Restaurants With Benefits

Posted on by nevinmartell

You don’t need a red carpet or a gaggle of paparazzi to feel like a VIP. Many restaurants offer special services even to nonfamous patrons. “We’ll bend over backwards for guests,” says Kristopher Diemar, general manager at Carmine’s in Penn Quarter, who has run out to buy toys for crying children and arranged to have flowers waiting for couples. “We like to help make special occasions even more special.” Here are our favorite perks and how to access them — no secret handshakes required.

Lending a Hand
When you sit down at this backroom speakeasy for an evening of craft cocktails, you’re given a complimentary hand towel. Delivered steaming hot during the cold months or refreshingly chilly amid the heat, the towels are scented with seasonal essences. Right now, they come with a heady, herbal blend of lemon, lavender and fennel.
Columbia Room, 1021 7th St. NW; 202-393-0220. (Mt. Vernon Square)

Office Space
Business never stops. So, if you’re amid a meal and get a call that requires you to act quickly, just ask to use the restaurant’s business center (available from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.). Equipped with Wi-Fi, a printer and mailing supplies, you can consider it your second office — one where you can order bacon lollipops and tater tots.
Founding Farmers Potomac, 12505 Park Potomac Ave., Potomac, Md.; 301-340-8783.

Finish reading this article on the Express website now.

Photo courtesy of Firefly.

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Urbana Executive Sous Chef Charles Dwan Shares His Ink

Posted on by nevinmartell

Urbana’s executive sous chef Charles Dwan comes from tough stock. “My mom died when I was 10,” he says, before quickly clarifying, “but she’s still with us. Still kicking ass and taking names.” His mother actually flatlined three times after suffering a brain aneurysm, but refused to succumb. That might seem like beating impossible odds to most, but Dwan simply says, “You don’t mess with Mom.” Not even if you’re the Grim Reaper apparently. The giant tortoise shell cross tattoo that covers his entire back is the chef’s tribute to her resilience.

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

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Sneak Peek: Mike Isabella’s Bandolero Pops Up In Cleveland Park

Posted on by nevinmartell

Mike Isabella can’t sit still. His forthcoming Mexican restaurant, Bandolero, opens in Georgetown early this spring, but he wants to give diners a chance to get an advance screening. So he’s doing a pop-up version of the tacos ‘n’ tequila loving concept in Cleveland Park’s Tackle Box.

I got a chance to get a sneak peek, along with talented CityEats shutterbug Elizabeth Parker. Though Isabella and his crew are only temporary guests in the space, they make it feel like their own. Sketches of bull skulls are scattered across the walls and a soundtrack of alt-rock and hip-hop blasts through the room.

Our evening begins with a basket of tortilla chips and featherlight chicharrones – known on this side of the border as pork rinds – which make perfect scoops for guacamole studded with hearty chunks of avocado. I also dip them into the Maya-inspired sikil pak made with ground up roasted pumpkin seeds, then dappled with a shower of sesame seeds and bits of orange.

For my second course, I’m told to choose any three dishes from four categories: Taquitos, Soups & Salads, Tacos, and Traditional. I wasn’t able to make up my mind though, so chef Isabella was kind enough to let me pick out a few extras.

Finish reading this post and see the rest of Elizabeth Parker’s amazing photos over on CityEats’ Plate blog now.

Photos courtesy of the tremendously talented Elizabeth Parker.

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Plate’s Chef Shuffles for the Week of April 20

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Pierre Rougey (Emerson’s) nabbed the chef position at Prandial, which plans to open in the old Justin’s space during the second week of June. Dale Schnell (Setai New York) has been named executive chef at KTCHN. Dustin Taylor (Daniel) is in charge of the menu at the French bistro Chez Moi, which just said “bonjour” to its first guests. Brothers Eric and Bruce Bromberg (Blue Ribbon Restaurants) debuted Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya. The German-Austrian Doma Café has reopened in a new location as Doma Na Rohu. Granduca di Sicilia, Blue Café by Tavalon, the Middle Eastern restaurant Mahzen Grill, pan-Asian Singapura, a second location of Dizzy’s diner, and a new Le Pain Quotidien location all opened.

Kate’s Joint has closed and Lakeside Lounge will shutter at the end of the month.

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

Photo of Bruce and Eric Brombert, Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya.

