Posts Tagged ‘charcuterie’
New Toque Adds Mystique to Cheesetique
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, December 21st, 2009
Cheesemonger Jill Erber is thrilled with all the culinary embellishments chef Joshua Andrus has wrought–a roster which, to date, has included homemade soups, assorted quiches and gourmet flat breads–since assuming control of the Cheesetique kitchen in late October.
But she is most excited about what he’s pledged to add to the carte later this winter: house-cured charcuterie.
“It’s really more about finding the time to fit that in as well,” Erber said of the plan to add signature pates, terrines and aged meats to the wine and cheese shop’s snacking arsenal.
Andrus, an alumnus of D.C.’s fabled minibar, has certainly beefed up the wine bar’s offerings. But Erber insists the focus will always be on “approachable” cuisine.
“We’re not here to truffle people to death,” she stressed.
–Warren
Living the American Dream at La Fromagerie
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, April 13th, 2009
According to nascent entrepreneur Sebastien Tavel, things at his new Old Town Alexandria gourmet shop, La Fromagerie, are going pretty well.
A Rhone Valley-transplant with decades of professional cooking experience, Tavel
threw open the doors to his modest cheese/wine/charcuterie shop just a few weeks back. But he swears the foot traffic is already on the uptick thanks to early repeat customers and positive word-of-mouth.
Tavel hopes to foster the spread of both brand-affirming phenomena by ramping up his wine holdings (currently keeps a few dozen moderately priced bottles on hand) and hosting cheese tastings/dining demos once he’s able to carve out a dedicated tasting nook.
In the meantime, patrons can avail themselves of all manner of dairy deliciousness, including:
organic yogurt from Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, hand-crafted crott from Brad Parker’s Pipe Dreams Farm in Pennsylvania, herbs de provence-spiked goat cheese from CaroMont Farm, applewood-smoked mozzarella from Leesburg’s Blue Ridge Dairy or whole milk from Trickling Springs Creamery.
If cheese seems like mere gastronomic foreplay to you, feel free to get hot and heavy with Tavel’s other savory selections, including:
organic pork jowls from La Quercia, Virginia country ham and hickory-smoked bacon from the pork-loving Edwards clan, spicy plum or erhubarab chutney from the Virginia Chutney Company.
Or pick up a can of Mary Tavel’s (nee Powell)–she’s the cheery blond bouncing around the shop with the infectious grin–family’s “blister-fried” peanuts.
Though it’s probably easier for local shoppers to reconcile supporting a French-run business (just don’t tell GOP-firebrand Bob Ney) than it is to endorse North Carolina-grown nuts here in the Old Dominion.
–Warren Rojas
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, March 13th, 2009
Would that prime cuts of beefs and charcuterie could save our flagging economy.
(Photo: Laurent Jung)
Because this area boasts a slew of custom meat purveyors par excellence.
Tallula/EatBar ex-toque Nathan Anda left the Arlington gastrohub last summer to develop his own charcuterie concept, which has since evolved into the Red Apron Butchery. Though he’s still scouting final locations for the shop–something Anda hopes is “weeks, not months away”–Anda already envisions a full-service facility replete with homemade sauces, gourmet foodstuffs and exotic proteins.
“It’ll be an experience, going in there,” Anda insists. He plans to specialize in “stuff that isn’t available everywhere,” tossing out pig ear terrines, cured lamb bellies, handmade lardo and trotters as potential impulse buys.
In the meantime, Anda’s current catalog (cured meats, homemade hot dogs) will be available for retail purchase at Planet Wine and officially debuts in Buzz‘s panini line. Anda is also firming up his relationships with various local farmers markets, estimating that he’ll make the rounds to the weekly Ballston, Penn Quarter and possibly one other open-air showplace beginning early next month.
Anda is also talking with fellow Neighborhood Restaurant Group chefs Anthony Chittum (Vermilion) and Frank Morales (Rustico) about weaving some of his wares into their menus.
“Hopefully, in the coming months, he’ll be using my pepperoni,” Anda said of the spicy sausage he’s developed for Morales’ gourmet pies. He also plans to make his products readily available to incoming Tallula chef Barry Koslow–though he suspects the charcuterie-savvy Koslow will not want for jaw-dropping snackables.
“With Barry coming in, it’s [Tallula] going to be awesome,” Anda predicts.
Meanwhile, Robert Wiedmaier’s new gourmet shop, The Butcher’s Block should be up and running shortly. Chef Chris Watson will oversee a gourmet retailer (along with the fledgling BRABO/BRABO Tasting Room) poised to offer fresh breads, wild game and a bevy of Belgian beers.
Down the road in Del Ray, Aussie butcher Stephen Gatward has developed a loyal following at Let’s Meat on the Avenue by serving up hard-to-find items (kangaroo meat, anyone?) as well as neighborhood necessities (smoked dog bones).
For those who enjoy a a dash of intrigue with their entrails, the mercurial Jamie Stachowski continues to peddle his cured goodies in the darnedest places (next delivery: tomorrow at noon).
And I would be terribly remiss if I didn’t give a nod to the gourmet links that spring from the mind of improbable sausage baron, Stanley Feder.
We’ve never had it so good.
–Warren Rojas
