Food

Georgetowner • August 10, 2012

The American Lamb Board hosted its second annual Lamb Jam in Washington, D.C. on Monday, May 21 at the Eastern Market. Hosted by 94.7 Fresh FM’s Tommy McFly, the event featured 18 of D.C.’s top chefs, who prepared ewe-nique American lamb tastes and competed for bragging rights in each of four cut categories and the chance to be crowned DC Lamb Master. Executive Chef John Citchley from Urbana was named “Best in Show” for the second year in a row, for his Lamb Leg Pupusa with Queso Blanco and Lamb Tongue Curtido. Chef Critchley will take his local Lamb Jam win to San Luis Obispo, California in September to battle other lamb-loving chefs in a Master Lamb Jam competition at Savor the Central Coast.

Fans of lamb enjoyed butchery demonstrations from Wagshal’s Pam the Butcher, live music, Jefferson’s bourbon slushies and dozens of local beer and wine pairings. Competing chefs took home the following notable accolades:

•“Best in Show Overall” and “Best Leg” – Chef John Critchley or Urbana for his Lamb Leg Pupusa with Queso Blanco and Lamb Tongue Curtido

•“People’s Choice” – Chef Adam Sobel from Bourbon Steak for his Sausage and Peppers Lamb Sausage

•“Best Loin” – Chef Rodney Scruggs of Occidental Grill & Seafood for his Dried Rub Grilled Lamb Loin Salad

•“Best Shank” – Chef Dimitri Moshovitis of Cava Mezze Restaurant for his Braised Lamb Shank Ravioli

•“Best Shoulder” – Chef Nick Stefanelli of Bibiana for his Stuffed Lamb Shoulder

For more information about the American Lamb Board and to view winning recipes from the Washington DC American Lamb Jam, please visit www.FansofLambDC.com, like the American Lamb Board on Facebook or follow @FANofLAMB on Twitter.

American Lamb Trivia

•American Lamb is produced in nearly every U.S. state
•Texas is the largest U.S. producer of lamb
•American Lamb has a more generous meat-to-bone ratio than other lamb varieties.
•The average American consumers only 1 pound of lamb per year—compared with 61 pounds of beef, 59 pounds of chicken and 46 pounds of pork.
•Lamb is healthy! It’s a lean meat, with an average of 175 calories, 8 grams fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, and 80 miligrams of cholesterol per 3-ounce cooked portion. It’s also a good source of protein, vitamin B12, niacin, zinc, selenium, iron and riboflavin.
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Ariell Kirylo •

In the film adaptation of the novel, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” by Roald Dahl, actor Gene Wilder opens the door for a group of lucky odds and ends to explore a land of endless, edible gems. And as the children and parents alike scatter amongst the sugar and spice, Willie Wonka Wilder vibrates the room with a tune entitled, “Pure Imagination.” There on the premises of everyone’s food fantasy, Wonka declares there is no life to compare to, well, “true imagination.”

Washingtonians, I’d like you to take a moment and imagine your ideal Sunday brunch. Could it be a well-made Bloody Mary or possibly a refined and delicate Benedict? Ah, I see you now as you giggle and chew on what you thought you knew was your favorite spot on Sunday. Indeed, D.C., what if I told you about a new brunch on the scene that will blow every brunch you’ve ever brunched away to sea? And I promise it’s not only in your imagination.

Seasons Restaurant, located in the underbelly of the Four Seasons Georgetown, has been known for years as the power breakfast hot spot for D.C.’s political VIPs. Yet after a recent $1-million-dollar face-lift from the scalpels of design hotshot Michael Dalton of Strategic Hotels, Seasons has become so much more than a place to eavesdrop on Tuesday mornings. Using the base of what we already knew as top-notch service and dining, Seasons steps further up as Washington’s best Sunday brunch. Truth be told, executive chef Douglas Anderson, and his talented sous chef Jeffrey Hillman went to the extreme to make sure no diner leaves unsatisfied (or underweight, for that matter).