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Munchie Madness – Six 4/20-Inspired Dishes and Drinks

Posted on by nevinmartell

For pro-pot advocates, the biggest day of the year is April 20th, otherwise known as 4/20. Since puff-puff-passing is illegal in most states, smokers converge on the District annually for the Overgrow the Government rally for the legalization of marijuana. No matter what side of the debate you’re on, we can all agree that mind-blowing munchies are an issue that we can all support. So here are six of our favorite herb-inspired dishes and drinks, so you can celebrate (legally, of course) on this High Holiday.

Rabbit

It’s no shock that a salad shop is overflowing with greens, but it is surprising that one of their leafy creations is inspired by the 1936 anti-pot propaganda film Reefer Madness. The Leafer Madness Cobb ($10) tops Romaine lettuce with grilled chicken, corn, tomato wedges, egg, chive, avocado purée and blue cheese, then drizzles it all with red wine vinaigrette. If you prefer something lighter, you can always go for the Kind Herb ($7), which takes mixed greens and herbs and tosses them with crispy wild rice and vinaigrette. (No, one of the herbs is not marijuana.)

The Inn at Little Washington

You might think you’ve smoked too much when the mooing, cow-shaped cheese cart rolls through the dining room of this five star restaurant, but we assure you that Faira the fiberglass heifer is absolutely real. One of the selections she bears is Up In Smoke (price varies), which borrows its name from the Cheech & Chong film. Made by River’s Edge Chèvre in Oregon, this gourmet goat cheese is wrapped in bourbon-soaked, smoked maple leaves, which gives it a smoky scent and a hazy flavor that Pedro and Anthony would have loved.

Finish reading this post on CityEats’ Plate blog now.

Photo by LancerenoK on Flickr.

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Eat By Numbers: Buddha Bar

Posted on by nevinmartell

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 peek inside Penn Quarter’s dimly lit Buddha Bar, which specializes in sushi, sake, and sexy soundtracks.

Buddha Bar

Buddha Bar locations worldwide: 12

Weight of giant Buddha sculpture: 660 pounds

Height of giant Buddha: 18 feet

Gallons of gold paint used to gild it: Six

Dragon murals: Four, three above the bar and one at the hostess stand

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

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Chef-driven: Local toques have a taste for custom wheels

Posted on by nevinmartell

Pulling into a restaurant parking lot these days can feel like arriving at a vintage car show or a motorcycle rally. Front-and-center parking spaces often showcase eye-catching, customized rides. These wheeled wonders don’t belong to VIP diners though. They’re how the chefs got to work.

Mike Isabella drives a pimped-out purple-and-black Honda Ruckus with chrome rims, an ostrich leather seat, racing tires and Graffiato logos emblazoned on it. Former BLT Steak executive chef Victor Albisu roars around in a restored black 1971 Mercedes 280SL convertible, while Cork Market chef Kristin Hutter favors an apple-red 1970 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Husband-wife team Kyle Bailey and Tiffany MacIsaac of Birch & Barley/ChurchKey prefer modern conveyances, so they each drive a MINI Cooper.

Motorcycles are particularly popular with toques. Cliff Wharton, executive chef at Matchbox in Chinatown, has a 2006 Harley Davidson Night Train. He hits the road regularly with a group of culinary colleagues known as Chefs on Bikes, which has included Brasserie Beck’s chef-owner Robert Wiedmaier, Bayou Bakery’s chef-owner David Guas, Rogue 24’s chef-owner R.J. Cooper, Old Ebbitt Grill’s executive chef Robert McGowan, Passion Food Hospitality partner David Wizenberg and “whoever else wants to ride,” according to Wharton.

Finish reading this story on the Washington Post‘s All You Can Eat blog now.

Photo of Victor Albisu courtesy of Victor Albisu.

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Little Bites: Guillermo Pernot of Cuba Libre’s Empanada de la Casa

Posted on by nevinmartell

Oftentimes chefs don’t want to cook another meal when they get home after an arduous 12-hour stretch behind the burners. But throwing together a comforting snack to help take the edge off the day is another proposition entirely. These scrumptious nibbles don’t require a degree from the Culinary Institute of America to make, but they’re worthy of winning a Top Chef Quickfire Challenge.

This week, Cuba Libre’s concept chef Guillermo Pernot reveals the recipe for his restaurant’s signature empanadas packed with chicken, corn, sweet peppers and Monterey Jack cheese. Making these Cuban street food favorites might sound like a daunting task, but using empanada discs (which can be found at specialty grocers and in the frozen section of many grocery stores) instead of making dough from scratch cuts down on the prep exponentially. That way you can spend your time doing more important things, like gorging on homemade empanadas.

Get the recipe on CityEats’ Plate blog now.

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