Peacock Café Chef and Owner Maziar Farivar Honored at State Department Culinary Partnership

September 9, 2013

Peacock Café (3251 Prospect St., NW) is a favorite of Georgetown dining. Recently, its chef Maziar Farivar was selected among a group of 60 chefs across the U.S. to the “Diplomatic Culinary Partnership Initiative, Setting the Table for Diplomacy,” through the State Department. Farivar received his blue jacket as a member of the State Department Chef Corps for Diplomatic Culinary Partnership. Eleven embassy chefs joined other well-known Washington area chefs for the event at Blair House. Discussion of the universal power of food headlined the event. The State Department’s Diplomatic Culinary Partnership looks to promote the role of culinary engagement in America’s public diplomacy.

Clyde’s Celebrates 50 Years As D.C.’s ‘American Bar’


As Yogi Berra fondly said, it was almost like “déjà vu all over again.” The front bar at Clyde’s of Georgetown was full and busy, the back rooms and the omelet room and the atrium were bustling and young waiters and waitresses scurried about carrying coffee and plates with Clyde’s omelettes and eggs Benedict.

The scene could have been a 1980s Georgetown Saturday morning rising out of and recovering from a Friday night. It was something better. It was a Monday morning — Aug. 12, 2013 — and Clyde’s was celebrating its 50th anniversary. That’s right: 50 years, and 14 restaurants and counting.

At 3236 M St., NW, is and was, as Clyde’s board chairman Sally Davidson, widow of the late, founder Stuart Davidson, recounted, “where my husband turned a biker bar into a Georgetown fixture. This is where it all started.”

“It’s a Washington legend now, and we’re delighted to be a part of the history and success of D.C.,” said Tom Meyer, president of Clyde’s Restaurant Group, looking around at the scene in the atrium. Soon enough, an ebullient Mayor Vincent Gray came and made it official. “This is such a great part of Washington, such a legend, and it’s part of the city that’s becoming world class, thanks to folks like this,” he said. “I’ve been here a lot. Look all over this city. There’s the downtown Clyde’s, there’s the Old Ebbitt Grill and the Hamilton. Isn’t that one something special? We’re right up there now with San Francisco, Chicago, even New York. We’re getting known for our restaurants and food.”

Gray made it official, along with the District Council, proclaiming August 12 “Clyde’s of Georgetown Day.” Clyde’s got the party going with some free breakfast food in the morning and kept it up with nostalgic menu items from the past, as well as the publication of a book, “How We Do Business: Clyde’s Primer for Beating the Odds in the Restaurant Business,” by J. Garrett Glover. Among many, Clyde’s could show off some new honors—it got a 2013 Honorary Milestone RAMMY Award this year.

“I love being a part of this whole history,” said waiter Daniel Leimberg, a George Washington University student from St. Louis. “It’s a terrific place to be.”

Gray noted the fact that Clyde’s 50th birthday was historic and that it coincided with the upcoming 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. “I was there, sure, I was,” the mayor told us. “I was 19, going to GW and being part of that, being there was just a tremendous experience. That was the greatest speech I’ve ever heard in my life, the most inspirational.”

There will be more inspiration and retelling of history this evening at Clyde’s of Georgetown as former employees gather for another birthday celebration.
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What?s Cooking, Neighbor? August 21, 2013

August 21, 2013

Adam Mahr invites, on average, four to 12 guests per week to join him for dinner at his snug English cottage-style house near Foxhall Road. And no matter what the occasion, number of friends expected or menu, this longtime Georgetown resident and detail-driven tabletop professional still finds time for a quick nap before the first knock at the door.

?You must be organized, make lists and do the basics well in advance,? says Mahr, owner of the European-inspired home decor shop, A Mano, which he opened in 1994, just below the Georgetown Public Library on Wisconsin Avenue. ?When I?m doing the cooking, the last thing I want to do is run around at the last minute.?

Whether it?s a buffet or seated dinner, he sets the table a day in advance, preferring a low centerpiece of seasonal fruit in a footed glass bowl to a floral arrangement. ?I like to drape grapes over the side.? (For flexibility, a folding table top, stored behind a tall 1820s French library cabinet, increases the dining room capacity from eight to 14.) There are always lots of votive candles in place and lighting fixtures are set on dim. ?All the better, the older we get.? A favored main course is grilled lobster, basted with a spicy Thai sauce, served on a bed of baby arugula. The choice is simple. ?I love Asian food and I love lobsters.?