At Seasons, they love to switch it up. One thing you can be sure of is their changing and always inventive “action stations.” On my recent trip to Seasons, I was entertained by the Peruvian-style ceviche bar where scallops, shrimp and red snapper were diced and drowned on the spot in a citrusy zing and hand-made for each patron. To accompany my ceviche, I visited the endlessly replenished seafood bar stacked mountainously high with Blue Point oysters, crab claws and jumbo shrimp. Furthermore, I didn’t miss the selection of prepared seafood bites, including the house-cured selection of smoked salmon. One of my favorites is the seared ahi tuna over a perfectly compressed mango salsa. In seafood alone I ate well beyond my golden ticket price of $80, thus making Seasons’ brunch also an excellent value.

So, is it the best brunch in Washington? For those who enjoy a fixed-price buffet with excellent service, quality products and lots of it, the answer is yes. With the continuous pours of Franco Nuschese’s sparkling Falanghina Il Sogno and an opulent selection of Bloody Marys, brunch has never felt more luxurious in the District. Though chef Anderson will not deny any customer a choice from his daily breakfast menu, I recommend the $80 all-you-can-drink mimosas, coffee and brunch buffet option. And you get what you pay for. The perimeter of the restaurant is lined with countless options for your brunching. Yet, if you do decide to order from the chef’s menu or you choose to visit Seasons on another occasion for breakfast, I do recommend both the inventive corned beef hash croquet with bosomy, bouncing poached eggs or the Boursin and crab egg white omelet.

Yet for Sunday’s brunch, I recommend eating a large meal Saturday night in preparation for indulging in a three-to four-hour feast, starting at 10:30 a.m. and ending at 2:30 p.m. Go early, and eat leisurely. Reservations are highly recommended. Besides the seafood options, expect to see spreads of all sorts: charcuterie and cheeses, eight salad selections, the finest of pastries, an omelet bar, six selections of sides ranging from grilled asparagus to cipollini and crispy pancetta, crab cakes and short ribs and a bagel selection. Just to shout out a few.

Still, what floored me (literally) was the feast of desserts hidden in a separate room and catering to the young at heart. Executive pastry chef Charles Froke took it home with the most imaginative bite-size creations that will have you licking the wallpaper in a tizzy. Definitely snag a taste of the decadent but surprisingly elegant Snickers in a cup and use a spoon to crack open one of those mini crème brulees. The only thing missing was a chocolate waterfall. [gallery ids="100774,100775,100776,100777,100778,100779" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Brasserie Beck
Enjoy savory crepes and waffles at Robert Wiedmaier’s contemporary Belgian restaurant. A favorite at Beck is the large selection of daily cheeses served with Apricot cake. Reserve a spot for brunch on the outdoor patio between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Lost Society
Lost Society serves food with a party. From 1-5PM $40 all you can eat gourmet brunch and bottomless champagne mimosas. Choose from the Victorian dining room and a second level rooftop lounge.

Michel Richard’s Citronelle
Citronelle will be offering a gourmet buffet served in Michel Richard’s Kitchen from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. Choose from some of Richard’s favorite dishes including salads, entrees, sides and desserts. $85 adults and $37 kids 12 and under.

Coco Sala
Chocolate, Champagne and Flowers Brunch at Coco Sala serves a multi-course meal, champagne cocktail and chocolate surprise for Mom. $60 for adults and $30 for children 10 and under. Brunch is served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Café Milano
Choose from Prosecco, Bellini, Mimosa and Rossini at Café Milano’s Sparkling Brunch Menu. Customize your own omelet at the Egg Station then indulge your sweet tooth with Neapolitan fogliatelle. Served 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. $95 for adults, $35 for children 12 and under.

Bistro Francais
Celebrate Mother’s day at the Champagne Brunch a la carte. The champagne menu is served with the house salad or soup du jour and an entrée. The small, meaty menu is a carnivore’s delight. Brunch served 11 a.m to 4 p.m.

Sequoia
Sunday brunch at Sequoia features live jazz and bottomless mimosas for $34.95. Pastry chef Jonathon Wilson keeps you coming back to his Petit Dessert Station of assorted parfaits. You’ll love Sequoia’s beautiful view of the Potomac. [gallery ids="99243,104134,104155,104139,104151,104144,104148" nav="thumbs"]

Lisa Gillespie •

When Atilla Suzer is asked if he ever would have imagined having “this” ten years ago, he responds with a definitive “no.” “This” is Bacio Pizzeria, a thriving carry-out pizza joint in Bloomingdale.

