Food & Wine

Shari Sheffield • January 17, 2014

Thanksgiving can be D. R. A. M. A. Trying to choose “the perfect wine” to go with your Thanksgiving feast can
?add to that drama. Trying to find a single wine to please everyone from grandmother to the newly minted drinking-age college boyfriend your daughter has brought home is a challenge. With all the meal preparations required, quite frankly, don’t you always have enough to worry about planning this holiday meal? Stuff the bird before cooking or after? Cranberry sauce with whole berries or none? Sweet potato soufflé or candied yams casserole? And let’s not even get into the seating arrangements that must be con- sidered ensuring that a family kerfuffle doesn’t erupt … again … seconds before the bird even hits the table. Thus, turning your Thanksgiving into your own Bravo reality TV series. Why stress yourself out with what wine to serve?

One tip I give to quickly calm down those responsible for securing the wine for the Thanksgiving meal: Pick one red and white wine. It’s so simple it often gets overlooked. You will invariably have guests at the table who will pull a face and whine dramatically: “I only like white” or “I only like red.” Serving at least one type of each will put a cure at least to that issue.

But, of course, you can go all out and turn Thanksgiving into an opportunity to try multiple wines in one setting. This can be fun and wine will rarely be wasted because of the number of people who will be trying them, if you host a large Thanksgiving meal for family and friends. It is also a chance to explore bottles you might not normally try and discuss.

Another way to totally obviate the pressure of choosing the right wine is to ask each guest to bring a different type of grape varietal (one brings a Chardonnay, one a Merlot and so forth). You can also assign each guest to bring a bottle from a different region. This will result in your own informal private wine dinner right at the Thanksgiving table.

However, if you choose to select the wines yourself, here are a few recommendations for food friendly wines that will pair well with multiple dishes and please the cast of characters seated at your table this year. When the curtain closes on the meal you’ll be able take a bow for your role as “Grace Under Thanksgiving Wine Pressure.” Cheers!

Sparkling
Choose your favorite Champagne or for a French sparkling wine that is reasonably priced. Try the Blanc de Blanc from Duc De Raybaud available at local Whole Foods, under $17.

Riesling
A less dry Riesling will go well with salty, sweet, and spicy foods. Its apple/citrus flavors and balanced acidity won’t over power your turkey. And, it will go with the pumpkin pie. Try Bonny Doon’s California Riesling or Rosemount Estate Diamond Traminer (Australia), approximately $10.

Pinot Gris
This floral white wine has a hint of smoke, apples and creamy texture with all the character of a chardonnay but has more fruit flavors. Try King Estate Pinot Gris, $12, or J Russian River Pinot Gris, $17, approximately.

White Blend
Try Perrin Cote Du Rhone Blanc, 2011 under $17. The Vioginer and Grenache Blanc take the leading role as the predominate grapes in this blend. Marsanne and Roussanne play supporting roles which makes this wine’s lemon flavors and floral notes heavenly at this price point.

Pinot Noir
DeLoach Russian River Pinot Noir $21, has cherry and plum flavors that pair well with herbed stuffing and dark meat without overpower- ing the rest of your dishes.

Syrah
Kunde Syrah costs approximately $16. Syrah can be light or tannic with a lot of structure. This light style Syrah, aka Shiraz, has peppery notes and a spicy edge along with lightness.

Merlot
Markham Merlot from California is very smooth and food friendly. If a crown roast or lamb will be served at your Thanksgiving meal. It has structure but is fruit-forward. It is also velvety with chocolate notes.

Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine and as such is higher in alcohol usually around 15 percent. It can be drunk with the meal, as a dessert wine, or after dinner. Try Tio Pepe Fino with its pale golden color. It has fresh bread and almond aromas. The palate is very dry and complex.

Jody Kurash • January 15, 2014

As Washington – and much of the United
States – thaws out from one of the biggest
cold spells in recent memory, I
have been relishing my new tropical home on
the tranquil island of Bali. Enjoying an average
daily temperature of 85 degrees and a 10-minute
commute to the beach, just looking at the cold
weather on CNN sends shivers down my spine.
But if you can’t move to Polynesia, one of
the best ways to bring the beach to you is with a
tropical umbrella drink. While a hot toddy may
warm your soul, nothing quite says sunshine and
happiness like a tiki bar.

