a new level of delicious. Somewhere between a caramel chew and a funky ripe cheese, these little morsels show us that even candy can have a distinct provenance; in each funky-sweet bite lingers the salt of the grazed Vermontian earth. Go find Big Picture Farm online www.bigpicturefarm.com, and order these things immediately. Even if you don’t, you’ll probably be seeing them around town soon—they took the gold medal for a confection product at the show, and they are going to be eaten up by local and national distributors.

Crunchy
Vendors from Spain brought over impressive collections of rustic wines, cured meats and sheep’s milk cheese. My favorite items, however, were fried and salted marcona almonds from Almondeli, a company on the southeast coastal town of Alicante that devotes itself entirely to this wonderfully distinct Spanish nut. I ate them as mindlessly and zealously as fresh salted popcorn.

Chocolaty
Massachusetts-based Taza Chocolate makes a granular, brilliantly textured stone ground chocolate in a process inspired by centuries-old Mexican chocolate traditions. The stones minimally refine the cacao beans, allowing tiny bits of cacao and cane sugar to remain in the finished chocolate, resulting in bright tastes and bold textures. Their Chipotle Chili chocolate is of particular note and recommendation. Among other places in the city, you can pick up a wheel-shaped hunk of Taza Chocolate with a cup of drip coffee at Peregrine Espresso in Eastern Market. Bring a book, and make a Sunday afternoon out of it.

Tipsy
Pallini distillery knows a thing or two about making world-class drinks—as you might expect from the oldest distillery in Rome. Their Limoncello has a natural earthy zest from the fragrant peel of Sfusato lemons hand-picked on the Amalfi coast, hitting your palette with an intense burst of smooth and tangy flavors. Word on the street is it’s a good addition to lemon chicken, or drizzled over sorbets and lemon cakes.

Innovative
Innovated in the 1970s in France and introduced to the U.S. in 1987, sous-vide (French for ”under vacuum”) is an innovative cooking technique developed by Bruno Goussault, where food is vacuum-sealed in a specially designed pouch, slow-cooked in water at low temperatures until perfectly and evenly cooked through, and then chilled until ready for use. The result is really pretty remarkable—cut open a roast beef and it is perfectly pink from the edge to the center. Just roast the outside, and it’s ready to eat. The process also seals in moisture, making food flavorful, tender and incredibly juicy.

Marketed by Cuisine Solutions in Alexandria, Virginia, cryovacking is a deceivingly simple, basic process that yields perfect results: start with great ingredients, and prepare them simply to enhance their natural flavors. As Cuisine Solutions’ chef Herve Chignon let out, the technique is employed by top chefs and restaurants around the city, from Michele Richard of Citronelle, to Fabbio Trabbocchi of Fiola and Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve.

Culinary Cross-Culture
Perhaps my favorite stop of at the Fancy Food Show was Chile. The sprawling South American country is insulated by natural barriers on all sides: the Andes mountain range to the east, the Pacific Ocean on the western coast and the Antarctic near its southern tip. “In many ways we are closed off from the world,” says Pilar Rodrigues, Chilean cook and culinary diplomat, “but it has made for a very strong culture.”

Rodriguez works to expose the international community to the rich culinary traditions of her native country. After taking a degree at the Culinary Academy in Paris, the former Tommy Hilfiger marketing director for Latin America decided to drop out of the fashion industry and devote herself to her two driving passions: wine and food. “Most of my time, I spend promoting Chilean food and wine abroad,” she says. “Our wines and food are on par with any international cuisine, it’s just a matter of getting it out there.”

The humitas she served me, a tamale-like cornhusk filled with fresh shredded corn, basil and sofrito, was about perfect. For visitors to Chile, she also recommends pastel de choclo, a traditional corn and meat stew “that carries all the flavor of our rich land.”

“It’s the time for Latin America,” she says. “Everybody in the world is starting to come over. All our different flavors—from the equator to Antarctica—are starting to be noticed. I’m just giving things a little push.”

Look up Rodriguez online, and find out more—there’s a lot to know, and it’s all worth it.

