Food

Georgetowner • July 22, 2015

You can’t say that the people involved in this year’s Chefs Go Fresh tour — in which a number of the Washington area’s top chefs climb on motorcycles and take a roaring ride into the country to explore the products, work, art, and ways and means by which small, local artisans and farmers produce the ingredients that make their way to restaurant tables, farmers markets and stores — aren’t dedicated.

The event was a joint effort supported by Loudoun County Economic Development, the Salamander Resort and Spa (along with its owner, Sheila Johnson), Profish, Atoka Properties and others, and hosted by the Georgetown Media Group and publisher Sonya Bernhardt.

They managed to pick the hottest day of the year for the ride, at least in the Washington and Virginia region. Reston Limousine provided a bus for members of the media and restaurant industry to make the journey to Loudoun County, Virginia, to support local farmers and artisans.

Things kicked off with a sumptuous and extravagant breakfast at Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s Brasserie Beck, at 1101 K St. NW, where chef bikers, including Wiedmaier himself, gathered early on a Monday morning. They started off with the buttery squash-blossom scrambled eggs with fresh herbs, a home tomato pie with a flaky crust and browned cheesy tops, homemade chicken sausage with still-green herbs popping of color, fresh berry and yogurt trifle, SOS with ground beef and gruyere cheese biscuits, thick-sliced Applewood smoked bacon, and more — and don’t forget the Bloody Marys and mimosas for the bus riders — all served up by chef Dean Dupuis.

The riders for the day included R.J. Cooper of Rogue 24; Christophe Poteaux, who has two French restaurants — Bastille and Bistrot Royal — in Alexandria; and David Guas of Bayou Bakery. Other chefs present included Cliff Wharton of Urban Heights; James Martin of Restaurant Nora; K.N. Vinod of indique; Sean Wheaton and Robert McGowan of Clyde’s at Market Center; Ryan Sticknell and Dylan Todd from Earls; Tabbard Inn’s , Holly Barzyk, and others — in total, around 50.

With biker-theme-appropriate heavy metal music booming out, Wiedmaier and Bernhardt greeted participants by urging them to continue to meet and support local farmers and artisans. “This is a nice day for a ride, right,” Wiedmaier said. “It’s also a way to highlight the fact that we have some of the best produce — healthy and direct from the farm — that can be found right here in Virginia and Maryland, right in our surrounding area.”

This time, the Chefs Go Fresh motorcycle-bus-and-car entourage took off to the Lovettsville area in Loudoun County, with visits to three different, and smallish, farming operations centered on animals: goats for cheese, and sheep and pigs for the market. All were part of the Community Supported Agriculture program.

The journey, roaring out of Washington and onto toll roads, took to the back roads of Loudoun County, where the occasional development competed for skyline with large properties and homes, set back from lush green front yards. Set off from the winding roads of Lovettsville, the journey came to a stop at Georges Mill Farm, Milcreek Farm and Spring House Farm.

In a general way, the trip was a celebration of a way of life — families making a living on the farm, still; couples — with children and dogs — finding their way back to the land. It’s about a way of life, as much as it is a process of, say, raising goats, chickens, sheep and pigs; and the land and produce; and ingenuity and stick-to-it-ness necessary to do that. It’s about barns and grass, hillsides and pens, bales of hay, and fences and pens, and the thickness of brush and trees.

It’s about Molly Kroiz, who’s holding forth in a barn on Georges Mill Farm on a hot summer’s day; about making cheese; carrying her sleepy-eyed nine-month-old daughter, Mabel, while her husband, Sam, stands in the background. She talks about the process, raising the herd of dairy goats and working the property, which has been in the family for eight generations.

They have a shop on the premises, and so far they make small batches of six different varieties of goat cheeses — like Cavalry Camp Ash, a semi-soft bloomy rind cheese named for the 6th NY Cavalry, which spent the winter of 1864-65 camped on their property — all of which can be found at local farmers markets and small shops, or ordered by individuals for delivery. It’s a kind of way of life: planning, running a business, caring for the goats, doing the milking and creating the cheeses — while living a family life.