The original tiki bar was Don the
Beachcomber, created by Ernest Gantt in 1933
in Los Angeles. (Author Wayne Curtis tells the
story in “And a Bottle of Rum: A History of
the New World in Ten Cocktails”). Gantt, who
had spent much of his youth rambling about the
tropics, rented a small bar and decorated it with
items he’d gathered in the South Pacific, along
with driftwood, nets and parts of wrecked boats
scavenged from the beach.

Gantt stocked his bar with inexpensive rums,
available in abundance after Prohibition, and
invented an array of faux-tropical drinks using
fruit juices and exotic liqueurs. His bar became
incredibly fashionable, attracting celebrities and
prompting Gantt to legally rename himself Donn
Beach.

The other iconic tiki bar was Trader Vic’s,
founded in 1934 in Oakland, Calif., by Victor
Jules Bergeron, Jr. Originally called Hinky
Dinks, Bergeron’s small bar and restaurant
soon morphed into a Polynesian-themed spot
with tropical drinks. It was renamed Trader
Vic’s at the suggestion of Bergeron’s wife, who
thought it would fit because her husband was
always involved in some type of deal or trade.
According to Curtis, Bergeron admits he swiped
the tiki concept from Gantt.

Both bars expanded to multiple locations,
sparking a nationwide craze that spawned dozens
of imitators, all rushing to replicate each
other’s colorful tipples.

Gantt was a talented mixologist who crafted
complex drinks with lengthy ingredient lists,
including multiple rums, homemade syrups and
fresh fruit. But as more tiki-themed bars opened
and Trader Vic’s turned to franchising, the
intricate cocktails became watered-down and
simplified.

Perhaps the most duplicated tipple is the
quintessential tiki drink: the mai tai. Both Gantt
and Bergeron claimed to have invented it, but
their recipes vary wildly. The name is derived
from “Maita’i,” the Tahitian word for “good.”
Though it later fell out of fashion, the mai
tai was one of the most popular cocktails in the
1950s and ’60s. It featured prominently in Elvis
Presley’s chartbuster movie “Blue Hawaii.”
In their heyday, tiki bars were popular places
to celebrate a big occasion. Trader Vic’s at the
Washington Hilton was a hot spot for power
lunches. It was a favorite of Richard Nixon, who
had a fondness for mai tais.

According to Curtis, a mai tai was the first
thing requested by Patty Hearst, the Symbionese
Liberation Army kidnap-victim turned conspirator,
when she was released on bail in 1976.
Eventually the tiki bubble burst. With
scores of cheap imitators and poor locations,
the Polynesian fad began to lose its luster. None
of the original Don the Beachcombers are still
in existence and Trader Vic’s has only a few
remaining outposts. Perhaps the trend’s last
stand came in 1989, when the ever-brash Donald
Trump closed the venerable Trader Vic’s in New
York’s Plaza Hotel, calling it “tacky.”

Tiki crawled back into the spotlight over the
last decade and a half as retro-hipsters embraced
its kitschiness. Its comeback has continued with
the recent cocktail renaissance. Modern mixologists
have begun to uncover some of the original
tropical recipes with their multi-layered rum
profiles, fresh juices and handcrafted syrups.
The craft tiki cocktail movement arrived in
full force at the Georgetown waterfront in 2009
with mixologist Jon Arroyo’s extensive list of
authentic cocktails at Farmers Fishers Bakers.
Imbibers can sample homemade mai tais based
on the recipes of both Bergeron and Gantt.
Another option is Hogo, a Caribbean-themed
rum bar on 7th Street, NW, featuring highend
island cocktails. The man behind Hogo,
launched just over a year ago, is Tom Brown,
a partner in Washington’s craft cocktail palace
The Passenger.

So when the January frost is nipping at your
nose, remember the words that Donn Beach
would tell his customers: “If you can’t get to
paradise, I’ll bring it to you.”

Don the Beachcomber’s Mai Tai
1 1/2 oz. Myers’s Rum
1 oz. Cuban rum (use a medium-bodied rum such as
Appleton or Barbancourt)
3/4 oz. lime juice
1 oz. grapefruit juice
1/4 oz. falernum syrup
1/2 oz. Cointreau
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Dash of Pernod

Trader Vic’s Mai Tai
2 oz. aged Jamaican rum
.5 oz. orgeat syrup
.5 oz. orange curacao
.25 oz. rock candy syrup
Juice from one fresh lime

For both drinks: Shake everything with ice and
strain into a double old-fashioned glass full of
crushed ice. Garnish with pineapple spear, lime
shell and a sprig of fresh mint.

