Food & Wine

Georgetowner • January 14, 2015

Pizza Studio plans to open two personalized fast-casual restaurants this month. It’s a gourmet-pizza-quick-casual-create-your-own pizza-cooked-in-two-minutes concept. They will be the first locations for the company in the D.C. and Baltimore metro areas. The D.C. store will open in Dupont Circle where Baja Fresh was. The Baltimore location is in Charles Village near the Johns Hopkins University campus. The principals, who now reside in California, have local connections: Samit Varma used to live in Rockville and partner Ron Biskin lived in Owings Mills, a suburb of Baltimore.

Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises loves the D.C. metro area and has plans to open a few more restaurants. In 2015, the plans include opening Summer House Santa Monica in North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose neighborhood. It’s a California-inspired American restaurant (not to be confused with Summer House in Rehoboth Beach). Stella Barra Pizzeria, serving artisanal pizza, small plates and handcrafted pastries and breads is also slated for Pike & Rose. And LEYE will open RPM Italian, a modern Italian restaurant, in partnership with celebrity couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic. It will open at 601 Massachusetts Ave. NW in the second quarter of 2015. Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak and Stone Crab is their most recent entry into the D.C. market, celebrating one year at the end of January.

Bo Blair plans to open another Surfside, a fast-casual restaurant, in Dupont Circle this month. The first one is in Glover Park. His new southern concept, Due South, is due to open in the Lumber Shed Building at the Navy Yard in the third quarter of 2015. Rusty Holman, who has worked for Bo at Bayou in the West End, has been tapped as executive chef. Next up for Bo in this area is a Millie’s, which should open in Spring Valley. The original Millie’s is in Nantucket. (This one will have the same menu if not the same amazing seaside view.)

Chef Update: Frank Ruta, formerly of the now closed Palena, takes over as head chef of The Grill Room at the Capella Hotel in Georgetown. His pastry chef from Palena, Aggie Chin, will join him at Capella. Will Greenwood will be taking over the chef duties at Elizabeth’s Gone Raw in D.C.

Will the new restaurant that José Andrés will open at the new Trump International Hotel (where the Old Post Office was) be anything like his Bazaar at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills? That takes over much of the lobby and has various rooms creating the overall concept. Stay tuned.

Jose Garces may be opening a 20,000-square-foot market that will offer a range of Latin groceries and prepared foods at Union Market in D.C.’s NoMa neighborhood. It will be located in a new 520-unit residential building. It’s not the Philadelphia-based chef’s first venture in this market; he opened Rural Society in the Loews Madison Hotel last summer.

Quick Hits: Charlottesville-based Green-berry’s coffee shop plans to open in downtown D.C. on the corner of 18th and E Sts. NW…Potomac’s Grilled Oyster Company will open a 4100-square-foot seafood restaurant at the new Cathedral Commons development on Wisconsin Avenue NW. The original location is at Cabin John Mall in Montgomery County … Liam LaCivita, former chef at Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall and Northside Social, plans to open Bar Civita in Woodley Park where Murphy’s was at 2609 24th St. NW. The restaurant will serve modern American food. An opening in the first quarter of this year is planned.
David Guas’s Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery in Arlington is opening a second location in D.C. at 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Renovations to a two-story carriage house will create a 53-seat restaurant on the first floor and a kitchen on the second floor, with seating for 36 in the summer garden.

Local restaurateur Ammar Daoud will take over management of The Heights in Columbia Heights this month. His plans include an update to the menu and the décor, but not to the staff. The Heights will continue to honor EatWell (previous management company) gift certificates through March 31. EatWell DC will continue to focus on their restaurants: The Pig, Logan Tavern, Commissary DC and Grillfish.

Openings Update: Tadich Grill is now expected to open in late February or early March.

Georgetowner •

Without a doubt, winter has arrived in our nation’s capital. Whether it’s a Georgetown preppie clad in cashmere and Burberry plaid or a hipster walking down 14th Street with boot socks, fringed jacket and infinity scarf, everyone in the metro area is bundled up and trying to beat the cold.