“The goats do not, by the way, eat everything,” Molly says. “But they have a way of getting into plants and stuff they shouldn’t eat, like poison ivy, so you have to be careful. And yes, they will eat paper. They love paper.”

The Kroizes’ two Great Pyrenees dogs coexist amiably and peacefully with the goats, although “the goats try to butt them sometimes, to get them to play,” Sam says. On their way out, visitors from Chefs Go Fresh made their way into the Kroizes’ quaint country store to buy some of the fresh-made goat cheese. Learn more at [(georgesmillcheese.com)].

Down a ways at Milcreek Farm in Lovettsville, it’s a different sort of operation, but with a similar spirit, as embodied by Donald Ulmer, a man who has been farming all of his life. “It’s my life, and I never wanted to do anything else,” he will tell you as he talks about lambing, the cycle of birth-raising, shearing and readying the sheep for market — there are also chickens, turkeys and other livestock on his farm. He’s wearing a Coastal Carolina cap, a nod to the university his son Kendall attends. “He’s studying marine biology,” Ulmer said, “and he’s doing really well. He’s lived the life here. He’s got discipline and knowledge, and patience for details. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best kind of life there is.”

“Farming,” he says, “that’s a full-time job and you gotta be ready for it. There’s no real clock, nine-to-five or anything like that. You have to be prepared to be out there to lamb at four o’clock in the morning, making sure things go smooth. It’s a difficult process. The lambing is only in the winter and spring, and you have to make sure the lambs make it safely through the process.”
Shearing is a special time at the farm — weavers in the area come to collect the leavings for free, and freshly shaved sheep bounding around, ostensibly showing of their new ’dos. For more info, go to [(milcrk.com)].

On Spring House Farm, owner Andrew Crush originally set out to raise sheep and goats but his livestock kept getting bitten by rattlesnakes and copperhead snakes, which led to sickness and death. He approached a veteran farmer in the area who told him, “You need to get yourself a pig,” adding, “Snakes are to pigs like cupcakes are to a fat boy.”

Crush says the problem went away “immediately” and now the livestock, consisting of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, run free on five expansive plots of partially forested land that Crush owns as part of the farm. The pigs, ranging from small to huge, mostly huddle together in groups though, with roosters and chickens clucking and crowing in their pens nearby. Crush offers several varieties of pigs being raised for market, some of which were taste-tested during Chefs Go Fresh. The meat can also be tasted locally at D.C.’s Birch and Barley. Visit [(www.springhouse.farm)].

After the stops, it was off to Middleburg for a late afternoon lunch of oysters, refreshingly authentic jerk chicken, Sloppy Joes made from grass-fed beef, a vegetable medley and other savory dishes. All products were provided by the farms and sponsors of the tour and prepared at Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Resort and Spa — a startling and elegant vision in Middleburg — after a day of exploration in the back roads of Lovettsville.

Charlene Louis • July 16, 2015

For the last dozen years, the Popal name has been synonymous with French-style cuisine in D.C. With Malmasion and Café Bonaparte, both in Georgetown, and a flood of other French bistros, it was time for something different.

In April of this year, Zubair and Shamim Popal, and their three children, Omar, Mustafa and Fatima, decided to “return home,” converting Napoleon Bistro and Lounge, located in Adams Morgan, into Lapis. Billed as “A Modern Afghan Bistro,” Lapis, named after Afghanistan’s deep-blue national gemstone, features homemade Afghan recipes prepared by the Popal family’s most prized culinary asset: mom (Shamim Popal, that is).

Popal personally created the menu with family recipes, including tapas-style small plates of traditional Afghani food and some not-so-traditional dishes, such as shrimp ashak (dumplings), a favorite of Omar.

Upon walking into Lapis, one gets a feeling of home and comfort. With the hand-carved doors and the tongue-in-cheek descriptions in the menu, it’s very clear that Lapis is a restaurant designed to show off the family’s style
of enjoyment around the dinner table.

