Food & Wine

Georgetowner • July 12, 2011

Germany-based Vapiano expects to have six restaurants in the metro area, with the recent opening of their newest store in Reston. This will be a corporate location, as are the ones in downtown D.C., Penn Quarter, Ballston, Dulles Town Center and Bethesda. With the openings of stores in Charlotte, Chicago and Miami, they will have 13 units in the U.S.A. by the end of the year. That does not include the international stores.

North Carolina-based Fuel Pizza will open at 600 F Street and 1606 K Street in the former Burger King space. The chain got its start in a space that was formerly a gas station, hence the name. Make no mistake, it’s New Yorkers (who know their pizza) that started Fuel Pizza.

A neighborhood pop-up taco stand called Del Rey is slated to open at 9 and U Streets, NW. Its beer garden and tacos theme is the creation of Ian and Eric Hilton, who also own Marvin and American Ice Company. They plan to open next spring.

Aman Ayoubi of Local 16 opened the Lost Society, a steakhouse, at 14 and U Streets, NW. He and his partners will offer sustainable seafood and local sourced beef from a local farm in the dining space, lounge and roof deck.

Teaism is slated to open a new location at the Moderno condo building at the corner of 12 and U Streets, NW. That gives Teaism its fourth location in D.C. They have stores in Dupont Circle, Penn Quarter, and the downtown D.C. Lafayette Park area.

Tom Power, chef and owner of Corduroy, will open a second restaurant in the town house next door on 9 Street, NW. He’s chosen a new fabric to name it after – Velour. Décor will be minimalist, showcasing brick, concrete floors, wood and steel, with a menu price point of $20 or less per item. A spring 2012 opening is planned.

Turkish QSR: Mehmet Yasar Cicek, along with partners Hosam Ramadan, his college roommate and Arshad Khan, a New York-based restaurant industry veteran, has signed a master franchise agreement for Mr. Kumpir, a Turkey-based franchise with nearly 50 locations worldwide. This triumvirate plans to open its first U.S. stores. Kumpir is a loaded baked potato, so it is a familiar comfort food item. They hope to open up to 30 locations over the next five to six years, with New York next in line. They are looking for sites ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 square feet. Mr. Kumpir will offer several varieties of the kumpir stuffed-potato dish as well as sandwiches, pasta salads and desserts.

Openings Update: Rabbit, the salad + protein concept from the folks who brought you TangySweet and Red Velvet Cupcakery, is expected to open this month in Clarendon. District Commons and Burger, Tap and Shake (from the folks who brought you D.C. Coast, Ceiba, Acadiana and the soon to shutter Ten Penh) slated to open in August. Ping Pong Dim Sum (now in Penn Quarter) slated to open its second location at end of August. Shaw’s Tavern to open this month on Florida Ave, NW. Redeye Grill from the Fireman Hospitality Group (Fiorella Pizzeria, Bond 45) slated to open at National Harbor by year’s end. Side note: If you have not seen Bacchus sitting atop the tortoise with floating mozzarella balls floating in the trough at Fiorella, that alone is worth the trip. Insurance issues abound for the restaurants at the flooded Washington Harbor on the Georgetown waterfront. Tony & Joe’s and Nick’s Riverside Grill have their patios open – and have the grill out and the outdoor bar open. Clyde Restaurant Group’s new 35,000 square foot restaurant and music venue where Borders Books used to be on 4 Street NW, is slated to open by year’s end.

Quick Hits: Rogue States to reopen at Black and Orange (Baltimore Orioles fan?) Reynold Mendizabal plans to renovate Rogue States with better venting so it appeases neighbor’s issues. Philadelphia superstar restaurateur Stephen Starr plans to open his first restaurant in the ever popular 14 Street corridor. Penny and
Mike Willimann will open Olio (olive oil in Italian), an olive oil tasting room, in Old Town Alexandria. It will offer 30 to 35 varieties of flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars for sale in a tasting room setting similar to a wine shop. Next year may bring a much anticipated new location to an established steakhouse in the suburbs. Starfish Café on Barracks Row on 8 St in the southeast will reopen as Lavagna Italian Cuisine.

Chef & GM Update: Umer Naim is the new general manager at Ping Pong Dim Sum in Penn Quarter. Previously, he was with Starr (as in Stephen) Restaurant Organization in Philadelphia. Brenton Balika is the new pastry chef at Bourbon Steak at the Four Season hotel. Salim Nahhas is the new pastry chef at Alexandria Pastry Shop. The native of Jordan represented his country in the World Pastry Cup in Paris.

