Food & Wine

Shari Sheffield • August 15, 2013

Type “Wine Dinners D.C.” into an Internet search engine like Google, and a surprising number of hits come up. You wouldn’t have guessed it, but Washington, D.C., and Georgetown are wine dinner havens. Consider yourself lucky to have a wide range of multiple course dinners paired with various wines for each course available to the area diner. Essentially, that is what a wine dinner is: a dinner thrown by a host or a restaurant consisting of different food courses paired with wines set at fixed price. Sometimes, the menu is offered to individual parties as part of a regular dinner service menu, and other times, it is a special event held in a private room of the establishment.

I had the opportunity to spend a pleasant evening at one such private wine dinner at 901 Restaurant and Bar on 9th Street, NW, several weeks ago. Washington state based winery Saint Michelle had dropped by to show off some of their latest offerings. 901’s Chef Thomas Hall paired them with his new wine dinner menu. My dining companion and I were the first to arrive in the private dinning room featuring a long table set with many place settings. This is usually the case at a private wine dinner with a host or wine educator. Attendees usually sit at one long table in sort of a family dinning room table manner. This setup facilitates talking among the attendees who may not know each other. As we waited on the other unknown guests to arrive, 901’s dashing bar manager, Dean Feddaoui served us some perfectly chilled sparkling wine. Soon, we were joined by some bubbly 20-something-year-olds from a local event company. Once all the introductions where made and they took their seats, the conversation turned to food and Washington’s booming restaurant scene.

These girls were foodies, and we soon were discussing weekend-long girlfriends’ food road trips and debated who made the best hot sauces (Frank’s, Krystal or Tabasco). When Fran “Pineapple” Schmitz (and yes, that’s the name that’s actually on his business card), Saint Michelle’s business development manager, took his place at the head of the table and began discussing the night’s wines, the conversation ceased. Everyone was eager to taste, not talk.

We were first served the white wines as Pineapple told us about the history of the wineries, the terroir of its north Western American vineyards and basic wine tasting techniques. Once the Ste. Michelle Pinot Grigio as was served, we discussed the classic characteristics of Pinot Grigio and Pineapple Schmitz instructed us to look for pear and apple aromas. The chef paired it with the first course “Tuna Two Ways.” This dish was beautifully presented and consisted of versions of two of 901’s tuna appetizers. The standout among them is the yellow-fin tartare with Japanese aioli and crispy wontons. This Pinot Grigio paired nicely with the Asian flavors and will also go well with South Western fare.

Other notable wine and entrée pairings were Citrus XO Shrimp with lemon, sesame oil and dried chili threads paired with Saint Michelle’s Gewurztraminer. The sweet “jelly doughnut without the jelly” flavors of the wine were a great foil to the spicy hot “chili threads” that adorned the shrimp. Another menu and wine pairing standout is the Hoisin Duck with Asian Five spice, glove and apple paired with their Artist Series wine. The artist Series red is a Cabernet blend that just begs to be drunk with food.

If the wine dinner concept appeals to you, here are some more wine dinners in the District, to check out:

Nage Bistro
1600 Rhode Island Ave., NW, 202-448-8005
American/Seafood
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday chef tastings
3-course tasting $40 add wine pairing for $15
4-course tasting $45 add wine pairing for $20

City Zen
1330 Maryland Ave., SW, 202-787-6006
American
6-course meal, vegetarian option available
$85 per person

Komi
1509 17th St., NW, 202-332-9200
Greek/Mediterranean
$135 per person, $70 extra for wine pairing

Proof
775 G St., NW, 202-737-7663
American
4-course tasting menu with wine pairings, $95 per person

Equinox
818 Connecticut Ave., NW 202-331-8118
American
chef’s tasting menu
4-course with wine pairings, $95
6-course with wine pairings, $125

Jody Kurash •

This year’s inaugural season will be one of the quietest in years. The Obama-Biden inaugural committee has announced that it is cutting back on the number of inaugural balls. There will be just two official parties plus a concert honoring military families. The cutback on festivities is meant to reduce government spending and the amount of security and law-enforcement personnel needed. This will be the lowest number of balls in the past 60 years.