My December visit came as a shock to my body. As a D.C. expat living on a tropical island, I am accustomed to temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius, not Fahrenheit. While dressing in layers and pulling warm clothes out from my storage bin helped my plight, I found a more jovial cure: hot cocktails to soothe the soul and defrost my frozen bones.

On the weekend before Christmas, I felt like I was turning into a snowman while shopping at the outdoor holiday market downtown. Fortunately, a remedy was close by. Across F Street, Nopa Kitchen + Bar features a diverse menu of winter-warmer cocktails. I sampled three of their hot tipples, each one completely different.

The first was called Nopa’s Punch, their version of mulled wine, a Northern European winter staple. Served hot, this beverage is usually made with red wine, various mulling spices and citrus fruits. It is often enhanced with another flavored liquor such as schnapps or brandy.

It immediately took me back a few years, when my partner and I strolled through the Christmas market in Belfast, Ireland, admiring the local crafts, riding a Ferris wheel and taking a break from Guinness as we stayed cheerful with a soothing glass of spiced hot wine.

Nopa’s version starts off with a good quality red wine. Beverage Director Jesse Hiney says that doing so is important because the flavor comes through in the finished product. The wine is mixed with a spice mixture, Granny Smith apples, orange, lime and Becherovka, a Czech liqueur spiced with ginger and cinnamon.

The result is a drink that is a bit bolder, with a more pronounced spicy flavor than most of the mulled wines I have tried. It is served with a gluten-free ginger cookie that echoes its snappiness. Hiney says he has received many compliments from European customers accustomed to drinking mulled wines, who call Nopa’s version especially nice.

Nopa also offers a classic hot toddy with a striking twist. The base liquor for this drink is a cardamom-infused bourbon that dominates the flavor. According to Hiney, whole cardamom pods are left to infuse in bourbon for a month. The whiskey is combined with lemon juice, spiced apple syrup, honey and hot water, then topped off with an amaretto meringue made by Nopa’s pastry chef, Jemil Gadea.

The final result tasted like a hot lemon meringue pie from an exotic land, the cardamom flavor shining through. The fluffy topping merged seamlessly into the hot liquid, with the amaretto and spiced apple syrup tempering the strong spicy flavor.
Finally, for a truly decadent treat, one should not miss Nopa’s adult version of hot chocolate. Starting off with 65-percent, single-origin Ecuadorian chocolate, this delicacy is served with a choice of liqueurs including Frangelico, Grand Marnier and Kahlua. By using superior chocolate, Nopa has created a delectable and incredibly rich dessert in a glass.

Hiney suggested I sample it mixed with Patrón XO Café Incendio, a liqueur forged from arbol chiles, Criollo chocolate and Patrón tequila. This newly created spirit magically combines the flavors of spicy and sweet with a touch of heat. When used in Nopa’s hot chocolate, the result is extraordinary.

It comes served with a light and pillowy homemade marshmallow, a special touch. The marshmallow easily blends into the rich and thick chocolate, giving it a smooth, silky finish.

By the time I had sampled all three of these warmers, my body had thawed. I had shed my alpaca poncho and faux fur jacket. I was ready to face the bitter chill and carry on – full of cheer – with my holiday errands. Readers can sample these cocktails at Nopa Kitchen + Bar, 800 F St. NW.

Georgetowner • December 19, 2014

Here’s the latest dish on restaurants moving in and around Washington, D.C.

Chef/owner Ruth Gresser is adding to her empire – by going fast casual. She plans to open Veloce by Pizza Paradiso, leveraging her incomparable 23-year-old Pizza Paradiso brand. This quick-serve pizza concept is slated to open by the end of 1Q in downtown DC at 19th & L street NW. Veloce (means “speed” in Italian) will offer personal pizzas with a variety of choice toppings, all cooked in EuroGourmet gas-powered ovens for just two minutes. Breakfast (think pizza frittata), lunch, dinner and carryout will be offered at the 30-seat restaurant, which includes an outdoor patio.