Georgetowner •

From its opening in 1960 in a Federalperiod
house near Georgetown
University, 1789 Restaurant has always
been known for excellent lamb. “When
I came on, it was the first thing I noticed,”
says Anthony Lombardo, who was appointed
executive chef in 2011. (We got together for
a chat at his favorite table, number 26 in the
Manassas Room.) “It’s a signature dish by
popular demand. So, I sourced the best lamb
I could find, from a small Mennonite farm in
Cumberland, Maryland.”

His seasonal American menu, with entrée
headings of Sustainable Seafood and Humanely
Farmed Animals as well as details of origin for
the farm-goods purveyors, leaves no doubt of his
locavore leanings and eco-consciousness. “You
won’t see tuna or Chilean sea bass on our menu,”
he says. “We’re looking at the big picture, the
future of agriculture.”

Lombardo developed a love of the land and
cooking from an early age. Growing up in the
Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights, his family
enjoyed weekend drives for seasonal produce
sold at roadside stands. “In summer, it was
Michigan corn every night for two months,”
he fondly remembers. On yearly fishing trips
to Canada, teenage Anthony learned how to
properly fillet and cook the catch of the day. At
extended family gatherings of this Italian clan, it
was his aunt Mary who “always destroyed everybody”
with homemade angel hair pasta topped
with fresh tomatoes and basil from her garden.
After graduating from the Culinary Institute
of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., in 2004,
Lombardo was off to a four-month Slow Food
program in central Italy, where he worked in
a butcher shop taking apart whole animals.
He credits Luciano DelSignore, owner of the
renowned Bacco Ristorante in Southfield, Mich.,
for his kitchen management skills. “He was my
career mentor, who taught me how to run an
efficient, effective restaurant.”

Such expertise serves him well at fine-dining
1789, the crown jewel of Clyde’s Restaurant
Group. Expanded over the years to four townhouses,
there are six dining rooms, decorated
with early American antiques and historical
prints. Tables are set with fine linens and giltedged
Limoges china. Gas lights flicker. The
restaurant’s numerical name honors the year
when the land was first purchased by Archbishop
John Carroll (Georgetown University’s founding
father), the village of Georgetown was incorporated
and the Constitution of the
United States was adopted.

“We have customers who have
come for their wedding anniversary
for 30 years. They come for
Christmas, for birthdays,” says the
chef. “They have their favorite tables
and servers.” A recent trend is the
growing number of same-sex couples
who choose the 55-seat Middleburg
Room for their wedding receptions.

“That’s really cool,” he says.
For Restaurant Week 2014 (Jan.
13-19), chef Lombardo’s menu
includes a choice of starters –
Brussels sprout salad, pork terrine
or oyster stew – and entrées – lamb
shoulder with bone marrow grits,
teres major beefsteak with roasted
maitake mushrooms or scallops with
oxtail ragu. For dessert, pastry chef
Ryan Westover offers carrot cake
with purple carrot sherbet or an ice
cream sundae.

Calling his Brussels sprout appetizer
“a nice, healthy, hearty winter salad,”
Lombardo says, “It’s not cooked to death with
bacon and oil, but rather the raw sprouts are
shaved, saving the vitamins and minerals.”

Brussels Sprout Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts, shaved thinly
1 1/2 cups toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup shaved pecorino Toscano
cheese
1 head Belgian endive, julienned
For the dressing:
4 tablespoons grain mustard
3 tablespoons lemon juice
10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients

What’s Cooking, Neighbor? visits with wine,
food and entertaining professionals who work
in the Georgetown area. Georgetowner dining
columnist Walter Nicholls is the food critic for
Arlington Magazine and a former staff writer for
The Washington Post Food section.

Robert Devaney • January 6, 2014

For Georgetowners and Washingtonians, as in olden days, party and dinner choices for Christmas and New Year’s Eve can be surprisingly more personal than political.

Whether deciding on places like 1789 Restaurant, Peacock Cafe or Cafe Milano or Bistro Francais, Bistro Lepic or Cafe Bonaparte or Filomena, Unum or Bourbon Steak, one can enjoy and taste the classics of Georgetown and a few new ones, such as Capitol Prague, Malmaison and Rialto.

