The Latest Dish

January 6, 2014

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

What’s Cooking, Neighbor?

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.

The Latest Dish


Chef update: Alison Reed, Ripple’s pastry chef renowned for her ice cream sandwiches among her other delicious pastries, has decided to return to her roots – in Kansas City, that is. She plans to open her own pastry business there. She leaves the pastry duties in the very capable hands of Ripple executive chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley, who created pastries while at Graffiato. … Ris Lacoste’s eponymous restaurant Ris has hired Beverly Bates, who won pastry chef of the year at the 2013 RAMMY Awards. She joins Ris in D.C.’s West End after three years at Vidalia…Bo Palker has been named regional executive chef at Pinzimini at the Westin Arlington Gateway. He was executive chef at Vinifera at the Westin Reston… Matchbox Food Group chef shuffle: Tony Piscioneri has been appointed the new executive chef at matchbox on 14th Street. Danny Choung has moved up to executive chef at matchbox in Rockville. Kelsey Pitta was promoted to pastry chef at Ted’s Bulletin on 14th Street. Monique Proctor was promoted to executive chef of matchbox on Capitol Hill… Anne Alfano is new chef at Little Red Fox, previously she cooked at Momofuku in NYC and Cochon in New Orleans. Lauren Parlato has been named pastry chef at Little Red Fox. Jose Luis Flores was appointed the new corporate pastry chef of Richard Sandoval Restaurants. Flores will oversee the dessert menus for Sandoval’s Washington restaurants including Zengo, Masa 14 and both El Centro D.F. locations, plus the upcoming Toro Toro.

Quick Hits: Ron Robbins has been named general manager at Café Deluxe in Tenleytown on Wisconsin Avenue. Previously, he was general manager for Tower Oaks Lodge. Bakery 360 is slated to open this month at 1926 17th St., NW. Owner Jimmy Hopper plans to offer gluten-free and vegan options as well as a full coffee bar and outdoor seating… Philadelphia-based City Tap House replaces 901 Restaurant, at 901 9th St., NW. It will feature high-end pub fare and 60 beers.
John and Karen Urie Shields plan to open a restaurant at 1050 Potomac St., NW, in Georgetown. Chef Shields was previously at Town House in Chilhowie, Va. He was one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2010. His wife Karen will be pastry chef. There will be a fixed price tasting menu with a la carte options on the patio and in the carriage house, on property. It’s slated to open in Q3 or Q4 2014.

Frederik De Pue plans to open Menu where Azur was on 8th Street, NW. Menu will be a market & bistro concept business. The ground floor will be a market where shoppers can buy produce and locally raised and grown fare. Charcuterie, sandwiches, soups and desserts made on-site will be sold at this market, and can be enjoyed at the second-floor bar. The plan is that this will turn into a lounge at night. The mezzanine level is open kitchen space. Menu’s third and top floor will be a 40-seat restaurant. The Belgium native plans to offer a large selection of beers (naturally). De Pue tapped his sous chef at his other restaurant, Table, to be the chef de cuisine at Menu. A January opening is anticipated.

Lance London of the Carolina Kitchen plans to open his first restaurant inside the District of Columbia border in January. The 6,000 sq-ft Carolina Kitchen will serve authentic Southern comfort fare in the new Northeast community of Rhode Island Row. The 152-seat restaurant will feature a wall lined with vintage whiskey bottles up the stairs to the second floor mezzanine, which will accommodate up to 40 guests in their private dining space. Lance is collaborating with Tom Mulhern of 2 Scales Interiors to design the contemporary country themed space. The new restaurant will combine traditional country-style wood paneling with swirling iron accents to create a modern-rustic interior. This is Lance’s third restaurant in the metro area, as he also owns Carolina Kitchen in Largo, Md., and Carolina Kitchen Bar & Grill in Hyattsville, Md. The Carolina Kitchen will serve lunch and dinner, in addition to offering carryout.

Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, a public relations & marketing firm. Reach her at: Linda@LindaRothPR.com or 703-417-2700. www.lindarothpr.com.

What’s Cooking, Neighbor?

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.

The Latest DishNovember 20, 2013


Mark Furstenberg, founder of
**Marvelous Market** and **The Bread
Line**, plans to open **Bread Furst** , a
bakery shop in Q1 2014 at 4434 Connecticut
Ave, NW, near the car wash at Albemarle Street,
NW. Originally the location was the site of a
beloved (southern-based) grocery store, called
Piggly Wiggly. Jack Revelle will be Bread
Furst?s pastry chef. Mark says he even has Raul
Fernandez onboard to work in the bakery. Raul
worked at Marvelous Market in 1991. For the
project, Mark has a very interesting blog where
he updates the trials and tribulations of what it
takes to open a bakery from scratch ? not just
the bread is made from scratch: breadfurst.com
Ch-ch-changes: Restaurant Associates has
re-opened a refreshed **Roof Terrace Restaurant
& Bar** at the John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts. In addition to an extended bar
area for pre-performance cocktails and appetizers
for a group or a duo, the private dining room
also transforms into an intimate lounge. The
new interior design features rose-tinted drapery,
luxe navy carpeting, and contemporary wooden,
leather upholstered furniture. The transformed
bistro bar space boasts modern, blue acrylic
tables and a special bar menu?.Sanjeev and
Mitul Tuli have made changes at their restaurants
at 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Their
landmark restaurant, **Heritage India**, serves a
lunch buffet across the entire space, including
where **Crossroads** used to be. Starting at happy
hour, the space turns into **Zanzibar**, a nightclub
for the 40+ crowd, with music and light food.
Matt and Jena Carr plan to open **Little
Red Fox** on Connecticut Avenue, NW, where
Marvelous Market used to be, serving healthy
comfort food made with seasonal ingredients.
The husband and wife team are D.C. natives
who are returning to their old ?hood after living
in Portland, Oregon. The focus is local, with
coffee from Annapolis-based Ceremony Coffee
Roasters, and local produce and wines.
Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth
Associates, a public relations & marketing firm.
Reach her at: Linda@LindaRothPR.com or
703-417-2700. [www.lindarothpr.com](http://www.lindarothpr.com).

What?s Cooking, Neighbor?November 6, 2013

November 6, 2013

When Katherine Tallmadge returns home from work at night she heads for the freezer ? her treasure chest of well-balanced homemade meals. Soups and stews, even desserts, are stacked in various size plastic tubs, on standby for a quick solo meal or three-course dinner for guests.

?I?m a big believer in batches,? says Tallmadge, an internationally recognized speaker, author and weight loss/nutrition counselor, who lives on a quiet dead end lane in the East Village. ?I encourage people to cook. And knowing something is there in the freezer, just ready to heat up when you get home, is the best way to avoid pigging-out on fast food on the way home.?

Although her kitchen is small, there is ample space for quantity cooking. With a nod to her mother?s Scandinavian heritage, the narrow living and dining space is filled with vintage Swedish furniture. It?s cozy by the fireplace. ?For entertaining, there is no comparison between the relaxed feel of a home over a restaurant,? she says.

Using fresh seasonal ingredients from farmers markets she prepares, for example, a big pot of cauliflower vichyssoise or sweet potato black bean chili every weekend, keeping in mind the essentials of flavor, color and texture. You won?t find high-fat dairy products in her recipes. ?I don?t believe in being a fanatic. But people can get cream and butter-rich foods anywhere,? she insists. Her favorite plan-ahead dessert is a delicious and easy to make apple crisp with nuts, dried fruit and ginger.

It?s no revelation, but she will tell you that her nutritional counseling expertise is in demand, because ?people in Washington are uptight and have a lot of stomach problems.? With high-stress jobs, they are too busy to take care of themselves and suffer from ?pattern disorganized eating.? The answer: regularly scheduled food shopping trips and meal times ? and, of course, batch cooking.