Ten years ago, Suzer was living in his native Turkey as a just laid-off journalist, about to depart on his first trip to America. He landed in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where he enrolled in English-as-second-language courses and eventually moved to the District. His first job was as a dishwasher in a large chain pizza store, where his only words, he said, were, “Yes boss, no boss.” That first job paid $3.50 for training, because, the manager told him, he hadn’t mastered English yet. After six months of completing schooling though, he brought up his hourly wage and ended up quitting.

He says as an immigrant he didn’t have many choices for work. So, he stayed on the “pizza” route because he started making friends in the business. They’d call him if there was an open job, and eventually made his way to a manager job at Italy Pizza on Florida Avenue in Northwest. When it came up for sale, he had saved enough and bought it.

After successfully running the restaurant, he sold his half to his partner and started on the path that would eventually lead to Bacio. “I was looking for an investment neighborhood and a job that I like to do.” He explains his choice in Bloomingdale as an economic investment, because it’s not quite to “developed” status, but there isn’t a lot of competition and the residents have a little extra income to spend on the more expensive, organic ingredients that he wanted to offer.

Before Bacio, 81 Seaton Place, N.W., was a garage, and it had to be completely converted, a process that took nearly one-and-a-half years. Nearly a year ago, Green Paws opened, an organic pet shop that is graced by Suzer’s own black lab, Miles. Six months later, Bacio opened below. Suzer’s wife, a journalist, runs the website and marketing, while Suzer runs the day-to-day.
Suzer made all the design choices, from an antique Coca-Cola refrigerator complete with glass bottles and Turkish floor tiles, to a genuine farmer’s table he got at an auction. He made the choice to make it mainly a carry-out establishment. And he chose not to put bars over the front windows.

“When you go to a place, you want to eat there and not just get out of there as soon as you can. Sometimes, you go to carry-out stores and they are dirty, dark; you wait behind the glass,” he said. “Here, you come in you can see it’s clean, and psychologically it makes people open their appetites.”
He also decided to keep the hours short and not do delivery.

“If I were looking for profit, I could do delivery or late night, but we’re all natural organic downstairs. If I want people to come try the pizza and see quality and get to know each other, face-to-face is better than talking on the phone. And they don’t even know where it is in the neighborhood.”

The menu consists of eight neighborhood-named pizzas like the “Shaw,” which is ham, baby arugula, ricotta, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto and the “Eckington,” more of a meat-lovers with ham, sausage, onion, pepperoni and mozzarella. It also features several calzones, salads and pints of ice cream from Moorenko’s, made locally in Silver Spring. Suzer also offers several beverages, including fresh-squeezed orange juice that pays homage to Turkey, where he says shops will have several fresh-squeezed juice for only $1.

He doesn’t keep the store open past 10 p.m., mainly because he wants to be respectful of his neighbors, the people who will ultimately make him successful or not.

“If the neighborhood is going from non-developed to developed, you’re teaching people, and that takes time. Out of ten customers, six say, ‘I was feeding my dog from the super market, and now I want to feed him from natural food.’ And you have to be patient and tell them the differences between this food and that food,” he said. He said it would be a few years before Bacio turns a profit, but for right now, he and his wife aren’t in a hurry. “It’s not about you, it’s about the people that vote for you. You can have a $1-million investment or $10,000, it doesn’t matter. People will decide.”

Bacio’s is located at 81 Seaton Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. Visit them at baciopizzeria.com, or call 202-232-2246. Store hours are Monday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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Marit Fosso •

Americans have become increasingly interested in organically grown products during the last few years. According to a survey by the Organic Trade Association in 2011, sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to $26.7 billion in 2010 in the United States. www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html. As we grow more and more concerned with the quality of our food, it’s little wonder that we also have started to expect more quality from our drinks.

On March 22, the launch of American Harvest Organic Spirit was celebrated at the Hamilton on 14th Street. Behind the bar was top mixologist Todd Richman, mixing delicous-tasting specialty cocktails for the enthusiastic crowd that had showed up to taste the organic goods.

“The market for organic spirits is growing nicely, people are looking for the best quality spirits and ingredients to make cocktails with,” Richman said.