If you aren’t one of the lucky elite that will be spending the evening of Jan. 21, dancing and toasting with the first family, there will be dozens of unofficial balls and parties and no shortage of restaurants and nightclubs looking to cash in on the influx of celebratory visitors.

Several D.C. hot spots have led the way with inauguration-themed drinks. Just steps from the White House, the Hamilton is offering two potables to honor our nation’s 44th President. The “Perfect 44,” a variation on a classic Manhattan, features FEW Bourbon from Chicago. If you’re Donald Trump, you may want to order the Executive Punch, made with rum from Obama’s birthplace of Hawaii, along with a slice of humble pie.

Penn Quarter’s Brasserie Beck is serving an Obama-tini cocktail with a Democratic blue hue. This festive drink is forged from Ketel One vodka, Hypnotiq liqueur, and a float of blue Curacao. Nearby at D.C. Coast, the drink-du-jour is the Sparkling Second Term made with Averell damson plum gin, Leopold Brothers New York apple whiskey, lemon bitters and a splash of bubbly cava wine. This refined sparkler is served in a cinnamon-and-sugar-rimmed Champagne flute.

If these cocktails sound a bit too stuffy for you, swing by Hill Country Barbecue where they will be offering $1 POTUS-pop Jell-O shots all day Jan. 21.

Many folks, going with the subdued nature of this year’s festivities, will choose to host soirees in their homes. In additional to the décor and menu, one of the most important elements of any Obama-themed fiesta will be the choice of cocktails. Toasting the Commander-In-Chief with a sparkling wine or Champagne is a given, but a signature tipple is a special added touch that will make your party memorable.

One of the most obvious choices to serve is the classic El Presidente cocktail. While technically a Cuban creation, this full-flavored rum cocktail includes Curacao, vermouth and grenadine. Another clever choice is the retro Blue Hawaii tiki drink. This concoction made with blue Curacao, pineapple juice, sour mix and either rum or vodka, pays both homage to the Democrats with its color and Obama’s Hawaiian roots.

My choice for a private party would be the “Yes, We Canton,” an opulent sparkling sipper created for Obama’s first inauguration by D.C. celebrity mixtress Gina Chersevani. It was the star cocktail at the Peace Ball in 2009. I was first introduced to this dignified drink at a presidential drink seminar, sponsored by the Museum of the American Cocktail. The stellar ingredient in this cocktail is Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. Forged from baby Vietnamese ginger, Cognac. Tahitian vanilla, Provencal honey, and Tunisian ginseng, Domain de Canton adds an exotic and a dash of winter warmth and spice to this mixture of pineapple juice and sparkling wine. Elegant and easy, this recipe can be multiplied and served as a punch, freeing up time for the busy host or hostess.

No matter what your plans may be for the inauguration or political affiliation, on Jan. 21 let’s all raise a glass to what we hope will be four years of peace and prosperity.

Yes, We Canton!
½ oz pineapple juice
½ oz Domaine de Canton
2-3 oz. brut sparkling wine or Champagne.
Serve in flute. Can also be made as a punch.

Jody Kurash •

Folk heroes exist in every culture. Their fame, or sometimes notoriety, varies.In the United States some of our mythical figures like Davey Crocket or Daniel Boone are lauded for their pioneering character. Others like Billy the Kid or Calamity Jane capture the outlaw spirit of the Wild West. In Mexico one the most infamousfigures is Jesus Malverde.

Malverde, a bandit from the northernMexican state of Sinaloa, is often compared with the British legend of Robin Hood. Known as “the Angel of the Poor,” or “The Generous Bandit” Malverde was known to steal from the rich and give to poor, making him popular among the region’s underprivileged highland residents. Due to his renegade reputation, Malverde has also been adopted as the patron saint of drug traffickers and is often dubbed the “nacre-saint.”

While Malverde is not recognized by the Catholic Church, Mexicans pray to him for help or healing. Busts, necklaces and scapulars featuring Malverde’s thick bushy mustache and trademark white shirt and black tie are seen throughout the country. In shrines in Culiacan and Mexico City, Malverde’s followers line up to give homage.