Famous for its kabobs and meat dishes, Afghan cuisine pulls many of its influences from Persian, Indian, Chinese and Mediterranean cultures (hence the dumplings and chutneys). With all the traditional options available, what was most surprising was the number of vegetarian and vegan options. Who knew Afghanis ate so many vegetables? Lapis offers many delectable stewed-vegetable dishes that can easily be converted to vegan without losing their essence and flavor.

Though the idea of tapas-style dining puts some people off (for being overpriced and not very filling), the portions at Lapis are large and shareable, allowing for the true experience of Afghan cuisine.

The only difficulty one might have is deciding between the baked eggplant with sautéed tomatoes, topped with garlic, yogurt and dry mint, or the ground-beef meatballs, mixed with carrots, herbed tomato sauce, cilantro, shallots, garlic, ginger and coriander. Personal recommendation: just get both.

To top it off, Lapis offers inventive cocktails and a brunch menu that blends modern and traditional Afghani styles.

Lapis is located at 1847 Columbia Rd. NW.
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Sallie Lewis •

As Americans celebrate the Stars and Stripes on July 4, the French will be preparing their own celebrations for Bastille Day on July 14. In a perfect world, we’d like to imagine ourselves sitting in a soft, woven chair as we dine at a Parisian bistro, indulging in salade verte, cuisse de canard and assiette de fromage, while parade-goers cheer and chant along the Champs-Élysées. But, alas, Paris will have to wait. Luckily, the magnifique montage of French restaurants in Georgetown is the next best thing.

Bistro Lepic and Wine Bar, which celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year, will host a weeklong independence celebration Sunday, July 5, through Tuesday, July 14, with live jazz performances on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Chef George Vetsch’s renowned menu includes French specialties such as escargots au beurre d’ail (Burgundy snails baked in garlic butter); rognons de veau, sauce Dijon (veal kidneys with Yukon gold potatoes and Dijon mustard sauce); and an ile flottante (floating island of soft baked white eggs atop crème anglaise).

At the newly opened Maxime Steak Frites and Bar (formerly Rialto), Francophiles will find a fine array of French fare, from cheese and charcuterie plates to warm quiches and savory mussels with hand-cut fries. The restaurant’s “La Formule” menu option is a $19.95 prix-fixe favorite that includes a fresh-baked baguette with salted butter, a mixed-green salad and a top-sirloin steak glazed in the restaurant’s signature béarnaise sauce, with a side of fries (seafood and vegetarian alternatives are also available).

This M Street newcomer exudes a rustic bistro vibe with art and exposed brick walls. Furthermore, the affordable price-point makes it accessible and inviting to a younger crowd. The restaurant is open every day for dinner and has a weekend brunch with sweet crepes, French toast, Belgian waffles and an assortment of egg dishes.

Across the street at Bistro Francais, chef Gerard Cabrol will have both his a la carte menu and a special $35 three-course menu in honor of Bastille Day. Indulge in a number of French fancies like clams Provençal, homemade onion tart, bouillabaisse with seafood and roasted duck breast. We’d also like to try the napoleon for dessert, s’il vous plait.

At the nearby Chez Billy Sud, chef Brendan L’Etoile will be serving his classic cuisine from the south of France alongside a handful of Bastille Day specials. Stop by for a memorable meal over a glass of rosé on the charming outdoor patio, or sit inside and relish the space’s très chic interiors, colored mint green and gold.

Finally, for a special night out, make a dinner reservation at Marcel’s, Georgetown’s preeminent destination for haute French cuisine for more than 16 years. The beloved restaurant was awarded the top honors for Service Program of the Year at June’s 33rd annual Rammy Awards Gala. This well-deserved accolade exemplifies chef Robert Wiedmaier’s continued stature as a leader in the D.C. dining community. [gallery ids="117491,117485" nav="thumbs"]

Linda Roth • June 22, 2015

From those wonderful folks who brought you Ripple and Roofers Union comes Jug & Table. Drawing on the best of both, it expounds on Ripple’s mission of making quality wine approachable while offering Marjorie Meek-Bradley’s new menu. That menu includes lux snacks served in très chic jars, as well as an international array of grilled cheese sandwiches, created upstairs in the beer-centric Roofers Union kitchen. This new addition to Adams Morgan (across the street from my new office) offers 20 wines by the glass as well as sharable jug options. Sommelier Theo Rutherford started as Ripple’s sommelier before going on to helm wine programs at Rogue 24, Fiola and Café Dupont. Now he’s back.

