Posted by Sally Traynham / Wednesday, April 11th, 2012
Sushi-making robots for the future. [Inside Scoop SF]
Did you catch Food Network’s Chopped last night? David Guas, chef mastermind behind Bayou Bakery in Arlington, competed in this secret ingredient cooking competition. Don’t worry, we won’t tell you what happened. Check out a rerun to see how it ends. [Eater]
Hop Chef! No, we didn’t mean Top Chef. Seven local chefs will be challenged to prepare dishes that pair well with a Ommegang beer. The local winner will then move on to the grand Hop Chef competition. NoVA chefs include: Jamie Leeds of Hank’s Oyster Bar, Mark Marrocco of Magnolias at the Mill and Will Artley of Pizzeria Orso. [WaPo]
Burger King unveils a bacon sundae that will go for a test run in Nashville (and hopefully not make its way to NoVA) amongst other new menu changes. [Huffington Post]
David Weber, President of the NYC Food Truck Association, releases The Food Truck Handbook, a how-to-succeed in the mobile-food scene, a bound-to-be best seller in our food truck-crazed society. [SF Gate]
Restaurant 3 opens for patio pig roasts next Thursday (4/19) with $5 pulled pork sandwiches, $3 Porkslaps and $5 Bacon Bloody Marys. [NVM Wire]
Pie charts get a tasty new meaning. [Mostly Cabbages]
Photo: svry/Shutterstock
[tips for the food desk]
For Your Breadless Sanity: Gluten Free Matzo for Passover
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Tuesday, April 10th, 2012
Hallelujah people. Hallelujah. I found a way to help you get through the lonely bread-free days of Passover.
My uncle recently started a gluten-free diet and decided to continue it during Passover. He brought over a gluten-free matzo that I was sure would taste even worse than what my mom usually buys. Somehow, this gluten free “matzo-style” matzo is so much better.
It’s crisper. It’s saltier. It actually has some flavor. It’s like more like a cracker and totally feels like cheating.
I’m not exactly sure why this gluten-free matzo is not allowed for “sacramental purposes” (see box above) but it is labeled as kosher for Passover, so we’re going with it.
Treat it like a cracker and top it with a slather of avocado and a smidge of sardine. Leave the real stuff to matzah brei, either savory or sweet.
Photo: Stefanie Gans
[tips for the food desk / follow @gansie]
Where to Find a Seat and a Deal: BiteHunter 2.0, Crowd Sourced Restaurant Deals Near You
Posted by Sally Traynham / Monday, April 9th, 2012
An occasional series on restaurant deal sites (and apps).
BiteHunter—an app with a foursquare-mind that offers real-time restaurant discount deals—released the 2.0 version of its app this past Thursday. Originally launched back in June 2011, this most recent upgrade introduces a new visual interface with a stream-lined layout and allows users to snag deals easily with a one click purchasing option.
But what sets it apart from all the other discount sites in NoVA? Let’s look at the pros and cons.
It’s good because…
- Your location is used to find restaurant near you.
- The app aggregates discount deals from many of the popular sites (such as Groupon and LivingSocial) and displays them in one place.
- It also shows Yelp reviews, which we all depend upon in making dining decisions.
- It’s a one click, easy payment to buy the deal through the app.
- It could be useful if you are traveling to a new place and want to dine locally on a budget.
- The filter search system allows you to look at restaurants by location, best deal, highest reviews or type of restaurant.
People might not like it because…
- Users can only see restaurants in the area with deals (other restaurants who don’t participate don’t show up).
- Higher-end restaurants don’t (usually) do restaurant deals.
- Most deals purchased (Groupon, LivingSocial, Restaurant.com, etc) cannot be used the same day.
- The new photo-grid is a bit over-whelming (but the map and list layouts are much better).
While you won’t find the likes of Restaurant Eve on this list, this app is for the diner who is looking to find new digs in the neighborhood or those who thrive on grasping cheap dining deals.
Photo: Sally Traynham (screenshot)
[tips for the food desk]
Palates Behind the Plate: Adil Akhter of Curry Mantra
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Monday, April 9th, 2012
Chef Adil Akhter on right and assistant cook cook George Fernandes on left
A series dedicated to the palates behind NVM’s 2011 Fifty Best Restaurants. We know what they serve, but what do they eat?
Restaurant: Curry Mantra
2011 Rank: #49
Executive Chef: Adil Akhter
NoVA’s best dish:
There is a Thai restaurant in Falls Church it’s called Dungrat’s. I order the chicken with basil leaf.
Never would I ever eat:
I don’t eat steak.
After work grub:
After a busy service, I cook for the staff. So, last night I cooked mixed vegetables with lamb.
At home cooking:
A couple of nights ago, I cooked chicken kadai for my family.
Burger, burrito or bánh mì:
Burrito, for sure!