It is intimate here with such dinners, as the one shown by Jakob Esko, executive chef of the Capella Hotel. His New Year’s Eve menu must be seen and tasted to be believed.

Some of us at this newspaper recall a wonderful New Year’s Eve dinner — during the next-to-last year of the 20th century — at Tahoga Restaurant (now departed) with family and friends across from the Four Seasons Hotel. One talked about a New Year’s Eve at the Bohemian Caverns. Another recalled the last night of the Bayou, partying like it was 1999. In fact, it was 1999 after midnight.

Unlike the overwhelming celebrations in Times Square in Manhattan or in Las Vegas or at the Peach Drop in Atlanta, there are no major street events in Georgetown for New Year’s Eve. Yet, it is just that which can make your private get-together so personal.
Nevertheless, if all-out jamming partying is what you want Dec. 31 for ringing in 2014, consider the following soirees.

International Club of D.C. New Year’s Eve Gala
Eight ballrooms, Champagne, dinner and dessert buffets — hosted by the D.C. organization for internationally minded professionals. The Washington Ritz-Carlton, 1150 22nd St., NW; 7:30 p.m.; $109 and up

ArtJamz New Year’s Eve Glitter Ball
Come midnight, the ArtJamz Dupont Studio will be transformed into a rocking neon-splashed art studio filled with partying Picassos, reveling Rothkos and crazy Khalos. Not only can guests paint and glitter bomb their own canvas all night, but there will be a large group canvas where everyone can paint and write their resolutions. ArtJamz Dupont Studio, 1728 Connecticut Ave., NW; 10 p.m.; $60.

New Year’s Eve #RiverBash2014
Live music, deejays, endless buffets and a top shelf open bar. The outdoor area surrounding the restaurants will be tented and heated with outside bars. Nick’s Riverside Grill & Tony & Joe’s Seafood Place, 3000 K St., NW; doors open at 9 p.m.; $90 (discounts for groups of 10 or more).

James Bond Gala
This Bond-themed night features martinis, a mock casino, prizes, buffets and much more.
Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle; 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.; $129 or more.

Masquerade Ball
Hosted by ABC’s Bachelor Chris Bukowski, the Masquerade Ball includes a Masquerade Masksmidnight balloon drop, three party rooms, buffet stations, live feed of Times Square and more.
Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave., NW; 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.; $99 to $350.

Downtown Countdown
All-inclusive tickets give you access to the main stage, Club ’14, a comedy showcase, live acoustic karaoke, unlimited premium open bars and full dinner buffets. The Washington Hilton; 1919 Connecticut Ave., NW; 9 p.m.- 2 a.m; $90 or more.
A Cirque du 2014 Celebration of

Many Nations
Circle the globe and experience 10 nations with unique international celebrations in seven different rooms. The famed Times Square experience will be featured in the Omni’s Grand Ballroom with Washington’s DJ Geometrix spinning American retro, top 40, hip hop, and dance. Midnight balloon drop and light show will welcome you to 2014. Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St., NW; 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.; $105 or more.

Madhatter Ball
Madhatter’s Masquerade Ball will ring in 2014 with a food buffet, open bar, live entertainment and a midnight champagne toast. Party favors and much more included. 1319 Connecticut Ave., NW; 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; $75.
New Year’s Eve Passport to the

World Gala
This gala provides something for everyone: live entertainment, a variety of music, delicious food and beverages, a great crowd of people and much more. The Capital Hilton, 1001 16th Street, NW; 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; $99 or more. [gallery ids="101588,147488" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Like many people concerned with their body image, Ryan Fichter rang in the 2013 New Year with a weight-loss resolution. But unlike most folks, he stuck with his personal promise beyond day two. Now 20 pounds lighter, he’s proud of his determination and feeling great.

“I decided I was going to eat more vegetables, more salads, more Mediterranean-style,” says Fichter, executive chef of Rialto, a Venetian-modern, small-plate Italian restaurant that opened in Georgetown in September, replacing the nearly 50-year-old landmark The Guards. “I stopped eating after 9 p.m. and stopped chef-grazing all night long,” the Columbia, Md., native tells me as we share a selection of fine, all-natural charcuterie meats and four types of anchovies at the restaurant’s elegant, crescent-shaped white marble bar.

