Food & Wine

Jody Kurash • 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.

Jody Kurash • 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.
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Jody Kurash • 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.

Georgetowner •

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)*

Georgetowner • August 10, 2012

The American Lamb Board hosted its second annual Lamb Jam in Washington, D.C. on Monday, May 21 at the Eastern Market. Hosted by 94.7 Fresh FM’s Tommy McFly, the event featured 18 of D.C.’s top chefs, who prepared ewe-nique American lamb tastes and competed for bragging rights in each of four cut categories and the chance to be crowned DC Lamb Master. Executive Chef John Citchley from Urbana was named “Best in Show” for the second year in a row, for his Lamb Leg Pupusa with Queso Blanco and Lamb Tongue Curtido. Chef Critchley will take his local Lamb Jam win to San Luis Obispo, California in September to battle other lamb-loving chefs in a Master Lamb Jam competition at Savor the Central Coast.

Fans of lamb enjoyed butchery demonstrations from Wagshal’s Pam the Butcher, live music, Jefferson’s bourbon slushies and dozens of local beer and wine pairings. Competing chefs took home the following notable accolades:

•“Best in Show Overall” and “Best Leg” – Chef John Critchley or Urbana for his Lamb Leg Pupusa with Queso Blanco and Lamb Tongue Curtido

•“People’s Choice” – Chef Adam Sobel from Bourbon Steak for his Sausage and Peppers Lamb Sausage

•“Best Loin” – Chef Rodney Scruggs of Occidental Grill & Seafood for his Dried Rub Grilled Lamb Loin Salad

•“Best Shank” – Chef Dimitri Moshovitis of Cava Mezze Restaurant for his Braised Lamb Shank Ravioli

•“Best Shoulder” – Chef Nick Stefanelli of Bibiana for his Stuffed Lamb Shoulder

For more information about the American Lamb Board and to view winning recipes from the Washington DC American Lamb Jam, please visit www.FansofLambDC.com, like the American Lamb Board on Facebook or follow @FANofLAMB on Twitter.

American Lamb Trivia

•American Lamb is produced in nearly every U.S. state
•Texas is the largest U.S. producer of lamb
•American Lamb has a more generous meat-to-bone ratio than other lamb varieties.
•The average American consumers only 1 pound of lamb per year—compared with 61 pounds of beef, 59 pounds of chicken and 46 pounds of pork.
•Lamb is healthy! It’s a lean meat, with an average of 175 calories, 8 grams fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, and 80 miligrams of cholesterol per 3-ounce cooked portion. It’s also a good source of protein, vitamin B12, niacin, zinc, selenium, iron and riboflavin.
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Ariell Kirylo •

In the film adaptation of the novel, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” by Roald Dahl, actor Gene Wilder opens the door for a group of lucky odds and ends to explore a land of endless, edible gems. And as the children and parents alike scatter amongst the sugar and spice, Willie Wonka Wilder vibrates the room with a tune entitled, “Pure Imagination.” There on the premises of everyone’s food fantasy, Wonka declares there is no life to compare to, well, “true imagination.”

Washingtonians, I’d like you to take a moment and imagine your ideal Sunday brunch. Could it be a well-made Bloody Mary or possibly a refined and delicate Benedict? Ah, I see you now as you giggle and chew on what you thought you knew was your favorite spot on Sunday. Indeed, D.C., what if I told you about a new brunch on the scene that will blow every brunch you’ve ever brunched away to sea? And I promise it’s not only in your imagination.

Seasons Restaurant, located in the underbelly of the Four Seasons Georgetown, has been known for years as the power breakfast hot spot for D.C.’s political VIPs. Yet after a recent $1-million-dollar face-lift from the scalpels of design hotshot Michael Dalton of Strategic Hotels, Seasons has become so much more than a place to eavesdrop on Tuesday mornings. Using the base of what we already knew as top-notch service and dining, Seasons steps further up as Washington’s best Sunday brunch. Truth be told, executive chef Douglas Anderson, and his talented sous chef Jeffrey Hillman went to the extreme to make sure no diner leaves unsatisfied (or underweight, for that matter).