American Harvest, vodka made from organic winter wheat that is sustainably grown in Idaho, is a tasteful addition to the growing selection of organic spirits available around Washington. Several liquor stores in Washington will have the new vodka in stock. “It’s exciting to work with American Harvest as a base spirit, because the quality of the spirit and the organic nature drives me to use organic ingredients from local farms when possible,” Richman said. Among other organic spirits you can find in local liquor stores, are Square One Organic Spirits www.squareoneorganicspirits.com/index.html and TRU Organic Vodka and Gin www.greenbar.biz.

Todd Richman’s favorite organic cocktail, “Local Harvest”:

Ingredients:
2 parts American Harvest
4 fresh basil leaves
3 lime wedges
3 thin slices of cucumber
¼ part agave nectar

Muddle basil, lime and cucumber. Combine with American Harvest and agave nectar in a cocktail glass filled with ice. Shake hard and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with basil leaf and a slice of cucumber.

Georgetowner •

As spring comes into full swing, with the last of the dogwood petals scattered about the ground, a film of pollen blanketing your windshield each morning and the faint waft of honeysuckle catching in the breeze, I am always reminded of my grandmother. In many ways she was the harbinger of every season to me, because with each turning, falling or sprouting of the leaves, her menu would change and the fridge would be stocked with a different family of ingredients. In autumn there were beets and walnuts, in winter Brussels sprouts and greens. And one of the first things to mark the spring was a mountainous bowl of fresh strawberries, which I made a break for as soon as my father stopped the car by her front lawn. My grandmother would put them in front of me (the whole bowl, usually) along with a small ramekin of powdered sugar. I would eat them, dipping them feverishly into the silky sugar, until my mother stopped me.

Shameful as it is to admit, I am of the philosophy that there is no such thing as a bad strawberry. While I do my best to eat seasonally, locally and organically whenever possible, if you hand me a shrink-wrapped pack of dried up, imported strawberries in the middle of winter, I will devour the tasteless fruits with relish. The audible snap of their small seeds between my teeth, their crisp pillowy firmness and frilled green stems, are perfect to me in whatever incarnation. So this just means that April, when strawberries actually come into season, is a month to showcase nature’s most divine of creations in its purest and most beautiful form.

“Strawberries are spring, but they don’t come soon enough,” says chef and restaurateur Ris Lacoste. “Along with rhubarb—their faithful companion—we anticipate their arrival, having reached our limit of the stored apples and pears that were once so crisp and delightful last fall. Where are they? When are they coming?”

“Come late March, I must admit that I do cheat and use California berries,” says Ris, “because I can’t wait until mid-late April when they first make their appearance in the farmers market stalls around town. Their faint nuttiness, bright caramel-like sweetness and meaty firmness are a perfect companion to the early spring, where the days bounce between cold and hot. As a light snack in the sunlight, or a sweet, fresh dessert on a late April evening after a dinner of grilled meats and a sip of rosé, they couldn’t be more satisfying.”

Strawberries, when used correctly, are wonderful additions to main courses as well. A great savory dish with strawberries is to slice them thin, toss them in a pinch of sugar, and pile with crumbled goat cheese over blackened or grilled tuna steak. The sweet-spicy-savory-smoky components, as well as the varying planes of textures and temperatures, make for a refreshing and delicious supper.

Strawberry plants are surprisingly resilient and easy to grow, and as such are grown widely across the globe, from Central America to Finland. The “seeds” on the outside of the fruit, are not actually seeds at all. They are in fact miniature dried fruits, similar to sunflower seeds (if you have access to a microscope, it’s worth taking a peak). During the strawberry’s ripening process, the cells inside the fruit enlarge and pull apart from one another, creating tiny air pockets in the gaps, which is responsible for that distinct soft-crunchy texture. However, this structure weakens quickly, especially with large amounts of rain, rendering them quick to soften.

Strawberries do have certain idiosyncrasies: thanks to their thin skin and fragile structure, they don’t have much longevity and, unless frozen, need to be eaten within a few days (which isn’t usually a problem, Ris points out with a smile). Nor do strawberries improve once picked, such as bananas or pears, so they must be picked ripe from the vine. “On the upswing, however” says Ris, “they are among the fruits with the highest antioxidant content, along with blueberries, cherries and red grapes. In other words, they are good for you.”