Washingtonians looking to pay their respects to Malverde have the unique opportunity to toast him with his own self-named tipple. At Bandolero, M Street’s latest hot spot, one of the best cocktails on the menu, and perhaps one of the best agave-based drinks in DC, shares it moniker with the celebrated Mexican outlaw.

The Jesus Malverde, created Bar Manager Sam Babcock., is an astonishingly refreshing mixture of mescal, lime, cilantro, agave nectar, cucumber and Pork Barrel Hellfire Bitters.

In a case of which came first, like the chicken and egg, Sam confirms that this delightful drink was born before its name came about. He was researching Mexican gangsters when his interest was piqued by the story of Malverde. And since he had already created a badasscocktail with a cool green hue, he realized that his new drinkliterally fit the Spanish translation of the surname Mal (bad) Verde (green).

Imbibing in Babcock’sluscious concoction is a multi-layered experience for your taste buds. “The smokiness from the mescal and the spice from cilantro and the bitters really play nicely with the fresh cucumber and agave, “ Sam says, “ it starts off nice and fresh and clean tasting with a little bit of sweetness and finishes with a nice little punch from the smokiness of the mescal and the heat of the bitters.”

For me sampling this cocktail is like taking off on airplane, the flavor starts rolling down the runway with the first breezy sip and then really takes off with a bracing smack from the liquor and bitters. The peppery Pork Barrel Hellfire Bitters are produced locally by DC mixologist Owen Thompson, of America Eats Tavern.

While Bandoleer’s cocktail list concentrates heavily on tequila and mescal-based drinks, Babcock would like to stress that Bandolero is an excellent spot for craft cocktails of all spirits
“It’s not just a tequila bar where you go to get shots, he says . “We do lot of craft cocktails with tequila and mescal, but I want people to know that they can come in here and my bar staff will be able to make any cocktail regardless of what spirit it is.” In fact, Sam recently updated the drink menu to include a wider variety of classic cocktails. He has also added a few new gin, rye and pisco drinks, just to switch things up a bit.

So the next time you seeking a little irreverence with your cocktail, make a toast to a Mexican desperado at Bandolero.

Jesus Malverde

1.75 oz mescal
1.25 oz. cucumber juice
.5 oz fresh limejuice
.5 oz agave nectar
2. sprigs of cilantro
4 dashes Hellfire Pork Bitters

Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Double strain, pour into glass and garnish with the sprig of cilantro.
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Jody Kurash •

Infusing liquors with flavors is
nothing new. After all, it’s the
aging process in wooden barrels
that impart rum and bourbon
with their unique characteristics.
Adding fruit flavors to vodka started
a new trend that branched out to
instilling spirits with savory herbs,
spices and even vegetables.

The process of fat-washing
liquors took off with the recent
bacon craze, where crafty bartenders
added bacon and pork fat to
create a rich, unami taste. Josh
Berner, mixologist at Cleveland
Height’s Ripple has taken this
movement and pushed it a step
further, by fat washing liquors with
vegetable fats, such as olive and
sesame oils.

Ripple currently has three
fat washed cocktails on its drink menu. They
include the Basil Exposition – an olive oilwashed
vodka, green chartreuse, white wine
and basil combination, Play It Sam, forged from
sesame oil-infused gin, aquavit and a date reduction
and the Chile Manteca y Dulcet, a mixture
of bacon-infused Benevamezcal, cayenne and
toasted pecans.

Berner recently hosted a cocktail class
where participants were taught how to make
fat-washed liquor at home and mix these three
delicious tipples.

Berner demonstrated the vegetable fat-washing
process by making a batch of the sesame-oil
infused gin that is used in the Play it Sam cocktail.
The process begins by using one 750-milliliter
bottle of gin and combining it with two
ounces of sesame oil in a saucepan. Berner
melds the ingredients by cooking them over on
the lowest heat and stirring for 20 minutes. The
heat needs to stay low, because if the gin begins
to boil, the alcohol will burn off.