At Seasons, they love to switch it up. One thing you can be sure of is their changing and always inventive “action stations.” On my recent trip to Seasons, I was entertained by the Peruvian-style ceviche bar where scallops, shrimp and red snapper were diced and drowned on the spot in a citrusy zing and hand-made for each patron. To accompany my ceviche, I visited the endlessly replenished seafood bar stacked mountainously high with Blue Point oysters, crab claws and jumbo shrimp. Furthermore, I didn’t miss the selection of prepared seafood bites, including the house-cured selection of smoked salmon. One of my favorites is the seared ahi tuna over a perfectly compressed mango salsa. In seafood alone I ate well beyond my golden ticket price of $80, thus making Seasons’ brunch also an excellent value.

So, is it the best brunch in Washington? For those who enjoy a fixed-price buffet with excellent service, quality products and lots of it, the answer is yes. With the continuous pours of Franco Nuschese’s sparkling Falanghina Il Sogno and an opulent selection of Bloody Marys, brunch has never felt more luxurious in the District. Though chef Anderson will not deny any customer a choice from his daily breakfast menu, I recommend the $80 all-you-can-drink mimosas, coffee and brunch buffet option. And you get what you pay for. The perimeter of the restaurant is lined with countless options for your brunching. Yet, if you do decide to order from the chef’s menu or you choose to visit Seasons on another occasion for breakfast, I do recommend both the inventive corned beef hash croquet with bosomy, bouncing poached eggs or the Boursin and crab egg white omelet.

Yet for Sunday’s brunch, I recommend eating a large meal Saturday night in preparation for indulging in a three-to four-hour feast, starting at 10:30 a.m. and ending at 2:30 p.m. Go early, and eat leisurely. Reservations are highly recommended. Besides the seafood options, expect to see spreads of all sorts: charcuterie and cheeses, eight salad selections, the finest of pastries, an omelet bar, six selections of sides ranging from grilled asparagus to cipollini and crispy pancetta, crab cakes and short ribs and a bagel selection. Just to shout out a few.

Still, what floored me (literally) was the feast of desserts hidden in a separate room and catering to the young at heart. Executive pastry chef Charles Froke took it home with the most imaginative bite-size creations that will have you licking the wallpaper in a tizzy. Definitely snag a taste of the decadent but surprisingly elegant Snickers in a cup and use a spoon to crack open one of those mini crème brulees. The only thing missing was a chocolate waterfall. [gallery ids="100774,100775,100776,100777,100778,100779" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Brasserie Beck
Enjoy savory crepes and waffles at Robert Wiedmaier’s contemporary Belgian restaurant. A favorite at Beck is the large selection of daily cheeses served with Apricot cake. Reserve a spot for brunch on the outdoor patio between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Lost Society
Lost Society serves food with a party. From 1-5PM $40 all you can eat gourmet brunch and bottomless champagne mimosas. Choose from the Victorian dining room and a second level rooftop lounge.

Michel Richard’s Citronelle
Citronelle will be offering a gourmet buffet served in Michel Richard’s Kitchen from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. Choose from some of Richard’s favorite dishes including salads, entrees, sides and desserts. $85 adults and $37 kids 12 and under.

Coco Sala
Chocolate, Champagne and Flowers Brunch at Coco Sala serves a multi-course meal, champagne cocktail and chocolate surprise for Mom. $60 for adults and $30 for children 10 and under. Brunch is served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Café Milano
Choose from Prosecco, Bellini, Mimosa and Rossini at Café Milano’s Sparkling Brunch Menu. Customize your own omelet at the Egg Station then indulge your sweet tooth with Neapolitan fogliatelle. Served 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. $95 for adults, $35 for children 12 and under.

Bistro Francais
Celebrate Mother’s day at the Champagne Brunch a la carte. The champagne menu is served with the house salad or soup du jour and an entrée. The small, meaty menu is a carnivore’s delight. Brunch served 11 a.m to 4 p.m.