DELICIOUS, AS DEFINED BY SOME FAVORITE LOCAL CHEFS

Speaking with a handful of acclaimed chefs from around the city, I asked a simple question: “What does ‘delicious’ mean to you?”

This is how they responded.

Bryan Voltaggio
Chef/owner of Volt and Family Meal
“Delicious” comes from a lot of places, I guess. It comes from the process behind creating a dish. That’s the exciting part—discovering new flavors or new ideas or new combinations on your own. But you have to be sure to understand: you don’t just cook for yourself, you cook for your guests. It’s also really exciting to get feedback. As chefs, handing our food to a guest for approval is what we strive for everyday.

Cooking is so much more than just one person behind a grill. We put it out there on a plate for our guests to experience. First, my team and I have to like it, and then we’ve got to hope our guests feel the same way as we do. It’s the communal nature of cooking that’s so cool.

That’s why I named my new restaurant Family Meal, because that’s what it signifies: getting together with the family to share a meal. We thought about this as a diner with that concept of getting families together at the table to appreciate breakfast, lunch and dinner. We’ll be open for every meal.

At my restaurants, there are some thought-provoking dishes, and others are very simply done, with few ingredients and the idea that it’s supposed to be pristine. The best ingredients, the best technique.

One dish at Volt that speaks toward all this is our goat cheese ravioli. We source the cheese from Cherry Glen Farm in Montgomery County. If I ever took it off the menu, I think it would start a riot. It’s on the menu with different garnishes throughout the year to stay true to the seasons, but it’s always there. When someone’s asked what’s your favorite dish at Volt, they always say the ravioli. It’s a comforting dish—it takes you back to your childhood in a lot of ways.

At Family Meal, I think that dish is going to be our fried chicken. I’m serious [laughs]. You’ll just have to try it.

Kaz Okochi
Chef/co-owner of Kaz Sushi Bistro
As an eater, “delicious” is a personal thing. It is something I put in my mouth that makes me smile. It’s not that often, but a few times a year. And when I feel it, the food is usually in its simplest form. Like a perfect strawberry, which doesn’t happen very often—maybe once a year if I’m lucky. Or a peach or tomato, or simply grilled fish with no sauces.

However, as a chef I unfortunately cannot just give people food in the simplest way. As a chef, the approach is a little bit different—more complicated and uprising. But the ingredients have to be good. Then, we have to create something with them. And in that sense, delicious is also all about balance. Flavor, texture, the proper combining of ingredients. Sometimes, I taste something unbalanced and my palette gets confused—that is not good. I don’t want my customers to be confused.

Plus, delicious is a completely personal question. I can say, “That’s my favorite dish!” But that doesn’t mean it’s your favorite dish or your girlfriend’s. It would be easy to say, “Tuna is my favorite fish.” And that satisfies the question. Kaz loves tuna. But I may like snapper tomorrow or yellowtail the day after. It changes every day because an ingredient is not the same every day. So, my philosophy is why pick a favorite with so many good options?

I’m not good at picking my favorite thing anyway, because it changes all the time. And it should change with the seasons. I only love tomatoes when they’re good and ripe in the summer. If you ask me the same question in the wintertime, I don’t like tomatoes.

Customers ask everyday for my favorite thing at the restaurant. So, maybe I just tell them I love salmon, and that’s the end of the conversation. But I’m lying.

Jeffrey Buben
Chef/owner of Vidalia and Bistro Bis
To me, a lot of food is based on taste memory. So, when you get into the idea of delicious, it’s got to appeal to all your senses. Something delicious draws from your memory and imagination. It could be as simple as an apple. You know what an apple tastes like. But when you go to market and bite into that one apple with the right amount of sugar, ripeness and texture, you just go, “Wow, that’s delicious.” It brings together all your memories and ideas of what an apple is and it’s the best possible version of it. That is the culmination of all your senses, what your mind tells you it’s supposed to be like. The most satisfying sensation is when you hit that note.

That sense of memory is why I’ve stuck to the French European culinary tradition for most of my career. You can invent combos and put things together that shock the senses and put you in a place where all your preconceived notions are blown to hell, and that’s all good. But how often is that described as delicious?

