What’s Cooking, Neighbor?

January 29, 2014

Two years ago this week, a
Georgetown couple followed
their dream, opening Unum, a
50-seat boutique eatery in the former
Mendocino Grille & Wine Bar space
on M Street. New York native Phillip
Blane, formerly a sous-chef at Equinox
restaurant downtown, and his wife and
business partner Laura Shiller, chief of
staff for Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.),
created an inviting neighborhood
retreat. The name, from the Latin
motto “E pluribus unum” (Out of
many, one), was inspired by the chef’s
globally influenced interpretations of
contemporary American cuisine.

“Every cook’s path can be different,”
Blane tells me when we get together at
the restaurant’s foyer bar. Wood beams
and accents of stone
give the room a
rustic, cozy
c h a r m .
“ T h e
m o r e
y o u
work and create, that path is your own.”
His concise menu of small plates and
entrees is “reflective of my travels and
the food and people who have inspired
me.”

A braised
Indian spiced
l a m b
shank
w i t h
mint chutney
pays tribute to his kitchen internship in
Memphis at noted Raji (now shuttered).
A year devoted to “eating around the
world,” with trips through Europe and
Japan, has brought forth Mediterraneanstyle
grilled branzino with celery root
puree and fennel salad, as well as sesamecrusted
scallops atop a wasabi-accented
risotto with house-pickled vegetables.
Closer to home, his
love of New
O r l e a n s
c o m e s
to the
t a b l e
in a
N e w
Yo r k
s t r i p
s t e a k
paired with
an étouffée
over a cake of
smoked crawfish and
potato, haricots verts and
crisp onion rings.

“This is not fusion,” he says with
determination and passion. “It’s familiar
things with a little twist.”

On a chilly winter night, Unum is
an intimate spot for a generous pour
of Old and New World wines by the
glass. From the cocktail program come
handcrafted drinks
such as “The Deer
Hunter,” composed of
Cazadores Blanco tequila, fresh
lemongrass, white peppercorn and tonic. Spring,
will usher in a “Kyoto Cherry Blossom,” a
refreshing blend of morello cherry puree,
Belvedere vodka, delicate elderflower syrup
and sparkling prosecco.

Customers often ask Blane for the recipe
for his chimichurri, a condiment of Argentine
origin, typically served with grilled meat or
fish. He presents the flavorful mix as part of the
bread service, alongside an herbed butter.

“What’s fun about this recipe is that it
can be altered according to taste. More or
less garlic, more or less jalapeno,” he says.
Experiment, if you like. “Substitute other herbs,
like basil, too.”

CHIMICHURRI
Ingredients:
2 large bunches cilantro, stems removed and cleaned
2 large bunches flat-leaf parsley, stems removed and
cleaned
9 garlic cloves, peeled
6 shallots, peeled
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
3 limes, juice only
2 cups blended oil (canola and olive oil work best)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Roughly chop the first five ingredients and place in the bowl
of a food processor. Pulse until well chopped (not pureed),
scraping down the sides from time to time. Add the oil with
the motor running. (Do not overprocess or the oil will develop
a bitter taste.) Add the lime juice and season with salt and
pepper.

Unum, 2917 M St., NW
202-621-6959
unumdc.com

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.

Now Through Sunday: ‘Dine Out, Eat Up’ for Restaurant Week

January 23, 2014

Diners around the region gear up for a week of eating their way through Washington, as Winter Restaurant Week 2014 kicks off today with a record-breaking 250 participating restaurants. Continuing through Sunday, Jan. 19, area restaurants offer a three-course pre-fixe lunch for $20.14 and dinner for $35.14.

The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington represents members of the growing restaurant industry in the District, Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland and showcases Restaurant Week bi-annually every summer and winter encouraging diners to “Dine Out. Eat Up.”

This year, 20 Georgetown restaurants are participating, including classics like Café Milano (3251 Prospect St., NW) and first time participators Luke’s Lobster (1211 Potomac St., NW). Most restaurants feature special menus for the seven days of foodie heaven, giving diners a unique chance to try an old favorite or explore something new.

