Food

Ari Post • January 17, 2012

Just in time for the post-holiday lull, every Washingtonian’s favorite epicurean festival starts tonight! DC Restaurant Week opens the doors to more than 200 of the District’s finest eateries, as they offer prefix, 3-course lunches for $20 and 3-course dinners for $35 for the week, on top of their usual a la carte menu. For those of us who want to go out more often but don’t want to break the bank over the costs of DC’s fine dining establishments, Restaurant Week offers the opportunity to experience all of the city’s best restaurants at more modest prices. Washington, DC Restaurant Week is produced biannually by Destination DC and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington.

A biannual affair—every January and August—restaurant week has been a local institution. Don’t miss out on the chance to sample the best that DC’s culinary scene has to offer. Here are some tips for getting the most of the Restaurant Week. Cheers!

Make reservations as soon as possible. Restaurant Week is hardly a secret, and if you are itching to try one of the hottest new restaurants, odds are you aren’t the only one. Restaurants consistently book their tables to full capacity during this week of foodie madness, so try and be ahead of the curve. Make your reservations ASAP.

Not all restaurants in the area participate in Restaurant Week, so make sure to do a bit of Google research before calling in and reserving your table to make sure your eatery of choice is in the mix.

When you call in for your reservation, ask about the restaurant’s promotional dates. Many participating restaurants extend the Restaurant Week deals an extra week or so to give more customers a chance to join in the fun. It also might not be as crowded the second week. Some restaurants extending their Restaurant Week deals include: Ardeo+Bardeo, Bastille, Dino, J & G Steakhouse, Jaleo, Oyamel, Watershed, Zaytinya and 701 Restaurant.

For more information visit RestaurantWeekMetroDC.org

Georgetowner • January 12, 2012

Columbus, Ohio-based Bravo Brio Restaurant Group plans to open a second **Brio Tuscan Grille** in the metro area. A February opening is planned for the new Rockville restaurant in the Rockville Pike complex with Whole Foods and Seasons 52, across from White Flint Mall. The Brio Tuscan Grille at Tysons Corner Center has been open since September 2005. The parent company owns 94 restaurants in 30 states. Brio Tuscan Grille is an upscale affordable Italian restaurant serving authentic Northern Italian food in a Tuscan Villa atmosphere.

Texas-based Del Frisco?s Restaurant Group plans to expand into D.C., opening its newest concept, **Del Frisco?s Grille** in Penn Quarter, at 1201 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, where Les Halles used to be, by early next summer. It will offer big sandwiches, seafood, steaks, salads, flatbreads and will be open for lunch, dinner and brunch. The parent company operates 31 restaurants across the country, including Del Fricso?s Double Eagle Steak Houses and Sullivan?s Steakhouses. This will be the third Del Frisco?s Grille in the country, with the first two in New York and Dallas.

Chef & GM Update: Sebastien Archambault takes over the helm at **Blue Duck Tavern** at The Park Hyatt Washington in D.C.?s West End. Archambault comes to Washington from Los Angeles?s L?Epicerie Market, a combination restaurant and food shop where he was chef-owner. The Lubbock, Texas-born chef grew up in the restaurant business, then moved to France where he worked for renowned restaurants in Paris as well as in Mexico City. Expect French and Mexican dishes to find their way into his new menu. Chef de cuisine John Melfi will continue as sous chef at Blue Duck Tavern.

**Ripple** in Cleveland Park has hired Alison Reed as the new pastry chef. She formerly worked at Cafe St. Ex. Sean-Michael Longstreth is the new general manager of **Fiorella Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria** at National Harbor. He had been assistant general manager for sister restaurant, Bond 45, also at National Harbor. Both are part of Fireman Hospitality Group.

Ch-Ch-Changes: **Lima Restaurant** in downtown D.C. plans to change its concept, into an Asian-influenced Latin American restaurant called Fujimori by early February. Cuban-born chef Raynold Mendizabal says the menu will reflect the influence of Asian immigration on Latin American cuisine and will offer a raw bar as well as a sushi bar. The downstairs nightclub, Lima Lounge, will not change.

If you are old enough to remember **Hot Shoppes**, it will put a smile on your face to learn that the new Marriott Marquis currently under construction next to the Washington Convention Center plans to open with a Hot Shoppes restaurant inside. Hot Shoppes was an early part of the Marriott empire and its original name. The first one opened at 14th and Park Road, NW, in 1927. Marriott closed them all in 1999. The property is expected to open in spring 2014.