But if you make a stew, or you braise something, and you do it perfectly, the whole world will come flooding into your mouth. That’s why you cook, and that’s why you eat. That feeling transcends all my other ideas around food. Boeuf bourguignon and a glass of red wine usually does it for me. It just takes over all of my senses [laughs].

Tracy O’Grady
Chef/co-owner of Willow Restaurant
I think that “delicious” food is part of what’s got us into the weight issue in this country [laughs]. Especially us chefs, all of us trying to make the most delicious burger, fries, whatever it is. And most of that deliciousness is added through fat and salt. Some people might define delicious as farm-fresh vegetables or farmer’s market produce. Others will define it as an amazing prime steak.

But I think it’s definitely the quality of the ingredient and how you handle it—chefs are always trying to add layers of flavors. But there’s a gray area between the ingredient and the cooking: I’ve seen people take really good product and ruin it. And I’ve seen people take not-so-great product to a new level.

But good, fresh ingredients are a must. As far as the idea of farm-to-table, it’s funny where we’ve come in our culture. At Willow, I don’t state where all my vegetables come from on my menu—it’s a given that if you come eat here, you get fresh herbs, fresh produce and the best cuts of meat. Of course, it’s fresh—getting choice produce is just part of my job.

When you come in, try our grilled flatbreads—we literally grill flatbread pizza on a grill. We do cheese blends and use great quality ingredients, of course. It’s just a vehicle for flavor and texture. It’s so simple, but you put any flavor profile on top, and it’s good. I have a lot of fun with that.

Roberto Donna
Executive chef of La Forchetta Ristorante
Delicious is any kind of food that you put in your mouth that makes you open your eyes and say, “Wow, that tastes good.” It’s something that gives you an immense sensation of happiness and joy. Delicious is equal to joy.

My mother had a grocery store when I was growing up in Turin [Italy], and my grandparents were vegetable gardeners. When they had something in their hands that was good to taste—a fresh vegetable or even a piece of bread—they would give it to me to bring me joy. When you taste something good, it makes you feel good. It’s all love: food is love. You eat with love, you drink with love, you grow and raise food with love. If you do it for different reasons, it never comes out good.

You know, if you cook while you’re in a good mood, the food comes out good. If you cook in a bad mood, the food is usually not so good. The food knows this. At my restaurant, we have a lasagnetta, which I think is a good example of my feelings on this. It’s a lasagne casserole that brings me back in my memories. It’s a Sunday dish we made with our family when we got together. It was the love my family had for each other—and now I share that with my dinner guests.

Mike Isabella
Chef/owner of Graffiato, chef/partner of Bandolero
Delicious is what naturally tastes good. Half of my job in serving good food is to buy good products. Maybe that just sounds lazy [laughs].

But that is my concept as a chef. But what do I like? I really just like simple, good food, and I try to bring that out in my menus. Graffiato has its roots in a sort of salt-of-the-earth, seasonal Italian tradition—very much inspired by an “old country” mentality, like my grandmother used to cook. We try to make big flavor happen without overdoing it—just bring out the ingredients as naturally and beautifully as we can.

At Bandolero, I’m after that same thing. Mexican cuisine is so good because the ingredients are just right there in your face—pumpkin seeds, avocado, tomato, habanero—and they’re some of the best ingredients in the world. It’s hard to go wrong. Still, I think we definitely do it right.

Cathal Armstrong
Chef/owner of Restaurant Eve
Without getting too esoteric about it, what I always try to teach people when creating delicious food is balancing acidity with sweetness, and then an understanding of texture contrast.

When you think about the finest wines of the world, they always have a good balanced structure between ripe fruit and good, bracing acidity on the palette. And they also have depth and texture contrast, where it stays in your mouth with a long and lingering sense. I think food should be made the same way.

If everything is sweet, then it’s too cloying. Too sour, and it’s puckering. No texture, and it’s flat and boring.

Sweetness doesn’t mean sugar exclusively—the sweet taste of pork is a natural sweetness, carrots, parsnips, beef, fresh seafood. They all have a natural, earthy sweetness to them. And when balanced with a little acidity it creates beautiful contrast. And that will give you that lingering flavor that makes you want more of it all of the time.