Chef Update: Executive chef Brian Sonoskus takes the reins at Tupelo Honey Café, slated to open in the Clarendon/Courthouse section of Arlington as this issue goes to press. Tyler Alford will be chief mixologist at this Southern-food inspired restaurant, which showcases craft sparkling sangria and 23 craft beers. Lisa Odom has been tapped as executive chef at Succotash, slated to open mid-summer at National Harbor. She hails from Miami, where she worked at Oolite Restaurant & Bar and Tongue & Cheek. There is an additional connection to Succotash culinary director Edward Lee, of Louisville, Kentucky: they are both Korean Americans who developed their culinary reputations in the South.

Cathal Armstrong will open One Loudoun in early 2016, next to Uncle Julio’s and across from Matchbox in the central artery of the project’s downtown section. Concept TBD.

Nick Stefanelli, formerly of Bibiana](http://www.bibianadc.com/), plans to open Masseria in the Union Market district. The name derives from a farm in Italy’s Puglia region. Slated to open this summer, it will seat 60 in a setting evocative of an Italian country estate. His team includes David Kurka, general manager and advanced sommelier, formerly of Brabo and CityZen; and Julien-Pierre Bourgon, head bartender of cocktail lounge PX.

DC-based [Matchbox Food Group](http://matchboxfoodgroup.com/home) announced plans to open three more locations in Northern Virginia in the next year — in Pentagon City in Arlington, Potomac Mills in Woodbridge and One Loudoun in Ashburn. The company used a “friends and family” fundraising model to start off, but will soon offer opportunities to accredited investors.

Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill](https://www.woodranch.com/), which features Texas-style brisket, St. Louis smoked ribs and Carolina pulled pork, plans to open in Springfield Town Center in Virginia on June 8. This will be the California-based chain’s 16th location and the first outside of the Sunshine State. The company plans to eventually open 25 East Coast locations, including several in the D.C. area.

The [RAMMYs](http://www.ramw.org/) were born one year before David Letterman began “The Late Show.” The 33rd annual RAMMY Awards Gala takes place Sunday, June 7, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Pavilion sponsors include the Embassy of Argentina, with Argentine chef Diego Biondi; Wines of Chile; Foods from Chile; Meat and Livestock Australia; and the Embassy of Peru, which will have a full pisco bar.

Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the hospitality industry. Reach her at Linda@LindaRothPR.com.

Kelly Byrnes •

The Rammy awards proclaimed Fiola Mare as this year’s best new restaurant in Washington, D.C. The Washington Harbour-based seafood restaurant, which opened its doors in Februrary 2014, beat contenders Crane & Turtle, the Partisan, Republica and TICO to earn top marks.

The Rammy is the latest honor for chef-owner Fabio Trabocchi’s eatery, which has made a splash since its debut. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have dined there. Fiola Mare was featured in the March 12, 2014, Georgetowner with Trabocchi and his wife Maria shown on the cover.

The Italian-inspired cuisine has also launched Fiola Mare onto Washingtonian’s Best Restaurants list, Wine Enthusiast’s Best Wine Restaurants. The restaurant was named Zagat’s Best Restaurant in D.C.

Trabocchi’s menu highlights an extensive wine list, seafood dishes like lobster ravioli and elegant Italian pastries.

The husband-wife team manages two other D.C. restaurants, Fiola and Casa Luca, located in the Penn Quarter and Mount Vernon Square neighborhoods, respectively.

Sponsored by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, the 33rd annual Rammy awards honored local chefs and restaurants in 21 different categories.

Aside from Fiola Mare, three other Georgetown-area establishments—Bourbon Steak,Pizzeria Paradiso and Capella Hotel —were selected for Cocktail Program of the Year, Beer Program of the Year, and Pastry Chef of the Year for Agnes Chin of the Grill Room at the Capella.