For weight loss, Tallmadge also advocates freezing one-serving plastic tubs of home cooked meals for portion control. At work, you avoid being ?a vending machine victim.? Nothing lasts forever. She writes the date and contents on the top of every container. ?You?ll always know what?s inside and how fresh or ancient it is.? More healthy recipes can be found at KatherineTallmadge.com.

Tallmadge?s current favorite restaurants, both in Georgetown:
La Chaumiere for the fish soup and Tackle Box for the fish tacos.

**APPLE CRISP WITH NUTS, DRIED FRUITS AND GINGER**
Ingredients:
For the filling:
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced candied ginger
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 pounds crisp, tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
For the topping:
1-1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup walnut, or any nut oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare filling: In a large bowl, mix the maple syrup, dried fruit, lemon juice, ginger and flour. Add the apples and mix well. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Prepare topping: Mix the oats, nuts, brown sugar, whole wheat flour and cinnamon. Add the oil and mix until the topping is moist. Pour over the filling in the baking dish.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the apples are tender and the crumble is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes until serving.

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

Chef Duo, the Shields, to Set Up Restaurant on Potomac Street

October 31, 2013

Chef duo and married couple John and Karen Urie Shields is looking to open a new restaurant, and they have their eyes locked on a Georgetown location. The two left their former, acclaimed Town House in Chilhowie, Va., over a year ago in order to pursue a Washington, D.C., spot. After a lengthy search, the couple has taken a strong interest in 1050 Potomac St., NW, and plans to sign the lease within the week.

The new undertaking, which has not yet been named, will be a Town House follow-up. It will, therefore, feature a menu heavy in vegetable and marine options.

Before taking on the Town House, John and Karen Shields were well renowned in Chicago for their work at Charlie Trotter’s as sous-chef and head pastry chef, respectively. John Shields later worked as sous-chef at Alinea in Chicago and was listed on Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs in 2010.”

The two were brought on to assist with a revamping of Town House in 2008 by its co-owners Kyra and Tom Bishop. The Shields turned the Town House around, leaving it a booming hot spot in Chilhowie, which is west of Roanoke.

But now they’re set on Washington, DC. “I’ve always loved D.C.,” John Shields has said. “It’s got a great vibe.”

The space they’re eying consists of an outdoor patio as well as carriage house, allowing more space for restaurant guests.

Assuming the couple does sign the lease, a grand opening would, realistically, still lie nine months to a year down the road.

The Latest DishOctober 9, 2013

October 10, 2013

Restaurants at DCA and IAD: MarketPlace Development has been contracted by Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to take the restaurant offerings at Reagan National and Dulles International Airports to the next level. MarketPlace Development has done the same at airports in Seattle, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Chicago?s two airports. A majority of existing contracts at Reagan National and Dulles are up for renewal or change in the next few months. The Ali family?s **Ben?s Chili Bowl**, Thompson Hospitality?s **American Tap Room**, **Legal Sea Foods** and **Pinkberry** are expected to open. Several new tenants also signed for Dulles, including **Bistro Atelier**, a locally-owned French restaurant, **Luv?n?Berry**, a frozen yogurt place and **Au Bon Pain**. MarketPlace will hold another open forum for potential tenants at the Residence Inn Arlington Capital View Hotel on Oct. 1.

Cyrille Bernac and his partners in **Bistrot Lepic** in Glover Park have purchased the lease for **Bistro Le Zinc** in Cleveland park and plan to open **La Piquette**, a casual, contemporary bistro. An October opening is planned. The name is tongue in cheek, as ? la piquette? means a bad wine in French — which they will not be serving. The restaurant has 60 seats inside and 20 outside on the patio. La Piquette will have a small menu featuring seasonal, sustainable food. The deal was made on Friday the 13th ? which in this case, is a good omen.