“Restaurant week offers a great promotion for our regional diners to dine out and try many new and existing restaurants around town,” said RAMW president and CEO Kathy Hollinger.

New for Winter Restaurant Week 2014 is a guidebook full of reviews from Open Table on the participating restaurants. The book is available at a number of D.C. hotels and can help narrow down the overwhelming number of choices for the week.

If looking for something new, a few restaurants in the District are making their debut to Restaurant Week that includes Mike Isabella’s Kapnos and G (2201 14th St., NW), Alba Osteria (425 Eye St., NW), the Arsenal (300 Tingey St., SE) and Teddy & the Bully Bar (1200 19th St., NW).

Another addition is the “Try Something New in 2014” contest. Through Restaurant Week’s partner NBC4, diners who “Like” NBC4 on Facebook will be entered to win a prize package, including lunch for two at J&G Steakhouse and two “Blissage 75″ massages at Bliss Spa, both located within the W Hotel on 15th Street, NW.

Sponsors of Restaurant Week include Meat and Livestock Australia, Cuisine Solutions, Open Table and American Express. Media partners include NBC4, 94.7 Fresh FM and D.C. Modern Luxury.

Malmaison: Napolean’s first, Popal’s third

January 17, 2014

Zubair Popal thinks for a moment before talking about the role of
his older son Omar in the family’s
restaurant and culinary ventures.
Zubair had arrived later to the
ongoing interview, finally coming
out of a major traffic tie-up on Key Bridge and
into Georgetown.

“Omar,” he said, “he is the man with the
ideas. He’s the ideas guy, the vision person, as
well as making things happen, being there all
the time.”

We’re sitting in Malmaison, the Popal family’s
newest restaurant at 3401 K Street, and
something of a radical departure from its predecessors,
Cafe Bonaparte on Wisconsin Avenue in
Georgetown and Napoleon Bistro on Columbia
Road in Adams Morgan, but not in terms of cuisine,
all do feature French-styled food.

Malmaison, named after the first home of
French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his
wife Josephine just outside Paris, is full of ideas.
It opened quietly in January as an events site but
is now fully loaded as a functioning restaurant
and cafe. It also comes with the participation of
big culinary and design names. It is a sophisticated
as well as comfortable place.

There’s a bit of a chameleon quality to it all,
a 50-seat restaurant from which you can look
out straight by Key Bridge, the Potomac River
and a stretch of as yet undeveloped land, with
Georgetown Waterfront Park to your left. As far
as ideas go, Malmaison, translated literally as
“bad house,” is bigger, open-ended and electric
with possibilities and opportunities.

The doors lead into an expansive multifaceted
space: cafe-bakery, detox juices and
good cup of early coffee for runners and casual
customers, restaurant for lunch and dinner, and
an events-bar-club space in the mezzanine with
the Whitehurst Freeway overhead as a kind of
humming presence.

Zubair Popal exudes a kind of old-world
charm which he probably brought with him
from his days working with InterContinental
Hotels in Kabul, Afghanistan. His son Omar
has the focused intensity of a man quite capable
of multi-tasking, thinking on his feet, the phone
ringing periodically, working out ideas as he
goes along, paying attention to details. “With
Malmaison, we went a lot further than before in
terms of a space,” Omar Popal said. “It’s French
cuisine, it’s cosmpolitan, it’s sophisticated. In
terms of the bar and the mezzanine space, we can
use it for anything, really. It’s a gathering place
at night, a space where you can have exhibitions,
weddings, anniversaries, charity events, the kind
of space where you can bring together music,
culture, people, in a very urban and urbane way.”

A measure of both the ambition and care with
which the Popals approached putting together
Malmaison is the fact that while the menus are
small, and the restaurant seats only 50, there
are major league culinary and design players
involved. World-class, much-honored French
chef Gerard Pangaud is the Malmaison consulting
chef, and chef Serge Torres has designed and
oversees the pastry menu, an important part of
any French culinary establishment. See chocolate
bomb with passion fruit sauce.