To learn more about Chef Fabio and Maria Trabocchi, click here

As provided by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, the following is a complete list of winners of the 33rd Annual Rammy Awards:

Joan Hisaoka Allied Member of the Year: EagleBank

Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award: Herbert Miller, Western Development Corporation, Chairman & CEO

Restaurant Employee of the Year: Evan Labb, Evening Star Cafe

Restaurant Manager of the Year: Joseph Cerione, Blue Duck Tavern

Rising Culinary Star of the Year: George Pagonis, Kapnos

Service Program of the Year: Marcel’s by Robert Wiedmaier

Regional Food and Beverage Producer of the Year: Catoctin Creek Distilling Company

Favorite Gathering Place: Bar Pilar

Upscale Casual Brunch: Le Diplomate

Everyday Casual Brunch: The Daily Dish

Favorite Fast Bites: Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza

Upscale Casual Restaurant: Mintwood Place

Everyday Casual Restaurant: DGS Delicatessen

Beer Program of the Year: Pizzeria Paradiso, Georgetown

Cocktail Program of the Year: Bourbon Steak

Wine Program of the Year: Iron Gate

Pastry Chef of the Year: Agnes Chin, The Grill Room

Formal Fine Dining Restaurant: The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm

New Restaurant of the Year: Fiola Mare

Restaurateur of the Year: José Andrés and Rob Wilder, ThinkFoodGroup

Chef of the Year: Victor Albisu, Del Campo and Taco Bamba

Jody Kurash • May 21, 2015

Anyone who follows my column knows about my love affair with pisco, which started when I lived in Peru. Little did I know then that pisco has a Bolivian partner-in-crime called singani.

Peru and its landlocked neighbor, Bolivia, share many things, including the Incas, the Andes, alpacas and altitude. When it was part of the Spanish empire, the area that became Bolivia was known as Alto (Upper) Perú.

Many folks regard Bolivia’s national liquor, singani, as a variation of Peru’s pisco, but there are distinct differences. While it’s true that both are technically brandies forged from grapes, singani differs from pisco because it is made from one specific varietal: white Muscat of Alexandria grapes. Singani hails from the Bolivian Andes and can only be produced within its appellation or specified landmark boundaries.

According to singani.com, distillation began in the 1500s when settlers began producing wine. The affluent residents of Potosí, a silver-mining town that was one of the richest cities in the world in its day, began to ask for a stronger drink with which to celebrate. In the community of Singani, a distilled spirit was produced for the wealthy. “Singani” has been in production ever since.

I got a chance to sample singani last autumn when I was traveling through Bolivia. In La Paz, I met up with one of my dearest Peruvian friends, Miguel Luis Roque, a musician who had been staying and playing in Bolivia for several months. During his time traipsing throughout the country often referred to as “the Tibet of the Americas,” Miguel had developed an appreciation for its native spirit.

Singani has a smooth taste and a hint of sweetness similar to pisco. However, Miguel wanted me to appreciate the subtleties of my newly discovered elixir. He insisted on doing a side-by-side comparison between singani and a bottle of pisco I had brought from Peru. When weighed against one another, I found singani to be a bit drier, with a slightly spicier flavor.

After sampling each straight up, we mixed them both in a traditional Bolivian cocktail called the chuflay. Technically a highball, a chuflay consists of singani mixed with lemon soda (or sometimes ginger ale). It’s usually served in a collins glass, garnished with lime.

This cocktail was a breeze to make. In the corner stores, we found a super-tart carbonated lemonade drink sold in liter bottles. This beverage was an excellent complement for the tangy flavor of the grapes, and the tender spiciness of the singani gave it a bit of a zesty aftertaste. It was as refreshing as breathing La Paz’s 12,000-foot mountain air.

I later learned that singani is free of methanol, which accounts for its smoothness. It also contains no congeners, which can contribute to hangovers. I appreciated this fact when I got up four hours after our tasting session to go mountain biking on Bolivia’s notorious highway of death.

