Posts Tagged ‘Fredericksburg’
Posted by Warren Rojas / Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
It doesn’t get much more mom-and-pop than Fredericksburg’s Bistro Bethem:
(Image: Aby Bethem)
Northern Virginia native Blake Bethem, a Marine Corps vet turned Johnson & Wales grad, manages the back of the house while his wife, Aby, deals with the front/business side of the hospitality equation. Bethem deals primarily in classic French gastronomy, but also pays tribute to the local foodshed by featuring seasonal ingredients and some Southern accents.
WR: Salt. Pepper. What other spices/herbs could you not live without?
BB: Fennel seed and coriander.
WR: What’s the very first dish you ever mastered? How long did it take? Do you still make it today?
BB (as related to/by Aby Bethem): I will answer with gelato. (May not be the first, but it’s a good example). It was a passion of his [Blake's] to master an ice cream recipe starting in 2005. We researched and spent a considerable amount of money on a high end ice cream machine. Then it took many months of ‘tweaking’ the recipe for the base, so that it held correctly in our freezer, the way we serve it, flavor, etc. Finally, I remember the exciting day when he decided we had it figured out. More of a gelato style. Yes, we serve a lot of it. A staple component to our dessert menu. Now it’s more about experimenting with the flavor combinations. I saw a bag of mini marshmellows [sic] come in yesterday, so…
WR: What seasonal ingredient(s) get your creative juices flowing?
BB: Pea shoots. A glimpse of spring. Bright, green, fresh, etc. Gets you excited thinking of all the new fresh things that will be available soon. This past weekend, we had quail with a wild rice and pea shoot stuffing. Salmon topped with wilted pea shoots. Used as a garnish/topping.
WR: My latest cookbook obsession is …
BB: Momofuku by David Chang. I think it’s more about the philosophy being used.
“Momofuku is the anti-restaurant. The food eludes easy, or really any, classification. There is a focus on good technique, on seasonality and sustainability, on intelligent and informed creativity. But it is deliciousness by any means that they’re really going for.” – Peter Meehan
That motto is something that Blake has always done with our menu, it’s just seeing it in such a lovely book. Items I have seen incorporated on our menu recently: confit of fingerling potatoes, kim chi
WR: What’s the most challenging dish you’ve ever attempted? Would you make it again?
BB: Foie Gras Tourchon–because there are a lot of factors that if not done perfectly will cause the dish to fail. Kind of like baking: it’s delicate, time consuming, temperature is the key. Yes, he will make it again and again.
WR: If I could the spend the day working alongside any local chef, I’d love to collaborate with …
BB: Terrence Gallivan, he is a close friend and a talented chef. Chef Gallivan grew up here in Fredericksburg. He worked in several restaurants in town during high school. After high school and during his early 20’s he worked with Blake at the restaurant here, (before we owned it), Bistro 309. It was with Blake that he realized that he wanted to go to culinary school. He has with hard work, drive and dedication worked in very reputable New York city restaurants. Working together is not something that would be relevant any time in the close future. I guess in a “maybe” situation, they would explore a “pop up” restaurant concept together, many years down the road–just for fun.
WR: What’s the easiest/quickest–but still wholly satisfying–meal you make for yourself?
BB: English muffin with peanut butter. Simple, quick, protein and out the door. When you cook all day for others, you tend to not cook at home.
WR: In the next six months you won’t want to miss my …
BB: Desserts
WR: It’s quitting time. I’m pouring myself …
BB: Domaine du Salvard Sauvignon Blanc from Cheverny, France or Hendrick’s gin and our house-made tonic.
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Chef, not to hasten your retirement from Bistro Bethem or anything, but we LOVE the pop-up restaurant plan.
Come back next Tuesday for another helping of Red Meat.
–Warren
Posted by ryan / Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
I have no idea who comes up with these obscure holidays, but I’m definitely not complaining. Thursday Feb. 24 has been pronounced National Chili Day, and Hard Times Cafe wants everyone to try its famous recipe for free. The only stipulation is that you have to purchase something in order to get a bowl. This could be anything though, including a beverage.
There are seven in this region alone. Look for the one nearest you.
1404 King Street
Phone- 703-837-0050
3028 Wilson Blvd
Phone- 703-528-2233
4069 Chain Bridge Rd
Phone- 703-267-9590
314 Jefferson Davis Hwy
Phone- 540-899-6555
7753 Sudley Rd.
Phone- 703-365-8400
6362 Springfield Plaza
Phone- 703-913-5600
14389 Potomac Festival Plaza
Phone- 703-492-2950
One day only! Try to take advantage of this while it lasts.
-Ryan Robertson
(image: Hard Times)
Fredericksburg’s Restaurant Week 2011
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, January 18th, 2011
From Jan. 14-24, Old Town Fredericksburg will play host to their 5th annual “Restaurant Week“. The idea is to indulge on reasonably priced three-course meals from some of the town’s finest restaurants that are actually owned by the head chefs themselves. Lunches are set at just $10.08, while dinners are only $20.08. Special menus showcase house specialties. All patrons can enjoy the freshest local ingredients at some of the top “farm to table” restaurants in the country. This historical town has a lot to offer in return for your visit, you won’t regret the trip down I95.
Reservations are recommended, but not required for this event.