Loyal A Mano customers know that Mahr makes house calls, pulling together settings for a dinner party or special event, using both pieces from the clients? collection as well as new purchases from the store. (Handmade imported French and Italian ceramics, fine linens, crystal and decorative accessories.) ?So many people today have things passed down to them. We bring it all together, creating a cohesive collection that?s very personal.?

A Mano stocks more than elegant house wares. He gives a nod of recognition to buyer Kim Hayman for the ever-growing children?s gift department of toys and crafts, which rings-up 30 percent of the shop?s sales. Says Mahr: ?It?s so fresh and new.?

Current favorite restaurants from Adam Mahr:
Le Diplomate in Logan Circle and Al Tiramisu in Dupont Circle.

Grilled Lobster Basting Sauce ? la A Mano
Ingredients:
? cup butter (1 stick)
? cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbs. fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp. hot sesame oil
2 tbs. chives, chopped
4 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, to taste
2 tbs. soy sauce
4 11/2 to 2 pound lobsters
4 cups baby arugula

Directions:
Over low heat, saut? garlic and ginger for about 5 minutes. Add butter, sesame oil, chives (reserve a teaspoon for garnish), lemon juice, hot sauce and soy. Simmer on low for another 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly until all the flavors have combined.
(Mahr prefers to purchase live lobsters and prepare them for grilling himself. Our suggestion: Ask your fishmonger to partially cook and split the lobsters and further remove the tamale and detach and lightly crack the claws.)

Prepare gas or charcoal grill to medium high heat.

Brush claws and both sides of split lobster with basting sauce, generously applying to meat side. Place claws on grill and cover with baking dish or roasting pan.

Place split lobsters on grill, shell side down, and baste again. Close grill cover for 3 minutes. Open and baste split lobsters. Close grill for another 3 -5 minutes until meat is opaque.

(Grills cook at different temperatures, but 1 1/2 pound lobsters generally take 8 to 10 minutes.)

When fully cooked, remove split lobsters, set aside, and continue to cook the claws for about two minutes.

Place split lobsters and claws on a large platter covered with baby arugula. Spoon-on remaining sauce. Garnish with four quartered lemons and reserved chopped chives.

A Mano, 1677 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.,
202-298-7200, www.amano.bz.

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

The Latest DishAugust 21, 2013


Clover Restaurant Group will open its fifth Cafe Deluxe restaurant at the corner of 22nd& M St., NW in D.C.?s West End. Located in the Hilton Garden Inn, the restaurant is slated to open in spring 2014. Cafe Deluxe will open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekday happy hour and weekend brunch. It will seat 130 in the dining area, 38 at the bar, 50 in the PDR and up to 225 in hotel event space (can you say ?holiday party??). Room service will also be provided by Caf? Deluxe.Other Caf? Deluxe restaurants are located in D.C?s Tenleytown, Tysons Corner,Va., Bethesda and Gaithersburg, Md.

Conan and Genevieve O?Sullivan plan to open Sona Creamery and Wine Bar at 660 Pennsylvania Ave., SE on Capitol Hill by early November. The restaurant will feature cheese made on-site at the creamery. The couple relocated to D.C. from the Seattle, and will feature wines from their hometown region. Their passion translates in the name, as Sona means ?happy? in Gaelic. Wine and cheese equal happy.

Farmers Restaurant Group plans to open a Founding Farmers at 1800 Tysons Blvd. where Inox used to be. This will be their fourth restaurant: Founding Farmers in downtown D.C. and Potomac and Farmers, Fishers and Bakers on the Georgetown waterfront. Founding FarmersTysons will seat 280 between the bar and dining areas, with the potential to add outdoor seating. A spring 2014 opening is planned.

That Atlas District continues to grow. Miss Kitty?s Saloon is slated to open the end of August at 1208 H St., NE. The managing operator and executive chef, Scott Webster, is a CIA grad who worked for Clyde?s Restaurant Group for 16 years, including executive chef at Clyde?s in Tysons Corner. The rustic mid-western saloon will be on two floors. Second floor expected to open in the fall, featuring a bourbon/whiskey bar.