For a long time, the only way for Americans to enjoy singani in their home country was to bring it back in their suitcases after a trip to Bolivia. However, according to websitesinganiusa.com, Ace Beverage in Washington is the first place where singani formally went on sale in the U.S. Movie buffs will be interested to know that Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh has begun producing his own brand of singani (Singani 63) that can be purchased online.

The traditional toast when drinking singani is “La vida es buena” (“Life is good”). I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment on the joyous day when I spent the night reminiscing, not only with close amigo Miguel but with my Lima-based travel partner (and Miguel’s former music collaborator) Lowell Haise Contreras. Cheers!

The Chuflay

1.5 ounces singani

4 ounces lemon soda or lemonade

Add singani to a collins glass, then add lemon soda. Garnish with lemon or lime.

Sallie Lewis •

With cranes animating the Tysons Corner skyline, the Silver Line extension and a new Hyatt Regency, it’s clear that the area is experiencing a major facelift.

Just three miles away, in McLean, Virginia, another facelift is underway at Evo Bistro. The restaurant, which opened in 2007, has gone through a succession of leadership changes over the years, but the original owner and executive chef, Driss Zahidi, is back, restoring the restaurant’s authentic Mediterranean character.

Zahidi was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, a city that exhibits a variety of culinary styles and influences. The oldest of five children, he regularly helped his mother in the kitchen. By the time he was in high school, he landed his first job as a line cook. After college, he got a master’s degree in physics and spent a year working in France as a chemical engineer before returning to his passion for cooking.

In 2000, Zahidi moved to the United States, relocating to Washington, D.C., after a brief stint in New York. He worked in a number of commercial kitchens before co-founding Evo Bistro. Zahidi’s goal since the beginning was to serve elegant, upscale Mediterranean cuisine alongside an extensive wine list, which he did until 2011. At that time, Zahidi left Evo Bistro, which slowly moved away from its Mediterranean roots.

In February of this year, Zahidi’s ambition to restore Evo Bistro to its original concept became a reality when he resumed ownership and the executive chef position. He also continues to operate Le Mediterranean Bistro in Fairfax, a French Moroccan restaurant, which he opened in 2013.

At a recent Evo Bistro lunch, the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting. The open dining room was bathed in natural light and accented with colorful artwork by Buck Nelligan. The menu has shifted back to a Mediterranean montage of dishes influenced by Spanish, French, Italian and Moroccan flavors. Tapas range from garlic shrimp with white wine sauce to lightly fried artichokes with jalapeno aioli, sweet peppers stuffed with wild mushrooms and savory goat cheese and saffron paella.

“Back home we used to have paella weekly,” said Zahidi of his Moroccan upbringing. The restaurant now has three paella dishes to choose from: a vegetable version, rich with piquillo peppers, spring squash and asparagus; a chicken and chorizo rendition with wild mushrooms and peas; and a seafood interpretation with mussels, shrimp and scallops.

The menu’s diverse flavor portfolio complements the diverse wine selection for which Evo is known. In addition to this impressive wine list, Evo Bistro also has a retail wine shop, with every bottle on the list available for purchase either individually or by the case. Guests can call ahead and pick up their order or simply take it home after their lunch or dinner.

Since Zahidi’s return, every day at Evo Bistro is a cause for celebration. Tuesday is Spanish Night, with a variety of paella specials plus 25 percent off Spanish wine bottles. On Thursdays, diners get 50 percent off select Champagne bottles, and on Mondays and Wednesdays until 9 p.m., and Fridays at lunch, guests get 50 percent off featured wines.

Additionally, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Evo has happy hour in their bar and lounge that includes $5 and $6 drink specials, plus $6 and $9 tapas. The workweek lunch special is also not to be missed, with three tapas plates for $12.
Evo Bistro sits in the crosshairs of a fast-growing region, and Driss Zahidi’s return helped sharpen the restaurant’s focus while restoring its originality. Evo Bistro has successfully revamped its look and reclaimed its identity as McLean’s premier destination for Mediterranean cuisine.

Evo Bistro, 1313 Old Chain Bridge Rd., McLean, Virginia.