The California Driscolls are a far cry from the smaller local strawberries you find at the market, she explains. “But I have yet to have as good a strawberry as the wild strawberries in France. However, wherever you are, mother nature has more to do with a season’s crop than any other factor. They need limited rain and lots of sun. A rainy season like last spring will dilute them. A lack sun will render them flavorless and sugarless.

“Nothing can beat a perfect, deep red, sweet, fruity strawberry. Don’t be fooled by appearance. Talk to your farmer. Ask him if you can taste a berry before you buy. Certainly a little sugar can help almost any strawberry, but that’s not the point.”

One of Ris’ favorite memories is of homemade strawberry jam on buttered toast. “I have since instructed all of my pastry chefs to combine the flavors of toasty yeast, butter and strawberries. Strawberry tarts in puff pastry do the trick, strawberry sauce with a dab of butter in it is amazing. A recipe I use every year at this time is my friend Terri Horn’s rhubarb white chocolate bread pudding and a strawberry butter sauce. I actually use it in every season, just because I love it—I simply change the fruit. Peaches and raspberries is a good one in the summer. Pears in the fall is another.”

Terri Horn’s Rhubarb Bread Pudding
Serves 12

1 loaf brioche or challah, crusts trimmed off and cubed
6 cups rhubarb, cut into 1″ pieces
Chunks of white chocolate if desired, to preference

Custard
1 quart heavy cream
½ vanilla bean, scraped
9 eggs
6 oz sugar

Sauce
1 quart strawberries, halved
Sugar to taste
2 tablespoons butter
Reserved juice from cooked rhubarb

Place the rhubarb on a rimmed cookie sheet, cover generously with sugar and roast in the oven until just softening, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the rhubarb in a strainer placed over a bowl and let sit until ready to use. (Reserve the juices for the sauce.) This can be done ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Whisk together eggs and sugar.

Heat cream with vanilla until boiling and temper bit by bit into egg mixture.

Strain the custard through a fine meshed sieve.

Fill a buttered mold (or multiple molds) halfway with brioche cubes. Sprinkle on a portion of cooked rhubarb. Cover with more brioche cubes. Insert 3 or 4 chunks of white chocolate into each pudding.

Pour warm custard over the brioche and let sit for 30 minutes, adding more as it sits to keep the mold full. Bake in a water bath at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, depending on size of the mold, until the custard is just cooked through and top is golden. Insert a fork into the custard and it should come out clean when done.

Let sit in the water bath until cool enough to handle. Remove the pudding from the ramekins and place on a cookie sheet. These can also be done ahead and reheated before serving. 

Meanwhile make the strawberry sauce by combining strawberries, sugar, butter and reserved rhubarb syrup in a saucepan. Cook for just a few minutes until all has melded and berries are soft. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Puree in a blender. Serve warm or make ahead and serve cold.

Gently warm the puddings in the oven before serving.  Serve with the strawberry sauce and whipped cream. If you have some creme anglaise hanging about, it is a delightful addition. Garnish with mint, fanned strawberries and a fleck of powdered sugar.

Jody Kurash •

In 2010, 17.3 million tourists flocked to Washington. According to Destination D.C., these visitors spent more than $2 billion dollars at local hotels.

Whatever their reasons for traveling — a convention, a tour of historic sights, or government affair – these visitors have one thing in common: For a short time, they will call one of Washington’s hotels their home away from home. Many of them, whether they are diplomats, job seekers or a touring musical act, will mingle in their hotel bars. For some guests, the hotel bar is useful amenity, a place to grab a nightcap within a 60-second commute from their bed. For the weary business traveler the barstool and a highball are a way to wash away the stress of the day.

As a Washington resident, one of my favorite spots to take my guests is the POV lounge at the W Hotel Washington. Forget waiting to ascend to the peak of Washington monument (it’s closed anyway), I’d rather take in the panoramic view from the nearby 11th floor terrace at the W, a block from the White House, while relaxing in a cozy chair and sipping a cocktail.

The prominence of hotel bars in the U.S. dates back to colonial days, when bartenders served little more than ale and rum. Taverns also served as boarding houses, a place where an exhausted traveler could hitch his horse and spend the night.