Mike Isabella hearts Ballston. He plans to open a Mexican cantina, Pepita, at 4000 Wilson Blvd, which also houses Kapnos Taverna, another Isabella restaurant. The focus of Pepita is the bar, meaning there may be up to 40 cocktails, many of them featuring tequila or mescal. Pepita will feature a limited menu of Mexican bar food. Mike also plans to open Yona, an Asian noodle bar in the same Ballston building. Jonah Kim, most recently at Pabu in Baltimore, will be the chef at the helm of this new restaurant. Kapnos Taverna is slated to open in 4Q 2014; Pepita in 1Q 2015; Yona is 2Q 2015.

Just Opened: City Perch restaurant inside the iPic movie theater in Rockville’s Pike & Rose complex. The chef at the helm is Matt Baker, formerly of Brasserie Beck and Occidental Grill. Thip Khao, a Laotian restaurant, opened at 3264 14th Street where Thaitanic was in Columbia Heights. Chef Seng Luangrath was formerly at Bangkok Golden in Falls Church, which offered Thai and Laotian menus. Thip Khao translates to “sticky rice basket.” Plan B opened at 801 Pennsylvania Avenue serving 20 varieties of burgers in the Market Square West building.

The Brig, a Bavarian beer garden, is slated to open in lower Barracks Row at 1007 8th Street at L Street SE. It will seat 210 and serve 299. Alan Gaunoux has partnered with Mark Brody and Chris Chambers of Biergarten Haus on this project.

Chef & GM Update: Pastry chef extraordinaire Beverly Bates is now at Vidalia. Armani Malik Copeland at Flight Wine Bar replaced Bradley Curtis. Susie Morrison was promoted to executive pastry chef at the White House. She replaces Bill Yosses.

the Georgetowner •

Dog Tag Bakery invites Georgetowners and visitors to celebrate its grand opening this Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to noon. Started by Father Rick Curry, the bakery is a social enterprise that supports veterans in a number of ways, including through a work-study program that provides wounded veterans with a high-quality business education in the kitchen and through classes at Georgetown University.

Curry and co-founder Constance Milstein said in a statement, “Dog Tag Bakery blends our passion for supporting veterans with business, entrepreneurship and baking. We hope to create a supportive environment so that the men and women who have given so much to their country can find success in a new and enriching chapter in their lives.”

The event will feature a bread breaking ceremony in lieu of a ribbon cutting. Patrons can support veterans and the bakery by donating $250 and adding their custom-made dog tag to the bakery’s chandelier, or by using the hashtag #kneadtoserve on social media accounts.

The bakery, at 3206 Grace St. NW, is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. during the week and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. [gallery ids="101940,135981" nav="thumbs"]

Sallie Lewis • December 5, 2014

Marcel’s, the haute French flagship owned and operated by chef Robert Wiedmaier, had a big year in 2014.

Having celebrated the restaurant’s 15th anniversary in March, Wiedmaier completed a major dining room refurbishment last month. Since its opening in 1999 at 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Marcel’s has been redesigned in a succession of renovations.

This year, revamping the dining room has been the primary focus. Its completion brings a fresh facelift to one of the District’s favorite dining destinations.

“It has a European look with a lot of American sensibilities,” said Wiedmaier about the space. “It’s very comfortable and spartan at the same time.” He added that the look is a flirtation of classic and modern elements, without being too modern.

From contemporary chandeliers and angular sconces to fresh china, providing “a bigger canvas to play on and paint on,” these modern appointments have beautifully updated the ambiance at Marcel’s. In addition, chef Wiedmaier hired Doyle Mueser of New York to create tailor-made, bespoke suits for the entire front-of-house staff. From top to bottom, this revamped look augments the first-class dining experience at Marcel’s and signals the beginning of a reinvigorated presentation.