With the exception of the massive carved-limestone fireplaces, there is little in the 175-seat Rialto to conjure images of the former tenant. Wood paneling and dim lighting have given way to a bright color scheme with hints of turquoise, mural maps of Venice and an open kitchen with a distinctive, domed pizza oven covered with gold-hued glass tiles. On the lower level, in the former funky Gryphon Room, red and black velvet-flocked wallpaper gives the space the look of a fancy Euro-bordello – one with a glass-enclosed pasta-making station.

The owners are restaurateurs Ben Kirane and Moe and Joe Idrissi, the trio responsible for Bodega Spanish Tapas & Lounge and Thunder Burger & Bar, also in Georgetown.

Chef Fichter, a 1999 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and a fine-dining veteran at resorts from the Carolinas to Hawaii, emphasizes fresh seafood and vegetables on his Rialto menu. “We are trying to lighten up the heaviness associated with Italian food,” he says. “There are no oversized bowls of carbs.” Standouts include a simple but elegant seared branzino with lemon and his personal favorite: cuttlefish in ink topped with earthy cepe mushrooms. I’m a fan of the beautiful rustic free-form pizzas, which have an airy, bubbled, very eatable crust.

(For New Year’s Eve, Fichter has created a special six-course menu priced at $150 per couple, tax and gratuity not included, with two glasses of prosecco sparkling wine.)

One of the top-selling vegetable small plates is a cracker crumb-topped cauliflower dish, rich with raisins and almonds. The fruit enhances the natural sweetness of the cauliflower and the nuts bring texture. It’s a terrific recipe, one that helped this chef keep his New Year’s resolution.
Rialto, 2915 M St. NW, 202-337-1571,
rialtodc.com

Cavolfiori
(Cauliflower with raisins and almonds)
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 medium yellow onions, sliced thinly
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For the topping:
1 cup Ritz crackers, crumbled
½ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup rough chopped and a dozen whole almonds (Fitcher uses fine Sicilian “pizzuta” almonds, available at Dean & DeLuca.)
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For the filling:
In a large pan over medium high heat, sauté the onions in the olive oil until they are caramelized. (This should take ten to fifteen minutes.)
Add the raisins and the wine and cook for 1 minute, allowing the alcohol to evaporate.
Add the cauliflower and cook until the florets have softened but remain al dente. Season with salt and pepper.Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.For the topping:
In a mixing bowl, combine the crumbled crackers, cheese, chopped almonds and the olive oil. Sprinkle the topping over the filling and bake until lightly browned. Crown before serving with the whole almonds and parsley.

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 and a former staff writer for The Washington Post.

Georgetowner •

Chef Amy Brandwein will once again join forces with veteran Chef Roberto Donna, at restaurateur Hakan Ilhan’s newest eatery, Alba Osteria, named for the town of Alba in Roberto’s hometown region of Piedmont. The plan is for 226 seats plus an outdoor 63-seat patio as well as private dining for 22 at the 425 I Street, NW location. In the Piedmont spirit, there will be a salami and formaggi counter as well as a pizza bar. This is the sister operation of Al Dente ristorante on New Mexico Ave., NW where Chef Roberto reigns. Amy previously worked for Roberto at Galileo in D.C.

The team that brought you Ripple has more in store for fans of Executive Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley. A second location is under construction in Adams Morgan where The Reef was located. The new restaurant & bar will be called Roofers Union and will offer Marjorie’s house-made sausages, merguez and more comfort foods at comfort prices. A large selection of local craft beers and craft cocktails will be offered. There will be bars on the first, second and rooftop floors. A new pastry chef will be hired to prepare desserts for both Ripple and Roofers Union. Owner Roger Marmet has made a definitive statement of confidence in Adams Morgan. A mid-January opening is planned.