Barry Koslow, former chef at Tallula in Arlington and Mendocino Grille in Georgetown, plans to open **DGS Delicatessen** next summer, in Dupont Circle (1317 Connecticut Ave., NW) with partners Nick and David Wiseman of Roadside Food Projects. The DGS stands for District Grocery Stores, a cooperative of Jewish-owned delis from turn-of-the-century D.C. The corned beef and pastrami will be made on the premises. Breads, bagels and bialys will come from Mark Furstenburg, founder of Marvelous Market and Breadline.

**William Jeffrey?s Tavern** in Arlington, is the newest venture from Vintage II Restaurants, owned by Chris Lefbom, Wilson Whitney and Adam Lubar, who also own and operate Rhodeside Grill, Ragtime and Dogwood Tavern. Virginia artist Thomas Mullany created the 1920s prohibition era theme with three murals depicting the speak-easy culture.

Quick Hits: **Yes! Organic Market** is moving its Capitol Hill store to a larger site at 801 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, aka Barracks Row. It is expected to open in March. This summer, Boloco, a Massachusetts-based burrito franchise specializing in Mexican-style burritos, will open in the Golden Triangle at 1028 19th St., NW, formerly a spa, and at 4930 Elm St. in Bethesda, where a Baja Fresh used to be. Boloco stands for Boston Local Company. Spike Mendelsohn?s **Good Stuff Eatery** plans to open a second location this spring at 2110 Crystal Drive in Crystal City.

Openings Update: Jamie Stachowski and his son have been in the process of renovating Georgetown?s **Griffin Market**. Renovations took a bit longer than expected (hey, what else is new?). In addition to cases filled with heirloom pork, local beef, seasonal game, and four or five rotating varieties of freshly made sausage, Jamie plans to offer a sandwich bar with big, piled-high sandwiches and ?the best pastrami this city will know.?
There will also be a selection of prepared foods available to go, as well as charcuterie. A January opening is scheduled. **Boxcar Tavern**, located at the former Petite Gourmet space next to Tunnicliffs at 224 7th St, SE, is slated to open very soon. Owner Xavier Cervera, also has Senart?s, Lola?s, and Molly Malone?s on Barracks Row.

Paul Uppole, owner of **St. Arnold?s Mussel Bar**, located on Jefferson Place south of Dupont, plans to open a second location for the mussels and frites restaurant in Cleveland Park where Sabores was. He plans to open a sit-down restaurant in the upper level space, offering upscale pub food with a Belgian twist, and a pub downstairs, which he plans to call Underground at St. Arnold?s, in a connected downstairs space. As St. Arnold is the patron saint of brewing, expect a dynamic selection of beers. And Uppole knows his beers.

*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 website at [LindaRothPR.com](http://www.lindarothpr.com/).*

Ariell Kirylo • December 8, 2011

Chef Scott Drewno is the man behind Wolfgang Puck’s The Source, adjacent to the Newseum in Penn Quarter. On the surface, Drewno is the epitome of the all-American man: 6 feet 5 inches, handsome, happily married to his high school sweetheart, lover of Diet Coke and, I can only assume, baseball. What isn’t captured by the bare naked eye? Drewno has seriously stepped it up as a fierce D.C. contender in modern Chinese cooking.

Reentering Western society from his Vol. II trip to China, Drewno brings with him a wonton of ideas in the form of duck, pig, dumplings and noodles. Taking restaurant recommendations before his trip from local Chinese phenoms such as Ming of Ming’s in Chinatown and friends like Chef Lee Heftner, Drewno went to China with a list of 80 restaurants to hit up.

With a new bag of Asian tricks, the wok has been fired and The Source is now hotter than ever. There were a few dishes I was itching to try and share with our readers. Here’s what I found sizzling:

Duck Bao Buns folded with lacquered duckling, hoisin sauce and cucumber. A sweet, doughy bite with a cool crunch makes these heavenly buns one of my favorite small plates on the menu. While visiting Beijing, Peking Duck was a topic of study for Drewno. Post research, he feels he has evolved this ancient Chinese dining experience into something more contemporary and easy to eat.