There’s one dish that’s been on the menu of Restaurant Eve since we opened, called OOO. It stands for onions, oysters and Ossetra caviar. It’s a rich creamy dish: you get the natural sweetness of the onion, and then the brininess of the oyster and caviar to balance it. And to create texture contrast we serve it in a crisp puff pastry. The sweetness of onion, brininess of the oyster and caviar and the crunchiness of the pastry. To me, that is a complete dish.

Bob Kinkead
Chef/owner of Kinkead’s and Sibling Rivalry
Delicious is when food is in balance. As basic as it sounds, food that is correctly seasoned achieves a balance of tastes—like tart versus sweet—that creates unprecedented flavor. Something precisely cooked, in keeping with seasonal ingredients at the peak of ripeness—this, to me, is where the essential, natural flavor of the food shines through.

Another component that enhances our experience is that epiphany of eating something sublime for the first time. Nothing beats those moments where you realize what great food really is.

Ris Lacoste
Executive chef/owner of RIS
There is no better word a chef wants to hear from a guest than “delicious.” There is no better word for me to experience. It’s one of those “super words” that invokes a passion and satisfaction, something that goes beyond a single element in a dish—it means you have reached their heart and soul, you have made their whole being content. When you taste something like that, you lack and want for nothing.

Delicious comes in many forms, from a single pure essence to a finely tuned symphony of flavors and textures. It might even just be a memory, like a favorite meal at your mother’s table, something delicious perhaps only to you.

As a chef, delicious comes from heart and soul, from a life force created by memories and passion, all transferred from you to the guest through the food you cook.
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Shari Sheffield •

Ladies, here’s the scenario: You have just finished the first book in the mega literary phenomenon trilogy, “Fifty Shades of Grey.” You are immediately about to dive into book number two, “Fifty Shades Darker, and all that talk about wine has you desirous of a glass of Sancerre to sip as you read. All of the sudden, you have the burning desire to drink like Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, the main characters.

But what is Sancerre and where do you start to figure out what kind you will like? Never fear, I’ve got you covered. Here is your introduction to the “Wine World of Grey.” Now, gentlemen, I know you may not have any idea what book I am taking about. But ask any woman in your life, she’ll know and can give you (if she’s willing) a brief, albeit probably sanitized, version of the plot. We girls have some secrets to keep. But if you want to drink wine like a jaw- dropping handsome, wildly successful, EC15 Eurocopter-flying, Audio R8-driving, piano-playing, private jet-owning, 27-year-old billionaire, take notes!

On one of Ana and Christian’s first dates, he orders a Sancerre, and you find them drinking it throughout the first book.

But What is Sancerre?

Sancerre is a place — a village in the Lorie Valley of France, to be specific. It’s also a wine made there from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. The soil in Sancerre comes from ancient oyster beds. So, the wines are usually characterized by minerality rather than big citrusy fruit flavors like the Sauvignon Blancs from the U.S. or New Zealand. Some of the best wines in the region carry the name Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. White Sancerre became widely popular in the U.S. after World War II, when American GIs were exposed to them and liked them because they were easy drinking and easy to pronounce. They are typically high in acidity. Pouilly Fumé, Sauvignon Blanc made from the village opposite of Sancerre, is so similar in taste that Ana and most everyone else, could often confuse it with Sancerre. Fume means smoke.

I don’t know if “Fifty Shades” author, E. L. James, picked Sancerre as one of Grey’s favorites. But the choice is spot on. Sancerre mirrors Grey’s personality. He is like a Sancerre: elegant and reserved, like a traditional Sancerre — yet savage like the grapes’ name. The word “Sauvignon” comes from the word “sauvage,” i.e., “wild.” That’s Grey: “sauvage.” Sancerre can be smoky like “grey” smoke and with notes of gun flint — “grey gun flint.” Sancerre can have hints of minerality, herbs, orange, lime, along with a smoky-smoldering essence like Grey’s eyes are so often described. Crisp and elegant that’s Grey and Sancerre.