As hotels grew bigger and more sophisticated, so did hotel bars. According to Derek Brown, a cocktail historian and partner in D.C.’s Passenger and the Columbia Room lounges, the modern hotel emerged some time in the beginning of the 19th century alongside the first celebrity bartender, Orasmus Willard, at the City Hotel in New York. “This set the stage for bars — not necessarily the same as saloons — being situated in lobbies of hotels,” Brown says. “Guests were treated with a drink upon arrival, the ultimate sign of hospitality.

Many famous cocktails were invented at hotel bars — from the Red Snapper (or Bloody Mary, as we know it today) at New York’s St. Regis, the Pina Colada at the Caribe Hilton in Puerto Rico and the Tequila Sunrise at the Biltmore in Phoenix.

“The main reason why great cocktails and hotels are inexorably linked is that they grew up together,” Brown says. “Hotels were often luxurious and full of amenities, including top bars and bartenders. It was the perfect environment to nurture the golden age of cocktails.”

The most celebrated hotel bar in Washington is the Round Robin Bar at the Willard Hotel. In different incarnations, his gathering spot has played host to Thomas Jefferson, Walt Whitman and Mark Twain. Kentucky’s Henry Clay — who served as a Secretary of State, House Speaker and U.S. senator — introduced the Southern-style mint julep to Washington at the Round Robin in the 1800s. Since then, it’s been the signature drink of the bar. In an era where cocktail menus are ever-changing, it’s almost unheard of to see something stick around for 200 years. Bartender Jim Hewes has presided over the Round Robin since the hotel reopened in 1986. “If you want to put a drink on the map,” Hewes says, “You’ll need that level of consistency.”

Henry Clay’s Southern-style Mint Julep
6-8 fresh mint leaves, plus on sprig for garnish
1 tablespoon sugar
2 oz bourbon
1 oz sparkling water
lemon twist
superfine sugar

Put the mint leaves, sugar and one ounce bourbon in a tumbler. Gently muddle with a spoon. Add a scoop of cracked ice. Add equal measures of bourbon and sparkling water to fill glass. Garnish with fresh mint sprig, lemon twist and dust with superfine sugar.

Kerie Kerstetter • July 23, 2012

Located in the heart of DC’s Penn Quarter, Redline is best described as a sports bar gone urban chic. More than 40 flat screens jut out from the exposed-brick walls, while recessed lighting glows down on sleek tables with built-in beer taps. Afterwork crowds create a steady chatter as they gather around the bar and the maroon leather booths. The space seems to satisfy Super Bowls and dinner parties alike. Now take all preconceived notions about sports bar cuisine and throw them out the window.

Chef Frabrice Reymond has developed a reputation for crisp presentation and subtle international influences, which he fuses into Redline’s classic American cuisine. This summer, he has introduced several new items to the Redline menu.

The Ceviche is certainly the most notable in presentation, served as a medley of calamari, tilapia and shrimp inside a South African baby pineapple. The dish is inspired by Thai pineapple curry, and the hints of red onion and cilantro meld well for a refreshing twist. The Watermelon Salad combines diced watermelon with arugula, feta, black olive and mint in a balsamic reduction. Chef Reymond serves the seasonal salad within a sunburst of red endive, making the presentation as equally artistic as the Ceviche.

A fantastic surprise is the Gator Three Ways, in which alligator bites are pan-seared in three different styles. The dish is prepared with spicy chili sauce, tangy Dijon and Applewood-smoked bacon, each plated separately on crisp sweet potatoes and leaf garnishing. Other meat dishes include the grilled Lamb Lollipops, which are marinated in a cranberry port-wine reduction and served with a spiced puff pastry; the Duck Cajun-style is especially tender, served with steamed bok choy and mashed sweet potato in a vermouth tomato sauce.

A great time to sample Redline’s new dishes are during their weekdays lunch special (appetizer + entree for $15), which includes a number of the menu items. Just be sure to say hello to Chef Reymond, whose personality and French accent are equally as charming as his food. Bon Appétit! [gallery ids="100908,128469,128461" nav="thumbs"]

Walter Nicholls • June 29, 2012

The ultimate dessert for your Oscar Night party, the same high-voltage chocolate square that the top names in Hollywood will be nibbling, is available in Georgetown. Silver Spring-based Naughty Bits Brownies was chosen for inclusion in the “Everybody Wins at the Oscars” nominee gift bag. This coveted swag of goodies is given to nominees who don’t win in the top five categories.

