Rocky Mountain Meets Northern Virginia: A Different Kind of Oyster Is In Town
Posted by Kate V. Comfort / Friday, May 24th, 2013
Photo by Kate V. Comfort
Oysters are all over Northern Virginia of late: The classic fine dining option is seen raw or Rockafeller, companies dedicated to farming and harvesting Virginia native varieties are showing up at farmers markets, and scientists are singing their praises as an environmentally-friendly option to reduce Chesapeake Bay pollution. And, once a year, a different kind of oyster graces Northern Virginia, the kind that has a taste and tradition all of its own, an American classic “oyster” enjoyed by large swaths of America that are nowhere near an ocean.
Hungry for Linkage: Memorial Day Feasts + Arrested Development Food Moments + Hot Dog Season
Posted by Stefanie Gans, Dining Editor / Friday, May 24th, 2013
Celebrate Memorial Day weekend with a pig roast at Trummer’s on Main or a crayfish feast at Bayou Bakery. [NVMwire]
Top 10 food and drink moments from Arrested Development. [Endless Simmer]
How to know whether to add lemon or lime to your gin. [America's Test Kitchen]
Hot dog season. [Bon Appetit]
8 top rated kosher hot dogs. [Jew & the Carrot]
Joining the NoVA Beer Scene: Adventure Brewing Company Coming to Stafford
Posted by Zachary Westlake / Thursday, May 23rd, 2013
Courtesy of Adventure Brewing Co.
With a flood of new breweries coming to NoVA this year, the micro-brew movement has made its way down I-95.
Adventure Brewing Company founders Tim Bornholtz, Stan Johnson and John Viarella hope to open their brewery in the Stafford area within the year. Zoning restrictions in Stafford County are currently preventing the brewery from signing a lease, but Viarella is hopeful the county will resolve the issue by the end of summer.
“Once we sign a lease, we can get moving,” says Viarella, a human resource representative at a consulting firm. Viarella notes that while he and the other co-founders of the brewery all work full-time, they are still finding time to perfect their brews.
“Right now we’re focusing on getting our recipes right,” says Viarella, noting that at the moment, the brewing is taking place in Bornholtz’s garage. Not legally allowed to sell beer, the guys have been seeking the opinions of friends and fellow homebrewers.
Once moved into a location, Adventure Brewing Company will operate a 3 barrel system, producing a pale ale, IPA, stout and wheat beer. The brewery also plans to have a rotating seasonal brew.
While not planning to bottle or can initially, Adventure Brewing will have an on-site tasting room. Customers can enjoy a pint of their choosing as well as get their growlers filled. Viarella says that there will not be food offered at the tasting room, but patrons are encouraged to bring their own. Viarella is also hopeful to have food trucks outside on the weekends.
Along with the taproom, the brewery is working with a distributor to get their craft beers in local restaurants, though no deals have been made.
Posted by Stefanie Gans, Dining Editor / Thursday, May 23rd, 2013
Rendering of Tom Yum District / Courtesy of Collective Architecture
“Tom Yum District is the first fresh casual restaurant serving authentic Thai flavors in the Nation’s Capital,” claims a press release for the June-opening of the Rosslyn restaurant. With the press release, the firm also sent these insanely addicting peanuts “scented with a house made tom yum chili paste.” The publicist says the Tom Yum team is working on making the treats a grab-and-go snack. Fingers crossed it happens. [NVMwire]
The most pretentious liquor advertisement video to date. Wow, Alacran Tequila, the Big Bang theory? Really? [NVMwire]
Beet “Doritos” and pig-ear cheetos. [Boston]
Iceberg lettuce is back, now in baby form. [NVMwire]
When did it become acceptable to call slices of cauliflower, “steak?” [Amateur Gourmet]
L-Tryptophan, now known for not only putting you to sleep during Thanksgiving, but for eliminating period cramps, says Mayling Kajiya. [NVMwire]
Eat bugs. [Sierra Club]
Opening Tonight: The Front Porch, a Pop-Up From Evening Star Cafe
Posted by Stefanie Gans, Dining Editor / Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
Prepping for the launch of The Front Porch / Courtesy of NRG
Today at 5:30 Evening Star Cafe launches The Front Porch, a pop-up for the summer. (Pop-ups are just starting in NoVA—including one in Clifton—although the concept has been invading cities for the past few years.) The menu, while different from the Southern-influenced Evening Star, extends the same feel with barbecue classics and coastal seafood plates: fry baskets, crab fritters, smoked ribs and a pulled pork platter. Harvesting from Evening Star’s rooftop garden, Chef Jim Jeffords will also offer vegetable sides, including radishes with butter, peas and mint and honey roasted carrots.