In an age when casual dining and dressing down are pervasive, an evening at Marcel’s is a welcome change. “We’ve always pushed the pedal on fine dining and we’re going to continue to push the pedal harder,” said Wiedmaier, who attributes his success to a steadfast focus on fine dining, even while it was diminishing in popularity.

“The look is very elegant, but my staff exudes friendliness and unpretentiousness,” he said. “It’s a great combination.”

At Marcel’s, the objective is to make patrons feel special from the moment they walk through the door. Fostering this welcoming feeling are Marcel’s hard-working team and staff, which Wiedmaier created and has sustained over the years. In fact, from the dishwashers to the waiters, almost his entire crew has been with him since the restaurant’s conception – in today’s marketplace a virtually unheard-of distinction.

At the heart of this welcoming service and elegant experience are the gastronomic talents of chef Wiedmaier himself.

Born in Wiesbaden, Germany, to an American mother and a Belgian father, Wiedmaier went to culinary school in the Netherlands, then worked in Belgium before coming to Washington.

Along with his Belgian grandmother, Wiedmaier credits his mother for instilling the culinary calling. “My mom was always a great cook, always in the kitchen, always in the markets. And I was always tagging along with her,” he said.

Growing up, he worked at the surrounding farms, learning how to hunt, fish and live off the land. Hunting and fishing would become a lifelong interest, particularly as they pertained to cooking. Wiedmaier practices whole-animal butchery, conserving the entire animal, using each piece with no waste.
This regard for nature and sense of responsibility about using food respectfully make Wiedmaier a standout chef in D.C., where he has worked for 30 years.

“I knew what I wanted to do from a very young age,” he said. “I stuck with what I loved and never looked back.”

Georgetowner • December 4, 2014

Folks who arrived in Washington within the last decade would find it hard to imagine what 14th Street looked like years ago. Today this thoroughfare is D.C.’s mecca for stylish dining, trendy bars and fashionable interior design stores.

Only a generation ago, this street was a seedy offshoot of U Street, dotted with ratty storefronts, questionable establishments and ladies of ill repute. Now it seems that hardly a month goes by without the opening of another chic restaurant. The “in” crowd keeps pouring in.
On the corner of R Street, a sublime nightspot with a welcoming patio pays homage to the corridor’s past. Red Light opened earlier this year with craft cocktails and decadent desserts made by an in-house pastry chef. It quickly became the dessert destination of choice for discerning diners looking for something potable with their sweets.

Making a good thing even better, Red Light recently added a new menu of savory nibbles and plates.

Whether you visit Red Light for something sweet, savory or both, the cocktails are not to be missed. As owner Aaron Gordon gleefully says, “It’s more fun to eat in a bar than drink in a restaurant.”

The sleek interior, with its restrained lighting, gives it a seductive feel. Gordon calls it “subtly risqué.” A local artist made the light fixtures. Meanwhile, the outdoor patio with its pots of fresh lavender gives the joint a European flair: perfect for relaxing and watching the modish clientele of 14th Street stroll by.

Acknowledging the area’s sordid past, many of Red Light’s cocktails have such amusing names as Street Corner Girl, Dirty Shirley and the Madame. In fact, the menu jovially lists them as “burlesque” cocktails.

If you’re looking for a drink that knows how to make an entrance, I suggest you order Peep Show. This delicious concoction arrives at the table with a flaming garnish of fresh rosemary, lighting up the patio and eliciting oohs and ahs from nearby tables. Fortunately, this tipple has the substance to match its flamboyant style.

The Peep Show cocktail combines ginger beer, bourbon, lemon and Pimm’s No. 1 Cup liqueur to create a supreme mixture with an herbal twist. Pimm’s is a mahogany-colored gin-based spirit made from liqueur, fruit and spices.