Sequoia
Sunday brunch at Sequoia features live jazz and bottomless mimosas for $34.95. Pastry chef Jonathon Wilson keeps you coming back to his Petit Dessert Station of assorted parfaits. You’ll love Sequoia’s beautiful view of the Potomac. [gallery ids="99243,104134,104155,104139,104151,104144,104148" nav="thumbs"]

Lisa Gillespie •

When Atilla Suzer is asked if he ever would have imagined having “this” ten years ago, he responds with a definitive “no.” “This” is Bacio Pizzeria, a thriving carry-out pizza joint in Bloomingdale.

Ten years ago, Suzer was living in his native Turkey as a just laid-off journalist, about to depart on his first trip to America. He landed in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where he enrolled in English-as-second-language courses and eventually moved to the District. His first job was as a dishwasher in a large chain pizza store, where his only words, he said, were, “Yes boss, no boss.” That first job paid $3.50 for training, because, the manager told him, he hadn’t mastered English yet. After six months of completing schooling though, he brought up his hourly wage and ended up quitting.

He says as an immigrant he didn’t have many choices for work. So, he stayed on the “pizza” route because he started making friends in the business. They’d call him if there was an open job, and eventually made his way to a manager job at Italy Pizza on Florida Avenue in Northwest. When it came up for sale, he had saved enough and bought it.

After successfully running the restaurant, he sold his half to his partner and started on the path that would eventually lead to Bacio. “I was looking for an investment neighborhood and a job that I like to do.” He explains his choice in Bloomingdale as an economic investment, because it’s not quite to “developed” status, but there isn’t a lot of competition and the residents have a little extra income to spend on the more expensive, organic ingredients that he wanted to offer.

Before Bacio, 81 Seaton Place, N.W., was a garage, and it had to be completely converted, a process that took nearly one-and-a-half years. Nearly a year ago, Green Paws opened, an organic pet shop that is graced by Suzer’s own black lab, Miles. Six months later, Bacio opened below. Suzer’s wife, a journalist, runs the website and marketing, while Suzer runs the day-to-day.
Suzer made all the design choices, from an antique Coca-Cola refrigerator complete with glass bottles and Turkish floor tiles, to a genuine farmer’s table he got at an auction. He made the choice to make it mainly a carry-out establishment. And he chose not to put bars over the front windows.

“When you go to a place, you want to eat there and not just get out of there as soon as you can. Sometimes, you go to carry-out stores and they are dirty, dark; you wait behind the glass,” he said. “Here, you come in you can see it’s clean, and psychologically it makes people open their appetites.”
He also decided to keep the hours short and not do delivery.

“If I were looking for profit, I could do delivery or late night, but we’re all natural organic downstairs. If I want people to come try the pizza and see quality and get to know each other, face-to-face is better than talking on the phone. And they don’t even know where it is in the neighborhood.”

The menu consists of eight neighborhood-named pizzas like the “Shaw,” which is ham, baby arugula, ricotta, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto and the “Eckington,” more of a meat-lovers with ham, sausage, onion, pepperoni and mozzarella. It also features several calzones, salads and pints of ice cream from Moorenko’s, made locally in Silver Spring. Suzer also offers several beverages, including fresh-squeezed orange juice that pays homage to Turkey, where he says shops will have several fresh-squeezed juice for only $1.

He doesn’t keep the store open past 10 p.m., mainly because he wants to be respectful of his neighbors, the people who will ultimately make him successful or not.

“If the neighborhood is going from non-developed to developed, you’re teaching people, and that takes time. Out of ten customers, six say, ‘I was feeding my dog from the super market, and now I want to feed him from natural food.’ And you have to be patient and tell them the differences between this food and that food,” he said. He said it would be a few years before Bacio turns a profit, but for right now, he and his wife aren’t in a hurry. “It’s not about you, it’s about the people that vote for you. You can have a $1-million investment or $10,000, it doesn’t matter. People will decide.”

