Trending Now: Rosé!

November 6, 2012

When the weather gets warm my taste for red wine changes (although I am sipping a beautiful La Linda Malbec in this first week of June, as I write this), the wine that satisfies the need for fruit and complexity is Rosé aka “Blush,” “Rosato” in Italy, or “Rosado” in Spain.

What is Rosé

Rosé is a wine style. It is made from the same red wine grapes that make the red wines like zinfandel, pinot noir, syrah, and grenache. The only major difference in rosé vs. red wine is that the grape skins have not had long contact with the juice in the wine making process. Yes, white zinfandel comes from a red wine grape-zinfandel. Thus, rosé can range from very dry, off-dry or sweet.

How do you figure out what style Rosé is for you?

Try them all. But here’s a little tip: try rosé from those regions and red wine grapes you already know and like. If you prefer a particular red wine like Grenache or Syrah, try rosés from Europe made from these grapes. These rosés are a treat for those who like dry or off-dry reds. If you don’t like dry wines, try U. S. based rosés made from grapes produced in the U.S. like pinot noir, zinfandel and merlot. Oh, and terminology: should you use “blush” or “rosé”? They mean the same thing. Leave it to your personal preference. Enjoy!

What to try from area restaurant wine lists?

If are you looking for a wine to bridge the gap between red and white this summer, try some of these found on area wine lists:

Heidi Schrock “Biscaya”. Austria. 2011. This is a beautiful jewel-colored sustainable rosé. It danced and glittered in the glass recently at Ripple in Cleveland Park. It is off-dry and complex. Pair with shrimp, tilapia, chicken piccata or goat cheese at home.

Matello Rosé Pinot Noir. Willamette Valley, OR. 2011. This wine has Jolly Rancher’s watermelon candy aroma, but it doesn’t taste like candy. It has wonderful strawberry flavors but it is an off-dry rosé with the only hint of sugar coming from the well pronounced pinot noir fruit. A beautiful, sustainable, wine with nice acidity at the finish. Available at Ripple in Cleveland Park. Pair with vegetarian dishes and grilled summer vegetables.

Baudry-Dutour Cuvee Marie Justine Chinon, France 2010. Cabernet Franc’s rosé has a pink-tawny peach color. Notice the slight herbal flavors that add to its allure. Slight sweetness and wonderful balance. Goes well with oysters. Pair with shrimp salad, white fleshed fish, and mushrooms at home.

Charles & Charles Rose, Columbia Valley, Wash. 2011. A Syrah- based Rosé blended with shiraz. The wine maker’s tasting notes suggest aromas of watermelon, grass, wet stones and citrus. Available on the wine list at Poste Brasserie in Penn Quarter. Pair with fish and chips and pork loin at home.

Jean-Maurice Raffeault Chinon Loir Valley, France, 2011. According to Vinoteca on 11th Street, NW’s wine list, this pale blush Cabernet Franc rose is “tart, funky” with under-ripe raspberry flavors. Well, I didn’t find it funky, but it was spunky with a wonderful minerality. Pair with cheeseburgers.

Dom. de la Courtade ‘L’alycastyre’, Côtes de Provence, France, 2011. This richly colored French rosé is an good example of how refreshing European-style rosés can be. It is made of grenache, tibouren and mourvèdre. Notice the strawberry flavors. It is refreshing as a cool drink of water. On the list at Vinoteca Wine Bar on 11th Street, N.W. Pair with grilled chicken and red snapper at home.

At home, chill and serve your rosé between 40 and 48 degrees, and you will seeing through rosé-colored glasses all summer long. Cheers! ?

Flavor-Packed ‘Taste of Georgetown’ Satisfies Again


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"]

Bandolero Celebrates With an Opening Party


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"]

Citronelle Under Construction As Chef Michel Richard Expands To New York


Even as Hurricane Sandy was quickly approaching
the nation’s capital this Saturday, groups
were holding steadfast for their reservations
at Central Michel Richard. One group outside the
restaurant was eagerly waiting for French chef
Michel Richard’s American restaurant to open, but
Kulene DiCerce fondly remembered her experience
at Citronelle.