Sallie Lewis •

What happens when an innovative winemaker partners with one of D.C.’s hottest restaurants? A custom wine is born.
That’s exactly what occurred when [Michael Shaps Wineworks](http://www.michaelshapswines.com/) of Charlottesville, Virginia, paired up with the [Red Hen](http://www.theredhendc.com/). The new arrival is named Dahlia, a vanity label of rosé wine.

Virginia viticulture grows stronger every year, thanks, in part, to producers like Shaps. Making wine in Virginia since 1995, Shaps started a wine consulting business in 2000. In 2007, he launched his own independent winery, focusing on small-batch production.

Prior to his Virginia winemaking days, Shaps’s interests were in Burgundy, France, where he earned a BPA in oenology and viticulture from the Lycée Viticole de Beaune and worked at Chartron and Trebuchet in Puligny-Montrachet as an assistant wine maker. Since 2004, he’s been a partner in the boutique Maison Shaps Winery in Meursault.

Shaps travels to France every other month and enjoys applying Burgundy winemaking philosophies to his Virginia business. Ordinarily, all the traveling back and forth would be exhausting, but Shaps is clearly doing what he loves. “The passion of winemaking keeps me grounded,” he said.

Unique to Shaps’s impressive portfolio is his contract winemaking service and custom crush facility, the first of its kind in the state. With this service, independent growers and individuals interested in making their own wine can work with Shaps and his team from start to finish to create something unique, from sourcing grapes to designing a label and bottling for distribution. With access to Virginia’s finest vineyards, the team has many grape varieties to work with – from Chardonnay to Cabernet Franc to Viognier.

When the Red Hen in D.C.’s historic Bloomingdale neighborhood was looking to create a spring-to-summer rosé, something unique that would complement their summer menu, they knew just the person to call. Sebastian Zutant, co-owner of the Red Hen with the restaurant’s sommelier and beverage director, has known Shaps for many years.

“He’s one of the pillars of Virginia wine,” said Zutant, adding that Shaps is “more of a naturalist” when it comes to local winemakers. For example, his wines utilize natural yeast fermentation.

On March 23, after working with Shaps, the Red Hen’s Dahlia rosé launched, with the namesake flower on the label. “Stylistically it’s a very different rosé,” said Zutant. Strawberry-driven with red fruit flavors, the wine is pale in color: blush with a light orange tint. “It’s a hard-to-say-no-to, knock-back rosé,” he said.

The wine’s easy drinkability and fair price-point ($10 a glass, $40 a bottle) has made it a strong seller. It pairs particularly well with lighter fare, from scallops to fish. Zutant suggests trying it with the restaurant’s black linguini with squid; the dish’s pickled Fresno chilies add heat, but the wine’s crispness cools the palate.
“I’m definitely going to be making more next year,” said Zutant.

**Shaps Pairings in Great Falls**

On April 28, the celebrated [L’Auberge Chez Francois](http://www.laubergechezfrancois.com/) in Great Falls celebrated Michael Shaps with a special five-course meal prepared by chef Jacques Haeringer, each course paired with Michael Shaps and Maison Shaps wines.

A grilled breast of chicken with morel mushrooms paired beautifully with a Maison Michael Shaps Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru from 2012. Shaps actually lived in the French village of Savigny at one time. The wine he chose showcased the true essence of Burgundy Pinot Noir, with the firm tannins characteristic to the village.

Next, a roasted and coffee-crusted filet mignon with Bordelaise sauce was paired with a Michael Shaps Petit Verdot from 2010. This dark, inky wine brought diners back to Virginia and exuded blackberry notes with coffee and cocoa.
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Georgetowner • May 6, 2015

Boston-based Michael Schlow of Tico plans to open The Riggsby, an American restaurant with European influences, in the Carlyle Hotel just off Dupont Circle at 1731 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Philippe Reininger, most recently executive chef at J&G Steakhouse, will oversee the kitchen. Daniel Lobsenz, most recently at Roofers Union, will be general manager. The artwork and décor is by Schlow’s artist wife, Adrienne. It will seat 40 in the bar and 75 in the dining room. A summer opening is planned.

