Nevin Martell

All I Wanna Do Is Rock

nevinmartell — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:00:52 +0000

In high school, I was convinced that I was born to rock. In 9th grade, I shaved what little hair I had on my chest into a peach fuzz pleasure trail extending down from my bellybutton – just like Poison’s Brett Michaels. The next year, I bought a pair of black jeans covered with skulls and roses – perfect for a wannabe Axl Rose. As a senior, my dreams of ruling the Billboard charts took a huge leap when I began fronting Grundle – a grunge covers band.

Unfortunately, when our version of Alice in Chains’ “Man in the Box” didn’t even earn us an honorable mention at the high school talent show, I learned that I couldn’t really sing. I already knew that I was too lazy to learn an instrument – the bass had been too boring and the guitar required too many lessons – so it looked like rock stardom would never be mine.

I went off to Vassar where I realized that being in college is kind of like being in a band, since you pretend like you’re there to do great things, but all you really want to do is drink too much, experiment with drugs, and try to sleep with girls. I also discovered that there was a whole industry built around rock ‘n’ roll, where you didn’t have to be musically inclined in the slightest.

So, I weaseled an internship at Atlantic Records, which was home to some of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll and R&B acts of all time: Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin, AC/DC and Ray Charles. When I graduated in 1997, I scored a job there as an executive assistant in the new media department. The rock ‘n’ roll dream was within my reach again.

A lot had changed at the label – the big acts were then Matchbox 20, Jewel, Kid Rock and Sugar Ray. One band that had been huge wasn’t so huge any more – Hootie and the Blowfish. It may seem hard to believe now, but just a few years earlier, they were the biggest band in the world after their debut – Cracked Rear View – sold over 16 million copies.

Oh, how quickly things change. By the time I was working at Atlantic, Hootie had gone from being the cash cows that earned everyone insane bonuses to a what-the-fuck-were-we-thinking musical embarrassment.

Right before Hootie’s third album was released, they announced to the Atlantic staff that they were going to throw a huge bash to celebrate, but with a twist. It was billed as the “If you can fire someone, you can’t come to my party” party. This meant that you had to be the lowest of the low to attend. Basically, us plebs were the only people that Hootie felt that they could influence to help them promote their new album, so they were going to woo us as best they could. I didn’t care that I was the lowest of the low, I was getting paid to party with Hootie. Rock on!

Finish reading this story on the Fawlt website now.

Polaroid by Garland Gallaspy.

Inside Rogue Sessions: John Currence

nevinmartell — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:00:57 +0000

John Currence calls himself the Big Bad Chef, which makes him sound like a fairy tale villain. Though the three little piggies – and any other tasty livestock that get in his way – have good reason to worry, Currence really only wants to blow away peoples’ preconceptions of Southern cooking. Since opening City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi in 1992, he has earned a stream of accolades – including a James Beard Award – for his soulful and artful exploration of cuisine rooted below the Mason-Dixon Line.

For my sixth Rogue Session, I enjoyed all of Currence’s courses, as well as some new dishes that the still-absent-but-always-working Cooper debuted. Fantastically epic, it nonetheless flew by. A table full of charming conversationalists and eight drink pairings can do that.

1^st course

Poulet rouge/rillettes/pickled peach

Before anyone takes a single bite, cheftender Bryan Tetorakis opens the proceedings by putting down a small bottle and a shot glass in front of each of us. This non-alcoholic aperitif is his take on the Boilermaker, so you pour the lemon- and maple-infused barley water into the glass then take it down in a single gulp. At the end, you’re rewarded with a whiskey-scented sphere that pops with a gush. This is followed by a fried square of heritage breed French chicken offset by a sweet and vinegary pickled peach compote that runs down the center like an orange mohawk.

***2^nd course

Celery velouté/Georgia pecan/bourbon dates

The first of several pleasant surprises of the evening. The nuts add a pleasant textural contrast, while the bourbon-soaked dates add a spot of sweetness. In the end though, it’s the flavor of the celery – usually so understated – that makes this dish a winner and sends us all to the bottom of our bowls with a clatter of spoons on porcelain.

3^rd course

Oyster/lemon/spinach/absinthe/bacon

Hemingway used to binge on a cocktail called Death in the Afternoon, made with half champagne and half absinthe. Tonight we’re drinking the Broken Vow, which has a little sparkling wine, absinthe-related green chartreuse, orange syrup and gin. It goes down well with the single Rappahannock Barcat oyster dressed up with absinthe-soaked spinach and tiny bits of bacon.

Finish reading this bite-by-bite recap on CityEats’ Plate blog now.

Review: Brett Anderson – Black Rainbows

nevinmartell — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:00:05 +0000

Since releasing his eponymous solo debut in 2007, Suede frontman Brett Anderson has plotted an increasingly odd path. Turning at times to cinematic scores, folk tunes and classical symphonies for ideas, his albums have gotten progressively farther away from the influences that helped make Suede the best anti-Britpop band of the ’90s. Thankfully, his fourth outing, Black Rainbows, finds him once again turning to his two biggest heroes: Bowie and Morrissey. The result is his best and most kinetic solo album yet. “Crash About to Happen” crackles with a delicate energy that recalls a Dog Man Star–era B-side. Poetic couplets like “ashtray eyes” and “antiseptic skies” litter “Brittle Heart,” showing off his considerable lyrical prowess. And “Thin Men Dancing” shakes and swaggers with the kind of shameless bravado that’s been missing since Head Music. Welcome back, Brett, we were afraid that you had gone off the deep end for good.