It was “one of the most memorable meals of my
life,” said DiCerce.

If DiCerce is right, Richard’s cuisine is about
as memorable as the man himself. Inside Central,
Richard was thrilled to hear about his fans’ enthusiasm.
He clasped his hands and asked, “Where
is she?” Richard has been getting praise like hers
from Washingtonians since Citronelle opened at
the Latham Hotel in 1993. The restaurant closed in
July for repairs to the structure of the Latham Hotel
caused by water damage.

Richard did not expect the repairs to take as long
as they are. “One morning, they called me,” he said.
“They said, ‘Michel, we are going to be closed a
few days.’ And in a few days, now it is becoming a
few months or a year.”

The renovation of the Latham Hotel and
Citronelle is already in process. Citronelle has been
gutted, and Richard is excited about its rebirth.

“They are going to have to hire a designer to
redesign the restaurant. I want that restaurant to be
a fresher version. A new Citronelle,” said Richard.
“That’s what I want. A nicer, a better looking restaurant.”

A designer has not been chosen yet for the redesign.
Mel Davis, Richard’s spokesperson, said she
expects Citronelle to reopen in the second quarter
of 2013, in time to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Meanwhile, Richard has been plenty busy.
Central has introduced a pre-theatre menu, and he’s
just been invited to open a new restaurant at the
New York Palace Hotel. The new, yet-to-be-named
project is something of a homecoming for Richard,
who opened his first pastry shop in New York when
he first came to America in the 1970s.

“I’m going back now, 38 years later. The accent’s
still the same. L’accent is still the same. Same
French accent. I am very excited. And, you know,
the reason I am so excited is that I’m opening a
pastry shop.”

Richard will be making numerous trips to New
York to prepare to open the restaurant but reassures
us that D.C. is his home. “My wife loves it,” said
Richard. “It is a nice town. I love to be next to the
president.” [gallery ids="101042,136308,136303" nav="thumbs"]

Culinaire Reopens


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Latest Dish October 17, 2012

October 17, 2012

**Quick Hits:** Four Seasons Hotel will open a **Fashion Caf?** as well as an Eno Wine
Bar in early 2013. **Al Dente** (formerly La Forchetta) will open a second location at 425 I Street, NW, in late summer 2013. **Fuel Pizza** will open its third D.C. location on Georgia Ave, NW, near Howard University next spring. **Riscatto**, a new restaurant serving Mexican and Latin foods will open on 14th Street, NW, where Galileo III (before that, Butterfield9) was. Riscatto in Italian means ?ransom? so I hope they don?t hold anything or anyone hostage. Newsom restaurant is slated to open in the iconic Hubert Newsom Building at 1110 H Street, NE.

Stephen Starr?s first venture into the D.C. market, **Parc Deux**, is slated to open at 14th and Q Streets, NW, where the Shirt Laundry oper- ated for years. Based in Philadelphia, Starr is a renowned restaurateur, from **The Continental** to **Buddakan**. He chose his French concept to expand into D.C. His original **Parc** is in Philadelphia. This is his second, hence the name. Parc Deux will be a French bistro and caf? serv- ing classic French cuisine for breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch. Permitting process is in the works.

**Chipotle?s** new **ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen** is applying to open in Georgetown at 2805 M Street, NW, by the beginning of 2013 (isn?t everyone?). They have to ?Pass Go,? regarding fast food/QSR requirements. It will be their second location in D.C. ? and the world.

Country rock group, Rascal Flatts, which is known for their wonderful music will now also be known for their wonderful restaurants.Rascal Flatts Restaurant Group plans to open in the D.C. metro area some time next year. The company?s first restaurant is in Phoenix, Ariz.