To celebrate, Leigh Lambert, owner and creator of Naughty Bits, created a limited edition Oscar flavor—The Starlet. (For several years, Lambert and I worked together at The Washington Post food section.) No “bit player” of a brownie, it’s topped with chocolate-covered Pop Rocks and dusted with edible gold. “It’s like eating chocolate champagne,” Lambert says. Starlet will join her other six flavors, which will be given to the celebrities.

Lambert’s brownie creations are worthy of the Tinseltown attention. Some of her flavor combinations, such as the Barista Bar, has chocolate-covered espresso beans sprinkled throughout, and Living in Sin enrobes miniature peanut butter cups and is topped with salted peanuts. Others in the line-up are more daring. Shiksa marries maple-smoked bacon and toffee bits – an unusually successful pairing. Geisha Girl is the “unexpected love child of East meets West,” as she describes on her website. You might not think of wasabi, ginger and sesame being at home with a brownie, but they all work in perfect harmony.

“I love to play with intriguing flavors,” Lambert says. “I never do anything simply as a gimmick. It has to really taste good.” And they do. All the flavors, from the traditional to the more exotic are an inch-thick, generously cut and have a chewy crumb, so hard to find in brownies.

And the award goes to: Naughty Bits.

Available at:

J. Chocolatier, 1039 33rd, St. NW, (202) 333-4111
Society Fair (Cathal Armstrong’s new food emporium), 277 South Washington St., Alexandria. (703) 683-3247

For mail order: www.naughtybitsbrownies.com .

Georgetown resident, Walter Nicholls, is a food critic for Arlington magazine and a frequent contributor to Flavor magazine.

Georgetowner •

Eating an oyster is like putting the history of mankind on your tongue. Within its fluted shell, a single bivalve holds chronicles of gastronomy, culture, mythology, religion, evolution, royalty, geography and love. That and a bit of seawater.

“The Delmarva region is the keeper of much of North America’s oyster history,” says chef and restaurateur Ris Lacoste, whose restaurant in Foggy Bottom now offers fresh local oysters on the half shell throughout the weekend. A century ago, she reminds us, there were more than 150 oyster bars in the District, and the Chesapeake Bay was the largest oyster-producing area in North America. Washington was an oyster mecca.

However, because of massive overfishing, over-industrialization and disease, the Chesapeake oyster population had dwindled to about 1 percent of its population from the late 19th century, and Washington area oyster culture was nearly lost. Thankfully, due to population restoration efforts, the bay is once again home to around 180 million native oysters, and populations are on the upswing. With the help of devoted and knowledgeable oyster farmers, the history, abundance and flavor of Chesapeake oysters are once again filtering back into our culinary consciousness. The oysters that are now being farmed here are milder in complexity than their more northern cousins but wonderfully plump and meaty – perfect as they are, as well as in recipes that call for cooked oysters.

“The trick with an oyster’s flavor profile is where it lives in the water,” says Jed Foxx, sous chef and resident oyster authority at RIS. “If it lives in the ocean, it’s going to be salty. If it lives in a nutrient-rich environment, it’s going to grow fat quicker. If it’s surrounded by seaweed, it will pick up those flavors. There are almost infinite factors.”

Chesapeake Bay oysters typically come from fresher water, so they tend to have less salinity than those from other regions. “That’s an issue some people often have with them: less flavor,” says Jed. “But there’s more to look for in the flavor than how briny it is. Bay oysters can be delicious on the half-shell, but their milder, delicate flavors — sometimes woody, with hints of cucumber and sweetness — are great for cooking. You wouldn’t want to dump a cup of ocean water in your seafood stew. You just want that sweet oyster flavor.”

The other great pleasure with oysters, as we all know, is pairing them with choice libation. “Ideally, you are looking for something light, crisp and cleansing, with good minerality — qualities that compliment the flavor of oysters,” says Leah Cheston, wine director at RIS. “Rich and oversaturated drinks tend to muddle them.”