Participating restaurants include-
* Barefoots–B&G Seafood
* Bavarian Chef
* Bistro Bethem
* Capital Ale House
* Jake & Mike’s
* Kenmore Inn
* Kybecca Wine Bar
* La Petite Auberge
* Otter House
* Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen
* Virginia Deli
-Ryan Robertson
(image:www.fredericksburg365.com)
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, October 7th, 2010
(Image: The Craving Project)
Those still engrossed in passe food trends will be thrilled to learn that low-fat, frozen yogurt shops–the sweets-slingers of choice from, oh say, five years ago–appear to be making a comeback/staging a last stand here in NoVA:
* Bluberi burst onto the Centreville/Clifton scene (5760 Union Mill Road, Clifton) about a month ago and have been serving up their particular brand of frozen–four main flavors: plain, bluberi (tangy, fruit-spiked blend), green tea (herbal) and rotating (mango, raspberry, strawberry, chocolate, peach cycle through for about a week); field about 2 dozen specialty toppings, including: jimmies, pomegranate seeds, diced pineapple, m&ms, etc.–and liquid (hot/iced/bubble teas, yogurt smoothies) refreshment ever since;
* La-La Land export Pinkberry is hoping its forthcoming Fairfax Corner shop–scheduled to debut at 11942 Grand Commons Avenue on Friday, October 22–will serve as a springboard for a planned invasion of the Mid-Atlantic market; and,
* South Korean-born Red Mango plans to reinforce it’s local presence–they laid down roots with outposts in Clarendon and Fredericksburg–by venturing into Vienna (431 W. Maple Ave.) and courting Shenandoah University (1460 University Drive, Winchester) and University of Mary Washington (1301 College Ave., Fredericksburg) students, in the near future.
Bring on the brain freeze!
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, December 28th, 2009
(Does GPS work indoors?)
Lord knows the Wegmans folks have done their part to foster a fiercely loyal constituency here in the Commonwealth, launching six titanic stores in almost as many years–with another monolithic shopping depot planned for Fort Belvoir.
But when I saw Chowhounder Joe Heflin’s rant about Leesburg’s dizzying new addition, I decided to do some digging.
Sorry, Joe, but Leesburg ain’t the biggest lot in Wegmans’ 75-store (and counting) empire.
Fairfax continues to wear that crown.
A Wegmans spokesperson confirmed that the Fairfax location currently boasts the most square footage (143, 957) in the grocery chain, with Fredericksburg (139, 398) and Leesburg (138, 655) rounding out the top five biggest stores.
The Wegmans aide declined to provide any sales figures for our local stores (against company policy), noting only that “our stores in Northern Virginia are among our busiest.”
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, July 13th, 2009
Today marks the debut of a new, semi-regular feature, Just A Taste–an early look at just-opened local restaurants.
We kick off the series with Las Palmas Cafe, a family-run, Caribbean-style eatery that sprung up in downtown Fredericksburg this June.
Proprietors Willie Soto and Jeanette Reyes-Soto, plus their seven kids (imagine Jon and Kate without all the televised vitriol), are the lifeblood of this brightly decorated, cheer-inducing property.
The walls and chairs are painted lemon yellow and turquoise, respectively, bathing the narrow but fairly deep expanse in vibrant colors. The floor is bedecked in polished wood and tile–slick surfaces ideally suited for their Friday night salsa parties. Meanwhile, a blackboard-treated wall spells out daily specials for curious passersby.
The menu boasts a decent roster of Puerto Rican classics, ranging from traditional tostones (fried perhaps just a tad too long; here’s to hoping the arid ones I encountered were simply an anomaly) and alcapurrias (ground beef and plaintain roll-ups) to codfish salad and pernil asado (roast pork).
Lunch options include an array of value-priced sandwiches, among them a passable Cuban (roast pork needs more mojo, the ham was bland), and savory empanadas (shredded chicken put the seasoned beef to shame; now, how about working up some homemade hot sauce?).
Was disappointed there were no fruit-based batidos or merengadas sloshing around in whirring blenders during my visit. But Reyes-Soto assures me they know their way around some frozen drinks (pineapple, guava, mango and pina colada)–with more to come once they get their liquor license squared away.
Meanwhile, they also carry canned Goya nectars in a variety of tropical flavors (mango, guava, strawberry-lime).
707 Caroline St., Fredericksburg; 540-372-7256; www.laspalmascafe1.com
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday, late-night dining Friday.
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, March 30th, 2009
This guy has been a fan of Pollo Campero
ever since the Central American fried chicken giant burst onto the local dining scene with their traffic-stopping Bailey’s Crossroads outpost.
When they first arrived, the incredibly long lines kept me impatiently at bay. And I must admit I was a bit perturbed by their morally ambivalent mascot (for more on hospitality logos gone Hannibal Lecter, go here).
But all my reservations flew out the window once I got a hold of the signature chicken (crackling, herb-rubbed skin, juicy white meat), vibrant sauces (zesty symphonies of tomatoes, smoke and roasted peppers) and daringly delicious side items (bacon-spiked pinto beans, Spanish rice, savory tostones).
Those who’ve not yet sampled this alterna-bird can do so this Thursday, when the company offers up free chicken sandwiches (fried or grilled; 1 per customer) as part of a new promotion.
The giveaway is good at all their D.C.-Metro locations. To find a store near you, look here.
–Warren Rojas