The sweet bourbon mingles well with the spicy ginger beer, while the Pimm’s and lemon give the drink an extra herbal edge. Peep Show is garnished with a rosemary stick and cucumber, a twist on the traditional serving style for a Pimm’s and lemonade cocktail – with a slice of cucumber or a sprig of mint. The rosemary is seared to help pop its fresh flavor.

The concoction is served in a metal cup, paying homage to the Moscow Mule, a classic ginger-beer cocktail served in copper mugs.
While Peep Show is the most popular cocktail at Red Light, do not overlook the other choices. Gypsy Eyes is a delicate effervescent mixture of vodka, crème de violette, lemon and Prosecco. A more hearty choice is the Mata Hari, a spicy combination of vindaloo-infused whiskey and fruity apricot liqueur. With a drinks menu as varied as the menu of snacks and sweets, Red Light offers cocktails for every taste.

Peep Show

1.5 ounces Pimm’s
1.5 ounces bourbon
1 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce ginger syrup
Muddled cucumber
Dash Angostura bitters

Top with ginger beer and garnish with a sprig of burnt rosemary.

Readers can sample the Peep Show and other cocktails at Red Light, 1401 R St. NW (on the corner of 14th Street).

Sallie Lewis • November 19, 2014

With the plethora of great restaurants in Georgetown, one could argue that there’s no reason to dine elsewhere, but consider what you’d miss. Washington, D.C., has been having a city-wide restaurant renaissance over the past few years, with new concepts popping up alongside old classics, creating a thoroughly modern patchwork.

Take the highly lauded Rose’s Luxury on 8th Street SE, along Barracks Row, which snagged Bon Appetit’s prestigious “Best New Restaurant in America” award this year. At Rose’s Luxury, the service is warm and welcoming, the cocktails are lovingly crafted, the family-style menu is playful and ever changing, and the overall experience is bliss.

Chef Aaron Silverman, the mastermind behind Rose’s, has succeeding in creating a menu of small plates that encourage noshing and sharing (think warm challah bread with wildflower honey, charred broccoli with caesar dressing, pork sausage and habanero lychee salad, pickle brined fried chicken glazed with honey, fresh raw Toro sashimi, pasta with eggplant and tomato). The restaurant is housed in an eclectic building with a spirited neon “Awesome” sign, walls of exposed brick, a bustling open kitchen and strings of twinkle lights that give off a warm, cheery glow. Arrive early (as early as 4:30 or 5 p.m.) and prepare to wait, but rest assured, you’re in for a night of gastronomic greatness.

Just north in the historic Bloomingdale neighborhood on First Street NW, is the Red Hen, an Italian-influenced American restaurant that is equal parts relaxed, experimental and comfort-driven. Michael O’Malley, Sebastian Zutant and Michael Friedman are general manager, sommelier and chef, respectively, who came together as friends to create a laid back, indie-dining destination for the emerging Bloomingdale neighborhood. Their menus change seasonally, taking advantage of all the best flavors and ingredients over the course of the year. Currently, you will find everything from a smoked ricotta crostini with balsamic brown butter and truffle honey to a wild mushroom soup with crispy sunchokes, thyme and truffled mascarpone for starters.

Pastas like spinach fettuccine with braised duck, sweet potato, mint and Parmigiano-Reggiano grace the menu. Large plates like caramelized scallops with grilled kale, bacon, roasted cauliflower and polenta delight as do wood-grilled chickens with fingerling potatoes, currants and preserved lemon. Spiced pumpkin cakes and maple brown butter gelato sugarcoat the dessert menu and an impressive wine and cocktail list awaits your arrival.