Chef & GM Update: Chef RJ Cooper will open in Merrifield?s Mosaic District. Not a **Rogue 24** concept, but probably high- end for Mosaic. It?s a big space ? 5,000 square feet on the first level, and 2,000 square feet of rooftop space. A spring opening is targeted. **Cyclone Anaya?s**, a Texas-based Mexican restaurant named for a professional wrestler will also open in Mosaic District, offering finer Mexican dining. A fall opening is scheduled. Other restaurants slated to open there include: **Matchbox, Taylor Gourmet, Sweetgreen**, and something from Black Restaurant Group (**BlackSalt, Addie?s, Black Market, Pearl Dive Oyster Bar**).

Cocktail Of The WeekSeptember 19, 2012

September 20, 2012

Travelers have flocked to Latin America for years as a means of escape. As you head south of the border, the climate heats up, the beaches become more tropical and the party starts a little earlier in the day. In places like Rio de Janeiro, Costa Rica and much of Mexico, the clock always seems to read 5 o?clock.

Many Latin American countries produce their own native liquors, which are as varied as their people. These drinks are a source of pride and nationality. Mexico?s tequila is probably the most well known. In Brazil, the most popular cocktail is the caipirinha, which is forged from cachaca. And anyone who reads my column should be familiar with pisco, after my posts from my Peruvian summer.

Before Peru, I had the luxury of stopping for two weeks in Colombia. The most popular drink there is aguardiente. This local spirit is a somewhat sweet elixir made from sugarcane and flavored with anise. Aguardient is not aged, so it boasts a strong and robust flavor. Aguardiente literally means firewater in Spanish; the name combines the Spanish words for ?water? (agua) and ?fiery? (ardiente).

Arriving in Medellin in June was a delight in itself. When I left D.C. earlier in the day, it was 104 degrees and humid. Medellin, perched in the Andes, is known as the city of everlasting spring due to its pleasant year-round climate, which averages in the mid 70s. Humidity is low, and fresh air rushes in from the surrounding jungle-filled mountains. In addition to its near-perfect weather, Medellin boasts a vibrant art scene, where Fernando Botero is a native. The city also has a thriving nightlife.
Many of the fashionable bars and clubs are located around Lleras Park in the tiny Poblado neighborhood. I quickly find the locals have a very relaxed partying style. While the open-air watering holes that ring the park are filled with partygoers, so is the park itself. Folks gather together on the benches and ledges to enjoy each other?s company while sipping on a tipple. Open containers laws do not apply here.

It is here I get my first taste of the local firewater. As I?m enjoying a beer on a park bench, my seatmates Carla and Roberto eagerly offer me a taste of their aguardiente. The flavor is strong and torrid. It burns and makes me grimace. I am happy to have my beer to chase it. In defense of the aguardiente industry, I don?t believe my first taste was of the highest quality. It came packaged in a box.

I soon realized that aguardiente was a common thread between the people of Medellin, affectionately called paisas. During my visit, I sampled aguardiente in small bars, people?s homes, trendy restaurants and my favorite hangout, Periodista Park. The flavor, after I had the chance to taste some of higher quality brands, grew on me. The same way the licorice taste of ouzo grows on you in Greece.

Aguardiente is generally served straight up neat in a glass. But when I ventured to Cartagena on Colombia?s Caribbean coast, where rum is the preferred beverage, I noticed that it was also used in cocktails.

The most interesting one I indulged in was a variation on the mojito with aguardientes substituted for rum. While at first the idea of anise mixed with lime and mint sounded a bit odd, I must admit that the combination came off as multilayered, refreshing surprise. Somehow the spicy anise balanced itself with the mint, while the lime provided a pleasing tart background.

The most popular brand in Colombia is Aguardiente Antioque?o, which has won several international awards. If you?d like to experience aguardiente for yourself, the most readily available brand in the Washington area is Cristal. Try it straight up, first but if the taste is a little too overwhelming, mix it in a mojito.

*Aguardiente Mojito*

2 oz. aguardiente
8 fresh mint leaves
1/2 lime in wedges
2 tablespoons simple syrup or sugar
Club Soda
Crushed Ice
Sprig of fresh mint

Muddle mint leaves and lime in a glass. Add simple syrup or sugar; top with ice. Add aguardiente; top with club soda. Stir. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Cocktail of the Week: The Vieux Carre

September 13, 2012

The French Quarter of New Orleans conjures up visions of raucous partying, 24-hour fun and all-out craziness. While this can be a great way for the 20-something crowd to blow off some steam, those looking for a more sophisticated and tasteful drinking experience will have to veer a few blocks away from Bourbon Street.