For wines, Leah recommends a good Chablis, Muscadet or Champagne. But the Chablis, which comes from the very north of Burgundy, is her favorite pairing. “The wines from that area have the natural richness of a good Chardonnay with crisp acidity and a flinty quality from the soil.” The Simonnet-Febvre is her personal pick, which is available by the glass at the restaurant.

For a beer selection, you may also be looking for lightness and crisp texture. A German Kolsch, for instance, fits this profile, with a clean yeastiness like fresh baked white bread that compliments the cool freshness of an oyster. Schlaffy’s Reissdorf, a German brew, does this expertly.

Then there’s the dry Irish stout. “Something magical happens when you mix an Irish stout with an oyster,” Leah says. “You’ve heard of an ‘oyster stout’ — that’s not an accident. It’s because they go so well together.” A stout is the fresh cracked pepper to the salt of the oyster, she explains. The contrast is remarkable. Bell’s, Murphy’s, Beamish and, of course, Guinness, all make fine stouts that pair well with oysters.

Buying Local

While there are some phenomenal oyster bars in the city — Pearl Dive, Kinkead’s, Hank’s Oyster Bar and the historic Old Ebbitt Grill are favorites of Ris and Jed — there are also great places to pick up oysters to shuck in the comfort of your home kitchen. (For a how-to shucking tutorial and a flat-out great guide to oysters of the world, pick up a copy of “Consider the Oyster,” by world champion oyster shucker Patrick McMurray. “The Big Oyster” by Mark Kurlansky, and “A Geography of Oysters” by Rowan Jacobson are also good bets.)

Wagshal’s, on Massachusetts Ave., NW, has oysters in stock every day and can special order oysters from around the region. River Falls Seafood in Potomac, Md., and Cannons Fish Market in Georgetown are also good bets. At BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant in Georgetown, you can take oysters home or eat them at the bar.

”To cook with oysters, you need to be respectful of their natural flavors and be sure not to overcook them,” Ris says. “If you’re using them in seafood stew, don’t add them until the last couple of minutes. Let them retain their texture and flavors.”

Jed’s fried oysters are just the ticket. The corn-based masa flour is lighter and has brighter flavors than bread flours, matching texturally and palatably with something as delicate as an oyster. Use them to make a New Orleans-style po’ boy sandwich, oyster salad, or just stick ‘em with toothpicks and dip them in homemade tartar sauce. You can’t go wrong.??So go out there and enjoy some local oysters. And as you do, please thank all those involved in the restoration of the Chesapeake for their huge effort and dedication in bringing back this gift to us and to our waters.

Jed’s Masa-Fried Oysters with Homemade Tartar Sauce
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For the oysters

Fresh oysters, shucked, removed from shells, left in their liquid
Masa flour
Semolina flour, or cornmeal
Cayenne pepper (optional)
White pepper (optional)
Salt (see below)
Oil (canola, vegetable or peanut)
Lemon, cut into wedges

For the tartar sauce

Mayonnaise
Dill pickles or butter pickles, finely diced
Capers, chopped
White onion, finely diced
?A few drops of Tabasco sauce
?Squeeze of lemon
?Pinch of sugar
?Salt and pepper

Mix the mayonnaise with a balance of the ingredients to suit your palate, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Season the masa flour with cayenne, white pepper, salt and other spices to taste. Arrange two platters, filling one with the seasoned masa and the other with the semolina. Remove oysters from liquid, lightly toss in the masa and then the semolina. If the oyster is smaller and less plump, delicately clump it into a loose ball with your hand to give it extra bulk so as not to overcook.

In a skillet or frying pan, heat a quarter inch of oil on medium high. When the oil is very hot, fry the oysters for about ten seconds or less on each side, depending on the size, using tongs to flip. Don’t put more oysters in the pan than you can reasonably deal with at one time. The process is fast and you need to stay in control to prevent overcooking.

When cooked, transfer to a paper towel on a plate and let rest for a minute. The insides of the oysters should still be raw and gooey, not cooked all the way through. Serve immediately with the tartar sauce.

Salt — Before adding salt to your seasoned masa flour, eat an oyster raw and consider its natural salinity. If the oyster is naturally salty enough, you don’t need to add more.