Crispy Suckling Pig is served as a small plate accompanied by a sweet bean paste and black plum puree. This signature dish is the product of a three-day process of deconstruction and reconstruction of a whole pig. After slow roasting, the meat is removed from the bone and the skin is made crispy separately. It’s Drewno’s secret to succulence. Once put back together and plated, this dish sends diners into squealing delight. After sampling suckling pig at a banquet meal in Shanghai, Drewno boasts with confidence that his pig is just perfect. I certainly agree.

Sheng Jian Bao is a new edition to the menu and a result of an intimate cooking lesson with a 64-year-old expert in Shanghai. Drewno watched over her shoulder as she carefully taught him to pleat each dumpling with precision. Ask for these pork filled treasures in the lounge and you be the judge. I vote some of the best dumplings in D.C.

Chili dan dan noodles are smothered in sweet, slow-roasted pork and flipped together with chili oil. Inspired by his visit to a hot-pot restaurant in the Xi’an region, Drewno is proud to present this spicy addition. The noodles provide the texture needed to offset the tenderness of the pork. Chopsticks down: you will finish the whole bowl.

Deals and Steals at The Source

While the dining room menu may throw the bill in the region of pricey, it is not necessary to break the bank at The Source. Small plates in the lounge, Happy Hour and Saturday Dim Sum Brunch are all open avenues to get your fork in some of the best Chinese food in the District.

Happy Hour

The deal: The Source offers a “food centric” Happy Hour catering to a sexy and diverse clientele. On weekdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., I watched the lounge fill up with a collection of young professionals, food loving fools and museum goers. Amidst soft lighting, small-plates, intriguing seasonal cocktails plus a selection of 28 wines by the glass, The Source is a great place to chill-out after work or meet up with a friend. Plenty of suits and skirts make this Happy Hour a secret single spying spot.

The steal: Your choice of three plates for $20 (can also be ordered individually à la carte.)

Saturday Brunch

The deal: Forget pancakes, how about steamed buns? It’s time to switch it up and impress your family, friends and morning-afters with a trip to The Source for brunch. Saturday Dim Sum Brunch is another way to experience The Source without sitting down for a full dinner. From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. guests may choose from 28 dim sum-style plates. While there is no special on drinks, why not go bold with a Bloody Mary in a pilsner glass? There are three to choose from: Classic, Shanghai Mary (spicy) and District Mary garnished with a half-smoke sausage.

The steal: Five plates for $30 or eight plates for $40

The Source
575 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
[gallery ids="100378,111038,111022,111034,111027,111031" nav="thumbs"]

Ari Post • December 1, 2011

As a Christmas present from Across the Cutting Board, chef Ris Lacoste wants to answer all your culinary questions. Do you have any inquiries on cooking techniques, recipes, cookbook recommendations, or epicurean gift ideas? We want to hear!

Email any and all questions to Ari@Georgetowner.com and look for Ris’ responses in The Georgetowner’s Dec. 7 issue next week.

Happy Cooking!

Miss Dixie • November 30, 2011

Just the name of the Zombie cocktail is enough to scare many imbibers away. Like the daiquiri and the margarita, this timeless cocktail has been imitated and mutated far beyond its original form. But this legendary tipple has quite a history behind it.

The Zombie was created around 1934 by Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt, who is considered is the founding father of tiki bars.

According to Wayne Curtis, author of “And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails,” Gantt, who had spent much of his youth rambling about, arrived in Los Angeles just as Prohibition was drawing to an end. He rented a small bar and decorated it with items he’d gathered in the South Pacific, along with driftwood, old nets and parts of wrecked boats he scavenged from the beach.

Gantt stocked his bar with inexpensive rums, which were available in abundance after prohibition, and invented an array of faux-tropical drinks, using fruit juices and exotic liqueurs.

Gantt called his place Don the Beachcomber’s. It became incredibly fashionable, attracting celebrities and eventually expanded to multiple locations. The joint became so much part of his personality that Gantt legally renamed himself Donn Beach. According to the museum of the American cocktail, the first Zombie was whipped one morning to revive a hungover customer around 1934. His verdict: “I feel like the living dead; it made a zombie out of me.” It was later said that Gantt limited his customers to two zombies apiece.

The drink became wildly popular. Donn guarded his recipe closely, but rival mixologists made their own versions and inferior cocktails flooded the bar scene. While the tiki trend has faded, versions of the Zombie can be found in retro bars and Asian restaurants. Many of them bare little resemblance to the original.