On 14th Street NW, near Logan Circle, the Pig, a prodigious pork-centric restaurant continues to rake in the accolades along with bacon-loving patrons. The Pig features a local, seasonal menu with vegetables grown on its farm in nearby La Plata, Md. The concept is a celebration of the pig and all the flavors that accompany it, with rustic dishes from around the world inspiring much of the menu. There’s a focus here on respecting food, and the Pig uses only humanely raised animals, while wasting little. Diners can chomp on starters like shaved Brussels sprout salads and crispy sweetbreads. The Face Bacon is the melt-in-your-mouth favorite. Pig Boards are a popular sharing item with fresh bread, pickles, charcuterie, olives and mustard dipping sauces. For supper, enjoy dishes like stuffed suckling pig, crispy pork shanks and Korean barbeque for two. They also offer a unique menu of eco-friendly wines and American craft beer. Venture to the Pig for a totally unique dining experience that’s quite literally hog heaven.
[gallery ids="101922,136174" nav="thumbs"]

Jody Kurash •

I remember seeing the pictures when the Petronas Twin Towers opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the mid-1990’s overtaking the World Trade Center for the crown the world’s tallest building. I was living in the big apple at the time and all New Yorkers were astounded that someplace else could now brag about having the world’s highest skyscraper. This was a period of great upswing for New York, it was a time when then-mayor Rudy Giuliani proudly boasted on David Letterman, “Our city can kick your city’s ass.” Suddenly, a small country on the other side of the globe had stolen a little bit of thunder from New York.

With this memory etched in my mind, the Petronas towers were at the top of my must-see list when I visited Kuala Lumpur in early August. For me, the best way to experience this architectural wonder was by enjoying a few cocktails while marveling at this architectural phenomenon.

In New York, if you wanted to glance at the twin towers while enjoying a swanky drink, you headed for the legendary rainbow room in Rockefeller Center. In Kuala Lumpur, if you want an up-close view of the Petronas Towers in style, you go to Marini’s on 57.

This upscale lounge on the cutting edge of KL’s evening scene is Malaysia’s highest rooftop bar. To arrive at Marini’s you are whisked up 57 floors in seconds by a high-speed elevator. You can choose to sit outside on one of the patios or imbibe from indoors where floor-to-ceiling windows give you an almost dizzying view.

The lounge is located in the third, shorter building of the Petronas complex. The lounge wraps its way around the building, providing visitors with 360-degree views of the city skyline and an imposing view of the towers. While sitting there, you visualize Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones, scaling across building like they did in the film “Entrapment.”

Marini’s on 57 has an impressive list of signature cocktails, concocted by mixologist Junior(one name only). I started off with a chocolate espresso martini. While I usually avoid cutesy candy-flavored faux martinis, I found this one to be a cut above. Instead of being mixed with chocolate or coffee flavored vodka, this one featured Maker’s Mark Bourbon as its base spirit, which gave it a hearty full flavor.

The next drink on my list was the Mellow Sundown cocktail, a tipple conceived by Junior to celebrate the lounge’s, sunset hour, when guests can enjoy watching the sunset between the towers. This drink had a sunny taste, which came from a mixture of fruits, including pineapple, apple, lime and predominantly passionfruit. Junior mixes this cocktail with vodka to highlight the bright fruit flavors.

My favorite of the three was the 57 Sour, Junior’s twist on the classic whiskey tipple. Like a proper whiskey sour, this one was shaken with an egg white to give it a frothy texture and sprinkled with bitters for added spice. The two main differences that make this drink stand out are the addition of grapefruit juice to the standard lemon for a more rounded tart sensation and the use of honey as a sweetener which provided a robust compliment to the semi-sweet Maker’s Mark bourbon.

When Junior heard I was a tiki drink enthusiast he whipped me up a Jungle Bird, a long-forgotten tropical drink that, according to lore, was created at the Aviary bar at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in 1978. Junior became familiar with this lost cocktail after finding the recipe in one of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s tiki books. For me, this drink – a combination of 5-year-old rum, Campari, pineapple and lime juice – took the cake. Campari, a bitter Italian aperitif, may seem out-of-place in a tiki drink, but somehow this odd combo of sweet yet complex rum, tropical fruits and herbs melded perfectly together.