Asheville, North Carolina-based Tupelo Honey Café, featuring modern Southern food, plans to open in Arlington’s Courthouse ’hood at 2000 Wilson Blvd., where Dr. Dremo’s used to be, in early June. This is its first Virginia location, with Virginia Beach not far behind. Tupelo Honey has 10 locations throughout the South.

Quick Hits: District Taco will open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Rosslyn (where they started with a food truck) at 1500 Wilson Blvd. It will be their seventh location … A new fast-casual Indian food concept and its sister full-service restaurant, American Tandoor, are slated to open in Tysons Corner Center this September. VSAG, of Founding Farmers and its affiliate restaurants, are working with the Asia-based originators of the concept … Illinois-based Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant plans to open a large restaurant at the former Reston Town Center (now called RTC West), as well as in Ashburn’s Belmont Chase shopping center, entering the Loudoun County market. The RTC West restaurant, with an outdoor patio as well its signature tasting room and a private dining (and barrel-aging) room, is slated to open in 2017. Cooper’s Hawk serves wines it makes with grapes purchased from the West Coast. They have 19 locations throughout the U.S.

Philadelphia-based Public House Investments plans to open Pennsylvania 6, a 265-seat contemporary American restaurant, across from McPherson Square at 1350 I St. NW. The regional American menu is created by culinary director Brian Cooke. Equal time and attention is paid to its cocktail program (each drink will have its own history and origin). The company also operates City Tap House in Penn Quarter. Managing partner Chris Coco is collaborating with local designer Maggie O’Neill to create a modern day supper club and bistro, with three private dining rooms that can accommodate up to 100 seated guests.

Chef Update: Brad Race will be executive chef at Claudia’s Steakhouse in the Investment Building at 1501 K St. NW. He had been executive chef at Bearnaise … Tom Meyer is the chef at Robert Wiedmaier’s Villain & Saint in downtown Bethesda. This is the Tom Meyer from Regine Palladin’s Pesce restaurant in Dupont Circle, not THE Tom Meyer, president of Clyde’s Restaurant Group. But it does offer live music, like The Hamilton.

Openings Update: Claudia Rivas’ Claudia’s Steakhouse is slated to open in late spring … Tadich Grill at 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW is now slated to open in early summer … Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria e Bar will open in early May in Westfield Montgomery … Levante’s on 19th Street at Dupont Circle will re-open as Ankara, a Turkish restaurant and bar run by the Aslanturk family. The restaurant seats 120 and nearly that many on the outdoor patio. The cuisine will reflect Turkey’s Persian and Mediterranean influences. Chef Jorge Chicas has strong Mediterranean creds as he did kitchen time at Jose Andres’ Zaytinya in D.C. and Bazaar in Los Angeles. A May opening is planned.

Just opened: Brio Tuscan Grille opened in the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, the third one in the metro area. Columbus, Ohio-based Bravo/Brio Restaurant Group opened the first in Tysons Corner Center and the second in North Bethesda. The restaurant seats 190 inside and 70 on the terrace … Dolcezza opened in CityCenter DC, joining RareSweets in Palmer Alley. The 1,200-square-foot space seats 20 people at a communal table and standing bar. They have a nitrogen coffee program to create smooth, creamy iced coffee using the same high-pressure nitrogen used in the beer and beverage industry … Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garçon and partner Fouad Qreitem of Paisano’s Pizza opened their second QSR SpinFire Pizza in Rosslyn at 1501 Wilson Blvd. … Bonchon recently opened its first D.C. location at the Capitol Riverfront near Nats Park, serving Korean crispy fried chicken … ALL SET Restaurant & Bar opened in downtown Silver Spring’s Montgomery Center, offering a modern take on Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern cuisine. The owners are industry veterans Jennifer Meltzer (front of house) and Edward Reavis (back of house), formerly of District Commons/Burger Tap & Shake. They are “good to go.” Really.

Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the hospitality industry. Reach her at Linda@LindaRothPR.com.