The mixture is then poured into a container
and placed in the freezer for at least 12
hours, until the fat is solidified. Next, using a
pre-chilled batch, Berner showed the participants
how to remove the solid fat from the gin
with a spoon and then strain it, using wither a
cheesecloth or coffee filter. Once the oil has
been removed, you are left with a smooth liquor
infused with sesame flavor.

The Play it Sam was named after what Berner
calls the correct line from movie, “Casablanca.”
“She never actually says ‘Play it again Sam,’ ”
he said. The “Casablanca” reference is due to the
Moroccan flavors found in the cocktail.

Besides sesame, this potable also features
aquavit, a Scandinavian liqueur flavored with
caraway and anise and a date reduction. The
date reduction is made taking finely chopped
dates, sugar and water and cooking it until it is
reduced into a concentrated flavor.

The aquavit was the main building block
for Berner in creating this cocktail. “I started
off with aquavit,” he said. “It’s a great liquor. It
has a wonderful flavor and it’s underused. So
I thought about what I can do with it to make
it interesting and taste good.” Berner started
researching foods to see what flavors would mix well with the caraway and anise which led him
to Moroccan cuisine. From there, he decided on
the addition of sesame and experimented with
some different fruit mixtures including cherries
and a cherry and date combination.

Another important, flavorful aspect to this
drink is the lemon twist garnish. Berner uses a
channel knife to make lemon twists that are not
only pretty, but serve an important purpose as
well. As he cut the peels over the cocktail glass,
bits of lemon oil squirt into the drink. The oil
gives off a nice scent and imparts a balancing
flavor. He also rubs the peel along the rim to
add a bit more punch.

Berner said that when he first made the drink
without the lemon peel, he was not happy with
the flavor, but once he added the lemon oil, “the
flavors popped, “he says. “A little oil made a big
difference.”

The result is an exquisite flavor combination.
The lemon lends nice citrus nose that is
quickly followed by the flavor of the aquavit,
which is tempered nicely by the dates. The sesame
kicks in with a subtle hint on the finish. Lick
your lips after one sip, and you will definitely
taste the tangy sesame. Not sweet at all, this is
a dry cocktail, which is spicy yet refreshing at
the same time.

While Ingrid Bergman did not say “Play it
again, Sam,” in the movie, you may find yourself
saying. “Again,” when imbibing this drink.
Its brisk and cool flavor will make it hard for
you to stop at one. ?

PLAY IT SAM
1 1/2 ounces sesame-oil infused gin
1/4 ounce aquavit
2 ounces date reduction
Lemon twist
In an ice-filled mixing glass, stir gin, aquavit
and date reduction until cold. Strain into
ice-filled highball glass, garnish with a
lemon twist, rubbing the peel on the rim of
the glass.
Readers may taste the Play It Sam at Ripple,
located at 3417 Connecticut Ave., NW.

Jody Kurash •

The Suffering Bastard is a curious name for a drink that I’ve seen on numerous menus in Tiki bars and Chinese restaurants. Aside from the humorous moniker, I never really gave this drink much thought. But like many popular cocktails, there’s a story behind this concoction, which belongs to a man named Joe Scialom, who was perhaps one of the world’s most famous bartenders.

The Museum of the American Cocktail and Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, the author of five books on vintage Tiki drinks and cuisine, recently hosted a lecture, “The Suffering Bastard: Joe Scialom, International Barman of Mystery,” at the Occidental Grill.

Berry’s research began after reading Scialom’s obituary in the New York Times, in 2004. He tracked down Scialom’s daughter Collette and recorded his fascinating story.

Scialom, who was educated as a pharmacist, was born in Egypt in 1910. While working as a chemist for Lever Brothers in the Sudan, he began applying chemistry principals to mixing drinks to entertain his colleagues. Here he found his calling and set out to become a bartender. His career began at the opulent Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo, which was one of the most celebrated hotels in the world. Shepheard’s welcomed royalty, heads of state, and famous celebrities. Scialom, who spoke eight languages, dazzled the elite guests from near and far. He counted Winston Churchill, Charlton Heston, Charles de Gaulle, Conrad Hilton, and Egyptian King Farouk among his many guests.

