The Ten: Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Posted on October 22, 2012 by nevinmartell

Photo by Elizabeth Parker

So many choices, so little time. The Ten is your guide to the best of the best that D.C. has to offer.

We’ve started digging out our sweaters and using the briskness as a talking point during conversational lulls, so we want something hearty and heartwarming when we go out to eat. Nothing is more universally comforting on a chilly autumn day than a good grilled cheese sandwich. So we rounded up 10 favorites that are a perfect panacea for shivers and S.A.D.

Founding Farmers

The triple threat at this cradle of comfort food with locations in Foggy Bottom and Park Potomac is packed with Muenster, white cheddar and Gruyere. It comes with a cup of roasted tomato soup that’s perfect for dipping.

Ripple

The Swiss Bank Account at this Cleveland Park wine bar is the 1% of grilled cheeses. That’s because translucently thin prosciutto and creamy, cellar-aged Challerhocker cheese are slathered with truffle butter before the sandwich is grilled golden brown.

Lunchbox

Bryan Voltaggio forgoes the molecular gastronomy of Volt and keeps it simple at his canalside grab ‘n’ go in Frederick. For his grilled cheese, thick slices of Tilamook cheddar are bookended between fresh slices white bread. Just like Dad used to make when he was in charge of dinner.

The Big Cheese

It’s a truck that sells nothing but grilled cheese sandwiches – genius! Our favorite is the Cherry Glen, which uses creamy chèvre from its namesake then spreads on a sweet, citrusy lemon fig jam.

Grilled Cheese & Co.

The Sweetest Thing at this Catonsville hot spot will convince you that grilled cheese can be dessert. Golden-griddled triangles of thick white bread hold together creamy mascarpone cheese, raspberry preserves and gooey melted chocolate chips, which nicely offset a thick layer of funky brie.

Find out the rest of the top ten by clicking over to CityEats’ Plate blog now.

Pop Stars: Restaurants Craft House-made Sodas

Posted on July 27, 2012 by nevinmartell

If you’re looking for sodas on Founding Farmer’s menu, look in the Farmacy section.

That’s where the Potomac, Maryland, restaurant lists its house-made scratch sodas like lemon-lime, hibiscus, and vanilla, as well as New York egg creams, a Manhattan-style pop perked up with coffee and espresso, and a rotating cast of old fashioned phosphates.

The only commercially produced options are Coke and Diet Coke, which are not as popular here as their multibillion dollar advertising campaigns would lead you to guess.

Chief mixologist Jon Arroyo—you could call him the other king of pop—estimates that his handmade bubblers account for 70 percent of all soda sales.

Over at Washington, D.C.’s modernist Italian hot spot Elisir, seasonally inspired house-made sodas like rosemary-pear and strawberry-rhubarb sell at a three-to-one ratio compared to their commercial counterparts.

General manager Justin Kraemer oversees the pop program, which he views as an extension of the restaurant’s craft bar approach and a philosophical obligation.

“It’s a cop out to sell mainstream sodas if you have the ability and knowledge to make something better,” he says.

Finish reading this story on the Restaurant Management website now.

Pop Stars – Restaurants will fill your cup with fizzy fruit juice and herbs

Posted on June 9, 2012 by nevinmartell

A new trend is bubbling up: Restaurants are making their own sodas in-house, without the high-fructose corn syrup, the preservatives or the weird additives you usually gulp. Cool off this summer by ordering up one of these refreshments — in sizes even New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg would approve of.

Founding Farmers

From-scratch sodas are so popular at this farm-to-table restaurant’s Potomac location that they outsell Coke and Diet Coke combined. Chief mixologist Jon Arroyo wants to drop commercial colas entirely, so he’s been working on his own version for more than a year. “It’s the hardest soda to make,” he says. “Just think of all the artisanal colas you like. There probably aren’t any.” The good news is he’s already nailed the pineapple pop ($5), which includes a squirt of lime juice and fresh mint. 12505 Park Potomac Ave., Potomac, Md.; 301-340-8783.

Finish reading this article on the Express website now.

Restaurants With Benefits

Posted on April 26, 2012 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.

