• 08May

    Poke Pop!

    Prequel Poke Popup

    Hawaiian on the left, Vietnamese on the right, Korean in the rear.

    Thursday and Friday Prequel hosted Poke Pop, a great Hawaiian-themed popup. Poke is a A raw fish salad served in Hawaiian cuisine. We ordered three of the four pokes, the Hawaiian (ahi tuna, soy ginger dressing, cucumber, wakame, red onion, scallion, and furikake), the Vietnamese (hamachi yellowtail, nuoc cham dressing, pickled daikon, carrots, cucumber, thai chili, mint, holy basil (tulsi), and peanuts) and the Korean (Atlantic salmon, gochujang chili dressing, pickled red cabbage, radish, scallion, nori, and puffed rice).  We did not order the Mexican, which is a vegetarian version featuring fried tofu.

    GFJ and I favored the Korean, although I very much enjoyed the Hawaiian as well. The Vietnamese wasn’t her (GFJ’s) thing although I was fine with it as a third choice.

    Chef Kevin Tien definitely knows his poke! This was a great concept and meal, so hopefully Poke Pop gets more time at Prequel.

    -JAY

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  • 07May

    DINE-N-DASH for a Good Cause

    Chef Jose Andres PortraitsOn June 15, 2016, Chef José Andrés will be hosting his 4th annual DINE-N-DASH with proceeds going to support World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that focuses on smart solutions to decrease world hunger and poverty.

    You couldn’t ask for a better event where you can pay one price (General Ticket or VIP Ticket), walk into 30 restaurants in one night, sample some of the venue’s most popular dishes and libations and walk right out without pulling out your wallet throughout Penn Quarter and the 14th Street Neighborhoods.

    Sunday’s media tour offered a sneak peak into 4 of the restaurant options.

    Oyamel Cocina Mexicana

    IMG_9971IMG_9978

    IMG_9983-First stop was Oyamel and this was by far my favorite stop for food and drinks.  A few of the dishes that were offered were the Oyamel Margarita, Taco -Carnitas estilo Michoacán, Pescadilla Sinaloa, and table-side guacamole.

    Oyamel is Mexican food that packs a punch from your standard street foods.  Their margaritas are topped with “salt air,” so there’s no need for a messy rim of salt around the glass, you get a pinch of salt with every sip.  The pork taco was topped with a crunch chicharrón satisfying the soft and crunchy textures.  Their take on the fish “empanada” which is steamed not fried, is a surprisingly flavorful moist ingredients tucked inside of a crisp shell.  Table-side guacamole, need I say more?

    DCGB Kitchen and Bar (VIP)

    IMG_9993

    IMG_9990The DCGB stop is a preview into the one of the 5 VIP restaurants available through the VIP tickets.  They offer a selection of wine and food with a fresh take on French cuisine.

    This beautiful two-story industrial bistro offers one of the best scenery with wide open windows overlooking Penn Quarter’s more posh-side of the city.  Every bite of their sampled dishes left you feeling refreshed and not weighed down by heavy creams that you often associate with French cuisine.

    Their Spring Toast was spread with pistachio and ricotta made fresh in their kitchen daily. If you dine here, don’t leave without an order of their warm Madelines.  Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

    Ghibellina

    IMG_9995

    IMG_9998Not a frills kind of foodie? Ghibellina offers a great pub environment with excellent bar bites.  And they offer some pretty strong, yet delicious cocktails (Pepe Primavera and Frutto  Del Sangue, pictured here).

    This cozy little restaurants sits on the 14th Street side of the U Street Corridor and offers a laid back atmosphere.

    Masa 14

    IMG_0015IMG_0011Last stop on list of sneak peeks was Masa 14 an Asian Fusion restaurant with one of the best party vibes.  This restaurant is already ready to get the party started with a live DJ, refreshing cocktails and outdoor roof deck.  In the bustling area of 14th Street off the U Street Corridor.

    Their Pork Belly Steamed Buns (aka, bao) are not flavored like a typical traditional bao.  It has a bit of a Latin spin on it flavored with achiote, pineapple sambal and Serrano chili.  The crispy shrimp was my favorite.  It reminded me of an lighter version of a bang bang shrimp.