***Chef Update***: **Caf? Dupont?s** executive sous chef, David Fritsche, has been promoted to executive chef. A native of Switzerland, Fritsche will continue to serve modern brasserie cuisine at the Dupont Circle Hotel restaurant. Westin Reston?s **Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro** has added assistant restaurant manager and sommelier, Nicole Bernard, to their team. A Certified Level II Sommelier, Bernard previously worked at Range, **Willow Restaurant** and **Trummer?s on Main**. Eric McKamey has been named chef de cuisine at **Masa 14** in the Logan Circle neighborhood. Masa 14 is owned by Richard Sandoval and his partners Kaz Okochi and Ivan Iricanin. The new chef plans to execute dishes with his modern take on Latin American and Asian foods.

***Quick Hits***: Owners of **Thunder Burger** on M Street in Georgetown, opened an Italian restaurant, **Rialto**, where the **Guards** was on M Street. Ryan Fichter is chef for both. Andy Seligman and operating partner Mike Chisti plan to open **Terrapin Pizza Mart** in College Park, Md., serving jumbo sliced pizza by the end of November. The first **Pizza Mart**, serving jumbo sliced pizza, has opened in Adams Morgan.

Mike Anderson, founder of **Mango Mike?s** in Alexandria?s West End and co-owner of **Pork Barrel BBQ**, will open **Sweet Fire Donna?s** barbecue restaurant on John Carlyle Street where **Jerry?s Subs and Pizza** used to be. The restaurant is named after Mike?s wife, Donna. It will offer a menu of slow-cooked meats and Southern-style sides, just like **Pork Barrel BBQ** in Del Ray. A late fall opening is planned. Mike also owns **Sushi Del Ray** and **Holy Cow**. A new Mexican restaurant from the owners of **1905 Bistro & Bar** and **Sticky Rice DC** will open on Rhode Island Ave., NW in the Bloomingdale neighborhood next summer. Owners Tony Luca and Phil Rodriguez (he lives in the ?hood) plan to offer a traditional Mexican menu with Latin cocktails.

Ocean City-Md.-born (and now Newark, Del.-based) **Fractured Prune** plans to expand into the D.C. metro area ? as well as across the country. Dan Brinton is the new owner. He plans to open in Georgetown, Arlington, Rockville as well as Baltimore?s Inner Harbor. There are currently 11 Fractured Prune stores, including Ocean City, Md., Rehoboth Beach, Del., Salisbury, Md., Frederick, Md., Parkville, Md., Ocean City, NJ and Lancaster, Pa.

*Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, a public relations & marketing firm. Reach her at: [Linda@LindaRothPR.com](mailto:linda@lindarothpr.com) or 703-417-2700.*

Chef Maziar Farivar: Culinary Ambassador to the World


We’ve always contended—based on the food and the man—that chef Maziar Farivar, co-owner with his brother Shahab of the popular Peacock Café in Georgetown, is one of our favorite chefs in this city, where chefs are often kings.

Farivar’s kitchen—whether in the initial small 12-table space he and his brother opened in 1991 or the current sun-lit, spacious spot—has always been top-notch.

First in 2011 and again in 2012, Farivar was invited to the James Beard House and Foundation in New York City to serve a five-course dinner in celebration of the Persian New Year. It was an ideal task for Farivar, because he and his brother hail from Iran, and the experience allowed him to add a little bit of his childhood memories into his cooking.

Then, last year in September, Farivar, along with other national, regional and local celebrity chefs, was named to become a Culinary Ambassador and a member of the American Chef Corps, part of a new Diplomatic Culinary Partnership with the U.S. State Department, its Protocol Department and the James Beard Foundation.”

“It makes sense,” Maziar said. “This is about culinary diplomacy. This is such an international city, and there are so many foreign dignitaries who work here, and visit here, including heads of state, and there are all these embassy chefs. It was really an honor, I am very proud to serve.”