Photo courtesy of Asad Sheikh
[tips for the food desk / follow @JoeyHndz]
Posted by Sally Traynham / Friday, April 6th, 2012
The dining scene in Clarendon is ever expanding with the recent opening of Green Pig Bistro, the further development of Bronx Pizza and welcomes Oby Lee Winery and Coffee Shop as a future tenet. [ARLnow]
Food with a cause: Olive Oil to Empower Women [WaPo] and CiCi’s Pizza in Fredericksburg is raising money for the Special Olympics [FredericksburgPatch]
Rice Paper Vietnamese Cuisine settles in at the Eden Center. [Washingtonian]
An update on the problems in Del Ray’s Pizza paradise after the Alexandria Planning Commission’s meeting at City Hall. [DelRayPatch]
Shirlie’s Girls Night Out, a new monthly event at the Village of Shirlington, kicks off this month with shows, cocktails and restaurants specials. [ARLnow]
Should you really be using that reusable grocery bag? [Washingtonian]
Find all of your Easter needs for this weekend in NVM’s Spring Break Guide.
Photo: Dubova/Shutterstock
[tips for the food desk]
Spring Break Food Fun: Seeds for the Vegetable Garden
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Friday, April 6th, 2012
Need more spring break ideas? Check out the full NoVA Spring Break Guide.
After spending some time deciding on the perfect area for the vegetable garden, it is now time for the fun part: what to plant?
First: Start with what would be most useful for the hungry souls in the family. We are huge tomato lovers in our family so we had over four varieties of tomatoes last year and over fifty tomato plants in our yard plus other veggies and herbs. Perhaps, fifty tomato plants is a bit much for the non-tomato lover but we found it easy to consume.
Second: Consider when you will plant, the amount of maintenance needed and the amount of light certain vegetables need. While some vegetables like green onions and mint are low maintenance they can quickly take over your garden.
Third: Decide the importance of staying away from pesticides and chemicals and speak to your local garden center expert in regards to environmentally friendly ways to keep critters away from the garden. While we had tons of tomatoes to share it’s always heartbreaking when you share the harvest with chipmunks and squirrels – after all they do not help with the gardening process.
Where to find seeds, vegetable seedlings and plants:
Maple Avenue Market, Vienna
For organic seeds, organic potting soil and organic heirloom vegetable seedlings.
Read the rest of this entry »
A Girl Can’t Eat With One Mouth Alone: Dining Intern Wanted
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Friday, April 6th, 2012
The Food Desk at Northern Virginia Magazine is looking for dining interns for the summer session. We want a writer, an eater and someone who can drive to Chantilly a few days a week.
Interested? Details here. Apply today.
Spring Break Food Fun: Tequila Bar Round Up
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Thursday, April 5th, 2012
Need more spring break ideas? Check out the full NoVA Spring Break Guide.
Nothing screams Spring Break more than tequila. While not all of us can take an island trip to indulge in tequila shots and margaritas, here are a few local tequila spots that will satisfy the spring break tequila craving:
Red Rocks Cafe and Tequila Bar, Centreville
Offers over one hundred and twenty six varieties of tequila.
El Tio Tex Mex Grill, Gainesville and Falls Church
Creator of the “Machorita”, large frozen lime margarita served with a 7oz coronita beer inside.
Guajillo, Arlington
Combines El Jimador tequila and jalapenos to make its “El Fuego” margarita.
Rancho El Paso, Warrenton
The Sangrita Margarita is the newest drink on their menu combining a homemade sangria and Gold Tequila.
T’Kila Latin Kitchen & Bar, Aldie
Whether it’s the house margarita or top shelf, they all start with T’Kila’s hand squeezed lemon-lime mix.
Mango Mike’s, Alexandria
Offers Mangorita’s Happy Hour from 4pm to 6pm every day.
photo: Shutterstock/Triff
[tips for the food desk / follow @JoeyHndz]
Spring Break Food Fun: DIY Easter Brunch Recipes
Posted by Sally Traynham / Thursday, April 5th, 2012
Need more spring break ideas? Check out the full NoVA Spring Break Guide.
Too late on reservations? Don’t want to spend money on a pricey Easter dinner? Why not hang out at home with the family and make brunch instead.
Here are some (relatively) simple, yet elegant DIY Easter Brunch Recipes to mix-and-match.
Breakfast Dishes:
Baked Eggs with Wilted Baby Spinach [skinnytaste]
Smoked Salmon Hash with Dill Vinaigrette [Food Network]
Carrot Cake Pancakes [smitten kitchen]
Hot Cross Biscuits [Joy the Baker]
Lunch Dishes:
Spiced Honey and Lemon Baked Ham [abc]
Cheese, Leek & Herb Souffle Casserole [Martha Stewart]
Palates Behind the Plate: Cuyler Thomas of Carlyle
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Wednesday, April 4th, 2012
A series dedicated to the palates behind NVM’s 2011 Fifty Best Restaurants. We know what they serve, but what do they eat?
Restaurant: Carlyle
2011 Rank: #37
Executive Chef: Cuyler Thomas
NoVA’s best dish:
Fried oysters with pickled ramps at Restaurant Eve.
Never would I ever eat:
I am pretty adventurous. There is nothing I would never eat or at least try once.
After work grub:
Hong Kong Sea Bass
At home cooking:
I recently cooked shrimp and lobster sliders and duck pate with green peppercorns for my son Adam’s First Confirmation.
Burger, burrito or bánh mì:
Bahn Mi. It’s fresh, crisp and full of flavors and textures. I also love the pickled veggies!
Photo courtesy of Lori Castagna
[tips for the food desk / follow @JoeyHndz]