During World War II, the hotel served as an unofficial officer’s club for the British and became an informal press club for war correspondents. When there was little news from the war, the media
wrote about Scialom’s amusing antics.

Due to wartime supply shortages, drinks were being mixed with poor quality alcohol, and guests began complaining of headaches. In response, Scialom created the “Suffering Bastard” as a hangover cure. According to Berry, the original recipe for the Suffering Bastard consisted of “Black market gin from South Africa, stolen British army-issue brandy, a homemade lime cordial, bitters brewed by a druggist across the street, and ginger ale from a Greek merchant of dubious character.”

The hotel bar, which was now referred to as “Joe’s Bar,” even featured a chart prescribing the number of Suffering Bastards needed to relieve a hangover based on its severity.

Another amusing anecdote that Berry shared involved Scialom making gallons of the Suffering
Bastard for a hungover British army that fought the battle at El Alamein. When the British won, the ever-present foreign correspondents reported Scialom’s hand in the victory.

Following these reports, the Suffering Bastard became internationally known. Trader Vic’s was the first to copy it. Then it began showing up at Tiki bars everywhere, even though the recipe was nowhere near Scialom’s original. According to Berry, Trader Vic’s version was very similar to a Mai Tai. Scialom was the consummate host at Shepheard’s.

When the hotel was destroyed, during the course of the civil unrest of the Egyptian revolution of 1952, Scialom continued to serve drinks and was one of the last to leave.

But Scialom’s popularity did not go unnoticed by the Egyptian authorities. They were suspicious
because he mingled consistently with so many important people. He was imprisoned as a spy and then later expelled from Egypt by President Gamal Abdel Nasser. While Scialom’s illustrious
bartending career continued in Puerto Rico, Havana, and New York, it was his time at Sheapherd’s Hotel that cemented his place in cocktail history.

The Suffering Baststard
Courtesy of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry
1 ounce gin
1 ounce brandy
1/2 ounce Rose’s lime juice cordial
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Ginger beer

Add gin, brandy, Rose’s, and bitters to an ice-filled glass. Fill with ginger beer. Stir. Garnish with orange slice and mint sprig.

Ingredients to make the Suffering Bastard may be purchased at Dixie Liquor in Georgetown. Scialom’s story will be published in Berry’s upcoming book, “Potions of the Caribbean: Lost Cocktails from America’s Playground”. For information visit www.BeachBumberry.com or www.MuseumOfTheAmericancocktail.com. [gallery ids="99208,99209" nav="thumbs"]

Jody Kurash • August 8, 2013

**VINCENT: Did you just order a five-dollar shake?
MIA: Sure did.
VINCENT: A shake? Milk and ice cream?
MIA: Uh-huh.
VINCENT: It costs five dollars?
MIA: Yep.
VINCENT: You don?t put bourbon in it or anything?
WAITER: Nope.
VINCENT: Just checking.**

Movie aficionados will recognize this conversation from Quentin Tarantino?s 1994 cult favorite ?Pulp Fiction.? Hit man Vincent Vega, played by John Travolta, is taking out his boss?s wife, Mia Wallace, played by Uma Thurman, for a night on the town while the big man is away. Vincent is questioning the high price of Mia?s choice of beverage. While he does later recant after sampling it, ?I don?t know if that shake?s worth five dollars but it?s pretty damn good.?

Well, if Vincent would have lived through the movie, he would have been able to indulge in an adult milkshake that bears his name at the Satellite Room bar near the 9:30 Club in D.C. The ?Vincent Vega? is a creamy vanilla shake, spiked with Bulleit bourbon. Although Vincent may have gone into sticker shock at the $10 price tag. Yes, prices have risen since 1994. But just like the movie, the same shake can be ordered without alcohol for only $5.

Adult milkshakes have been one of the hottest trends in D.C. in recent years, a perfect have-my-dessert- and-cocktail- too treat, for the area?s scorching summers. These concoctions are basically your cherished childhood treat boozed up with liquors ranging from rum to Kahlua to cr?me de menthe.

