Where’s the Buffalo: My First Time With Bon Chon
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Friday, April 20th, 2012
“It’s like rock candy,” Jolleen finally blurted out. She’d been struggling to explain exactly what makes Bon Chon such a winner. Why it’s so much different than other chicken wings. Why we should happily wait almost 45 minutes for one order. She smiled and tossed her long hair behind her shoulder and laughed. We sat at the bar and waited.
Jolleen, Lorin and I passed the time gawking at other customers’ orders, discussing whether or not we should have ordered French fries and how exactly I can stimulate hair growth. I’m getting married this year and girl needs some long bridal locks.Our stomachs were fairly satisfied though from our first dinner: large bowls of soup from Lighthouse Tofu, dense with clouds of tofu and meaty mushrooms.
The wings arrived, a mix of hot and soy garlic, wings and drumsticks. A a little bowl of pickled, cubed radishes, crunchy, a little sweet, a little salty and perfectly necessary between bites of a hot, hot wing.
My teeth snapped through the thick crust before tearing through the soft meat. I liked the idea of my wings battered like an onion ring. Plus, it made for a not particularly saucy or messy affair, as wing eating normally promises. I stopped after two wings though. Something was missing.
Bon Chon is a novelty. It builds expectations with delayed gratification. It fulfills its promise as a different kind of wing. It’s good. It’s really good.
But I’d still rather leave with my face painted in Buffalo sauce.
Photo: Stefanie Gans
Wine-d Down: News and Events for the Grape-Loving Lush
Posted by Sally Traynham / Friday, April 20th, 2012
While California’s marijuana-laced wine gets smokin’ reviews (Happy 4/20 dudes!), here are some local events for everyone from the beginner to the lush:
Bitch and Whine every last Thursday of the month at Jackson 20‘s special local wine tasting. Next week (4/26) features wines from Breaux Vineyards. [Jackson 20]
Take a trip around the world while adventuring through international wines at Olde Dominion Wine Shoppe this weekend. [Olde Dominion Wine Shoppe]
Get away for the weekend. The Winery at La Grange is hosting a weekend of live music and sangria. Bring a picnic or choose from its own menu. [Winery at La Grange]
Want to get a bit further away? Check out the Blue Ridge Oyster Festival featuring two new wine releases with proceeds from the event and silent auction benefiting the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Blue Ridge. [Blue Ridge Oyster Festival]
Winemaker Wednesday starts next week to get you through the mid-week hump. [The Frenchman's Cellar]
Need a perfect at wine pairing at home so you don’t have to pay the big bucks? Popcorn shrimp is the perfect partner. [VWL Magazine Newsletter]
Have some family fun at Barrel Oak Winery this weekend with live music on the patio, gourmet pizzas and great wine. [Barrel Oak Winery]
Photo: Lichtmeister/Shutterstock
[tips for the food desk]
Cereal Offender: Breakfast Grains Rival Sweets in Sugar Content
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Thursday, April 19th, 2012
Studies have shown that skipping breakfast is not a great idea, especially for school-aged children. But, is cereal a great way to start the day? The Environmental Working Group published a study that looked at eighty four of the most popular cereals and the findings are quite shocking.
According to the study, “In nearly three dozen popular children’s cereals, sugar makes up more than one-third of the product by weight”. In some cases, it’s better to eat cookies rather than a big bowl of cereal for breakfast. And in a recent 60 Minute segment, sugar was labeled toxic.