Courtney Overcash • June 28, 2011

Soup tends to be associated with nourishing the soul, warm and hearty. In the dead of winter, a bowl of potato soup wards off a chill and during the weakest day of an illness, nothing is more comforting than a bowl of homemade chicken soup. While all this might be good for our heat-flattened soul, we are expecting a high of 88 degrees, and it’s just too hot. The heat continues to pummel the cobblestone streets of Georgetown in the familiar haze of humidity DC is famous for. Hungry and hot, locals and tourists alike drag themselves along sweltering sidewalks in search of an oasis, craving something cold, light, and refreshing.

“French Onion is everyone’s favorite, but I have to take if off the menu once the thermostat reads 70 degrees” says Ris Lacoste, at her namesake restaurant, RIS, on the corner of 23rd and L.

Luckily for her many soup fans however, Ris has a relatively simple solution to compliment her daring and creative menu: cold soups, the summer’s ready cousin to the wintery favorite.

Ris attributes her delicious soup creations to the not-so-secret concept of incorporating fresh local ingredients. We are fortunately returning to a locally grown society, appreciating the need for real food. Summer bears the fruits of local labor. By nature, summer’s bounty provides us with the perfect ingredients for cold soups – beets, tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes.

“I was just at the Farmer’s Market and the bounty is here: fresh things from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. So now I can plan my summer menu,” Ris says.

Ris and her staff have been anticipating the bounty of summer since early spring. They’ve worked diligently to come up with soup ideas and turn them into reality. Ris is using simple logic to invent bold new combinations.

“Crops that are grown at the same time and in the same place should be paired with each other.” Ris says.

Pair foods that grow together; “If they grow together, they go together.”

Though I, like many people, claim to have a passion for food, Ris possesses a palpable intuition about her craft. She describes her love for food, her restaurant, and even the content of this column as being something more than just a simple enthusiasm about cuisine.

To create her summer soup calendar, Ris engendered variations on classic favorites and modern cold soups and experimentally perfected the flavor combinations. Ris mixed up five savory soups embodying everything from veggies to nuts to fruit to liqueur. She then let Jessica Buchanan, who consults Ris on recipes, work through the restaurant sized recipes to make smaller printable versions, so others can try them at home.

There is no wrong way to fashion a cold soup, chunky or smooth, nippy from the start or cooked and chilled. Try experimenting until something tastes precisely right. Skin the vegetables, or leave the skins on. Try adding a splash of your favorite dressings. Think of your favorite salad ingredients and imagine the flavors and textures in a liquid base.

Some tips from the chef: Freeze a portion of your soup into ice cubes and add them to the soup just before serving. Your soup will stay icy cold without being watered down. Chill your bowls. Make your cold soup enough time in advance that it will be very cold. A day in advance is great. They often taste better after the ingredients have had time to mingle together.

Garnish is the final step. To finish off your summery soup, embellish with crunch and texture, balancing acts to what is already in the soup.

“Love garnishing, just go crazy,” she says.

Cold Beet Coup
Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients:
3 C. Red Beets (6 small red beets), roasted & coarsely chopped
½ Onion, sliced
3-4 Cloves Garlic, roasted
1 Small Fennel Bulb, coarsely chopped
(Save a few fennel fronds for garnish)
¼ C. Fresh Parsley
2 T. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
½ tsp. Ground Cumin
2 C. Vegetable Stock or Water
½ C. Orange juice (1 orange)
1 T. Pernod (or anise flavored liquor)
1 T. + 1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
6-8 Grinds Fresh Group Black pepper
1 tsp. Salt

Garnish:
¼ C. Pernod
1 T. Honey
½ C. Sour Cream
Fennel Fronds

Note: To roast beets & garlic, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim tops & bottoms of beets & cut the top off a bulb of garlic (so some flesh of the garlic is exposed). Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a sheet pan, cover loosely with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Let cool before peeling skin and roughly chop. Squeeze roasted garlic out of skins into a bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

In a Dutch oven, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté onion, fennel, roasted garlic, salt and pepper until slightly soft or translucent, about five to eight minutes. Add parsley, roasted beets, cumin and sauté for another three minutes. Add vegetable stock and simmer soup for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add orange juice, Pernod and vinegar. Let cool slightly. Puree soup until smooth, adding more vegetable stock if needed to thin out. Season with ground black pepper and salt. Chill immediately overnight.