And from the folks who brought you Buffalo Billiards, CarPool, Continental, Iron Horse, Nanny O’Brien’s and Rocket Bar as well as Ripple, comes Jackpot, on 7th Street, NW in Chinatown, across from Clyde’s Gallery Place and the Verizon Center. It will be a neighborhood basement tavern with a large craft beer selection (22 taps), specialty cocktails and keg wine. It will also have live music on weekend nights. Jackpot is a tavern and will not serve food, though customers are welcome to bring in food from the many restaurants in the surrounding neighborhood. A mid-December opening is scheduled.
Chef & GM Update: Jeff Faile is the new beverage director for Neighborhood Restaurant Group, including Birch & Barley (D.C.’s Logan Circle), Vermilion (Alexandria) and Dupont Circle’s Iron Gate Inn . Previously, he worked for Fabio Trabocchi…Mark Courseille is the new pastry chef at Et Voila! on MacArthur Blvd. in D.C.’s Palisades neighborhood. Previously, he served as pastry chef at Le Paradou restaurant for Yannick Cam, and also at Michel Richard’s Citronelle in Georgetown, Central in Penn Quarter and Michel at the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner. Allison Cortese has been appointed to run RIS at Union Market opening in mid-December. She was promoted from dining room manager at RIS.

Jersey Mike’s opened a franchise operation in the District on Dec. 4 at Rhode Island Row, above the Rhode Island Metro stop in Northeast D.C. The franchisee is Sean Schoonover. This will be the first one to open inside the District line. Nineteen other stores are in the surrounding metro area.

Zeke’s Coffee opens up at 2300 Rhode Island Ave., NE in the Woodridge neighborhood. The coffee shop roasts mostly organically grown fair trade beans on site. Owner John Kepner has been selling his beans at farmers markets for awhile before opening the shop. His uncle Thomas runs the Baltimore operation and his cousin Chris runs the Pittsburgh one.
Westfield’s Montgomery Mall on Democracy Blvd. is in the midst of major renovations that also include new dining options. Bobby’s Burger Palace just opened. Cheesecake Factory, Wicked Waffle, Kraze Burgers, McDonald’s and Dumpling Dojo are all slated to open in December. That is a preview. Wait until their new Dining Terrace opens.
Openings Update: Ri Ra on M Street, NW in Georgetown is slated to open just before year’s end. Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steaks & Stone Crabs will open by the end of January on 15th Street in D.C. Smashburger on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda will open by mid-December. They have two more locations planned for Vienna (Leesburg Pike & Cornerside Blvd.) later on in December and in Falls Church (S. Washington St) in January. City Tap House, at 901 9th Street, NW is slated to open by mid-December with 40 draft lines, serving craft beer and American comfort food. It’s one of many new places that includes barn wood paneling in its décor description.

A create-your-own fast casual pizza place, Bergami’s, is slated to open at Rhode Island Row this spring. Owner Mark Bergami has been in the pizza world most of his life – from Domino’s to Frank Pepe’s (New England) to, most recently, Haven Pizzeria. You can choose various toppings as well as your crust, such as a cauliflower offering. ?

Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, a public relations & marketing firm that specializes in the hospitality industry, providing creative connections through media relations, marketing initiatives, community outreach and special events. Reach her at: Linda@LindaRothPR.com or 703-417-2700. www.lindarothpr.com

Georgetowner • December 5, 2013

When Nancy McKeon invites longtime friends and neighbors for a holiday dinner, the set-up and menu are the same, year after year. No problem from this end. As a returning guest, I find her no-surprises tradition comforting. My former editor and mentor at the Washington Post Food section has a firm grasp on what she knows works, what she does best.

On the living room coffee table of her Victorian townhouse near Georgetown University, there is always a bowl of bright-tasting lemony white beans mixed with plump shrimp, seasoned with a profusion of oregano. Alongside, there’s a stack of pretty, sometimes quirky, late 19th-century European eight-inch plates from her growing collection of sets, acquired piece-by-piece on eBay. I help myself. Everyone sips a sparkling Italian prosecco.

Once seated in the dining area, the main course is sure to be a rich and labor-intensive beef bourguignon, made from a recipe attributed to the Duchesse of Devonshire. (Nancy will tell you no other variation on the dish will do.) For dessert, out comes a platter of lemon bars from Trader Joe’s.

“I’m a big believer in sticking to the same stuff,” she tells me, as we munch on bagels on a recent morning in her sunny kitchen.

“And I’m a very nervous hostess and don’t like to experiment on people.”

For the bean-shrimp combo, she uses canned Goya brand alubias/cannellini beans. “Always remember to rinse them first.” Prepare the dish a day in advance “so that the flavors meld and the beans slowly soak-up the lemon juice,” she says. With the appetizer at the ready, there is more time on event day for everyday pleasures.