As the day turned to dusk, I enjoyed these lovely cocktails as I watched the changing light dance across the towers. When the moon began to rise, I headed back to my hotel, knowing I’ve visited a KL’s signature landmark the way I wanted to see it – with a drink in hand.

The Jungle Bird
(Courtesy of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry)
1/2 ounce simple syrup?
1 1/2 ounces dark aged rum (Junior uses Angostura 5-year rum)
?3/4 ounce Campari?
1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice?
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice?

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all of the ingredients except the garnish. Shake until well chilled and strain into a glass filled with ice.

Jody Kurash •

Pumpkin, along with apples, cinnamon and cloves, is one of the classic flavors of fall. The mere mention of this orange squash invokes images of the autumn harvest, jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.

The incorporation of seasonal flavors and ingredients into our food and drink has made pumpkin a shining star once the leaves begin to change. Imbibers have a wide choice of delicious pumpkin beers and themed cocktails.

Some of my favorite pumpkin ales come from Schlafly in Saint Louis and Dogfish in nearby Delaware (where they spell it ‘punkin’). My only issue is that many of these beers start appearing in stores and on menus in late August and early September.

While a pint of Weyerbacher imperial pumpkin ale is fantastic on a brisk afternoon while admiring the colorful foliage, I have trouble enjoying spiced ale during D.C.’s Indian summer days – when temperatures continue to hover in the 80s. Even though Halloween is the first pumpkin holiday of fall, it is not uncommon for some of the pumpkin beers to be sold out and replaced by winter brews.

Thankfully for those who enjoy pumpkin cocktails, the selection usually remains constant through Thanksgiving.
If you like to have your pumpkin cocktail and beer in one, the Copperwood Tavern in Arlington, Va., is offering a fall-themed version of the classic flip cocktail (a heated mixture of beer, rum, egg and sugar). Copperwood’s version is forged from Cruzan rum, egg and pumpkin syrup, topped with Port City porter.

While pumpkins are usually associated with Americana, there is no shortage of international cocktails to try. For example, Daikaya, a traditional Japanese ramen shop in Chinatown, is offering a spiced pumpkin mule cocktail made with fresh pumpkin, cinnamon, clove, ginger, turmeric, lemon and bourbon.

Spanish hotspot Estadio is serving a pumpkin slushito, a mixture of scotch, pumpkin puree, black tea, lemon and beer.
A surprising one, and the most refreshing tipple I uncovered this year, is El Centro’s pumpkin margarita. At first, the idea of altering this warm-weather favorite with pumpkin seemed a bit odd, but the key to this drink is its subtleness.

Instead of using a pumpkin puree or syrup, El Centro infuses the tequila with roasted pumpkin and spices. “We like infusing tequila,” GM Joshua Gray said. “It’s fun to play around with different flavors.”

I sampled the tequila infusion on its own, and its flavor reminded me of being enveloped in a cozy poncho on a cool night in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Bartender David Constantine shared my approval. “I’d drink it straight,” he said.

The flavored liquor is mixed with agave nectar and freshly squeezed lime, then served in a pint glass with a cinnamon-sugar rim.
The result is a light and aromatic drink. The fall spices blend with the slightly peppery reposado tequila, adding some zing to the Mexican staple. The cinnamon-sugar rim adds a perfect amount of spice/sweetness to balance the tartness of the lime.

Unlike some heavy autumn elixirs, this pumpkin drink would be refreshing year-round. I just may be making pumpkin margaritas next July!

Roasted Pumpkin Spice-Infused Tequila

1 750ml bottle Sauza Blue Reposado

1.5 stars of anise

1 teaspoon cloves

1.5 half-sticks cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/16 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 29-ounce can pumpkin puree

Crush spices together using a mortar and pestle. Fold spice mixture and sugar into pumpkin puree. Spread flat onto a sheet pan lined with wax paper. Roast at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. Place cooked mixture into cheesecloth and tie tightly. Place cheesecloth-wrapped mixture into a glass mason jar. Fill with tequila. Let sit 5-7 days, agitating daily. Strain mixture.