Despite the kitschy gimmicks, Gantt was actually a talented mixologist. He pioneered the use of multiple rums in cocktails, resulting is a rich and layered flavor. His recipes were closely guarded secrets – they were published in code or contained secret formulas.

Jeff “Beach Bum” Berry, author of several books on tiki culture including “Sippin’ Safari,” “Grog Log” and “Intoxica,” spent years tacking down Gantt’s Zombie recipe. Berry actually turned up three different recipes from varying years – apparently Gantt modified the ingredients over time. The original formula, Berry believes, comes from the1934 recipe for Zombie Punch in a little black book belonging to a former waiter at Don the Beachcomber’s. The recipe called for an ingredient called “Don’s Mix” which Berry deciphered to be a mixture of grapefruit juice and cinnamon syrup.

The ingredient list for the Zombie is lengthy compared many of today’s highballs, but it results in a cocktail with a rich palette of flavor. It tastes both tart and sweet yet refreshing. But do beware: This drink’s smooth fruity flavor covers up the fact that it contains three shots of rum – so enjoying too many zombies could easily turn you into one.

Zombie Punch from Jeff “Beach Bum” Berry’s “Sippin’ Safari””

.75 oz Lime Juice
. 5 oz Don’s Mix
(2 parts grapefruit juice, 1 part cinnamon-infused sugar syrup)
5 oz Falernum
1.5 oz Jamaican Rum
1.5 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum
1 oz 151 Demerara Rum
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1/8th tsp Herbsaint or Pernod
1 tsp Grenadine
.75 cup crushed ice

Put everything into a blender, saving ice for last. Blend at high speed for no more than 5 seconds. Pour into a chimney glass and fill with ice. Garnish with fresh mint.

Ingredients to make the Zombie may be purchased at Dixie Liquor in Georgetown.

Georgetowner •

**Bryan Voltaggio**, chef/owner of **Volt** in Frederick, Md., is in high gear. In addition to his new **North Market Kitchen** in downtown Frederick as well as his new bistro **Range** (as in ?down on the ? ?) in Chevy Chase, he also plans to open a soup-and-sandwich concept on Frederick?s Carroll Creek Promenade, where **La Dolce Vita** used to be, called **Lunchbox**. The casual 30-seat restaurant is slated to be open before the end of the year. In the first quarter of 2012, Volt will introduce a prix-fixe $80 per person menu that changes each month, to replace the a la carte menu. Lunch service will be offered only on the weekends. Bryan also has an idea for a diner, yet to be named, that he wants to open on East Street in Frederick in what used to be a car dealership. He hopes for an early second quarter 2012 opening.

And speaking of Bryan/Brian(s), **Brian McBride** has joined forces with **Robert Wiedmaier** (**Marcel?s**, **Brasserie Beck**, **Brabo** and **Mussel Bar**) to create a model for restaurants he and Wiedmaier hope to open together. He?s currently headquartered at Brasserie Beck, creating protocols and menus. They have just hired a new chef de cuisine, **Will Morris**, formerly of **Bourbon Steak**. It was time for new challenges and new horizons, as Brian had been at **Park Hyatt** for 25 years.

**Mike Isabella** is moving at warp speed, it seems. **Graffiato** has been open only a few months and now has plans to open a Mexican restaurant in early 2012 in Georgetown where **Hook** was, until it caught fire ? literally. **Bandolero** will serve modern Mexican small plates. The frequently-changing menu will feature ceviche, tacos, vegetables and ?carbons,? which are Mike?s version of fajitas. **Jonathan Umbel** remains owner of the space.

**Pie Sisters** plans to open this month on M Street in Georgetown near Key Bridge. It appears the parent company is **O?B Sweet**, created by the **Blakely** sisters: **Alli**, **Erin** and **Cat**, who announce on their website that ?Homemade pies are and have always been a staple in our family tradition ? ?

Falls Church restaurant landmark, 2941, will close the first two weeks of 2012 to undergo renovations ? from the d?cor to the menu. It will become more casual and more appealing to every-week dining, not just special occasions. This more casual concept has worked well for **Michel Richard?s Central** and **Fabio Trabocchi?s Fiola**.