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Culinary Clips: What’s up with this Magic Chocolate Carousel?
Posted by Tim Regan / Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
It’s mesmerizing.
It’s magical.
It’s…
It’s…!
Hungry For Linkage: Food Trucks in Alexandria + Free Donut + Astronaut Pizza
Posted by Kate V. Comfort / Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
(Shutterstock/debr22pics)
Not traveling for Memorial Day weekend? Console yourself with a free Key Lime Krispy Kreme donut if you and a friend check in to any Krispy Kreme location today on Foursquare. [KrispyKreme]
City considers permitting food trucks in Alexandria. A great new dining option or an additional complication to the existing parking nightmare? [Patch]
Space age answer to world hunger? NASA funds a grant for the research and development of a 3D food printer. The machine would use “alternative food source options…such as algae, duckweed, grass, lupine seeds, beet leaves and even insects.” Among the first prototypes to be developed is 3D pizza printer. Watch out, astronaut ice cream. [Yahoo]
A third location of Sweet Leaf Cafe opened in the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington this past weekend. Other Northern Virginia locations for the cafe are in McClean and Vienna. [ARLNow]
Peanut Butter and Jelly Crispy Brown Rice Bars. [Endless Simmer]
To counter the 27% unemployment rate across the country La Trobada restaurant in Terrassa, Spain allows customers to work in exchange for meals. The effort keeps the restaurant doors open and attempts to reinvigorate a disenfranchised underemployed community during a crippling recession. [NYDT]
Cocoa Vienna to open this weekend on Church St. [Patch]
On Acting, Cursing and Mustard: Bobby Flay Opens Bobby’s Burger Palace at Potomac Mills Mall
Posted by Stefanie Gans, Dining Editor / Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
Bobby Flay
Flame-haired Bobby Flay traveled to Potomac Mills Mall yesterday to open the first Virginia location of Bobby’s Burger Palace. While local media listened to Flay talk about (and he uses finger quotes) “the burger business,” a line of 30 people formed an hour and a half before doors opened.
I rarely attend media events living life as an anonymous restaurant critic, but when a Food Network star travels to Woodbridge, there must be a witness.
Flay breaks the burger business, and his “fast casual” concept into three factors: burgers, fries and shakes. “I think the burger is the quintessential sandwich,” says Flay, noting his burgers reflect an 80-20 meat-to-fat ratio. He also complimented the flattop, saying grills let the coveted burger juice slip onto the coals, where a continuous surface allows the ground beef to cook in its own juices.
Does this mean we should cook burgers on a cast iron pan over the flames? Well, I didn’t get to ask Flay that question. Instead, I took my brief moment with Flay and asked about Entourage, the least food-related question possible.
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The Reign of El Cachudo: Mike vs. Guajillo Grill’s 4-Meat Burrito
Posted by Stefanie Gans, Dining Editor / Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
Superman is meant to fly. Spider-man is meant to spew cobwebs from his hand. Don Draper is meant to look infuriatingly handsome. And dares are meant to be met, even if the challenge is outrageous, especially for a week night.
My co-worker Mike, the designer of Relish, the food section’s print pages, came with my husband and me to Guajillo Grill in Arlington. In the middle of the menu, boxed in red, we stared at the description for El Cachudo:
“We challenge you to take on the BIGGEST, BADDEST & HOTTEST burro de la casa. Get 4 types of meat, rice, beans & yummy voo-doo salsa. If you finish it, it’s on us!”
Mike looked at the menu. He saw his calling.
He tore through the flour tortilla pulling it to the side of the plate. He dug right into the shredded, identifiable meat. With every bite, the voo-doo salsa became hotter. Mike ate tortilla chips in between bites to cool his burning tongue.
Mike did not finish the burrito. El Cachudo won.
Posted by Lindsey Jenkins / Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
Zigzag Mountain Art/ Shutterstock.com
Emily Nichols Grossi, Em-i-lis Catering owner, will hold a free canning and preserving seminar tomorrow at Twins Ace Hardware in Fairfax. [Fairfax Patch]
RGIII fans purchase kitchen goods for the quarterback’s wedding registry. [Yahoo]
Bobby’s Burger Palace opens today in Potomac Mills. [Woodbridge Patch]
A match made in food heaven: find out which chips pair well with your favorite sandwich. [Food Republic]
Five D.C. area restaurants, including NoVA’s TNT Bar, make special cocktails for fans to win a chance for tickets to The Rammy Awards‘ June 23 Gala. [NVMwire]
Andrew Zimmerman interviews Yelp Director of Affairs, Luther Lowe. [Eater]
Kellogg introduces new (low calorie) brand, Special K Nourish. [HuffPo]