Quick Hits: America Eats Tavern may have closed in Penn Quarter, but it will be reborn at The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner where Michel Richard used to be. Chef-owner David Hong of TBSP (The Best Sandwich Place) in Georgetown?s Washington Harbour, signed a lease to expand to downtown D.C. at 1776 Eye St, NW.Fatty Crab restaurants plan to open units in D.C., with the help of Philadelphia-based Stephen Starr of STARR Restaurants. Starr opened the uber-popular LeDiplomate here in Logan Circle. Thally will open in the Shaw neighborhood, serving modern American cuisine created by executive chef and co-owner Ron Tanaka, along with a rotating wine list, and craft spirits and beers. California Tortilla plans to open at Hampstead Square in Merrifield, Va. San Francisco-based Tadich Grill recently signed a lease to open at 1001 Penn Ave., NW. They have been a San Fran institution since 1849.NYC-based Max Brenner Chocolate Bar opens soon in Bethesda Row.

Openings Update: Dublin (Ireland)- based Ri Ra now plans to open in early December in Georgetown. Cleveland-based Latin-Caribbean chain Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar(over 50 rums!) plans to open in Rockville?s North Bethesda Market development in mid-August. The company also plans to open in Gaithersburg at the Downtown Crown development and in Tysons Corner at 1934 Old Gallows Road.

El Centro D.F. will open a second location in Georgetown by mid-August where the Third Edition used to be. This store will be different from the 14th Street location, with over 200 types of tequila and mescal to complement Mexican comfort food. This is brought to you by Richard Sandoval and his Georgetown chef, Juan Romero.

Georgetown: If it?s not a whiskey bar, then it?s a wine bar. ENO Wine Bar is scheduled to open by summer?s end, a value-added food and beverage spot of the Four Season Hotel. The wine bar features flights of three 3.5 oz. glasses as well as an extensive wine-by-the-glass list. Wines, charcuterie and chocolates are locally sourced.

Chef Update: Graham Bartlett was named new regional executive chef for Richard Sandoval Restaurants in the, D.C. area. Graham, a graduate of Ecole Ritz Escoffier in Paris, France, worked for Sandoval when he opened the first Zengo in Denver. He was chef de cuisine for Zengo D.C. and now oversees the Sandoval D.C. empire of restaurants: Masa 14, El CentroD.F. (soon to be two) and the soon to open Toto Toro.

In related news, Jason Streiff was promoted to chef de cuisine of Sandoval?s Zengo restaurant on 7th Street, in Penn Quarter.
Chef Nick DeLuca, formerly of Brasserie Beck and Bean & Bite, is now heading the pastry department at Purple Onion Catering Company.

Todd Gray has named former sous chef Colin McClimans as chef de cuisine at Equinox.

GM Update: Curtis Allred was named the general manager for Ovvio Osteriain in Merrifield, Va. Previously, Curtis was General Manager and Beverage Director for Concepts under the management of Tuscarora Mill Restaurant Group in Leesburg, Va. He also managed The Capitol Grille in D.C. Tim Donah was named general manager for Del Frisco?s Grille at 13th& Penn. Previously, the Johnson & Wales graduate was Director of Operations and Franchising for Vapiano International, overseeing daily operations for restaurants in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. And speaking of Grays, this time out of the kitchen, Travis Gray, formerly of Equinox, is the new general manager at Occidental Grill & Seafood. Shelly?s Back Room in D.C.?s Penn Quarter hired Derrick Williams as its Beverage Manager. Previously, he worked at Old Ebbitt Grill. Atef Tayarihas been named general manager for Vinifera at the Westin Reston hotel. Previously, Tayarihas worked as food and beverage operations manager at Key Bridge Marriott.

Mike Isabella just opened G Sandwich , an Italian sandwich shop at 2201 14th St., as well as Kapnos, his Greek restaurant, also in U Street Corridor. Korean twice-fried-chicken chain BonChon opened in Arlington recently on Pershing Drive. Their first in the region is in Centreville, Va.