**Stephen Starr** is to Philadelphia what **Danny Meyer** is to New York. Now, he?s set his scope in D.C. and plans to open a French bistro at 14th and Q Streets, N.W., before the 2012 fall session of Congress starts. His big hit concepts in Philly include: **Buddakan**, **Continental** (love the martinis), **Morimoto** and **El Vez**.

Renowned mixologist (PX/Restaurant Eve) **Todd Thrasher** plans to open a new bar called **TNT**, named for his son **Tristan Noah Thrasher**. It will accompany **Eamonn?s: A Dublin Chipper** on Columbia Pike in Arlington. A March or April opening is planned. He will offer two cocktail menus ? one of old favorites, and one that?s brand new.

**Quick Hits:**

**Matchbox Management Group** signed a deal to open a **Ted?s Bulletin** at 14th and S Streets, just a block from the next **Matchbox** to open, at 14th and T Streets, NW. **Geoff Tracy** signed a lease to open in Rockville, where **Againn** and **Houston?s** used to be. He has his sights on a second-quarter 2012 opening. **SoHo**, aka Southern Hospitality, serving American food, will open at 1813 Adams Mill Road, N.W., where **Adams Mill Bar and Grill** used to be, by the end of the year. **Teaism** plans to open in Old Town Alexandria in March. Plans to open in the U Street Corridor are on hold for now. **Hawthorne Homemade Organic Juice Bar & Market** plans to open on Macomb St, N.W., where **River House** used to be. **Maddy?s Tap Room** inked a deal to occupy 1100 13th Street, N.W. **Cava Mezze Grill** has leased a 2,100-square-foot space for its next location in the Mosaic District (Merrifield, Va.) now under development. They have locations in Rockville, Bethesda, Capitol Hill, Clarendon and, soon, Tysons Corner.

**More Quick Hits:**

Look for a new bakery concept from **Mark Furstenberg**, formerly of **Bread Line**. **Maranon Caf?** will open in the old **Tegeste** location on 14th Street, N.W. This new Latino full-service restaurant plans to serve Mexican, Salvadorian, and Dominican food. **BlackFinn American Grille** signed a deal to open in Halstead Square in Merrifield, Va. It plans to open in summer of 2012. **Jason McCarther** plans to open **Box Bar & Grill** in Bethesda, featuring 15 televisions with all sports all the time and burgers and wings. Although **Chidogo?s** at 14th and U Streets, N.W., has closed — as have several other retail operations there due to building renovation ? Chidogo?s **Robert Hisaoka** continues to move forward, planning to open in College Park before end of year and at National Harbor by Spring 2012.

**Steak and Cheese**, the new concept from restaurateur **Michael Landrum**, created of **Ray?s The Steaks** dynasty, stealthly opened in Rosslyn where **Hell-Burger II** (also his place) was. They slice the beef ? not shave it. One of several reasons why they do not claim to be an authentic cheesesteak place, hence the name.

**Openings Update:**

**Nick?s Riverside Grill** and **Tony & Joe?s** are now slated to re-open in April, in Georgetown Harbour. Nick?s will expand into the former **Cabanas** space and will offer an expanded menu for lunch, dinner and brunch. Ray?s The Steaks in East River (Anacostia) plans to be open in January, with no menu changes planned. New York-based **Boqueria** now plans to be open in January at their downtown D.C. spot at 19th and M Streets, N.W. Cathal and **Meshelle Armstrong?s** ?epicurean emporium,? **Society Fair**, is expected to open by Christmas. It will include a bakery, butchery, wine shop, bar and demo kitchen. Four Fields (Ireland?s 4Ps) in Cleveland Park negotiated with its new owners to stay open until March 2012.

**Chef Update:**

**Duane Keller** is the new executive chef for the **Hamilton Crown Plaza Hotel** and **14K Restaurant**. Keller was most recently executive chef at the **Mason Inn and Conference Center Hotel** in Fairfax, and before that at **Capital Grill** in Chevy Chase. **Mio** is getting a new chef **Giovanna Huyke**, who is apparently the Julia Child of Puerto Rico. **Zentan** sushi chef **Jason Zheng** will be working for **The Hamilton**, the newest venue from **Clyde?s Restaurant Group**, when it opens this month. **Alexander Zeppos** is the new chef at **Logan Tavern**. Before that, he was the executive chef and director of operations for **Growlers** of Gaithersburg. **Chef Robert Weland** recently of **Poste** at the **Hotel Monaco** is now at **Cork Wine Bar** at Logan Circle. And chef **Ron Tanaka** of Cork Wine Bar is now at New Heights in Woodley Park.