A year ago this week, she adopted “Jeremiah,” an eight-year-old Saint Bernard mix, who enjoys long walks, twice a day, along the C & O Canal and to Volta Park. Both get a good workout and more. “I’ve met more people in the last year than in all of my 26 years of living in Georgetown,” she shares.

Up next: February will see Nancy and a clutch of her media colleagues launch the web destination mylittlebird.com—a site for “grown up girls,” with Washington-centric home, design, fashion and well-being Best Bets. Says Nancy, “What will set us apart, for sure, is our interactive retail neighborhood maps.”

Shrimp with Cannellini Beans
Makes 6 appetizer servings
Ingredients:
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
2 cups cannellini or northern white beans

Directions:
In a medium-size bowl, mix together the zest, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano and salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the beans and shrimp and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 5 or 6 hours, or overnight, mixing occasionally so that the beans soak in the liquid. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nancy’s white bean salad comes from an entertaining feature she co-wrote with Washington Post columnist and recipe developer Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.

Nancy’s two current favorite
restaurants are: Estadio in Logan Circle for the tapa of sausage, cheese and quince and 1789 Restaurant in Georgetown for the appetizer of foie gras on brioche toast.

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.

Jody Kurash •

When one thinks of liquor and Japan, sake immediately comes to mind. With its history dating back to the 700s, complex serving etiquette and array of fancy drinking vessels, this fermented rice wine is synonymous with Japan.

But during my recent excursion to the Tokyo area, I discovered another beverage that is booming in popularity in the land of the rising sun. Sh?ch? is a distilled beverage, mostly forged from barley, sweet potatoes, wheat or rice.

It varies in alcohol content from 20 percent to 25 percent and sports a crisp dry taste comparable to vodka or arrack. Multiple-distilled sh?ch?, which is generally used in mixed drinks, may contain up to 35-percent alcohol. The main difference between sake and sh?ch? is that sake is brewed, whereas sh?ch? is distilled.

Sh?ch? originated in Kyushu, the most southwesterly island in Japan, where it has been drunk for centuries. In recent years, its popularity has surged. According to the Japan Times, sh?ch? had long been thought of as being “cheap and nasty.” But as premium brands emerged and it was discovered by a new generation, the last two decades have seen triple-digit growth in sales. Trendy bars specializing in sh?ch? began popping up all over Tokyo.

Once considered stodgy, sh?ch? has been embraced by younger drinkers. Kimiyoshi Utsugi, a Tokyo resident, says he drinks sh?ch? every day. “My father always drank sake, but I drink sh?ch?,” he said. “The younger generation believes it’s much better for you.” Kimiyoshi says there is less sugar in sh?ch? and it won’t make you fat.

The way sh?ch? is served depends on the quality. According to Kimiyoshi, if it’s of good quality, it’s drunk neat or on the rocks. Brands of lesser quality are mixed with fruit juice, tea, lemon or cola.

The most popular sh?ch? cocktail is ch?hai (pronounced Shoe-High), which is a mixture of sh?ch? and lemon juice topped off with club soda for a fizzy finish.

Douglas Ford, my fun-loving host during my holiday, introduced me to the ch?hai cocktail. After a traditional Japanese dinner, we stopped by Wesley’s, one of his preferred watering holes for a nightcap.

We were in Fujisawa, an industrial city a short distance from his home in Kamakura. While the city lies about 46 kilometers south of Tokyo’s city center, to me it felt like part of the L.A.-type sprawl of Japan’s capital city.

As we walked down a dark side street near the train station, we stopped at a narrow doorway that opened to a steep flight of enclosed stairs. Nothing from the street level indicated that anything at all was located in this dim building. But sure enough, once we ascended we arrived in a small cozy den of eclectic regulars. The walls in this dive bar were plastered with marker graffiti and a collection of posters and customer photos. It reminded me of CBGB’s meets Cheers.

The true highlight of Wesley’s is the owner Kagefumi Yoshimora. Yo-Chan, as he is known, is an adorable bespectacled man with cute fuzzy eyebrows and a matching mustache. He becomes an instant friend with all his patrons. Not to be missed are the special nights when Yo-Chan plays guitar with his jazz band.

Doug suggested that I try Yo-Chan’s special version of ch?hai. My drink, a bright yellow concoction, arrived in a handled beer mug. The flavor was bright, refreshing and effervescent. The pungent lemon shined while being softened by the fizzy soda. The sh?ch? added an invigorating bite.