To make a margarita, mix tequila with agave nectar and fresh lime and serve in a glass with a cinnamon-sugar rim.

Readers may sample the pumpkin margarita at either of El Centro D.F.’s locations: 1218 Wisconsin Ave., NW, and 1819 14th St., NW.

Linda Roth •

Hakan Ilhan plans to open L’Hommage Bistro Francais at the m.flats apartment building at 450 K Street NW. The restaurateur also owns Al Dente near Tenleytown on New Mexico Ave. NW and Alba Osteria in NoMa at 425 Eye St. NW, as well as Bistro Atelier, a French restaurant at Dulles International Airport. He first entered the restaurant scene with his Pizza Autentica pizzerias. This new French restaurant in the Mount Vernon Triangle area includes a full-service bistro with a bakery and quick serve café. Private dining space is also available in the 220-seat restaurant.

José Andrés plans to expand his relationship with George Washington University beyond teaching, lecturing and giving commencement addresses. The next step is a restaurant (shocker), a fast casual concept called Beefsteak, which focuses on vegetables. Yes, the name appears to be incongruous with vegetables, but José is not your typical restaurateur. It will be located at 22nd and Eye streets NW on campus, in the new science and engineering building.

Claudia Rivas, who is a chef/owner of Brasas Rotisserie & Grill in Waldorf, plans to open Claudia’s Steakhouse in downtown D.C. at 1501 K St. NW this spring with new business partner Charles Adams. Think steaks and – closer to her roots – ceviche. It will seat 288 with private dining rooms for up to 100 people.

UK-based Carluccio’s plans to open their first US outpost in Old Town Alexandria at 100 King St. (the site of many fine restaurants). They also plan to open at the new Southwest Waterfront project. Although the restaurant hails from the UK, the founder Antonio Carluccio is from Salerno in the southern part of Italy.

Chef & GM Update: Wil Goings has been named executive chef at Tadich Grill, slated to open in January 2015 at 10th and Pennsylvania Ave NW. Wil was Executive Director of Food and Beverage at Chef Geoff’s and LIA’s restaurant. Ron Robbins, formerly of San Francisco’s Blvd and Clyde’s Tower Oak Lodge, has been named general manager.
Openings Update: Mango Tree, the Thailand-based restaurant with locations in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Dubai, Jakarta and Manila is slated to open this month at CityCenter thanks to Pitaya Phanphensophon and Richard Sandoval

ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen plans to open its next metro area location at Union Station where Yo! Sushi used to be. Sakuramen owner Jonathan Cho plans to open a new Pan-Asian restaurant in Adams Morgan where Cafe Lautrec and Cafe Toulouse used to be at 2431 18th St. NW. He also plans to expand Sakuramen, opening up a new level, which should be completed by end of Q2 2015.

Carla Hall has licensed her name to a new southern-inspired 150-seat restaurant to open at Reagan National Airport in Terminal A, operated by OTG, which operates other restaurants at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority properties. The restaurant name is Page, but it is unclear whether the reference is to Carla or the airport. Future plans call for a Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen in New York in 2015 as well as in DC in 2017.

Just Opened: Adams Morgan’s Amsterdam Falafelshop opened in Clarendon on Wilson Blvd. Other locations on the horizon include Georgetown, downtown D.C., Bethesda and Silver Spring. Willie’s Brew & Que has finally opened in the Boilermaker Shops near Nationals Park. Washington Firehouse has opened at North Capitol Street & Quincy Place NW, from the folks who brought you Shaw’s Tavern. Chef Peter Prime from Shaw’s created the menu. Cava Grill opened its sixth location in Chinatown at 707 H St. NW. Highline is opening at 2010 Crystal Drive in Crystal City by the folks who also own and operate Penn Social, CarPool and Buffalo Billiards.