June 26: Your Sunday Afternoon Guide

Posted by clara / Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

It’s not too early to start planning (and saving up for) that perfect day out with your special someone. We took a look at some of the best events happening in the Arlington area, and figured out an itinerary for the day. Mark your calendar because June 26 has events you won’t want to miss.

From 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., eat the best pie a la mode you ever had… because you made it yourself. Sur La Table is giving lessons on how to make pie dough from scratch and how to get your ice cream to the perfect, well, cream. The menu of the day includes: nectarine-blackberry galette, peach-ginger pie with almond crumble, salted caramel ice cream and strawberry-mascarpone ice cream. The cost is $69 per ticket.

Shutterstock/ Susan C Fields

But what better way to top off dessert than to go see a show? Just down the road starting at 2 p.m. is the Synetic Theater’s Don Quixote. Reviews are celebrating this production and the actors for their “soul engaging performances” and “darkly brilliant personifications.” The heart-wrenching story’s is retold in a combination of dance, lighting, costume and music, and costs $25-$50 per ticket.

Image Courtesy Synetic Theater

Interested in the development of Columbia Pike? They’ve got an open design studio from 1 p.m – 6 p.m. at Penrose Square off of Barton Street. You’ll have just enough time to head over an give your input after the show.

But where to get dinner? Surely you’ll be hungry after your adventures. Eventide Restaurant has just opened their roof and lounge for Sunday dinners. Chef Adam is also going to offer Sunday Specials. This starts at 4 p.m., but if  you want to stop by the Columbia Pike project, then you’re ETA will be closer to 6 or 6:30 p.m. Dish prices vary, from $5 to $40.

Photo by Jonathan Timmes

Whether you take the day as a whole or in bits and pieces, we hope you enjoy some of these Arlington treats!

–Clara Ritger

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, June 7th, 2010

The 2010 RAMMYS kicked off with a strong start last night, glammed up for the evening with its Casablanca theme based on their own version of the famous line “We’ll always have…restaurants.”  Northern Virginia made a respectable showing – with 2941 taking the award for Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year and the Pastry Chef of the Year to its Anthony Chavez.  Vermilion claimed the trophy for Best Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year.

Anthony Chavez of 2941 accepts his award as Pastry Chef of the Year

In the past, the awards ceremony took place during a seated dinner.  But the 2010 RAMMYS is introducing a new format with a theatre-style ceremony followed by buffet-style dinner in the main ballroom.  Chef Liam LaCivita of Liberty Tavern (and nominee as Rising Culinary Star) says yes to the latest changes.  It was quick, he says.   LaCivita is currently busy with the recent opening of Northside Social, a coffee and wine bar in Clarendon.

Theatre style seating for the new RAMMYS format

The table of 2941 also reports glowing praise of the new format.  Executive Chef Bertrand Chemel says the RAMMYS of 2009 had been a disaster as it seemed like people didn’t care.  But he found this year’s set-up to be much more “tasteful.”  (Yes, he did use that exact word, but I don’t think he knew how much his unexpected pun delighted me!)  Chemel says that the new format shows that it is more about the event than the party.

However, Anthony Chittum, Executive Chef of Vermilion might disagree.  He was not a fan of the changes, saying it was too chaotic.  I was surprised when he told me that he had to stand during the ceremony as there were not enough seats.

Miles Vaden, Executive Chef of Eventide, had the same problem.  I’ll attest to that as I was standing on the side of the show right next to him.

I didn’t have the chance to survey every guest, but from the handful of reactions I gleamed, I may have recognized a pattern.  Those nominees left without a chair in the house were less inclined to embrace the new style.

RAMW President Lynne Breaux absolutely loves the theatre-style format and reports a positive consensus.  She concedes that with any new thing, we will have to tweak it to make it better in the coming years.  For RAMMYS 2010, she says people paid attention to what was important.

Scott Drewno, recipient of the Chef of the Year title, especially appreciates not having to worry about going up on stage with spinach in his teeth.

Anthony Chittum and his girlfriend, Dominique

In other exciting news, Anthony Chittum tells me he is headed to Crete for some culinary research.  I hope we get to see some of that Greek influence in their next Outstanding in the Field dinner, an evening of al fresco dining set for September 12^th. (Opa!) In the meantime, Chittum and his girlfriend, Dominique recommend we try Duangrat’s Thai Restaurant in Falls Church, a traditional family restaurant which they say is not recognized enough.

- photos and story by Jamel Daugherty

NoVA Chefs Heed White House’s Call

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, June 4th, 2010

(Image: James Beard Foundation)

The South Lawn was flooded with a sea of toques this afternoon as chefs from every state descended on the White House to show their solidarity for Michelle Obama’s “Chefs Move to Schools” campaign.