Pangaud is famous for creating and operating
top-notch French restaurants in Paris, New York
and Washington and has the added serendipitous
affinity of growing up only steps away from the
original Château de Malmaison in France.

Torres came from the South of France to the United States and worked with his cousin Jacques Torres at Le Cirque in New York City.

Clearly, days are both relaxed and busy at Malmaison. You can enjoy a light lunch –the duck confit salad, rapidly becoming a signature offering here, followed by a delicious dessert, or a recommendation by sage waiter Ben Jamil from Morocco.
The atmosphere is contemporary, a very now and forward moving vibe of endless possibilities, but it doesn’t speak to the journey that brought the family Popal to this juncture.

Omar Popal always talks about the family — not just as a family but also as a team united in their endeavors. “It’s not exactly us against the world but us making our way in the world together,” he said. “Us,” being father Zubair, mother Shamim, oldest brother Mustafa, then Omar, and sister Fatima, both with the U.S. State Department. Fatima Popal had been working with mobile banks in Afghanistan.

“I know everybody thinks of Afghanistan in terms of the wars and conflicts, which are still going on,” Omar said. “But my parents lived in Kabul at a different time.”

“Back then, I was working with InterContinental Hotels,” Zubair said. “I had done well there, and Kabul was different then. It was more cosmopolitan then, and lots of Europeans either came there or lived there. It was more European than anything.”
But conflict and war — the invasion by the Soviet Union in 1979 and all the wars that followed — changed all that.
“I decided that it was too dangerous for me and my family, and I left and brought them all out later,” Zubair said. There were stops in India, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates where he once again took up the hotel business.
“But we finally came to the United States, and we all ended up in Northern Virginia in Fairfax County,” he said. “I sold cars with Bob Rosenthal.” Northern Virginia, in fact, hosts a large Afghan community.

The Popals did well, and always, he and his wife emphasized education — all the siblings have degrees, went to school, and did extremely well in various careers. Omar was working with Merrill Lynch when he, his brother and sister came up with the idea of opening a restaurant.

“To be honest, I thought it was a crazy idea,” his father said. “Even with working with hotels, I hadn’t entertained that thought.”
But Omar and his siblings convinced the parents who helped them launch Cafe Bonaparte in Georgetown in 2003. When they signed the lease, “it was an emotional occasion,” Zubair said. It was and remains a popular, classic Parisian-style coffee shop-creperie-bistro-restaurant.

Cafe Bonaparte was followed in 2007 by Napoleon Bistro on Çolumbia Road in Adams Morgan, a corner bistro with a thick menu, outdoor seating and an atmosphere more reflective of the diverse, culturally lively neighborhood surrounding it.

Six years after that — with both Napoleon Bistro and Cafe Bonaparte settled into their locations — came Malmaison, which, as the promotions say, brings “Parisian elegance and Meatpacking District style” to Georgetown. It’s also helping to continue the process of commercially repopulating K Street’s historic waterfront.

When you walk upstairs to the mezzanine, you appreciate the view but you can also imagine almost any occasion here. The industrial-style look is by Grizform Design Architects. There’s a state-of-the-art disc jockey booth, designed by Washington, D.C., DJ, artist and designer, Adrian Loving, along with DJ Ron Trent.

In some ways, Malmaison is a place that is open to transformation in terms of special events, but it has an inviting appeal for individuals, groups, couples and citizens in the French style, depending on the time of day or night.

“This is an international city,” Omar says. “There are all kinds of people, all kinds of flavors, all kinds of cultures. That’s part of what we had in mind.” [gallery ids="101392,154040,154037" nav="thumbs"]

From A to Zeina


Zeina Davis, event coordinator and marketing manager, wants to give each person a customized experience when he or she enters Malmaison. Being a family-run company gives Malmaison an extra je ne sais quoi.

“It is truly a family run business and each person within the family is involved with every aspect from the overall concept to the day to day functions,” says Davis. It is a team effort every step of the way, from preparation, to execution and follow-up.
Davis works to partner with Georgetown and D.C. businesses to bring a variety of open, ticket and private events to the chateau of cuisine that is Malmaison. As event coordinator and marketing manager, Davis is “involved in all operations outside of lunch and dinner.”