Cereal vs. Snack Comparisons
- One cup of Honey Smacks packs more sugar than a Hostess Twinkie
- One cup of any of fourty four other cereals has more sugar than three Chips Ahoy! cookies
- Most cereals fail to meet federal government’s proposed voluntary guidelines
Click below for the worst cereal offenders and some alternatives.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Sally Traynham / Thursday, April 19th, 2012
Congrats! Jose Andres is honored by Time as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. [WaPo]
Pizzeria Orso announces it will add brunch starting Memorial Day weekend. [FallsChurchPatch]
Farewell to junk food in schools? Yesterday, the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project released poll results in which 80-percent of the 1,010 polled adults said they would support nutritional standards limiting the calories, fat and sodium in such foods. [Reuters]
This weekend, eat with a cause at restaurants donating to local food organizations. [NVM]
New to the (Arlington) neighborhood Pines of Italy is applying for a live entertainment and dancing permit, but it looks like Arlington County Board will defer the request. [ARLnow]
Check your fridge. Dole Food Co. recalled 756 cases of Seven Lettuce bagged salad due to a potential salmonella risk. [McLeanPatch]
Kraft goes green by cutting 45 million pounds of weight from the packaging of their products since 2010. [psfk]
Earth Day is Sunday, check out these tips for prepping your garden and what to plant and where to buy seeds. [NVM]
Starting on Earth Day, Whole Foods will no longer sell fish caught through from damaged waters or damaging methods. Say goodbye to tuna salad. [USAT]
Photo: Petr Malyshev/Shutterstock
[tips for the food desk]
Posted by Sally Traynham / Wednesday, April 18th, 2012
I always feel better about eating out when I have an excuse. Whether a birthday, a holiday, or an anniversary, it’s easier to justify the amount of food I eat at a restaurant—I seem to have a slight portion control problem—when I know why I’m eating.
This week, we don’t feel bad. Here are two places that invite you to chow down, with proceeds benefiting great causes.
Tomorrow, April 19, Restaurant 3 is kicking off their summer patio pig roast series, which will take place every third Thursday of each month through September 20. Infamously known for their love of pork, enjoy the spring weather and a pig-focused menu with sides and drink specials—like $3 draft beers and $5 bacon Bloody Marys. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA), a nonprofit organization that documents, studies and celebrates the diverse food cultures in the American South.
Busy until the weekend? Dive into the 5th Annual Hank’s Oyster Fest at Hank’s Oyster Bar where you will be able to feast on all-you-can-eat oysters among other signature items this Saturday, April 21st. Wash them down with a selection of premiere beers and stay for dinner, which will feature special guests from local oyster farms and beverage brands that will be offering tasty beer pairings. 10 percent of sales will be donated to Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR), an organization that promotes the education, advancement and connection of women in the culinary world.
For more details or for other food events, check out our Food & Wine Calendar!
Photo: Suzanne Tucker/Shutterstock
[tips for the food desk]
Palates Behind the Plate: Latiya Kompimay of Duangrat’s
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Tuesday, April 17th, 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: Duangrat’s
2011 Rank: #47
Executive Chef: Latiya Kompimay
NoVA’s best dish:
A couple of plates from Pizzeria Paradiso are my favorites: Insalata Mista, Antipasti plate, and the “Atomica” pizza.
Never would I ever eat:
There aren’t many things I won’t eat but I don’t care much for pungent bamboo shoots.
After work grub:
I stock up on Trader Joe’s frozen finger foods and organic chips.
At home cooking:
Last meal cooked at home was for my husband and I this past Sunday and it was Panang Beef Curry which is a red coconut basil curry.
Burger, burrito or bánh mì:
Burgers, as I like to grill them at home.
Photo courtesy of Eddie Duangrat
[tips for the food desk / follow @JoeyHndz]
Hops Are Hot: Mad Fox Brewing Company Nominated for Hottest Bar Scene
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
The kids are cool out in Falls Church, at least that’s what the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) says.
Mad Fox Brewing Company was nominated for a 2012 RAMMY award for Hottest Bar Scene of the Year, the only NoVA restaurant selected for this category. Other nominees include Black Jack,The Hamilton, Hill Country Barbecue Market, and Marvin.