Meanwhile, bring Pernod and honey to a simmer and reduce until it’s a light syrup, approximately 10 minutes. Cool syrup. Combine with sour cream, thinning out with a little water or milk until able to drizzle.

Serve cold beet soup with a drizzle of Pernod Cream and fennel fronds.

You can also garnish with a small crumble of goat cheese or feta, or just plain sour cream.

Cucumber & Yogurt Soup
Yields: 6 Cups

Ingredients:
4 English/seedless cucumbers (approximately six cups), peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cup plain yogurt
2 scallions, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 tablespoon salt
½ tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Garnish:
cucumber
radish
4 pieces of white bread

Instructions:
Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Taste for salt, if needed. Chill immediately for four hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the crust off the bread and then piece into ¼ inch squares. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toast in the oven for eight to 10 minutes. Slice the cucumber and radish very thin or use a mandolin, and set aside.

For serving, garnish soup with a slice of cucumber, radish and a few croutons for crunch.

You can also substitute the dill for fresh cilantro and garnish with a Greek raita and toasted pita chips. Or try it with mint or parsley for a different twist on flavor.

Georgetowner •

In London, early July marks the finals of the grandest tennis event in the world: Wimbledon. For spectators watching the volleys and backhands from the outdoor seats, the traditional method of cooling down is sipping on a Pimm’s cocktail.

Like the mint julep and the Kentucky Derby, Pimm’s and Wimbledon go hand-in-hand. The tipple is a mixture of Pimm’s No. 1 Cup liqueur and lemonade, garnished with strawberries, mint and cucumber.

Pimm’s is a mahogany-colored, gin-based spirit made from liqueur, fruit and spices. Like Coca-Cola, its exact formula is a closely guarded secret. According to the Pimm’s website, AnyoneForPimms.com, the spirit dates back to 1823 and James Pimm’s London bar, where patrons swallowed oysters with the ‘house cup’ – a gin-based beverage containing quinine and a classified blend of spices. It was served in vessels known as “No. 1 Cups.”

The popularity of the drink grew until it was known across England. By 1851, the Pimm’s line expanded to No. 2 (Scotch) and No. 3 (brandy) cups. The collection eventually grew to six, including No. 4 (rum) No. 5 (rye whiskey) and No. 6. (vodka). These later versions did not have the staying power of the original, but a brandy version infused with spices and orange peel is marketed as Pimm’s Winter Cup.

The first Pimm’s bar opened at the 1971 Wimbledon tournament, and today over 80,000 pints of Pimm’s and lemonade are sold to spectators each year.

Pimm’s comes close to summer drink perfection; its citrusy herbal flavor tastes fresh and invigorating on a hot afternoon. At only 25 percent alcohol, it can be enjoyed early in the day without knocking you out by dinner.

I first sampled Pimm’s at the home of one of my colleagues from the Associated Press, Bob Meyers. His wife Mary Jane Stevens, a native Brit, served me one during a pool party. For a person who doesn’t enjoy overly-sweet drinks, Pimm’s was a delightful and refreshing discovery.

“My parents had a pub and my mother would make Pimms for customers during the summer season,” Mary Jane said. “She made it with Pimms and lemonade (the equivalent of 7-Up or Sprite in the U.S.)”

As Mary Jane pointed out, the lemonade used in the traditional British potable is different than the U.S.-version. The British mixer is clear and bubbly, similar to a soft drink. Many substitute ginger ale, or lemon juice and soda.

Originally Pimm’s was garnished with a blue-flowered herb called borage. Nowadays, it’s usually dressed with a sprig of mint or cucumber. At Wimbledon, where strawberries and cream are the food of choice, the red berry accessory is a must. Other popular additions include apples, oranges, lemons or cherries.

With such a long history, some consider Pimm’s a drink for the older generation. But according to Mary Jane, the drink is growing in popularity among the younger set, “When my daughters went off to university in the U.K., they told me that Pimms was their favorite drink at the pub,” she said. “I noticed that it was being served during the Royal Wedding celebrations.”

Whether you spend this weekend watching tennis on the telly or mingling at a holiday cookout, try a Pimm’s cocktail for a crisp and unique refresher.