The Chef Corps will be deployed overseas, and travel as “chef ambassadors” or cook for dignitaries, speak to groups and extol American cooking and food products.

This September, Farivar got his chance.

He was assigned to represent the U.S.A. in the Cous Cous Festival, a multi-nation cook off competition held September in the ancient fishing village of San Vito Lo Capo, located between the Gulf of Castellammare and the city of Trapani.

“What a great experience,” Farivar said. “Eight nations competed, included Italy, Israel, Morocco, France, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia as well as the United States. This is like rich territory for dishes and chefs featuring cous cous. This was the first time the U.S. competed so I was really proud to be there.”

This was a competition to determine, if you will, the capo of cous cous.

“I was in a group with Tunisia and Morocco, this is like people who grew up with this all our lives,” Farivar said. “There were two votes, popular and judges. In the end, Israel won.”

Farivar came up with what he called an American-Persian dish called Lamb Khoresht, a heavy stew with dried lime and citrus cous cous. “I got some very nice comments like ‘bold flavors’ from judges and people.”

“Let me tell you,” he added, “when you walked out flanked by the Italian and American flag, and they played the Star Spangled Banner, I got a lump in my throat.” [gallery ids="101491,151739,151746,151744" nav="thumbs"]

What?s Cooking, Neighbor?October 9, 2013


Siblings Erin and Cat Blakely have a breezy one block walk from their narrow red brick Federal townhouse on 35th Street to their equally petite Pie Sisters bakery at the foot of Key Bridge. That?s where the Great Falls, Va., natives, with third sister Alli Sydnor, have been baking sweet and savory goods since opening for business in early 2012. A home nearby is an ideal retreat for the trio, day or night.

Let?s take a look inside. The slim all-white contemporary first level living and dining space, with dark bamboo floors and a spiral staircase to the one bedroom, leads to the adequate modern kitchen and door to a postage stamp garden, covered in wood decking. Throughout, furnishings are sparse and there is zero clutter. ?For as small as it is, from the living room to the garden, we can have 20 for dinner, divided-up in two groups,? says Erin. ?Everything is multifunctional.?

For example, a clever custom built-in unit serves as home office, bar storage and buffet area. A second built-in, each flanking the fireplace, is a convenient spot their party-sized glass beverage urns, one each for a serve-yourself rum punch, sangria and margarita cocktail.

Before guests arrive, the sisters place fresh multi-colored floral arrangements in every room. (They buy assorted bunches at nearby florist Greenworks.) With a monochromatic interior design, ?flowers make it pop,? says Alli. For ambiance, out come short and tall pillar candles, which give the space more dimension. Next, they line the buffet surface with bowls of hummus, pita chips, nuts, olives as well as a cheese board. Still, one important have-to-have is missing
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Alongside the snacks, there is always a platted dessert. ?There are no rules. You can have dessert before dinner,? says Alli. ?That?s the way our parents always do it at home.?

Often, the party sweet is a gluten-free, chocolate-glazed, walnut brownie. They call it ?Texas Sheet Cake.? ?It?s our mother?s recipe from her hometown of Roby, Texas,? says Erin. ?And it melts in your mouth.?

*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*

**Texas Sheet Cake**
Ingredients:
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups King Arthur gluten-free flour
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups sour cream
Directions:
Pre heat oven to 350. Combine butter, cocoa and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. In a separate mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, baking soda, salt and flour. Pour hot mixture over flour mixture. Add eggs and sour cream and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Pour into a 12 X 18-inch greased pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

**Frosting**
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
8 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons cocoa
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup crushed walnuts
Directions:
Bring butter, milk and cocoa to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add sugar and vanilla. Beat well with a whisk. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes to slightly thicken. Add crushed walnuts to frosting and smooth over warm cake. Let cool before slicing into 2-inch squares.