After a 90-plus degree summer day, this tipple is a perfect way to quench your burning thirst. Be forewarned, Yo-chan’s ch?hai packs a punch. After a frustrating day plodding through airports, his cocktails went straight to my head on my first night in Japan. After asking for his recipe I discovered why his ch?hai is so lethal: there is an approximate 5-1 ratio of sh?ch? to mixers.
Ch?hai is not just popular in bars. It’s commonly found as a canned pre-mixed drink in supermarkets, convenience stores and even vending machines in train stations. Popular beverage companies like Kirin (beer) and Suntory (whiskey) produce their own ch?hai canned drinks.

While pre-mixed versions may be a convenient option, some of my fondest memories of Japan are huddling around the cramped bar at Wesley’s, cooling down with a glass of “high test lemonade” and listening to Yo-chan jam with his mates. Domo arigatou.

Ch?hai
150 ml Sh?ch?
30 ml Lemon Juice
Pour in a beer mug and top with club soda.

Georgetowner • November 21, 2013

As a native of the Puglia region of Italy
(the heel of the boot), Silvestro Conte
appreciates the little niceties that many
men might consider not worth the effort. For example,
with old fashioned gusto he hangs laundry
to dry in his Burleith garden, surrounded
by pots of mature herbs. A purist, he shops for
only the freshest and authentic ingredients, a
holdover from childhood, when he helped his
mother each day making bread, pasta and pizza
from scratch.

“My passion is taking care of the little details
that make all the difference,” says Conte, a
retired medical marketing executive. If the last
name is familiar, his wife is Georgetowner “The
Latest Dish” columnist Linda Roth Conte, president
of public relations and marketing firm Linda
Roth Associates. His latest venture is “Your
Italia”: a personal, nine-day food and wine tour
of his beloved homeland, visiting local chefs,
small farms and select wineries.

“It’s a learning, gastronomic journey to the
hot spot of Italy now, and my thing is making
you feel like a local,” says Conte, an expressive,
passionate guy with a broad chest and sizable
hands, which punctuate every sentence. “We
go to farms, where families have made cheese
for hundreds of years, not to factories. We go
to olive oil tastings at family mills, where the
Mediterranean Diet was born.” All the information
can be found at: www.youritalia.com.

At home, the couple invites two to four
guests for dinner every other week. On the
menu, five courses paired with three different
wines. One will surely be a tart white Verdeca
from Puglia as “My father went crazy for this
grape.” He doesn’t dig discussions of terroir at
the dining table or talk of licorice or strawberry
flavor notes. Says no-nonsense Conde: “I know
what I like and drink wine. Period.”

One of his favored main courses, “which always
brings applause,” is a salt-roasted whole
striped bass stuffed with herbs and cherry tomatoes.
(I hesitate sharing his recipe as it calls
for seven pounds of kosher salt and wielding,
at the same time, a large knife and a hammer.)
Alongside, he serves a classic Italian lemon and
herb infused salmorigilio sauce, which is also
terrific with grilled or baked branzino, salmon
and swordfish.

The secret to the pungent flavor of this
dressing is the use of salt-cured capers in place
of the more readily available brined variety.
(Such capers, dry-packed in salt, are available
at Dean & Deluca as well as many Italian and
Spanish specialty markets.) “It’s easy to make,
with little time required,” he will tell you, adding
with a wry remark. “And your guests will
love you, more.”

Conte’s two current favorite restaurants are Al Dente in Wesley Heights for
the calamarata pasta and Rialto in Georgetown for the fried sardines.

SALMORIGLIO SAUCE SERVES: 4
Ingredients:
I/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
The minced peel and juice of 1 medium lemon,
preferably organic
1/4 bunch parsley leaves, minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, minced
6 salt-cured capers, thoroughly rinsed and minced
1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled
Sea salt, freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Pour the olive oil into a small bowl, and while
slowly whisking, add the lemon juice, forming an
emulsion. Add the minced lemon peel, parsley,
oregano and capers along with the crushed garlic
clove salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
Transfer the sauce to a small sauce pan and
simmer on the lowest heat setting for 5 minutes,
stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and
let the sauce rest at room
temperature for at least
two hours. Remove the
garlic clove before serving.
Pass the sauce alongside the
fish.

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.