Chris Bukowski (of ?Bachelor Pad? fame) is opening Bracket Room in Arlington on N. Garfield Street. Roland Kator, the chef, graduated from the Las Vegas campus of Le Cordon Bleu. Previously Kator worked at Grand Lux Caf? in Chicago.
Congratulations to Ripple restaurant in Cleveland Park, celebrating its third anniversary this month.

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.

Standing Their Ground

August 15, 2013

“This is the last of the grandchildren,” joked Tony and
Joe’s manager Dean Cibel, as he surveyed his family’s
restaurants with manager Dave Peva and designer
Dennis Shea and looked at the ice skating rink being built over
Washington Harbour’s fountain. After 17 months closed down
and nine months of a $4-million reconstruction, Tony and Joes’
Seafood Place and Nick’s Riverside Grill are fully and officially
back in the action next to the Potomac at the complex.

At one of Washington’s hottest places to see and be seen, the
Cibels’ elegantly redesigned restaurants — now even more open
and with bigger windows to the river — are joined by Sequoia,
Farmers, Fishers and Bakers, Bangkok Joe’s, the proposed Fiola
Mare and others.

The folks at Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place and Nick’s
Riverside Grill—people like Tony Cibel, his sons Nick and Dean
and their cousin Greg Casten—must have thought it was déjà vu
all over again as they awaited and endured Hurricane Sandy.

After all, it’s only been less than two years, and a major renovation
since the great April 2011 Washington Harbour floodgates
crisis and Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place, a classic Georgetown
and Washington legend of a restaurant reopened bigger, and better,
with more flavors and a lot of hoopla — and here was another scary
storm bearing down on the Potomac River.

Not to worry. As fictional President Morgan Freeman assured
us in the film, “Deep Impact,” “. . . And the waters receded.”

Now, Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place, once built on nothing
but the sand on the harbor, can continue to go about its business
of becoming a Washington dining legend, combining the good
words of legendary food critic Phyllis Richman with an enduring
popularity. It embraces all sorts of diners, locals in Georgetown,
tourists, business folks, couples canoodling over seafood and
a spectacular Potomac River-Watergate-Kennedy Center view
and, of course, the recognizable faces who parade through here,
and the equally successful Nick’s Riverside Grille, with singular regularity.

Imagine what you’d have if many of the stellars who came
to Tony & Joe’s arrived on the same night: Hillary Clinton,
Andy Garcia, Clint Eastwood, minus the empty chair, Denzel
Washington (he’s got a new hit movie), comedian Jackie Mason,
Eddie Murphy, Redskins running back Joe Riggins and quarterback
Sonny Jurgensen, Jerry Jones, another Redskins quarterback
Billy Kilmer, the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and Nicholas
Backstrom, Frank “Hondo” Howard from a different D.C. baseball
era, President George W. Bush, no less, William Shatner, beaming,
up and sideways, former Redskins coach Norv Turner, bad boy
Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger (hopefully, not at the same table),
Kathleen Turner and others. You’d have even more of a heck of
a Tony and Joe’s party.

The tale of Tony and Joe’s is a part of Washington restaurant
lore, going back to October 9, 1987—that’s 25 years almost to
the day, give or take a week or two. The key figures were all
friends—developer Herb Miller, who saw a city mall (The Shops
at Georgetown Park) on a busy street, and the waterfront design
that would become Washington Harbour in a pile of sand, plus his
old friend Tony Cibel and Joe Rinaldi who owned the Dancing
Crab, a seafood fixture in Tenleytown, renowned—you guessed
it—for its crab dishes as well as other signature seafood dishes.

Tony and Joe, who had been partners for a while, figured that
the Dancing Crab—while popular in a down-home, raffish, nittygritty
way—needed a little fine tuning for the tonier location at
Washington Harbour. (The Cibel family recently sold the Dancing
Crab.) So, they added a signature crab cake dish, and made sure
that they had a world-class seafood house in a city more noted for
steaks and French restaurants.

Tony Cibel and Joe Rinaldi were a perfect pair of partners—
Cibel, a man with a gift for the business, running D.C. liquorrelated
businesses, including the Barrel House Liquor Store on
14th Street, Rinaldi in his role as a top salesman for Capital Cadillac for years.