The program aims to enrich school lunch programs by encouraging trained chefs/food service professionals to “adopt” a public learning institution and then work towards improving the quality of meals served to students.

“You can teach kids to cook something that tastes good and is good for them; and share your passion for food in a way that’s truly contagious,” Mrs. Obama told the assembled chefs. She also stressed that participating chefs would hardly be going it alone.

“When you go into the schools … work closely with our food service professionals to support the work that they do every day. They’re looking forward to getting some extra help–they need it–doing everything from teaching basic cooking skills in the cafeteria to encouraging healthy choices in the lunch line. But it’s got to be a collaboration,” Obama counseled.

Early reports from the White House suggest that roughly 1,000 chefs and 500 schools have signed on to the nascent program.

A quick scan of chefs who had signed on to “Chefs Move” through Share Our Strength showed approaching 40 hospitality vets from all around Virginia, including several do-gooders that should be very familiar to our readers:

* Cathal Armstrong/Restaurant Eve

* Will Artley/Evening Star Cafe

* Chris Ford and Clayton Miller/Trummer’s on Main

* Justus Frank and Miles Vaden/Eventide

* David Guas/DamGoodSweet

* Steve Mannino/Rustico

* Dennis Marron/Grille at Morrison House, Jackson 20

* James Watson and Robert Wiedmaier/BRABO

Most of the chefs we spoke to were still in the process of selecting their adoptive school. But all seemed enthused about the possibility of giving back in a whole new way.

–Warren

NoVA Well Represented in 2010 RAMMY Race

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

(Image: RAMW)

Restaurant awards season is now officially underway, with the James Beard Foundation unveiling its 2010 finalists yesterday and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington shining a light on the D.C.-Metro area’s culinary superstars today.

Though they are two very different competitions, there are at least one pair of hometown hopefuls in the running for both the national Beard Awards and local honors: restaurateur Jose Andres–whose minibar has him in contention for a Fine Dining RAMMY and Beard’s Outstanding Chef award–and CityZen pastry chef Amanda Cook (nominated for her delectable sweets by both hospitality scrutinizing bodies).

Meanwhile, Northern Virginia restaurants figure prominently in nine of the 14 RAMMY categories, including:

* Fine Dining: 2941

*Upscale Casual: Liberty Tavern, Vermilion

* Neighborhood Gathering Place: EatBar

* New Restaurant: Eventide, Inox

* Chef: Bertrand Chemel/2941

* Rising Culinary Star: Liam LaCivita/Liberty Tavern, Shannon Overmiller/The Majestic, Jon Mathieson/Inox

* Pastry Chef: Anthony Chavez/2941, Josh Short/Buzz (Neighborhood Restaurant Group)

* Wine Program: 2941

* Beverage/Mixology Program: EatGoodFood Group (AKA Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve/PX/The Majestic fame)

You can browse the full list of 2010 RAMMY nominees here. The winners will be feted June 6th during an awards gala at the Marriott Wardman Park.

Northern Virginia Magazine would like to congratulate all the nominees–yes, even you D.C. restos–and wish you all the best of luck on awards night!

–Warren

James Beard Award Semifinalists Announced

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Outstanding Restaurateur

* Ashok Bajaj, 701/Ardeo/Bardeo/Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca/The Bombay Club/The Oval Room/Rasika – D.C.

Outstanding Chef

* Jose Andres, minibar – D.C.

Image: SF Weekly

Outstanding Restaurant

* Vidalia – D.C.

Rising Star Chef of the Year

* Johnny Monis, Komi – D.C.

Best New Restaurant

* Eventide

* J & G Steakhouse – D.C.

* Trummer’s on Main

Outstanding Pastry Chef

* Amanda Cook, CityZen – D.C.

Outstanding Wine Service

* Restaurant Eve

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional

Image: Jonathan Timmes

* Derek Brown, The Passenger – D.C.

Outstanding Service

* Marcel’s – D.C.

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic

* Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve

* Tony Conte, The Oval Room – D.C.

* Melissa Close Hart, Palladio at Barboursville Vineyards

* Peter Pastan, Obelisk -  D.C.

* Dale Reitzer, Acacia

* Vikram Sunderam, Rasika- D.C.

* Bryan Voltaggio, Volt – Md.

The five finalists in each category will be unveiled March 22, with the winners honored at the May 3^rd Beard Foundation awards gala in New York.

–Aisha Salazar

Spider Kelly’s Creeping Into Larger Digs

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Clarendon bar hoppers will have another super-sized option to consider once Spider Kelly’s completes a planned expansion into the vacant units that currently separate it from upscale sibling, Eventide.