    Go Buy Your Tickets

    DND1DND3DND18With 30 restaurants to choose from, you’re bound to find a place you enjoy.  Whether you want to hit 4-star quality establishments, restaurants with menus that push the limits of your palette, or the food truck scene, I am confident you’ll find something right down your alley.  And who knows, you may just run into a celebrity chef while you’re there.

    To buy tickets, visit: dinendash.info and DCFüd readers can receive a $20 off of your ticket by using the promo code: PREVIEW.  I’m buying my ticket and I hope to see you there!

    -ADT

    Editor’s Note/Save the Dates:

    The Lamb Jam will be held on Sunday, May 15, the Embassy Chef Challenge on Wednesday, May 25, and Savor (the big beer show) on June 4th-5th this year. Keep an eye out for beer events (tap takeovers and brunches) the week leading up to Savor.

    Oyamel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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  • 28Apr

    The May DC Food Blogger Happy Hour Will Be at Ottoman Taverna

    From: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/going-out-guide/wp/2016/04/26/ottoman-taverna-is-a-native-sons-ode-to-turkish-cuisine/

    Ottoman Taverna: Wednesday May 4th, 6-8pm.

    This new Turkish restaurant (really it is Ottoman cuisine) will open 2 days before our Happy Hour (it’s already fully built and permitted). I is located at 425 I Street, NW, Suite #107, Washington, DC 20001, located between K & I on 4th Street), which is next to (the opposite corner of) Alba Osteria.

    Please only RSVP YES if you are attending. We are ignoring “Interested” (which are maybes) and need to give the restaurant a good count. And keep your RSVPs updated.

    Johnna of Johnna Knows Good Food is this month’s Host.

    -JAY
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  • 11Apr

    Tasty Appetizers at Pennsylvania 6

    Pennsylvania 6 was the venue for the April DC Food Blogger Happy Hour. Above are the appetizers we sampled. Every one of them was delicious.

    Save the date: The next DCFBHH will be May 4th, although the venue has not been announced yet.

    Another save the date: DC’s Lamb Jam will be May 15th and I will be one of the judges. Run and get tickets if you love eating lamb!

    -JAY

    Pennsylvania 6 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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  • 08Apr

    Washington Best of DC Celebration

    What better time than during the DMV’s most famous season – cherry blossoms! – than to celebrate the Best of the District of Columbia? Washington City Paper took over the cavernous DC Armory in Southeast to fete the 2016 winners, announced to the public during the event. WCP is decidedly nonpartisan, making sure everyone gets a voice in the system. Plus, proceeds from the event went to two great charities: Brainfood and World Beats & Life.

    Spraypainting DC pride

    Spraypainting DC pride

    Voting winners were divided between Staff Picks and the Reader Poll. Readers were able to choose faves in standard categories like Best Brewery (Right Proper), Sports Bar (Nellie’s), Movie Theater (E Street), and Lifestyle Blog (Popville), as well as some unique options: Tea Shop (Calabash Tea & Tonic), Local Instagram (Taylor Gourmet), and Place to Take a Tinder Date (McClellan’s Retreat). The Staff Picks are more eclectic: Best Bar and Restaurant for Punk-Rock Parents (Slash Run); Best Old Reliable Gay Bar (Number Nine), Best New (Old) Museum (National Museum of Women in the Arts), and Best Place to Catch a Glimpse of FLOTUS (SoulCycle).

    At a cocktail-attire party, it’s tough to get on a bike, but there was certainly plenty of food and drink to be had to help celebrate. In homage to what has been the opposite of a media darling of late, the DC Metro, each grouping of restaurants was set up around Metro station signs (“let’s go to Ballston!” was probably something said for the very first time by many partygoers).

    Tons of Tunes were enjoyed all evening long

    Tons of tasteful tunes were enjoyed all evening long.

    Mixologists played with lots of whiskeys, coming off winter, but also plenty of gin, hopeful for spring soon. And as would be appropriate, restaurants made efforts to source specifically from DC breweries and distilleries. Highlights included a tropical rum negroni from Don Ciccio & Figli, The Royal’s fruity sling using Catoctin Creek liquor, and a wistful whiskey cocktail by The Gibson called Memories. Waking up the palate was the thoughtful Gina Chersevani of Buffalo & Bergen, serving Bloody Marys overstuffed with pickled veggies as well as to mini-bagels topped with caviar and crème fraiche.