They were also big family guys, and it’s no surprise to find Rinaldi and Cibel offspring in the business—Cibel has two sons and two nephews and Rinaldi had four children, and all of them, at one time or another including today, were involved in the creation, building and running of the restaurants.

Tony brought in top chefs in the beginning like Ron Goodman and Billy McNamee, creating quality dishes and building a reputation—Richman called the restaurant “a contender on the waterfront.” The two also pioneered the use out of outdoor patios at a time when not many restaurants thought much of dining outside.

In 1992, it was time for a little add-on, with Joe buying the bottom part of what was chef Victor Testa’s Leonardi Da Vinci, which had closed its doors. This became Nick’s Riverside Grille, after Cibel’s son, a spot that soon became not quite like Tony & Joe’s, something special in its own right, a neighborhood-style restaurant saloon on the Riverfront.

In the world of Cibel, there’s always somebody from the family around—Cibel is, after all, the patriarch of the Oceanside Management Family of restaurants, which included the Dancing Crab, Tony & Joe’s Seafood Place, Nick’s Riverside Grille, Kaufmann’s Tavern, Cabanas and the Rockfish.

It’s been 17 months since the difficulties with the floodgate systems at Washington Harbour, but Tony and Joe’s and Nick’s are back. And so is the office-residence complex itself, Washington Harbour, with a new fountain, wood work and lighting—and an ice skating rink. Executive chef David Stein, for years heading his own restaurant, Bistro St. Michael’s, presides over a menu that doesn’t neglect old Tony and Joe’s favorites but also includes its share of new choices. ? [gallery ids="101043,136325,136310,136320,136316" nav="thumbs"]

Crossroads — Travel the World in Flavor


Heritage India on Wisconsin Avenue has been a Georgetown favorite for many years, and we are happy to hear that Sanjeev and Mitul Tuli of Heritage Management Services have recently opened Crossroads at 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Crossroads is located in the basement of a building at the corner of 19th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, sharing half the space with Heritage India.

Chef Ravi Narayanan created an ever-changing menu of small plates, reflecting the cuisines of North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. To add to the mix, Narayanan has included a variety of Japanese sushi and sashimi, in-house made pate, charcuterie and an offering of local cheeses. After being seated, we were very intimidated by the ambitious wide range of items the menu had to offer. After speaking to the chef, it was decided that he would compose a tasting that allowed us to travel the world in flavor.

We began the tasting in North America with a delicate tuna tartare tower with the cucumber caviar. The ginger crisp helped to create a delicious yet delicate flavor that we were all hoping to get seconds of. The composition continued with grilled romaine salad with herb dressing and phyllo dough wrapped prawns. A favorite of the table was the deep fried kale and Brussels sprout chips with baharat spice and tzatziki sauce from Africa. Being a fan of kale chips, the combination of the Brussels sprouts and tzatziki sauce is one that is a must-try on the menu. The chef continued the tour by offering braised pork belly and a duck confit with homemade thyme crackers.

If there were ever a misstep, it may have been the house-cured salmon. Though beautifully displayed, the amount of salt made the dish something to only admire visually. We finished the meal with homemade sorbets that were light and refreshing and made a perfect end to the tasting. Crossroads offers a lovely selection of wines. Most dishes range from $10 to $12.
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Zoofari: Big-time Dinner at the National Zoo


Lions and tigers and bears . . . oh, my.

That’s what you usually might expect to be thinking when you go for a visit to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Actually, it was more like sushi and cupcakes and pate and red snapper and steak and barbecues and beer, ohmygod May 16 at the Zoofari, the annual food-tasting event where celebrity chefs, vintners, guitar players, auctioneers, and confectioners and their wares were the star attraction at the National Zoo, which, for two or three hours was decorated with tents, smoke from barbecues and enough chefs and restaurants (some 120) to start a theme park.

The big fellas—the lions and tigers and bears, oh my—were not in sight, but some of the smaller critters could be seen at animal demonstrations, with reptiles and small mammal demonstrations at the Rainforest Oasis. It’s quite possible to imagine that most of the meat eaters at the zoo surely must have had their noses in the air like tuning forks what with all the foodie smells of steak, burgers, barbecue, and sundry tastes in the air. Chances are that the lion did not sleep during the course of things.