Unlike Washington D.C., New Orleans wears its quirkiness like a badge of honor. A classy bar does not necessarily mean stuffy or uptight. One of my favorite Crescent City spots to grab a drink is the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone.

Tucked away on the corner of Royal and Iberville on the edge of the quarter, the Hotel Monteleone is steeped in history. It has been a preferred haunt of many distinguished southern writers including Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner. Truman Capote used to brag that he was born at Hotel Monteleone, but the truth of the matter was that Capote’s mother had stayed at the hotel during her pregnancy and was transported to the hospital by hotel staff for the birth.
The Carousel Bar itself is an attraction. The circular 25-seat bar is actually a rotating carousel, which makes a complete revolution approximately every 15 minutes. While I will admit that I’ve felt the room spin after one too many cocktails, I assure you that one drink, alcoholic or not, will do the same for you here.

The carnival-like motif reminds visitors that despite the Monte Leone’s lofty setting and noteworthy past, they’re still in New Orleans, a destination that is able to combine history and fun with a shot of jazz and spice shaken up and served in a martini glass.

Literary beasts aside, this bar has it earned a spot in the cocktail hall of fame. According to the Hotel Monteleone 1938, during the height of the Great Depression, head bartender Walter Bergeron introduced the Vieux Carré Cocktail at the Swan Bar, which was the original bar on site before the Carousel bar was built. The name Vieux Carre translates to “Old Square” the official name of the neighborhood known as the French quarter.

The Vieux Carre is a mixture of rye whiskey, brandy, vermouth and Benedictine and bitters. Its formula closely resembles two other legendary New Orleans tipples, the Sazerac, (which was declared the official cocktail of New Orleans by the state senate in 2008) and the La Louisiana. All three feature homegrown Peychaud bitters as a staple ingredient.

According to the Hotel Monteleone, “It was created as a tribute to the different ethnic groups of the city: The Benedictine and cognac to the French influence, the Sazerac rye as a tribute to the American influence, the sweet vermouth to the Italian, and the bitters as a tribute to the Caribbean. Prohibition had been lifted only a few years earlier as a way of stimulating commerce.”

The rye whiskey combines splendidly with the sweeter ingredients, like the cognac, Benedictine and vermouth, while the addition of two types of bitters, give it a nice spice.

For me, a visit to the Big Easy is not complete without stop here. The bar serves as great meeting spot for locals as well as tourists. During my most recent visit in April, I was flanked on by a group of young professionals enjoying an after-office drink once one side and a professional native drinker on the other. For people watching, the bar has a magnificent big-window view of Royal Street. Because the bar rotates, you’re guaranteed a window seat every quarter hour. The Vieux Carre
Recipe courtesy of the
Hotel Monteleone

¼ oz. Benedictine
¼ oz. Cognac
½ oz. Sazerac Rye
¼ oz. Sweet Vermouth
3 Drops Angostura Bitters
3 Drops Peychaud Bitters
Lemon Twist

Place ingredients over ice in an eight-ounce rocks glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
[gallery ids="100949,130372" nav="thumbs"]

Cocktail of the WeekSeptember 6, 2012

September 6, 2012

On a bitter and chilly night, nothing soothes the soul quite like a toasty warm cocktail. Cold days are not the norm in Washington during August and September, but I spent the majority of this summer in the winter of the Southern hemisphere, where I experienced plenty of recent nippy winter evenings that were heated up with a hot toddy.