[Ted?s Bulletin](http://tedsbulletincapitolhill.com/) on Capital Hill started the trend. Their Baileys caramel macchiato will make you wish that Starbucks could add a lethal shot to their frappuccinos while their white Russian shake, would probably earn the approval of ?the Dude.? If fruit is more your style, Ted?s offers the buzzed berry forged from raspberry schnapps and rum.

In Adams Morgan, the weekend gathering hub, the [Diner](http://www.dinerdc.com/) has four adult milkshakes on its menu. The apple bottom is creative mixture of Sailor Jerry?s rum, vanilla ice cream whipped together with apple pie. The peppermint shake combines, cr?me de menthe, with ice cream and crushed candy canes. But perhaps the most interesting concoction merges the adult shake trend with the ?bacon in everything? craze. The bacon bourbon float takes and old-fashioned brown cow (or root beer float) spikes it with Jim Beam and tops it off with fluffy head of whipped cream covered in freshly made bacon bits.

I recently indulged on the Diner?s bacon bourbon float for a late-afternoon pick-me-up. The D.C. heat index was 105 degrees. I had spent two painful hours at the dentist, and I was looking for something satisfying, cooling and numbing at the same time.
Like so many other bacon foods, it may sound strange, but the hearty salty smoky bacon, merges well with the spice of the root beer, with the bourbon lending a sweet, oaky and powerful bite. My companion Dan Breen, a Baltimore-based artist and music promoter, gave it a thumbs up as well.

[The Satellite Room](http://satellitedc.com/) has the longest list in town, with ten celebrity-named ice cream elixirs. In additional the Vincent Vega, customers can say ?cheers? with the Norm Peterson shake, made with Murphy?s Irish stout or an ?Absolutely Fabulous? Patsy Stone made from pineapple, coconut, orange and nutmeg with Captain Morgan spiced rum.

If you are looking to give your childhood treat an R-rated makeover many of these ice cream cocktails can be easily made at home with a blender, a pint of Haagen-Dazs and your favorite spirit. Get creative, or use a popular cocktail as a guideline. For example, for a pi?a colada mix together rum, pineapple juice and coconut ice cream.

**If you would like to replicate the Diner?s sinful treat, here is a simple formula:**

Add two ounces of bourbon to a parfait or pint glass. Add one large scoop of vanilla ice cream slightly softened. Fill the glass with your favorite root beer. Cover with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle generously with bacon pieces. ?

Georgetowner •

Delicious food on the table assumes a supporting role to great wine in the glass, when the entertaining curtain rises at Jackie Quillen?s contemporary townhouse in Burleith. And for good reason. Quillen?s cultivated senses have served her well as a wine expert , smelling and tasting her way through a celebrated career, which spans more than four decades. As the founder of auction house Christie?s New York Wine Department, where she appraised rare wine collections, she is known as ?The Nose.?

?I like to say, keep the food simple and spend more time with your guests,? says Quillen, as she slowly stirs a saucepan of grits with one hand and flips simmering shrimp with the other. From start to finish, all cooking is completed in less than 20 minutes. We take our seats under a mature plum tree in the garden, near a small fountain. A chilled white wine is at the ready. Still, this oenophile is not ready for that initial taste.

?First, you must look at the color, smell deeply. It?s not about drinking,? she says, giving her glass a swirl. The terroir, or nuances of geography, geology and climate, come into play, into conversation. ?That?s how you get into a wine.? Only then does she allow that opening sip.

What wines is Quillen serving guests this summer? Corks will fly from two favorites: a white and rose (both available at Potomac Wines & Spirits, 3100 M St., NW). ? I love Alsatian whites, low in alcohol, just very refreshing. And Schlumberger Pinot Blanc (2011, $17.99) is lovely,? she says. ?Alsatians aren?t as popular as they should be. Perhaps, people are confused by the German-sounding names or expect them to be sweet. Few are.?

Whispering Angel (2012, $19.99), a rose from the Cotes de Provence, has a place at her table. ?It?s an affordable approximation of Domaine Ott Cotes de Provence, the Holy Grail of all Roses. It?s crisp and delicate, but nicely rounded without a hint of heaviness. A lovely color in the glass.?