    On the main stage, The Dupont Brass Band gave the crowd some serious funk. Later in the evening, Batala Washington broke it down on drums, celebrating Afro-Brazilian culture, playing sensual samba and reggae music on a chilly early-April evening. Other entertainment came in the form of cornhole and life-sized Jenga courtesy of United Social Sports, making sure that the crowd stayed lively and athletic while throwing back craft cocktails and finely plated small bites.

    Dessert came in the form of heavenly doughnuts, cookies, and Harper Macaw’s sea-salt-and-coconut chocolate bark – but also another kind of bark: Wagtime enthralled the crowd with an absolutely adorable doggie playspace. Never has celebrated all the greatest in DC ever been so “ruff.”

    -ESC

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  • 28Mar

    April DC Food Blogger Happy Hour will be at Pennsylvania 6

    pennsylvania 6April’s HH will be at Pennsylvania 6, a relatively new (less than a year) restaurant specializing in seafood and cocktails. JAY of dcfud.com is this month’s host.

    We’ve written about Penn 6 here: http://www.dcfud.com/2015/12/21/pennsylvania-6-is-a-great-seafood-lunch-destination/ and http://www.dcfud.com/2015/12/02/lady-in-red-a-rendezvous-with-pennsylvania-6/.

    Please RSVP here and keep your RSVPs updated so we can give the restaurant a good count. It’s the “yes’s” that get counted. Thanks!

    -JAY

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  • 18Mar

    Sunday Ball in Blues

    Dressed-down denim: In Canada it’s a tux, but in DC it’s squarely casual.

    Except for the Blue Jeans Ball, a fabulous gala benefiting the Capital Area Food Bank. For 13 years running, this event has brought together chefs, mixologists, food artisans, and culinary greats to treat denim-clad guests to delicious bites and drinks. In fact, since its founding, the event has raised $2.3 million, providing almost six million meals to those in need in the DC area. The shiny new Marriott Marquis on Massachusetts Avenue played host this year, welcoming hundreds to partake in an evening of fine food, excellent cocktails, live music, and plenty of cheer on a chilly night.

    The cheese stands alone

    More than 40 restaurants and food purveyors lined the room, plating up delicacies and specialties. One particular area stood out for its pork-heavy focus: Café Dupont with its microgreen salad on adorable micro-spoons topped with prosciutto and figs, Lavagna with its soul-warming house-made whole-wheat radiator Bolognese, and River Bend Bistro & Wine bar serving delicate pork rillettes perched atop shatteringly crunchy chips. MeatCrafters also got into the pig game, serving four types of salami (locally sourced, small-batch, natch) from pig-shaped cutting boards.

    Other highlights? The long line told the story at Sodexho’s station, where the talented chef held court, expertly slicing pistachio-and-herb-crusted lamb chop over chorizo potato confit. DGS gave us a brunch meal deconstructed: cherrywood smoked salmon tartar and a tiny dollop of everything-bagel aioli. Our final fave may have been from Tosca: finely sliced duck breast kissed with a heavenly foie mousse, a touch of sweet and earthy from an apple jam and sage leaves, and a mind-blowing marrow dust to top everything off. Vegetarians enjoyed a dreamy truffle-cauliflower velouté from Gravitas.

    Emcee Scott Thuman of ABC News held sway, leading things off with a jeans-clad bam. Joining him on stage were the event’s co-chairs: Chef Ruth Gresser of Pizzeria Paradiso, Chef Sherry Yard of City Perch Kitchen, Cheff Jeff Buben of Vidalia, and Christopher Neal of Bar Dupont. He also invited up every representative chef to a hearty applause for such a good cause. While a silent auction took place below, he was followed by a vivacious live auction with culinary dream prizes like home-cooking events from the co-chairs. Finally, thrilling musical acts took to the stage, including a swaying gospel choir.

    Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the cocktails. There was an entire corner dedicated to the craft, all focusing on brown liquors. Kapnos served up a refreshing whiskey punch touched up with cucumber water and The Pub and the People gave us a tropical whiskey-pineapple-lemon concoction; but we had second from Del Campo, giving us Bulleit bourbon with Peychaud’s bitters and a nice firm kick from rocoto chile syrup.

    The food, the drinks, the company: it most certainly goes to show that just because it’s in a ballroom doesn’t mean we all need to wear ball gowns.

    -ESC

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  • 16Feb

    Port City Brewing Company’s Colossal 5th Anniversary Party

    For people who were looking for a good time and fancy themselves a connoisseur of the amber brew,  the Port City Brewing Anniversary bash was the perfect place to be. Alexandria’s own outstanding craft brewery delivered a weekend of festivities to celebrate their fifth year in business and the debut of their COLOSSAL V beer, and also some of their recent achievements in winning multiple awards for their craft beer, which has been a combination of their sheer hard work, and standards of quality and spirit to deliver some of the finest craft beer to DC and surrounding areas.

    If success could be measured by the love and affection of the professionals and the public, Port City has definitely made it. 2015 saw them take home the coveted Small Brewing Company of the Year Award at the Great American Beer Festival. They have firmly established themselves in the DMV, with over 300 bars in the region serving up Port City’s finest, and over 800 retailers stocking their beer.  This presence has helped them reach wider audiences, and with people clearly getting a taste of their beer, Port City Brewing Company also took home the Best of D.C Readers Poll award. With a string of awards stretching right back to their inception in 2011, Port City Brewing Company continues to grow strong. With the company having grown a staggering 35% in the past year and set to do the same again this year, there seems to be no stopping them.

    Their 5th Anniversary party took place at the brewery on Saturday and Sunday (5th to 6th February).  With tasty food being served by some of the finest food trucks around, live music, and a selfie station. The party will also see Port City unveil their limited edition beer COLOSSAL V, which they are releasing in bottles for the first time so that you can take some home.

    “Colossal V is a rich, full-bodied ale that hews close to the English tradition of old ales, with a dark mahogany color accentuated by ruby highlights. Flavors of toffee and dried fruit are complemented by a subtle hop presence. This beer is specifically crafted for cellaring, and will be the Port City’s first anniversary beer to be bottled, enabling customers to age bottles at home. It is “colossal” because it is a milestone brew.”

    -EWL

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  • 12Feb

    Taste Test For A Cause: Sips and Suppers 2016

    Eight years ago, Alice Waters (chef and owner of Chez Panisse in California) wanted to do something that would give back to the community and the nation. Mrs. Waters picked the phone up and called her friend Joan Nathan (authority in Jewish cooking) and with the help of Jose Andres (owner of Oyamel, Jaleo, China Chilcano and more) Sips and Suppers was born. The Sips and Suppers started as an event where executive chefs would cook in private homes one evening and now has grown into a two night weekend experience.  The first portion “Sips” which features an opportunity of tasting dishes from the star-studded lineup of chefs and mixologists from across the district and the world offering up samples to the crowd. The second day for the “Suppers,” attendees are now spoiled with choices of which chef to meet and dine with for the more intimate and elegant dinner party that occur in private homes.

    Sips and Suppers returned this year with a bang at the Newseum, despite the snow storm pushing the event one week Sips and Suppers has become an event that is marked every year on the calendar. The dynamic trio of the three founders continued to ensure a great evening, goodwill, and good times.  Gianluigi Dellaccio (former pro polo player turned owner/chef of Dolci Gelati) prepared gelato named after the founders that was available exclusively for the VIP event.  Jose Andres was a cool refreshing Celmentine Sorbetto, Alice Waters was a delicious tasteful Hazelnut and Joan Nathan was a creative Candied Ginger that incorporated a delicate balance of sweet and spicy.  Also included in the VIP event, attendees were welcome to exclusive tastings from Katsuya Fukushima of Daikaya, Caitlin Dysart of 2941, and K.N. Vinod of Indique.