In Cusco, Peru, the days are filled with brilliant blue skies and powerful rays of sun due to its altitude of over 11,000 feet in the Andes. Once the sun goes down, the historical city center is illuminated with golden streams of floodlights, and the mercury drops to a brisk spot in the low 50s. While the tourist bars and salsa clubs near Plaza des Arms and San Blas get packed with party-goers downing pisco sours and Cusquena beers, my friend Suzanne introduced me to a mellow locals-only spot tucked away on a side street where we quenched our thirst and warmed our spirits with a steaming pitcher of coca tea and pisco.

This combination blends two of the most popular beverages in Peru. Coca tea or mate de coca, is an herbal tea brewed with leaves from the coca plant, which is grown throughout Northwest South America. The tea can be made by steeping raw coca leaves or commercially made tea bags in boiling water. This Andean beverage has an earthy flavor similar to green tea but with a sweeter finish.
The beverage has many beneficial effects. It is often recommended to combat the effects of altitude sickness. During my months in the Andes, I found no matter what my ailment ? cough, sore throat, hangover ? the locals would convincingly advise me, ?Drink coca tea!? Or, you can skip the drinking altogether and just chew on the raw coca leaves like many native Andean people do.

The tea also works as a stimulant, for it is brewed from the same leaves that are used to make cocaine. Hence, it is illegal to import or sell in the U.S., although I found a few websites, including Amazon.com, where the tea bags were available.

Pisco, which is the national drink of Peru, is a clear white spirit distilled from grapes that dates back to the 16th century. It is considered a brandy and has a distinctive grape flavor.

According to SouthAmericanFood.com, there are numerous explanations for how this brandy got its name. Some say that the word comes from the Quechuan word ?pisqu?, which was the name of a bird found in the Inca valley region of Peru. Another theory is that it is named after the town of Pisco, a port city where pisco was shipped to Lima as well as popularized by sailors. The name is also said to come from the large pre-Colombian clay pots, called piscos that are used to ferment the grapes.
When mixed together to make ?Te Macho? the coca and pisco combination results in a steamy yet potent tipple. Not being one who likes sugary cocktails I found this drink to be delightfully refreshing. The homey and robust tea combines brilliantly with the subtle sweetness and woodsy spice of the pisco.

Soon after my excursion with Suzanne, I discovered that the pisco and coca tea formula was a popular way for locals to enjoy their national beverage and stay snug in their unheated homes. I spent many frosty evenings in the rural town of Huasao sipping pitchers of te macho with my Shaman, Illapa, his brother, Fernando, and their various followers. This easy-going down-to-earth punch, along with the company, had such a comforting and uplifting effect, that soon I felt like I had a home away from home.

**Te Macho**

2 cups pisco
3 cups boiling water
4 bags mate de coca tea

Add two cups of pisco to heatproof pitcher. Add two cups of boiling water. Step tea bags until the liquid turns a yellowish green color. Serve hot and garnish with coca leaves (if available) Serves 5.

The Latest DishSeptember 6, 2012


Passion Food Hospitality (PFH) is now going Mexican. Their newest restaurant will be Mexican-themed. Fuego Cocina and Tequileria is slated to open in the former Market Tavern space in Clarendon in early October. Chef Alfredo Solis, who comes from Mexico City and has worked with PFH for more than a decade, will head the kitchen. This time, their research was not done in the country of note, but in Chicago, home of great Mexican restaurant chef and restaurateur, Rick Bayless, who is renowned for his Mexican cuisine. As proof of authenticity, the tortillas will be made from corn, not flour.
Speaking of Mexican, Victor Albisu, formerly of BLT Steak, is going Mexican too. His new Mexican restaurant, Taco Bamba Tacqueria will specialize in authentic tacos at its Falls Church, VA location next to Plaza Latina, a Latin market owned by his mother. A fall 2012 opening is planned.

Bart Vandaele of Belga Caf? on Barracks Row plans to open his second restaurant, B Too, in the burgeoning 14th Street corridor at 1324 14th Street, NW. Vandaele plans to open the restaurant before the end of the year on a special date ? 12/12/12. Check out Washington Business Journal, which is chronicling this new venture from lease signing to opening day.

