Get cozy and shake off Jack Frost with our favorite hot chocolates.
Artfully Chocolate. Sixteen diva-inspired drinks vie for your attention. Our favorite is the Rita Hayworth, infused with clove and orange, then crowned with whipped cream zigzagged in caramel.
Ceiba. This silky sipper showcases south-of-the-border spices such as canela cinnamon and fiery cayenne pepper and comes crested with a house-made marshmallow.
Finish reading this article on the Washingtonian website now.
We’ll start with the Italians, who ruled this week. Lady Gaga’s father, Joe Germonatta, and Art Smith (Art and Soul) opened Joanne Trattoria. Two pizza palaces began welcoming guests: Don Antonio by Starita and Numero 28 Pizzeria Napoletana. And Stuzzicheria converted into the sandwichery Pane Panelle, by the same owners. Hummus & Pita Co., the Asian-themed gastropub The Toucan & The Lion, the Greek-ish Thymari, and a second location of Ted & Honey Café at Bldg 92 all opened. Cassa Hotel has partnered with Laurent Tourondel to open a BLT American Brasserie.
Shanna Pacifico confirmed her new kitchen’s name; Back Forty West will open in the old Savoy space with a menu similar to the original Back Forty. Michel Richard is scouting addresses for a new Central location. Dani Garcia and Yann de Rochefort will open an outlet of the gastrobar Lamoraga this fall. Tom Colicchio will take over the restaurant space at the former Bull’s Head Inn in the Hamptons to open a new veg-centric concept called Topping House Rose. Francois Payard will open a third FPB bakery in the next six months. And changes are afoot for the old Elaine’s space, which will be the site of a casual fine dining restaurant from the owners of The Parlor Steakhouse this fall.
The Cobble Hill location of Sweet Melissa Bakery, Sam Bahri’s Steakhouse and Dallas Jones BBQ have all closed. Ellabess is set to close following Valentine’s Day after less than a year in business; guests at the Nolitan Hotel will get complimentary delivery service from nearby restaurants while Epicurean Management works on a new concept, set to open this spring.
Finish reading this weeks’ Chef Shuffles over at Plate‘s website now.
Unless you’ve had a chance to spend some time dining in the Windy City, you probably haven’t had a chance to enjoy David Posey’s award-winning cuisine. As Blackbird’s chef de cuisine, he focuses on highly refined dishes that focus on subtly woven flavors presented in artful compositions. Sounds like someone else we all know.
Reading over Blackbird’s menu, one finds a subtle synchronicity between Posey’s creations and those that RJ is earning acclaim for at Rogue 24. Both chefs enjoy taking something simple like a butternut squash soup, then elevating it to unscaled heights. A version of Cooper’s that I once enjoyed included fresh wild herbs and a delicate vegetable consommé, while Posey dots his iteration with bits of brined peach and roe. By no means are the two men doing similar dishes, but I’m guessing that Posey will feel right at home in the centerstage kitchen.
1st course
Smoked hamachi tartare/daikon/apple
The meal begins with a dish that Posey tells us is in development for the menu back home. Crispy cider-braised daikon accompanies a circle of hamachi tartare and a swipe of buttermilk puree. The flavors are clean – almost monastic – except for the acidic and apple-y radish.
2nd course
Sea bass/chorizo/parsnip/clam/pear
A hint of cinnamon, miniature bay leaves and a pair of snappy chorizo chips break off the shackles on this otherwise restrained dish. Pear and parsnip add a sweet undertone, which pairs well with the clam hidden below the tender fish filet.
3rd course
Octopus confit/chestnuts/fingerlime/fennel
Chef Posey comes over to introduce this dish, which incorporates chestnuts two ways (pureed and crisped), delicate chili threads, blanched baby fennel and a paper-thin sliv of fingerlime. The multitude of micro-ingredients fill the bowl with flashes of mantis and kelly green, carmine red and blush pink.
Finishing reading this play-by-play on CityEats’ Plate blog now.
Normally noon is one of the busiest times in RIS chef-owner Ris Lacoste’s day as she deals with the onslaught of the lunch rush. But on a warm, sunny Wednesday in early February, she took off her toque and stepped out of the kitchen. A couple dozen people dressed in business attire, but wearing sneakers, were waiting for her in restaurant’s foyer. For the next hour, Lacoste would take a break from cooking to lead them on three-mile hike through Georgetown as part of her new RIS Walk 60 program.
As the procession heads down M Street past cupcakeries and ice cream shops, the chef talks about the personal crises that inspired this initiative. Her mother passed away in 2010 from heart disease and Lacoste could see herself heading down a similar path. “I’ve battled weight my whole life,” she says. “I lose 20 pounds, then I gain 30. I’m on the classic rollercoaster.”
Her demanding schedule at RIS left her little time in the day to devote to working out, so she began thinking about ways she could inspire herself to exercise. “We in the restaurant business give out 24 hours a day,” she says. “I have a difficult time doing things for myself.” She realized that if she involved other people in her venture, it might inspire her to stay focused on her goal of getting fitter.