Dream Cheese: Our Favorite Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Posted on March 5, 2012 by nevinmartell

Spring is almost here, but there still may be frosty days on the calendar. Keep comforted by enjoying one of these cheesy sandwiches.

Fiola

Fabio Trabocchi is best known for the white-tablecloth cuisine at his Penn Quarter dining room, but he does blue-collar classics just as well. His grilled buffalo-mozzarella-with-basil sandwich accompanies a steaming bowl of rustic Tuscan-style tomato soup.

601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-628-2888

Bob & Edith’s Diner

For more than 40 years, this 24/7 roadside diner has been using white bread and orange American-cheese singles to make grilled sandwiches that taste like what you probably had as a five-year-old—and are still good at any hour.

2310 Columbia Pike, Arlington; 703-920-6103

Finish reading this article on the Washingtonian website now.

Photo courtesy of nettsu on Flickr.

Kernel Wisdom: Spices and skillet skills make popcorn the star of your Academy Awards bash

Posted on February 24, 2012 by nevinmartell

There is an element of unpredictability to the Oscars. Will Billy Crystal fill out a tux as well as James Franco? If Meryl Streep wins, will Rooney Mara take her down with a golf club? Can a silent movie dominate a ceremony where people can’t stop talking? Still, there is one guarantee: The night will go long. That’s why we’d recommend serving up a few bowls of homemade gourmet popcorn before the epic telecast begins.

For a top pop, start with killer kernels. Corporate chef Joe Goetze at Founding Farmers (1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; 202-822-8783) uses so-called “mushroom” popcorn in his restaurant’s rotating menu of popcorn flavors (salt and vinegar; barbecue spice; ranch). The kernels puff up to twice the size of your average Orville Redenbacher ones. The bigger, more toothsome variety is sold at gourmet supermarkets such as Wegmans and Whole Foods, or online at sites such as Popcorncounty.com.

To make the best bowl of corn, use a flat-bottomed pan or skillet with a tight-fitting lid (sorry, microwave!). Woks and other curved cookware don’t work well, because the kernels clump together at the bottom and heat doesn’t distribute evenly.

Finish reading this article on the Express website now.

Photo by DawnVGilmorePhotography on Flickr

Eat By Numbers: Founding Farmers – Potomac Park

Posted on December 21, 2011 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 tackle the new Potomac Park outpost of locavore-lovin’, American comfort food mecca Founding Farmers.

Founding Farmers – Potomac Park

Founders of Founding Farmers: More than 42,000, made up of a collective of American family farmers from across the country, investment partners, staff, management and the operational team

Farms providing what you’re eating: Around 20

Duck sculptures hanging from the ceiling: 13, including a hot pink one

Orders of bacon lollipops sold a week: 55

Eggs used every week: 6,300

Find out the rest of the numbers by clicking over to CityEats’ The Plate blog now.

Photo courtesy of Greg Powers.

Go Eat An Egg: The Easter Bunny Has Landed in Washington

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Nevin Martell

While the kids are foraging for plastic, candy-filled eggs on Easter, adults can enjoy the real deal. All over town, the elliptical edibles are breaking out of their shells to star in atypical dishes such as pizzas and burgers. “Eggs are versatile, and you can use them a million different ways,” says PS 7′s chef and owner, Peter Smith. “They are a perfect food.” So, forget run-of-the-mill frittatas from the brunch buffet on Easter. These creative dishes will have you clucking your approval.

Carmine’s
Head over to this Italian eatery to score a hard-boiled egg without having to take out a kid or two. It’s customary in the old country to serve a sweet, brioche-like round bread at dinner known as pane di pasquai (Easter bread). This symbolic circle of dough has a hard-boiled egg baked into its center and a cross of dough laid over the egg to represent life and faith. “We want to help keep traditions alive,” says chef Terry Natas. “It’s all about teaching the next generation about what Italians have been eating for hundreds of years.” Speckled with colorful sprinkles, Natas’ loaf is complimentary for anyone dining at Carmine’s on Easter Sunday — but it’s available only that day, so reservations are recommended.

» 425 7th St. NW; 202-737-7770.

Read about my other…wait for it…egg-cellent picks over on the Express website now.