Like many events in Washington, this one has grown like topsy—you got a very good sense of just how much of a restaurant town the Washington area has become with the presence of food tents, featuring D.C. restaurants or regional restaurants. It’s the kind of occasion where a 100-yard jaunt could make you gain at least a pound or two. For the gourmet, the hungry or reckless, this was the kind of experience were caution—pertaining to calories, being smart about mixing food types—was thrown to the wind. You wandered or bounced from tent to tent—here’s some wine from the Coppola (as in Francis Ford) vineyards in California, here’s several types of pates, along with tasty (we tried it the next day) Hazelnut flavored coffee, here’s genuine Jersey-style pasta fixings from Carmine’s downtown, our very own Georgetown cupcakes, which seemed to have been tried by everyone there. Pizza from Armand, country barbecue from Hill Country, out-of-your-mind good red snapper in a bun, flavored whiskey, pizza, ham, elegant soups, lobster and things that looked so good we ate them without knowing what we ate.

If you started fast, you slowed down fast, to the point where you ended at some point at the entrance of the Great Ape House listening to nostalgic tunes, tending to your small children, taking tourist pictures, drinking lemonade as the duo of Jay Britton and Gary Smallwood dug up songs by way of Johnny Cash, Ben E. King, Sting and other familiars and gathered up a small resting crowd around them.

You could have danced and stayed all night—some people were just arriving around 8 p.m., when the carousel was still running, when there would be a silent auction and sweepstakes, the sweet eats challenge, the raffle for a Jaguar getaway and a chance to see the mighty Geico Gecko exhibit.

When we first saw the promotions for the Zoofari, with that steely tiger invitation, “We want to have you for dinner,” we had no idea what the word “dinner” could actually encompass. Now we know. Can’t wait for the next one.

‘Bolly’ for Bond . . . James Bond, That Is


I always wanted to be a Bond Girl, but alas I am a wine nerd. I have seen every James Bond movie at least a dozen times each. When Encore channel airs its James Bond marathon, I’m glued to the TV. According to www. bigshinyrobot.com, fellow Bond fans and myself can join its challenge to watch “every single James Bond movie in 30 days” before the next franchise installment, “Skyfall” opens in theaters Nov. 9.

So what is the result of being a wine nerd and a movie lover? Not only do I notice characters drinking wine, but I notice what wine and what glass they use. I have even paused movies on DVDs to study this, pressing my nose to screen to make out wine labels. I take note of all the wines James Bond drinks. I told you I was a wine nerd.

This month, with the 50th anniversary of the release of the first Bond film, “Dr. No,” I thought it would be appropriate to revisit his favorite wine—champagne—to celebrate.

Tattinger Comtes de Champagne
In the novel, “Casino Royale,” Bond drinks Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs ’43. The Tattinger house flavor profile is that of toasted notes. Comtes is always a vintage champagne, i.e., only made in years when the wine is truly exceptional and warrants having the year noted. The Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is composed of 100% Chardonnay, and Comtes de Champagne Rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. According to Tattinger’s website, a small amount of the wine is aged in new oak barrels giving the wines toasted aromas and flavors. This champagne is aged for 10 years before being released for sale.

Dom Pérignon
When “Dr. No” premiered in 1977, Dom Perignon starred as Bond’s “champs” of choice. Dom Pérignon is a brand that is well known around the world and might be becoming ubiquitous, no doubt with the help of the Bond series. In “Goldfinger” and “The Spy Who Loved Me,” Dom Pérignon appears. However, to us viewers, figuring out the vintages and flavor style of Dom Pérignon can be intimidating. The house makes a vintage brut Champagne every year, unless the house decides a particular year not to. See? Simple. But all you have to know is that one vintage can be dramatically different from the other and its popularity comes from its consistent quality, rareness and boldness, no matter the year. Since the beginning of production, almost 90 years ago, Dom Pérignon has only been released a third of that time over the period. Bottles aged for seven years bare a green label. Those wines aged longer have a black label.