Classic Pimm’s Cocktail
Take a jug or long drink glass and fill it with ice.
Mix 1 part Pimm’s with 3 parts chilled lemonade. ?Garnish with mint, cucumber, strawberry, or fruit. Sprite, 7-Up or ginger ale may be substituted for lemonade.
Pimm’s No. 1 Cup may be purchased at Dixie Liquor at 3429 M Street in Georgetown.

Georgetowner •

A perfectly crafted cocktail can be considered a work of art. But what about a tipple inspired by a work of art? At Café Atlántico, already known as one of the premier spots in Washington for handmade cocktails, the “The Daisy If You Do” was sparked by Frederic Remington’s sculpture ”Off the Range (Coming Through the Rye).”

The drink, conceived by lead bartender Owen Thomson, was created for an annual competition held at the Corcoran gallery. The city-wide cocktail competition, poetically named Artini, called on area mixologists to invent a potable inspired by a piece in the Corcoran’s collection. Thomason was assigned Remington’s sculpture.

The piece is an animated representation of the Old West, consisting of four rowdy cowboys shooting off their guns while rollicking their way on horseback. The sculpture invokes the rugged, bronco-busting spirit of adventure and wrangler masculinity.

Thomson’s coordinating cocktail does not disappoint. The ingredient list is one of carefully calculated vision – leather-infused tequila, 16-year-old single malt Scotch, lemon, and St. Germain elderflower liqueur flavored with toasted rye.

When Thomson first examined the sculpture, he immediately thought of crafting a drink with either leather or gunpowder. He decided leather would be a fun flavor to work with because it is often used a descriptive term for tasting wines or liquors.

However the difficult part, it turned out, was not finding a way to infuse the leather flavor into liquor but finding the actual leather. According to Thomson, most commercial methods of tanning are chemically based, but originally, leather was made using vegetable oils. Thomson had to track down a saddle-maker in Tennessee who still tans hides using this traditional method. Once he acquired the food-safe leather he steeped it in tequila overnight to impart a smoldering woody flavor that combines beautifully with the smoky agave.

The drink is formulated after the classic daisy cocktail – which is essentially a basic sour (liquor, citrus and sweeter,) topped with soda water. The “Daisy If You Do” moniker is borrowed from a line from the legendary gunslinger Doc Holliday.

For the citrus portion of the drink Thomson uses fresh lemon juice, and for the sweetener, St Germaine elderflower liquor. In order to match Remington’s sculpture title of “Coming through the Rye,” Thomson, toasts rye berries then soaks them in the liqueur for three days. While St Germain normally has a cloying honeysuckle flavor the rye infusion tempers the liqueur with toasty orange-like nuance. Thomson finishes his work with a dash of Lagavulin 16-year Scotch which yields rich peaty finish.

While the name Daisy sounds delicate, this is definitely a drink worthy of a beefy cowboy. Thomson’s piece boasts a multi-layered, slightly sweet, yet deep smoky flavor without becoming heavy. It has the substance to stand up to a Texas-size steak, but light enough to be refreshing in the summer heat.

Daisy If You Do

1 1/2 oz Leather infused tequila
3/4 oz. St Germain infused with toasted rye
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
Dash of Lagavulin 16-year-old Scotch
Soda water.

Combine first four ingredients in a tall glass, top with soda water, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Readers may try the Daisy If You Do at Café Atlantic located at 405 8th Street NW Washington DC. Tequila, St Germaine and Lagavulin Scotch may be purchased at Dixie Liquor in Georgetown.

Caroline Jackson • June 10, 2011

If there is one tool most vital in propelling the East Coast wine industry towards a West Coast level of prestige, that instrument is education. This applies for both the consumer and the producer. As the next generation of winemakers gains a more extensive understanding of the science behind the techniques, the Mid-Atlantic States are producing wine of an increasingly high caliber. Simultaneously, the desire of the consumer to learn more about tasting, pairing, and international wine continues to spread, guiding the entire regional industry towards a more sophisticated focus.

In response to this progression there are more opportunities for wine education in the East than ever before. Because of the wide array of classes, programs, and certificates now available, it can be confusing to differentiate between types of training. Whether you are a potential viticulturalist, a sommelier-in-training, or merely hoping to feel a little more confident perusing a restaurant’s wine list, there are finally accessible programs geared to your goals.