    The Sips event has grown to such popularity at the Newseum that there is a crowd at almost every station and mixologists were setting up bars inside the elevator! The ever popular Gina Chersevani of Buffalo Bergen was there in an elevator with her “Wanna Be A Baller” signature cocktail that ran out very early in the night.  Which gave a chance to ask her and a number of other chefs, Why do you participate in this event, year after year?

    “I have been doing this for six years and even did this the year I was pregnant because this is an event where you can see your work helping others” – Gina Chersevani

    “This event is a blast and I enjoy supporting the community” – Chef Bob McCarter

    “I love working with children, cooking, touching people’s hearts, and getting people healthy nutritious meals” – Chef Rob of instructor at Martha Table.

    “This is my first year at this event and I really like the concept and the chance to talk to everybody” – Chef Daniel West of Pinstripe

    “I have been doing this for many years and I love Martha’s table and DC Central Kitchen and it is a great chance to get exposure” – Michael Koch of Firefly Farms

    Sips and Suppers has grown and continues to grow to help DC Kitchen and Martha’s Table educate and illuminate the growing number of people on homelessness in the capital. The attendees and chefs help to develop local, long term solutions to hunger, and to date the event has raised over two million dollars for the organizations.  This event will mark the eighth year the event has been running. It’s popularity is no doubt due to the combination of mind-blowing food and festivities, the creativity of the organizers to deliver year after year, and knowing that you are contributing to making a difference in people’s lives.

    -EWL (Eric)

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  • 02Feb

    Sips 2016: Drinks & Bites to Combat Hunger and Homelessness

    What gets filled up must be sipped down – especially in a moving elevator. Experiential cocktails from a mobile bar were just the beginning, located as they were in gracefully gliding glass elevators moving about the six floors of the Newseum. That and dozens of nationally renowned chefs, food artisans, restaurateurs, and mixologists, gathered together for the 2016 Sips event, plus a dash of love and lots of spirit, and it’s a recipe for eight years of unbridled success.

    Colorful Macarons

    Famed Chef Alice Waters began the event in 2009 to benefit DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table, two organizations based right here in DC, dedicated to helping those in need in the region. And for the past few years, José Andrés and Joan Nathan have joined Alice Waters as fellow hosts.

    While originally scheduled for January 23, Jonas the snowstorm made hosting an event for a few hundred folks a bit more difficult than making sure your soufflé rises every time. The event was therefore pushed back to January 30, and unfortunately, the high-donation Suppers event, at which famous chefs create and serve meals in private homes, was canceled.

    Snow aside, the culinary show must go on. The evening started with a pop – of corks, that is, from wine bottles sourced from the sustainable vines of Gustafson Family Vineyards in the VIP Lounge. Highly esteemed restaurants like Daikaiya, SER, and Indique helped begin the night in style on the second floor of the building for the VIPs, with a stunning view of the hive of activity below. Beyond that pop and pour of flutes and glasses, the funky, jazzy notes of the live music from Aztec Sun Band, based in DC, floated above the hum for a full multi-sensory experience.

    The event is called Sips for a reason: inventive cocktails were in abundance. New and local distillery One Eight Distilling shook things up with a vibrant red cocktail, anchoring a section of the event dedicated to local purveyors. Others nearby included Misfit Juicery, which fights food waste by using excess or ugly produce and turns it into tasty juice; and Banana Love Muffins, Dream Bites, and Gordy’s Pick Jar, all of which have used the unique and supportive food incubator space at Union Kitchen. Other specialty drinks ran the mixologist craft book, from sangria to your author’s personal favorite, an old fashioned made from whiskey aged in maple barrels.

    Of course, one must have some bites along with the drinks. Martha’s Table itself set up shop. It served healthy and crunchy kale salad, which complemented some of the other, richer dishes around. Lines ran lengthy for dishes like fresh-cut brisket, briny Rappahannock oysters, and heavenly macarons.

    The most extravagant offering: Hamilton’s ravioli stuffed with foie gras, in consomme, topped with black truffle shavings — difficult to beat.

    Hunger, whether worldwide or domestically, has shown up too often in the news of late. Therefore, bringing together the star power of the hosts and the creativity and artisanship of the chefs and mixologists made for a highly successful – and sip-worthy – evening.

    -ESC

     

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