Rating: 87%

This review originally appeared in Filter magazine.

Washington Restaurants with the Coolest Restrooms

nevinmartell — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:00:35 +0000

It’s not unusual for restaurants to spend a lot of time designing eye-catching open kitchens, but now many places are devoting resources to another space: the bathroom. Here are seven we think are special.
Current Sushi. The unisex stalls at this Dupont Circle lounge are see-through before you step inside, but close the door and the glass-paned walls become opaque with steam. Finally, the privacy you need to play Hanging With Friends and check your e-mail.

The Duplex Diner. Calling all Madonna fans. Montages of the Material Girl cover the walls around the cool commodes at this Adams Morgan restaurant/bar—from the “Vogue” era to the “Erotica” phase and beyond.

Finish reading this article on the Washingtonian website now.

Photograph courtesy of Scott Suchman.

Plate’s Chef Shuffles for the week of Feb. 17

nevinmartell — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:47:31 +0000

Former Le Bernardin Pastry Chef Michael Laiskonis announced he will become the creative director of the Institute of Culinary Education in March. Robert Aita is leaving Fiore to start his own restaurant – possibly called Aita – which should open in three to four months in the old Speakeasy space. Ricky King is now the executive chef of both Hundred Acres and Five Points. A second location of Roberto Santibañez’s Fonda opened, as did Buddha Beer Bar, Brabant Belgian Brasserie, the Spanish-Chinese El Paraiso, Yunnan-focused Chinese restaurant Lotus Blue Restaurant Bar, pasta palace Vucciria, grilled cheese shop Say Cheese and California-based Wahoo’s Fish Taco.

Blue Bottle gourmet coffee is set to open its latest location this weekend. Michael Toscano (Manzo) is on board as a chef-partner at Gabriel Stulman’s Perla, which is currently slated for a mid-March opening. Vegetarian virtuoso Candle Café will open a sister spot – Candle Café West – which has its sights set on April for a debut. San Francisco’s Mission Chinese Food will open a New York location this spring. This summer, Sag Harbor’s Sen will open a local location with Wayne Nish (Nish) in the kitchen.

Finish reading this week’s Chef Shuffles on Plate‘s website now.

Photo of Roberto Santibañez, Fonda

No Loafing Around: Pastry chefs get busy baking, and the proof is in the bread pudding

nevinmartell — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:00:25 +0000

Chefs sometimes have a problem throwing food away. As far back as ancient Egypt, cooks were salvaging leftover loaves by turning them into dessert. These days, bread pudding — a spongy treat often bound together with an eggy cream sauce, dotted with fruits or other sweet morsels, and baked golden — is less about recycling and more about reinvention. “It’s incredibly versatile,” says Maris Justusson, the pastry chef at Againn. “I’ve done tons of flavors, from eggnog to chocolate-peanut butter to banana.” With so many options, bread pudding is one dessert that doesn’t get stale.

Napoleon Bistro & Lounge

The brioche bread pudding ($8) at this Frenchified Adams Morgan brasserie is speckled with bourbon-soaked raisins and drizzled with a rummy, creamy zabaglione custard sauce. Executive chef Yomi Faniyi starts with golden cubes of brioche loaf, which he drenches with eggs, milk, heavy cream and vanilla. After baking this base, he pours on the zabaglione, which he fires with a blowtorch to give it a golden crème brûlée-styled crust. A flurry of powdered sugar, a sprig of mint and a few fresh berries finish off the plate. “It’s a very tasteful, winterish dessert,” says Faniyi, “a nice way to warm the belly on a cold day.”

Napoleon Bistro & Lounge, 1847 Columbia Road NW; 202-299-9630. (Woodley Park)

Finish reading this article on the Express website now.

Firefly Farms President Mike Koch Shares His Ink

nevinmartell — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

“Tattoos are an addiction, because you’re always thinking about the next one,” says Firefly Farms president Mike Koch. The gourmet goat cheese gerent got his first taste of ink when he got a small salamander etched onto his right leg. “There’s a Hindu fable about two male gods that fall in love and turn themselves into salamanders so they can be together,” he explains.

He couldn’t stop with just one, so he moved on to cultivating a full sleeve on his left arm, which showcases earth, air, fire, and water. There are koi, a hummingbird, a goat, purple clematis flowers, and an ancient Native American symbol for Mother Earth.

Finish reading this post and see all the pics on Eater DC now.

Eat By Numbers: Dupont FRESHFARM Market

nevinmartell — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:36:46 +0000

When you dine out, you might think about the ingredients that go into your food, but you probably don’t think about all the numbers that make your meal happen. Restaurants are filled with interesting figures that might not be apparent when you bite into an enticing entrée or take a sip of a signature cocktail, but they’re all around you.

This week we take a look at one of the most vibrant farmer’s markets in the region, where you can buy a plethora of proteins, a torrent of tomatoes, and much more.

Dupont FRESHFARM Market

Years it has been open: 15

Times the market closed due to extreme weather: Zero, not even Hurricane Irene could stop them

Annual visitors: 196,553

Farmers and producers who participate: 42

Average age of participating farmers: 45, the average age of the American farmer is 58

Time farmers get up for Sunday market: Between 3–4am, depending on the road conditions in the winter

Stands that sound like they’re a front for an illicit operation: At least 7, including Fertile Plains Custom Pork, Country Pleasures Farm, the Mushroom Stand, and Pot Pie Farm

Get the rest of the numbers by clicking through to CityEats’ Plate blog now.