In 1880, the University of California Davis launched the very first accredited Viticulture and Enology program in the United States, only to be shut down in 1919 with the establishment of Prohibition. The department was reinstated in 1935, and for years it remained the only prominent resource for a comprehensive education in winemaking or grape growing within the US. Gradually, a few other West Coast institutions also began offering degrees in the field, but it wasn’t until 2008 that Cornell reformed its long-running viticultural research division into its own freestanding department, becoming the first Enology and Viticulture degree in the East. This was an essential step not only for the education of future winemakers, but also in the acquisition of expertise and the establishment of a venue for research specific to local conditions.

The quality of East Coast wine has greatly benefited from this resource, directly apparent in the advancement of vineyard management and winemaking techniques. But only recently have other Universities in the region begun to offer alternative programs. Virginia Tech now offers an Enology and Viticulture concentration within its Food Science and Technology department, and just this year the community college in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania began accepting students to its new undergraduate department. Most programs now offer online extension courses as well.

If you are more interested in the sale, service, or discerning consumption of wine, there are often multiple privately owned wine schools in any metropolitan area. There are a few “academies” right in D.C. that offer a variety of educational opportunities for anyone, from the casual buyer to the aspiring professional. Both the Capitol Wine School and the Washington Wine Academy offer classes connected with the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust), which provides a widely accepted measure of proficiency. Generally, one can earn WSET Certificates at the Intermediate or Advanced Level, which can be helpful if you hope to get a job at a restaurant or wine retail store.

These programs usually charge an entry fee specific to the certificate level you’re aiming for, and then may have classes once a week or so for several weeks. The classes may start out with more general tutorials on global wine regions and basic winemaking knowledge, but will progress toward more specific tasting comparisons of different varietals and styles.

Additionally, the WSET also offers a more official Diploma, which is often considered the first step towards becoming a Master of Wine. This distinction is achieved by only a handful of people in the world and takes an additional minimum of three years to complete. The Master of Wine exam is said to be an arduous ordeal of essays and taste tests, including a section that requires the participant to name the vintage, region, and exact producer of several wines in a completely blind tasting—a sort of ultimate wine challenge.

Sounding a little beyond your personal ambition? Are you looking for a more recreational atmosphere, where you might choose to learn about a selected topic now and then? As the industry recognizes the growing consumer interest in a deeper understanding of wine, some wine-focused restaurants and boutique retail shops are offering their own classes and educational events. One example can be found at the Philadelphia-based wine, beer and tapas bar Tria. With three locations downtown as well as a separate “classroom” location, Tria’s staff hosts educational seminars often focused on a different varietal each week, as well as periodic food-pairing classes and specialty flight tastings that you can sign up for in packages or as a one-time experience.

Despite this plethora of available outlets, the best place to start is at your local wine shop or wine bar. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I guarantee you that most wine industry employees live for those moments when they can “nerd out” over their passion for vino with a customer who is genuinely interested in the subject. People get into the business because they love to drink, learn about, and talk about wine—they’re sure not in it for the money, I can tell you that much—and I think you may be surprised at the enthusiasm and aptitude that may be sitting right there at the corner store.

Caroline Jackson now works for Chehalem Winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. She has a degree in English and a background in East Coast wine sales and winemaking. Visit her blog, Sips and Sounds, which pairs daily music selections with a wine or craft beer.

Caroline Jackson • May 31, 2011

Whether it’s local wine, craft beer or fine cuisine, these bourgeoning industries are always benefited by producers and consumers developing a broader understanding of the product. In other words: Education. East Coast residents have come a long way in aiding the growth of these industries through knowledge and general interest, and yet there are still many common misconceptions about wine and how it is made and marketed that hamper the progress of East Coast wine promotion. To understand more about what’s in the bottle, what better place to start than what’s on the bottle.

We all know what it’s like to walk into a wine store and feel a little overwhelmed by the choices. Maybe your original goal was to try something new, but then the eight-syllable hyphenated French classifications and various ranches of Napa start to blur together, and you end up just grabbing your regular go-to Cab. As you may already know, there are two main styles of wine labeling, largely considered Old World vs. New World. European wines will rarely tell you the grape varietal of the wine, so it is up to you to become familiar with which regions (Bordeaux, Rioja, Piemonte, etc.) produce what kind of wine, and furthermore which sub-regions and specific producers or “Chateaus” you prefer. It is then up to the buyer to become familiar with what kind of wine is made in which region to know what each bottle contains, although a few French and several Spanish and Italian producers are moving toward a more modern style. New World wines (anything not from the original Western European regions) will generally state the grape or the name of the blend right on the front label, and may often provide additional varietal information or tasting notes on the back.