Unlike Chef of the Year (NoVA Nom: Anthony Chittum, Vermilion) or Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year (NoVA Nom: The Ashby Inn & Restaurant), Hottest Bar Scene is selected by the people. Public voting is open now through April 29. Awards will be presented at a gala on June 24th.
You can use this link to vote for NoVA’s craft beer hangout. NoVA props. Whaaaat Whaaaat!
Photo: Jonathan Timmes
If It’s Too Good To Be True: Tempura and Soup
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Monday, April 16th, 2012
Tempura. Udon. Broth.
We were sold. How could something breaded and fried work in a soup? We didn’t know but were stoked to find out, at the recently renamed MiRak in Chantilly.
Turns out, our excitement quickly vanished as the battered sweet potato’s bread crumbs slid off the (under-cooked) orange rectangle and into the MSG’d liquid below.
If it’s too good to be true…
Photo: Stefanie Gans
Posted by Sally Traynham / Monday, April 16th, 2012
NoVA is in a constant state of evolution—from building new metro stations on the Silver line and the stream of high-rises that keep popping up in the Clarendon area. Our dining scene is no different.
Here are some updates to keep you in touch with all of the changes that might effect your eating habits:
Arlington Ridge shopping center welcomes welcomes future tenets: SweetFrog Frozen Yogurt and Starbucks. [ARLnow]
Occasionally Cake opened its second store in Old Town. [MountVernonPatch]
Chipotle (is slowly taking over the world, one store at a time and) moves into the Lee Heights shopping center. [ARLnow]
A sneak peak of Clarendon’s Bronx Pizza new design. [ARLnow]
Construction for a new Costco in Mount Vernon begins. [MountVernonPatch]
Oby Lee Winery and Coffee Shop to open in Clarendon. [ARLnow]
Photo: kaarsten/Shutterstock
[tips for the food desk]
What Would Jesus Eat: Restaurants’ Christianity and Gay-Bashing
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Friday, April 13th, 2012
Washington City Paper’s Chris Shott (who is <wipe tears away> leaving his post for New York) dove into the politically-charged act of eating Chick-fil-A. The Georgia-based fast food chain’s foundation has donated to anti-gay rights organziations, or as Shott put it, ”groups whose espoused views on gay rights lie somewhere along the spectrum between Rick Santorum and Kirk Cameron.”
Gay-rights supporters now regularly boycott eating at Chick-fil-A, refusing to give money to a business that doesn’t share their philosophy.
The debate started in the city after the announcement of a forthcoming Chick-fil-A food truck from Kevin Singletary, current owner of two Chicks in Maryland. “Chick-fil-A really is a neutral organization,” Signletary told Shott. “The company is founded on biblical principles…”
But Chick-fil-A isn’t the only restaurant serving a higher power.
ARLnow.com reports that the Richmond-based frozen yogurt chain SweetFrog will open at the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center (2901 S. Glebe Road), and already has multiple NoVA locations. The fro-yo shop was opened under Christian ideals; from its website:
SweetFrog was founded on the principles of Christianity and our belief in bringing happiness and a positive attitude into the lives of our consumers. At SweetFrog, F.R.O.G stands for Fully Rely On God – and we hope to be an example of that in every community!
Cracker Barrel was famous for its anti-gay employment policies. When the founder died earlier this year, the New York Times wrote it into the first line of his obit:
Danny Evins, who created Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, a restaurant heavy on grits and nostalgia, expanded it into a $2 billion chain and then fought a losing battle to discriminate against gay employees, died on Saturday in Lebanon, Tenn.
With the uptick in very public religious displays from politics (Rick Santorum) to football (Tim Tebow) it seems that Jesus will continue to find a home nestled in the crevasse of a waffle fry.
Other NoVA restaurants founded under Jesus? List them in the comments.
Photos: CURAphotography/Shutterstock.com (Jesus); Sue Yang/Shutterstock.com (sandwich); terrible photoshopping by Stefanie Gans
[tips for the food desk / follow @gansie]