Bacio’s is located at 81 Seaton Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. Visit them at baciopizzeria.com, or call 202-232-2246. Store hours are Monday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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Jody Kurash •

The lively piano notes danced through the air as I walked into the Warehouse Theater. I was greeted with a cocktail, more specifically, a sweet and lemony Colonial punch made from Jamaican rum and cognac. As I took my seat, I recognized one of the tunes being played by Washington’s piano virtuoso Dan Ruskinas, “Those Were the Days.”

But this was no typical theater-going experience. The main act was not a famous musician or actor, but rather a storyteller who made his mark in the world of cocktails and mixology, Dale DeGroff. In addition to the music, we were about to hear all about “Those Days, ” the golden age of bars and bartenders. DeGroff came armed with an earful of stories about the history and his experience working at some of New York’s most legendary watering holes.

If an evening of bar stories doesn’t sound exciting and entertaining, you’ve never seen DeGroff in action. Known as one of the pioneers of the craft cocktail movement, DeGroff has authored two best selling cocktail books, “The Essential Cocktail” and “The Craft of the Cocktail,” and was the recipient of a 2009 James Beard award. He has held court at the famed Rainbow Room, where he used a gourmet approach to recreate many long-forgotten cocktails.

DeGroff engaged the audience with his witty narrative, tracing the history of the drinking, from colonial-era taverns, through prohibition speakeasies, up to his personal favorites. His colloquial manner and charming personality took the audience back to a time when the local bar was an important part of the community and bartenders treated their customers like old friends. He opened the evening playing his guitar and singing a Hank Williams tune. And, of course, there was a great story behind this ditty.

With the enthusiasm of screenwriter and monologuist Spalding Gray, DeGroff launched into a tale about the first neighborhood bar he discovered in New York, Paddy McGlades in 1969. At the time, DeGroff was living at the YMCA, hoping to get his big break on Broadway, when a friend of a friend, who had a room for rent, asked to meet him at McGlades. DeGroff arrived at the bar, with his guitar, suitcase and $2.50 in his pocket, which he quickly blew through before his friend arrived. When someone asked him if he could play the guitar he launched into a rendition of “Your Cheating Heart“ to which he was rewarded with a beer on the house. He duly played it three more times for three more beers, since it was the only song that he knew all the lyrics to.

DeGroff reminisced about McGlades as if it were a long lost friend. Which it is, since a Starbucks now stands in its place. He continued with anecdotes about many storied bars, including P.J. Clarke’s (the original, not the D.C. outpost), McSorley’s Ale House, the 21 Club, the Blue Note and eventually the Rainbow Room, where in the 1980s he put together a menu of cocktails inspired by the great supper clubs of days-gone-by.

Cocktails flowed throughout the evening, each one a delightful concoction perfected by DeGroff. The experience was akin to going to a fabulous bar where you luck out and find yourself seated next to the most interesting man in the joint.

Having lived in Manhattan before moving to Washington, DeGroff actually made me a bit homesick for places like McSorley’s, New York’s oldest bar, which was a few blocks from my apartment in the East Village or the Rainbow Room, my favorite spot to take out-of-town guests, which was located across the street from my office at the Associated Press in Rockefeller Center.

Before I knew it, two hours had passed. It was time to call it a night. The evening was capped off with a Yuzu gimlet, a refreshing twist on the standard, jazzed up with Asian Yuzu juice and honey.

DeGroff’s traveling show, which is being performed as a fundraiser for the Museum of the American Cocktail, will be making stops in New York and Philadelphia. For more information, visit KingCocktail.com/onthetown.htm or www.MuseumoftheAmericanCocktail.org

YUZU GIMLET?
1 1/2 ounce Hendricks Gin?
1/4  Yuzu juice  ?
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice?
1 ounce honey syrup
?Lime wheel garnish??
Assemble ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with thin wheel of lime. Adjust sweetness with honey syrup. [gallery ids="100737,121495" nav="thumbs"]