**Mari Vanna** is a Russian home-cooking themed restaurant planning to open on Connecticut Ave., N.W., in Dupont Circle next fall. It will be three stories and will have d?cor that is noticeably Russian-grandmother-esque (think tchotchkes). It will have a club-like atmosphere (think **Mansion** on O). It?s owned by **The Ginza Group**, which owns Mari Vanna locations in Moscow, New York and London as well as more than 70 other concepts in Russia. Menu varies from beef stroganoff to blinis topped with caviar. And vodka.

Just like Jose Andres? minibar within Caf? Atlantico (now America Eats Tavern), **Amy Brandwein** will offer a seasonal 12-course menu at **Tavola 12**, a 12-seat restaurant within **Casa Nonna** on Connecticut Ave, N.W., near Dupont Circle.

Ari Post • November 28, 2011

My grandparents taught me never to waste food. Raised in the Great Depression and ushered into adulthood through World War II, food shortages and rationings were ingrained somewhere deep within them. As food became more plentiful, their habits of conservation never changed, and by the time I was a pitter-pattering little nuisance, what I most looked forward to when visiting them was the fridge full of leftovers, the well-preserved remains of the previous day’s feasting. I lived for cold slices of roast beef sopped with day-old juices at two in the afternoon, picking with reckless abandon at congealed masses of macaroni and sour pickles shoved lazily into Ziploc bags. Every piece of food in my grandparent’s house tasted better to me the day after we ate it as dinner. As such, my favorite holiday was Thanksgiving, the patron saint of leftover-producing meals.

“At Thanksgiving, we produce many times the amount of food we need,” says Ris Lacoste, chef and local food advocate. “That plentiful feast, brimming with the harvest’s bounty, is meant to provide a continuous meal of endless duration.”

The history of Thanksgiving is complicated and somewhat controversial—and it’s been seared in the old Hollywood light of Quaker Oats pilgrims and happy, unfettered Indians—but its basic roots lie in traditional European and Native American festivals, held after the harvest cycle to give thanks for a good harvest and rejoice as a community after so many difficult months working the land. It is a holiday where we can break our rules of moderation for an evening, overindulge and get swallowed up by the bounty of the season.

“Thanksgiving Dinner is truly my favorite savory meal,” she says. “It’s certainly not the easiest meal to pull off, but it’s an event of pure experience and orchestration. My mother was a pro. And she, before all else, enjoyed the leftovers—and deservedly so. She made the best potpie for late night snacks after dinner, and for lunch the next day she made us all stuffin’ sandwiches, griddled like a grilled cheese, with turkey, her French Canadian pork stuffing and cranberry sauce. There is nothing like it!”

A sandwich is, of course, an obvious and delicious solution to dealing with Turkey Day leftovers, Ris says. “But you’re really sitting on the precipice of endless possibilities. As seasonal foods go, what you see on the table is what grows together in the fields. They were tailor-made for each other. You can recombine them in almost any way and it will be a success.”

As a chef might, Ris has an array of special leftover tricks up her sleeves. Sweet potato-marshmallow or turkey croquettes are recent creations, served with a cranberry “dipping” sauce (i.e. leftover cranberry sauce). “And I bet green bean and onion casserole would make a handy croquette as well,” she says, “bound with some of those leftover mashed potatoes.”

Turkey chow mein is also a household favorite of Ris’. “And then there are turkey tacos with cranberry and lime, jalape?o cream and ancho-orange sweet potatoes. Turkey hash, turkey chili with sweet potato, peas and pearl onions, turkey and bread salad—a great way to deal with leftover bread.”

But all Thanksgiving leftovers begin with turkey stock, she says. “And it’s so simple! Pick the carcass clean, cover it with water in a stockpot and add loosely chopped onions, carrots, celery, thyme, sage, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. While you’re doing the dishes, bring the stock to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, skim on occasion and just let it cook until the vegetables are soft and the carcass appears to have rendered all of its flavor into the stock. From there, you can store it in baggies in your freezer and pull it out when you want to make potpie, soup or anything else later on down the road.”