Bollinger
Bollinger aka “Bolly” if you are British, can be found in “Moonraker” (1979). In the first ever Bond film, as 007 tries to escape, he grabs a bottle of Dom Pérignon to hit a guard. “That’s a Dom Pérignon ’55 – it would be a pity to break it,” says Dr. No. “I prefer the ’53 myself,” responds Bond. ?In “The Living Daylights” Bond partakes in BOLLINGER R.D. ’69 champagne. R.D. stands for “recent disgorgement.” This means recently bottled but not recently aged. Bollinger is only released on demand, so the consistency can vary widely in R.D. But that is what makes drinking R.D. exciting. You don’t know what you’ll get from bottle to bottle, and it’s probably why Bond drinks it.

Bond can also be seen drinking Bollinger Grand Année. This champagne is also one of the house’s “prestige” champagnes, i.e., most expensive and of the highest quality of this Champagne house. Bollinger uses exclusively Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. So, the house style of this champagne is yeasty/bready aromas with citrus and nutty flavors.

In “Casino Royale,” Daniel Craig as James Bond orders Bollinger La Grande Année from room service. Grand Année is champagne that is only made by Bollinger in exceptional years when the grape harvest is of an outstanding caliber. The recent vintage, 2003, has received high ratings (but then again, Grand Année always does). Grande Année is made Golden (white) or Rose. Bollinger’s non-vintage, entry level, champagne is called “Special Cuvee.”

With several Bond-approved champagnes to choose from this list, why not forget the martini “shaken, not stirred” and pop open one of these to celebrate the return of Bond next month and 50 years properly? I will be. Cheers!

Cocktail of the Month: Parker’s Mark


Food trends are always changing. First the cupcake craze and now donuts. Most interesting lately?has been bacon. Bacon?infused vodka, bacon?sprinkled donuts, even?bacon flavored body?oils have hit the market. A-Town Bar and Grill, a popular brunch destination in Arlington, joins the trend, offering?a boozy, bacon-filled?cocktail, that’s now one of their?top sellers. Owner Scott?Parker and veteran bartender Gary Koh created?Parker’s Mark (named?after Scott) to quench the?ever popular thirst for?bacon. Start with apple?wood smoked bacon,?crumbled with a touch of?brown sugar. Then add 6?oz. of Maker’s Mark, a?touch of sweet vermouth,?Manhattan style, and then add brown sugar simple syrup for a rich, sweet flavor. Shake well and pour over bacon and brown sugar crumbles. For extra sweetness, rim glass with brown sugar. ?

Morton’s Steakhouse Celebrates Renovation, Rebranding


Morton’s Steakhouse in Georgetown had a reception to celebrate the completion of its renovation and rebranding. The restaurant at 3251 Prospect Street now features black-and-white, art deco-inspired decor with photos of patrons and staff. At the preview party, crabcake sliders were served alongside beef tenderloin and shrimp cocktail as servers passed out lamb chops, tuna tartare — and dessert included the obligatory cheesecake.

In a press release from Landry’s, parent company of Morton’s The Steakhouse, Tilman Fertitta, sole owner, chairman and CEO stated that “In renovating these spaces, our goal was to make these locations one of the most comfortable and inviting dining settings in the D.C. area. These new looks create the perfect setting for any business lunch, family gathering or an intimate dinner.” Morton’s was acquired by Landry’s in December 2011.

In addition to updating the interiors, Morton’s The Steakhouse has delivered an updated menu packed with new items soon to be favorites including ahi tuna tower, braised short ribs, mixed grills, fresh fish a la nage among others.

The Georgetown Morton’s opened in 1982. It is the second location outside Chicago, where the steakhouse was founded. Undergoing a similar makeover, the Morton’s downtown (Connecticut Avenue and L Street) opened in 1996. It occupies the space which was the site of the legendary Duke Zeibert’s restaurant.

Morton’s The Steakhouse Georgetown (202-342-6258) is open Monday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Morton’s The Steakhouse Connecticut Avenue (202-955-5997) is open Monday through, Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for reservations.

Landry’s, Inc., a national restaurant, hospitality and entertainment company, owns and operates such restaurants as Morton’s, Vic & Anthony’s, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, The Chart House, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Its other holdings include the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casinos in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nev., and Atlantic City, N.J.
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