Another common source of label confusion is the designation of “Estate” wines. In general, if a wine is labeled “Estate,” that usually means that the grapes used are grown in vineyards owned by the winery within a certain distance from the production site. It gets tricky, however, because the bottle may not say “Estate” for this to be the case. Many smaller production wineries exclusively use their own estate-grown fruit, but may not advertise as such on their labels. I always recommend visiting a winery’s website to find out more about where they are getting their grapes.

Many larger production wineries may have several acres of their own estate vineyards and then source the rest of their grapes from neighboring growers, and then will often produce a separate smaller batch solely from estate grapes that may go into a special reserve bottling. However, non-estate wine does not always mean it is lower quality. There are many excellent winemaking operations that carefully choose only the best vineyards to source from and have developed close simbiotic relationships with specific growers. Just as some of the best vineyard owners don’t make wine at all, some great wineries don’t own any vines and still manage to produce world-class wine.

If a winery is not diligent in its involvement with a source vineyard during the growing season, they may end up with some unpleasant surprises come harvest time that will negatively affect the quality of their wine. However, there are many highly respected winemakers that have long-running relationships with the vineyards they source from and are well versed in the importance of communication between winery and growers. Many of the most prestigious wineries in the country buy grapes from several different vineyards, all with premier growing sites and acclaimed viticulturalists. When it comes time for production, wineries often keep grapes from specific vineyards separate through the fermentation and aging process. Then, when it’s time to blend, each barrel is tasted and assessed; here, the winemaker may set aside a few barrels that are most expressive of a specific vineyard’s terroir to be bottled as a “single vineyard” release.

For example, Oregon is famous for it’s Pinot Noir and cool climate white wines that come from the Willamette Valley. Then the greater Willamette wine region is separated into more specialized AVA designations that group together topographical areas with comparable climate and soil composition. Beyond that, there are many specific vineyards that are renowned for the caliber of their particular site. If a wine is made from grapes that came from several places throughout the valley, the bottle will then only be a general “Willamette Valley” designation; others some may specify, for example, the Dundee Hills AVA and may showcase characterstics of its particular soil type, or even further, state the exact name of the Vineyard that it came from (i.e. Temperance Hill, Palmer Creek, Stoller, Bryan Creek, etc.).

This somewhat parallels the traditional European system of classification, where a Pinot Noir from France may not only tell you it is a Bourgogne, but also from the Côte de Nuits region, and furthermore from the Grand Crus vineyards of Romanée-Conti. In France (and paralleled throughout Europe), the Appellation d’origine contrôlée laws decided long ago which wines deserve the most prestigious title of Grand Crus, which may be called Premier Crus, which may only use the “village” name, and which are merely to be considered generic Bourgogne. The New World regions are young enough that this kind of quality distinction is not so set in stone, and therefore it is up to you to read, taste, and decide which wines stand out in the ever-growing pack.

Caroline Jackson now works for Chehalem Winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. She has a degree in English and a background in East Coast wine sales and winemaking. Visit her blog, Sips and Sounds, which pairs daily music selections with a wine or craft beer.

Nico Dodd • May 20, 2011

Anyone working in downtown Washington knows about the growing population of food trucks offering a wide variety of gourmet dining choices.

This summer, Georgetown Events will be hosting Truckeroo, a monthly festival where 20-25 food trucks will gather at the corner of Half St. and M St. NW in Das Bullpen, across the street from Navy Yard Metro and one block from Nationals Park. The Nationals will be in Phoenix playing the Diamondbacks.

Featured food trucks will include Big Cheese, which sells grilled cheese, Red Hook Lobster Pound, which has lobster roles, and Floridano, famous for their ice pops. Das Bullpen will also offer their European beer selection.

This summer’s first Truckeroo will be Friday, June 3rd from 11 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free. There will also be live music at the event. The Nationals will be in Phoenix playing the Diamondbacks.

Truckeroo was the idea Bo Blair, owner of The Bullpen and Das Bullpen beer gardens, and in conjunction with the DC Food Truck Association, Capitol Riverfront BID, Washington City Paper, and Food Truck Fiesta.

To look at the full list of trucks, visit Truckeroo’s homepage.