Latin chef, Richard Sandoval, owner of Zengo, Masa 14 and El Centro D.F. (the latter two with Kaz Okochi), has signed a lease for a fourth D.C. restaurant at 1300 Eye St. NW, to be called Toro Toro. Sandoval already has one Toro Toro open in Dubai, UAE, and another opening soon in Miami. As fusion appears to be a favorite theme, Toro Toro will combine Brazilian steakhouse items with Latin tapas. Innovative cocktails are always part of the mix.

Randy Norton of Great American Restaurants plans to open their first Maryland location in Gaithersburg. The new restaurant will be a Coastal Flats and will seat 250, about the same size as other Coastal Flat restaurants. Right now, it?s still a hole in the ground called Crown Farm, as it?s not slated to open until early spring of 2014.

Ralph Brabham will open his second Beau Thai (get it?) on Mt Pleasant St, NW in Mount Pleasant. It will be three times larger than the original, located in D.C.?s Shaw neighborhood. It will also offer a private dining room and cooking classes. A winter 2013 opening is planned, hopefully before the presidential inauguration.

Denver-based Smashburger plans to expand into the D.C. metro area at mach speed. Their first location will be in Fairfax at Blvd Marketplace. They are working on deals in Dupont Circle, Germantown and Rockville, MD; Sterling, Arlington, Bailey Crossroads, Gainesville and Reston, VA. CEO Tom Ryan will create a Capital Burger special for this region.

Brothers Mustafa and Omar Popal, owners and operators of Caf? Bonaparte and Napoleon Bistro, plan to open a third Georgetown restaurant, Malmaison (French for ?bad house?) on Water Street, NW this fall. Malmaison is also the name of Napoleon and Josephine’s chateau on the outskirts of Paris, in keeping with their French-Napoleonic theme.

Ch-CH-CH Changes: La Forchetta on New Mexico Ave, NW has been re-named Al Dente to differentiate it from La Forchette, a French restaurant in Adams Morgan that has been there for years. The Fairmont Hotel has added Juniper Xpress, a take-away weekday lunch option named for its big sister, Juniper restaurant. Morton?s (now of Houston) plans to renovate its 15-year-old downtown steakhouse location. EatWell DC plans to go back to its roots at Grillfish in D.C.?s West End with a smaller menu that will change seasonally with more sustainable seafood. Changes were to begin by Labor Day. Felipe Milanese was named as new executive chef.

Lebanese Taverna in DC?s Woodley Park is being completely gutted and renovated. There has been $1.5-million investment to re-do the 22-year-old restaurant. Additions will include a lounge, communal table and an expanded private room. They may even reserve a couple of tables just for locals, as the conventioneer crowd is heavy in that area. The Connecticut Ave. restaurant will reopen with a streamlined, smaller menu (the hummus will never change) Lebanese Taverna has 11 locations in the region, including six full-service restaurants, four cafes and a market. And speaking of renovation, John Fulchino and Ann Cashion of Johnny?s Half Shell on Capitol Hill are renovating its 1,000-square-foot patio. There are now sun-resistant ivory curtains, a 14-foot-long copper bar and 10 new cocktails. Cashion?s other restaurant, Taqueria Nacional, is moving from its Capitol Hill site to 1409 T Street, NW sometime this fall.

Quick Hits: A German fast food place called D?ner Bistro is opening in Adams Morgan this month. If it sounds familiar, it?s because you live in the far west ‘burbs, as the first D?ner Bistro is in Leesburg. Pei Wei Asian diner, a fast-casual national chain from the folks who brought you PF Chang?s, is slated to open on 18th Street, NW, in Dupont Circle. Panera Bread will open a fourth D.C. location in Chinatown at 673 H Street, NW. Matt Gray?s Amorini Panini in Penn Quarter will have a sister operation when its second location opens at 801 18th Street, NW in downtown DC in 2013. Shake Shack signed a deal to open at 9th and F Streets, NW, next to the Spy Museum, by mid-2013. The burger chain currently has locations in Dupont Circle and at Nationals Park.

*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. Visit her web site at [www.lindarothpr.com](http://www.lindarothpr.com)*