But her best summer buy isn?t really a summer wine, but a great value Bordeaux, a Chateau Rousset-Caillau (2010, $15.99).

Steve Feldman, owner of Potomac Wines & Spirits, calls this French varietal ?The best Bordeaux, for the money, that we have stocked in 15 years.? Quillen plans to break into her case this fall and winter. ?But perhaps one warm summer evening when you are grilling lamb you might serve this Chateau just very slightly chilled,? she says. ?And sitting outside in the garden, it would be divine.?

Quillen?s current favorite restaurants: [Bistrot Lepic and Wine Bar](http://www.bistrotlepic.com/) and [Sea Catch](http://www.seacatchrestaurant.com/menu/dinner.cfm), both in Georgetown.

**Shrimp and Grits**

**Ingredients**
16 medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup stone-ground grits
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Parsley, optional garnish

**Directions:**
In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil and slowly stir-in grits. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring frequently for 15 minutes. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat and add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Off heat, add cheese to grits and stir until combined.

Spoon grits onto a luncheon plate, arrange shrimp on top and add garnish.

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

Robert Devaney • August 5, 2013

The Mexican restaurant Bandolero has lost its star chef, Mike Isabella, who with others opened the “Day of the Dead”-themed eatery of small tacos, other small plates and fancy tequila drinks in late May 2012 on M Street.

Isabella announced July 31 that he was ending his management agreement with the business owners, Jonathan and Bethany Umbel, who also own Tackle Box next door. Bandolero is in the space once occupied by Hook, a seafood restaurant, closed because of a fire two years ago. Umbel’s Pure Hospitality is fighting a lawsuit — which Isabella has nothing to do with — from the property owner of that space.

Isabella has other places in D.C., such as Graffiato and the sandwich spot, G Grab and Go. Last month, he opened a Greek restaurant on 14th Street, Kapnos.

In a prepared statement, Isabella explained his decision: “I am no longer part of Bandolero. I own all my other restaurant concepts. And with the opening of G Grab and Go, Kapnos and G this year, it’s time for me to focus on those concepts. I am very proud of the modern Mexican concept my team and I put together, but it’s not 100-percent my restaurant … It’s time for me to focus on the restaurants where I have full operational control.”

Isabella — a “Top Chef” alumnus — was the subject of a Georgetowner feature in June 2012.
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Jordan Hellmuth • August 1, 2013

The wait is over. Georgetown residents and visitors can now indulge in the “good stuff” that Spike Mendelsohn’s Good Stuff Eatery brings.

The M Street location is the third of the franchise; the first one is located at Capitol Hill.

“Georgetown is the place to be,” said Ryan Helfer of Good Stuff Eatery.

Good Stuff Eatery was drawn to Georgetown’s sense of community and its proximity to all of the universities.

“We wanted to be in the hippest, coolest party of town,” said David Greenberg of Good Stuff Eatery.

Not only is Good Stuff known for being a local brand, but it also brings in local talent and ingredients. Good Stuff is open seven days a week, and believe it or not, fresh ingredients are delivered six days a week.

After two years of anticipation and excitement, Good Stuff has begun its new journey on M Street. Georgetown’s Good Stuff Eatery marks Mendelsohn’s second D.C. location of Good Stuff. The third is located in Crystal City, Virginia.

The top three selling burgers are the Prez Obama Burger, Colletti’s Smokehouse, and the Free Range Turkey Burger.

“This was always where we wanted number two to be,” says Greenberg. “We plan to be here for a very long time,” added Helfer.

Eve Barnett • July 18, 2013

With the Fourth of July soon upon us, it’s time to start celebrating. In honor of Independence Day, Serendipity 3 and its sister restaurant in New York City are featuring a delicious, patriotic-themed sundae through July 11 — the “I Cannot Tell A Lie” Sundae. It combines two of the best American classics: pie and ice cream. This special sundae layers cherry pie, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream. Capped off with blue and red sprinkles, a maraschino cherry and a white chocolate lollypop, it’s one sweet deal. [gallery ids="101366,152839,152835" nav="thumbs"]