The lateral move–Spider Kelly’s co-founder Nick Freshman confirmed that they’re annexing the spaces once occupied by specialty shops Clarendon Watch, Orpheus Records and K.A.T video–will also give Freshman (general manager at Eventide) and Nick Langman (co-owns Spider Kelly’s and the adjoining Clarendon Ballroom) an entertainment monopoly on the 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard.

Freshman declined to offer an official debut date–”We have just started demolition, so the best I can say right now is we will open sometime in 2010,” was the best he could muster–but agreed that the move should put Spider Kelly’s on par with neighbors Liberty Tavern, Clarendon Ballroom and Eventide (square footage-wise, anyway).

No word yet on how the real estate raid will affect SK’s food or beverage options.

–Warren

NoVA Bows to Southern Favorite

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

(Image: Jonathan Timmes)

While the food cognescenti busy themselves with prognosticating next year’s restaurant trends, we’d like to slow things down a bit and simply give thanks for the sudden revival of one of our all-time favorite dishes: fried chicken and waffles.

We first stumbled upon the best-of-all-possible-worlds soul food staple last summer while poking around the Shenandoah Valley, but have since seen the dish (or fanciful variations thereof) pop up everywhere from the Wine Kitchen’s dinner carte to Restaurant 3‘s retooled brunch offerings to Eventide‘s just updated lounge menu.

If this trend continues, we fully expect 2011 to be a banner year for terrific eating.

–Warren

Eventide Rolls Out Bar Reinforcements

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Seems thirsty patrons have been showing Eventide‘s first floor so much love, management would like to respond in kind.

Expect more substantial dining options–a line-up which is set to include: lobster pot pie, chicken and dumplings (in sage gravy), butternut squash-risotto fritters and (be still, my beating heart!) fried chicken and waffles; local favorites like herb french fries, barbecue bison sliders and homemade soft pretzels are also sticking around–to crop up on the lounge menu over the next few days.

Eventide GM Dave Pressley says the full menu should be implemented by Wednesday, October 28.

–Warren

Even Stephen

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, June 18th, 2009

Eventide Mixologist Balances Hot Nights With Cool Drinks

By Natalie Bovis-Nelsen (AKA: TheLiquidMuse.com)

Photography by Moshe Zusman

“Eventide” is the old English term for the hours of waning sunlight between late afternoon through nightfall. And there is no better place to enjoy those moments when we balance the bustle of work with sips of leisure than Eventide’s recently opened rooftop lounge. Bar manager Stephen Warner balances vodka infused with spicy jalapeño and the soothing coolness of cucumber—a great way to beat the heat of the day, while turning up the dial for a fiery evening.

Paletas Fizz
1 ounce cucumber-infused vodka
1 ounce jalapeño-infused vodka
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce egg white
1/2 ounce jalapeño syrup (see below)

Shake all ingredients vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds. Strain into an iced highball glass, and top with club soda. Garnish with a fresh cucumber curl.

Jalapeño syrup
1/4 cups Demarara sugar
3/4 cups plain sugar
2 cups water
4 jalapeños, sliced
1 ounce vodka

Mix all in small saucepan.

Bring to a boil and reduce down by 1/3. Strain, cool and bottle.

(June 2009)

Throwing Open the Dining Awards’ Floodgates

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

(Image: Zazzle)

Fellow food scribe Tim Carman wonders whether anyone will be genuinely surprised by the Washington City Paper’s forthcoming “Best of D.C.” picks, particularly as they pertain to the coveted Best Restaurant tag:

Carman suggests that he’s much more jazzed about the Best New Restaurant battle, laundry listing the 25 contenders–roughly 1/3 are from Virginia, including still green properties like Eventide and BRABO–and urging readers to weigh in on the recent hospitality boom.

Having recently sewn up our Best New Restaurants coverage (appearing in our May issue), I was intrigued to see whom Carman et al. are eyeing from across the Potomac. Conversely, his post also reminded me that I desperately need to increase the frequency of my exploratory trips into Hot Chocolate City, lest I lose further touch with the District dining heavies.

Of course, we’ll all be hearing LOADS about the “BEST NEW” this-and-that for weeks to come, as awards season is now in full swing.

Yesterday, the James Beard Foundation nominees were handed down (gala slated for May 4 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall).

Tonight, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington will make known the candidates for the 2009 RAMMY Awards (gala slated for June 7 at the Omni Shoreham).

Thursday, the City Paper releases its readers takes’ on local toques.

And our round up of the most interesting newcomers to the restaurant landscape should be revealed the week of April 23 (you can reflect on our 2007 list here).

So, all you armchair food critics and amateur dining sleuths might want to skip on over to your favorite “undiscovered gem” one last time.

Because it’s unlikely to remain that way for much longer–especially if us awards-flinging media types have our way.

–Warren Rojas