Malmaison is divided into trois (three) sections: the cafe, the dining room and the upper bar area. “The cafe runs as its own entity,” Davis says. She assures us that Malmaison is all about full-scale event planning, not just petite soirées.
Malmaison is equipped to host any type of event, from weddings to book signings, to wine tastings and more. The garage looking doors that lead into the quaint Parisian-style restaurant can be used as screens for Twitter feeds or general projector screens to meet the needs of a client.

“We’ll mold to whatever they’re asking for,” says Davis.
The restaurant is developing a music program to make its nightlife scene “more than just a fun night,” says Davis, who wants Malmaison to be seen as more than a restaurant. Its nightlife scene should not just be throwing a party just to throw a party. “It should be a cultural experience,” she says.

Davis wants for those having dinner at Malmaison to say, “I’d love to have an event here,” and those at an event to say, “I would love to have dinner here.”

What’s Cooking, Neighbor? Najmieh Batmanglij


There’s no time for small talk at the late morning start of Najmieh Batmanglij’s class in the art of Persian cuisine. On a recent Sunday morning, ten eager students surround the broad butcher-block island in the Iranian-American chef’s home kitchen, two short blocks from the main gate of Georgetown University. Over the next four and a half hours, the group will learn new knife skills, the how-to of grinding spices and help in the preparation of six dishes — from savory cardamom-scented beef pastries to sweet saffron-laced honey almond brittle. Let the chopping begin.

When the work is done, it will be time to take a seat in the chef’s art-filled dining room and pay due respects to a woman who has spent the past 30 years cooking, traveling and updating authentic recipes from her homeland. All in the group are owners of one or more of her seven cookbooks.

“Now, pick up a peeler . This eggplant will make your life easy,” instructs Batmanglij, as she waves a pale purple Asian variety of the fruit in the air. Unlike the more common broad glossy black cultivar, “It’s not bitter, has a delicate flavor and you don’t have to soak it in salt water.” Non-stop, experience and wisdom is shared. She will tell you that vinegar is her kitchen essential for rinsing vegetables, as well as cleaning counter tops. The stems of vegetables and herbs, such as parsley, have “the best food properties of the plant.” And, who knew that the addition of unripe grapes brings a unique tart accent to a chicken stew?

But this student could not help wandering off to the nearby rear French doors for a view of the lush garden with potted olive and orange trees as well as trellises dripping with thick assorted vines. A perfect oasis. Every interior wall holds treasures from her travels, from Middle Eastern relics to pressed glass pedestal serving pieces. The eyes need never stop.
I came away as a big fan of the chef’s recipe for doymaj — a terrific, healthy and easy-to-throw-together dip, perfect for summer entertaining, made with walnuts, goat cheese and handfuls of herbs. For scooping up the nutty/herbal goodness, serve with small Persian cucumbers (available at farmers markets and Whole Foods stores).

Batmanglij’s current favourite restaurants: Sushiko in Glover Park and Mintwood Place in Adams Morgan.

Doymaj: Cheese, Walnut, and Herb Dip

Ingredients:
1/2 pound goat feta cheese, rinsed and drained
2 cups walnuts, toasted
2 fresh spring onions, chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh tarragon leaves
2 cups fresh mint leaves
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:
1. In a food processor, place all the ingredients and pulse until you have a grainy paste.
2. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl.
Serve with triangles of pita bread, Persian cucumbers sliced on the diagonal and a chilled French Rose.
Note: To toast the nuts: Preheat oven to 350?F (180?C), place nuts on a baking sheet, and bake—10 minutes [gallery ids="101396,154099" nav="thumbs"]

Nora Pouillon


On Sunday evenings, when Nora Pouillon’s family and friends gather at her 1930s modern home near the Georgetown Library, guests often find a simmering pot of spicy lemon grass broth scenting the kitchen. “This bare stock is so versatile as a poaching liquid,” says Austrian-born Pouillon, co-owner of Restaurant Nora, America’s first certified organic eatery, near Dupont Circle. “For an appetizer, I quickly bring the broth to a boil, add raw shrimp or scallops and let them cool in the pot. They cook perfectly.”