Finish reading this on CityEats’ Plate blog now.
Sometimes you walk away from a meal with more than a full belly.
Many restaurants like to send guests home with a small souvenir of their visit. It can be as simple as a box of toothpicks, but it might be a gourmet goodie or a gift that ties into the eatery’s ethos.
By thinking outside the matchbox, these freebies can build a brand, create customers or highlight promotions.
“First impression is lasting, but so is your last impression,” says Olivia Young, a spokeswoman for Marea in New York City. To make sure that diners leave on a high note, female customers (“We’d never say no to a gentleman who asks,” Young assures) at dinner service are sent away with an individually wrapped currant muffin topped with brown butter streusel made by pastry chef Jim Eckler.
“If we gave out small boxes of truffles, guests would probably eat them when they left, while they were still full,” Young explains. “We wanted to make a treat that they would look forward to enjoying the next morning.”
The restaurant gives away about 120 muffins daily, which cost about 60 cents each, for a total of $26,000 annually.
Finish reading this article on the Restaurant Management website now.
Sunday is a day of rest in many countries, but not in Italy. That’s when families gather in the kitchen to prepare epic dinners that bring generations together. For those who crave a feast — but not the intense provisioning, cooking and cleaning necessary to create such large meals — a host of local Italian restaurants salute the Sunday mealtime tradition with special menus that highlight Roma classics. And it’s even more fun when you bring your friends and family. “People can be loud and pass food around,” says Carmine’s chef Terry Natas. “The idea is to relax and enjoy yourself.”
PS 7
Chef-owner Peter Smith recently got his hands on a cookbook handwritten by his great-grandmother. “She was Italian, but my grandmother [her daughter-in-law] was German,” he says. “This was her saying, ‘You’re marrying into this family, so this is what you need to know how to cook.’” These recipes are the foundation for the restaurant’s Sunday-styled dinners that happen every other Thursday. (The next one is Feb. 23.) Dishes include creamy linguini carbonara dotted with chunks of pancetta ($12.50) and deep-fried arancini rice balls filled with a melted mélange of mozzarella and ricotta dotted with micro slivers of salami ($6.50).
PS 7, 777 I St. NW; 202-742-8550. (Gallery Place)
Finish reading this story on the Express website now.
In New York City…
Christophe Bellanca is the new executive chef at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. Greek taverna Yefsi Estiatorio opened with Christos Christou (Milos) in charge. The Mexican sandwicheria Tortaria, the French bistro Bisoux from Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr (Balthazar), the vegetarian Turkish joint Cigkoftem, Med-styled seafood restaurant Celestino, the Latin grill Super Linda, the lobster-lovingClaw, events venue and eatery The Wayland, diner-ish The Linc, Am Thai Bistro, and a new location of One Girl Cookies all opened.
Masa’s Nick Kim and Bar Masa’s Jimmy Lau will debut their small plates and sushi concept, Neta, by the end of the month. This spring Burgersmith will open in the old Faan space and Max is setting up a Brooklyn location.
Etrusca at Hilton New York will shutter next month; a new concept will replace it eventually.
Finish reading this weeks Chef Shuffles over at Plate‘s website now.
Until minibar expands this summer, there are only six seats at the celebrated restaurant-within-a-restaurant. So when José Andrés and Ruben García announced that they were doing 50 seats a night for five nights at Rogue 24, a foodie frenzy erupted. Tickets sold out in less than an hour, turning the dinner series into the hottest show in town. Giada De Laurentiis could have offered make out sessions in by the front door and guys would have trampled over her if a seat opened up.
I have to admit that I was more than a little thrilled when I heard that the two chefs would be taking part in the series. No matter how jaded you are – though I retain my childlike wonder when it comes to great food – this was going to be a special treat.
But when I walked into the restaurant that night, I was yearning for more than a phenomenal meal. Burdened with bad news, I desperately wanted an elevational experience. I craved transportive tastes that could whisk me away from the troubles of the day to a momentary alternative universe. It’s a lot to ask of anyone; perhaps it’s even selfish and unfair. I admitted as much to my wife, who was joining me for dinner that evening. “Good, bad, it’s all life,” she reminded me.
1st course
Olive oil bon bon/caramel
The opening number looks like a blazing meteor frozen in mid-flight, its contrail shooting out behind to form the perfect place to pick it up. Placing this celestial lollipop on my tongue, I let it sit for a moment before crunching down. That shatters the delicate caramel casing and releases a warm rush of olive oil, which mixes with the grains of perky vinegar salt lingering on the edge of this delicate comet. The flavors evaporate quickly, cleansing the palate pleasantly.
***2nd course
Dragon’s breath kettlecorn
“You must look at each other while you eat this,” our server instructs as he places tiny balls of caramel popcorn dipped in liquid nitrogen in front of us. Wispy mist rises from them as we pick up the cool cubes and pop them in our mouths. Beginning to chew, the faux smoke escapes Snoop style and we both giggle like we’ve just taken an instantly intoxicating Vaporizer hit.
Finish reading my play-by-play over on CityEats’ Plate blog now.