How to Enjoy?

Serve slightly chilled, and pair with white-fleshed fish. Enjoy alone or as an aperitif. Drink it now or within three to five years of its vintage year. The followingprices range for good to exceptional examples — from around $20 and up:

Producers That Christian Grey Would Know and Collect

Pascale Jolivet: Pale in color, but vibrant in flavor, racy, even elegant.

Henry Natter: Natter produces a more “New World” a.k.a. American-style fruit focused Sancerre but still wonderful quality, and it’s a joy to drink. This wine can be enjoyed alone.

Vincent Delaporte: Classic herbal-mineral charac- teristics and kiwi aromas are expressed in this vintner’s Sancerre.

Domaine Vacheron: Citrus zest balanced with min- erality. The 2010 is made from 100 percent organic/ biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

Didier Dagueneau: Produces a Pouliy Fumé called “Pur Sang.” Floral and herbal. It has been seen on the wine list at the Inn in Little Washington in the past. And if you take a wallet like Christian Grey’s to purchase it from your wine merchant, you’ll be glad you did.

Pascal Cotat: Try the 2010 Les Monts Damnes.

Now armed with your shopping list, off to purchase new finds in perhaps your own Charlie Tango. Cheers and enjoy. Or I should I say: “Laters, Babe!” ?

Robert Devaney •

A beautiful Saturday added to the food, fun and crowds of the 19th Annual Taste of Georgetown, June 2, held along a section of pedestrian-only Wisconsin Avenue between M and South Streets. Presented by the Georgetown Business Improvement District, all proceeds from the Taste of Georgetown benefit the Georgetown Ministry Center’s services supporting the homeless, which is headquartered at nearby Grace Episcopal Church.

The signature event highlighted the cuisine, chefs and crews of some of Washington, D.C.’s best-known dining spots. Samples of dishes from 25 of Georgetown’s restaurants were offered along with music with Blues Alley musical ensembles on Georgetown University’s Taste of Music Stage and a Washington City Paper Pavilion on the Eagle Bank lot that featured more than 25 craft beers, and wine and specialty cocktail sampling. Crab cake BLT sliders, lobster rolls, pasta, falafel, cupcakes (of course) and pies. Old favorites were back, such as Martin’s Tavern. Newcomers made their debut, such as Shut Your Pie Hole, connected to the historic Copperthite Pie Baking Company, which is no really new. It plans to open a pie shop in Georgetown soon.

Judging the extensive samples were Mike Isabella of the newly opened Bandolero, Sam K of Hot 99.5 Radio, Jessica Sidman of the City Paper and Katie Aberbach of Washington Post Express.

The winners were:

= Best use of seasonal ingredients: Clyde’s (green gazpacho)

= Veg Friendly: Muncheez (falafel)

= Best way to satiate a sweet tooth: Café Bonaparte (crepes)

= Carnivore’s dream dish: Bodega (paella)

= Best Overall: Neyla (all dishes) [gallery ids="100835,126017,126010,126029,126004,126033,125997,126038,125989,126045,126022" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

Chef Mike Isabella held a welcome party—”Tacos & Tequila”—at the site of his lastest epicurean effort, Bandolero, for friends, foodies and neighbors May 29.

The M Street modern Mexican restaurant opened May 24 and wanted to treat its guests to the big flavors in its little tacos and strong margaritas. The wait staff kept bringing out trays of tacos, whether with tuna tartare, crab or corn and snapper to the happy crowd, which included media and PR types and a few other participants in food and chef shows.

Known for his other restaurant, Graffiato, and being a sort of protege to DC restaurant czar Jose Andres, the personable and enthusiastic Isabella moved from kitchen to front bar, greeting everyone and posing for photos. The drinks—tequila rules here—included a “City of Gold” sipper, highly recommended. There’s more to the menu, of course, but also on the tasty list with those fish and pork tacos are pork rinds with the pumpkin-seed mixed dip or guacamole. Bandolero is in the former Hook space at 3241 M Street, and Isabella has just ramped up Georgetown’s culinary vibe. [gallery ids="100833,125756,125751,125745" nav="thumbs"]