Ris can write a formal recipe as well as any professional epicure, but in situations like this it’s thrilling to just sit back and listen as the inspiration rolls off the tip of her tongue. Once on the topic of leftover meals, she began rattling a stream of culinary concoctions, making them up as she went along, and it was everything my pen could do to keep up. How many teaspoons of rosemary or tablespoons of butter was the last thing on either of our minds.

“And that can sometimes be the joy of cooking,” Ris says. “In the restaurant, I need to have consistency with every dish, making sure that the lamb shank comes out true to the recipe every time. But cooking at home, I can just make something delicious. It might never be made again, but if it’s really good, the memory will exist forever.”

Thanksgiving is the most genuine holiday, Ris believes. “It is the least cluttered by commercialism—it’s all about food, family and thanks. Pausing to say thanks is something we do not do often enough and acknowledging those who haven’t been as fortunate as ourselves is part of that pause.”

For over two decades Ris has worked with DC Central Kitchen, contributing her culinary wisdom to help feed and educate the less fortunate. “Food is what I know,” she says. “It’s what I do, and it’s what I am. I love working with DC Central Kitchen because it allows me to give back in the way I know how—through food and cooking.”

DC Central Kitchen turns donated food, leftover food into millions of meals for thousands of at-risk members of our community, while offering nationally recognized culinary job training to once homeless and at-risk individuals. They recycle 3,000 pounds of food each day, converting individual donations into 4,500 meals that they distribute to around 100 shelters, transitional homes and rehabilitation clinics throughout the District. They also provide counseling services to the chronically homeless, and employ graduates from their culinary program in the kitchen’s full-service catering company, or place them in jobs at restaurants and hotels.

I accompanied Ris on a visit to DC Central Kitchen where local chefs and members of Les Dames d’Escoffier gathered to host cooking classes with the kitchen’s Culinary Job Training program’s 86th class. The students came in to observe and get exposure to new ingredients and techniques from local restaurant chefs, and all were ready to jump in front of the stovetops and give the techniques a try.

Ris and I walked around the kitchen during a downbeat, peaking into the pantries and refrigerators. “During my time off I came here every Thursday,” she said. “I would organize the pantry and make 50 gallons of some protein or salad with the miscellaneous cans and jars donated to the kitchen. We used all of it, these odds and ends—from crackers to canned corn to butterscotch sauce—and turned it into really great quality food. I always felt better when I left than when I arrived.”

The spirit of giving, of making something from nothing, of leftovers, was wafting in the air like firewood on a chilly evening. At the end of the day, a feast was had by all the chefs, students, staff and volunteers of DC Central Kitchen: papaya salad, Irish soda bread, lentil soup with citrus, chicken stir-fry with lo mein noodles and sautéed green beans. It was like an international food fair.

But it ultimately comes back to the kitchen, and the art of cooking without wasting. “Just like your grandparents or my mother,” said Ris, “DC Central Kitchen is making beautiful and nourishing meals without wasting a drop. But this kitchen is more than just leftovers—it’s real cooking. What they are able to accomplish humbles me.”

For Ris, this is the soul of Thanksgiving. “Be thankful for what you have, and for what is at your table,” she says. “And don’t forget to do what you can to give back to your community.”

For more information on DC Central Kitchen and their culinary training program, donating and volunteering opportunities, and catering services, visit DCCentralKitchen.org.

As a Christmas present from Ris, we want to answer your culinary questions for our next column. Questions on cooking techniques, recipes, cookbook recommendations, or epicurean gift ideas? We want to hear! Email your questions to Ari@Georgetowner.com and look for our answers in The Georgetowner’s December 14th issue. Happy Cooking!

Georgetowner • November 3, 2011

This weekend, Georgetowners celebrated the year’s hottest holiday with a few Scoops. Georgetown Scoops, that is.

The new ice cream store, located at 2818 Pennsylvania Ave., officially opened its doors on July 4.

Employees said that Georgetown customers have kept the new store busy, especially at night. The store has been in the works for about a year and chose the site for its popular, high-traffic location.

The store will likely attract its share of college students, with its acceptance of the GWU’s GWorld card and central location between George Washington University and Georgetown University.

The ice cream is “home-made” locally, just outside Washington. Unique but already popular flavors include ginger, cleopatra (vanilla with dates) and decadence, which is 72 percent dark chocolate.

The store also offers sundaes, frozen coffees made with ice cream, all-natural fruit smoothies, cupcakes, pastries and salads.
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