In minutes, the Thai-inspired shellfish are ready to serve with mayonnaise infused with ginger or cilantro mayonnaise. Simple and delicious. “It’s really nice with that first glass of wine,” says the widely known pioneering chef, an early proponent of farmers markets and sustainable organic farming practices.

For private parties at Restaurant Nora, which opened in 1979, the same fragrant broth is the base for a popular entree of seared wild salmon, shitake mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and rice noodles. “It’s so easy to adapt the broth to your taste,” she says. “Add more or less lemon juice for citrus flavor, adjust the heat,” by discarding or using the seeds of the jalapeno peppers.

With farmers markets in Glover Park, Dupont Circle and Rose Park brimming with seasonal bounty, early summer is prime time for Pouillon’s favorite salad of Boston lettuce, mixed with roughly chopped parsley, chives, green onion and even mint. “I like to add spinach, frisee, julienned kale, and often, thinly sliced Persian cucumbers.” The more greens, from mellow or bitter, the better.

Her go-to dressing is “my daughter Nadia’s way,” with the juice of a fresh lime replacing, which she combines with two to four tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. “It’s a very refreshing, flavorful salad with all the different herbs and the lime juice really brings out the flavors without contributing too much acid.”

Toned and glowing from a variety of daily workout routines, she is currently on the board of six environmental organizations and is working on a memoir. “It’s about what led me to become passionate about healthy food and lifestyle. I want people to take responsibility for their own health.”

Nora’s current favorite restaurants:
Estadio for contemporary Spanish
and Le Diplomate for French bistro fare, both are in Logan Circle.

SPICY LEMON GRASS STOCK
Ingredients:
5 lemon grass stalks, crushed and cut into 3-inch lengths
6-inch knob fresh ginger, sliced
1 bunch cilantro stems, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 jalapeno peppers, cut into half (with or without seeds to taste)
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon coriander seed
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
3 lemons, cut in half and squeezed (set aside
the juice; use oranges as substitute)
3 quarts cold water
2 cups white wine

Directions:
Place all the ingredients except lemon juice, water, and wine in a bowl and toss so that the oil is evenly distributed. Heat up a large saucepan to medium heat and add the ingredients, sautéing (sweating) about 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent.

Add the liquids and bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes.
Pour the stock through a strainer, pressing as much liquid as possible out of the vegetables. Discard vegetables.

What’s Cooking, Neighbor? visits with wine, food and entertaining professionals, who call the Georgetown area home.
Georgetowner dining columnist Walter Nicholls is the food critic for Arlington Magazine, a former staff writer for The Washington Post Food section and an East Village resident. [gallery ids="101373,153212,153209" nav="thumbs"]

So Much Thai, So Little Time: I-Thai Coming to M Street


It’s been more than a year since Garrett’s, a beloved bar that catered to Georgetown students and citizens alike, closed its doors for the last time on M Street. Now, the location’s doors will reopen again in 2013, welcoming citizens to I-Thai Restaurant and Sushi Bar.

According to the Washington Post, the building is being remodeled and there are plans to have both a sushi bar and a drink bar on each floor, along with themes for each room. Owner Ann Chevasuttho is planning menus with sushi and Thai food but really hopes to focus on and bring authentic Thai cuisine to Georgetown, adding to the list of other Thai restaurants on the scene.

Chevasuttho owns two other Thai restaurants in Virginia already, which can be visited to see a sample of what is coming to Georgetown. However, Chevasuttho hopes the Georgetown location will have more of an upscale feel and can show its residents true Thai food.

I-Thai will be located at 3003 M St., NW, close to Sprinkles Cupcakes, with a November or December opening day forecasted.

What’s Cooking, Neighbor?

January 15, 2014

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.

Ringing in 2014: New Year’s Eve Dining and Parties

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"]

What’s Cooking, Neighbor?


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.