Posts Tagged ‘Neighborhood Restaurant Group’
Neighborhood Restaurant Group Exploring Rotating Pop-Up in Del Ray
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Wednesday, April 25th, 2012
In the fall of 2009, Mike Isabella was still wise-cracking his way through season 6 of “Top Chef.” He still cooked under the José Andrés empire. And he still hadn’t exploited the pop-up concept to promote his countless—one, two, three, four (?), five (?), twenty-five (?)—new restaurants in Washington, D.C. Pop-ups are the new cupcake: once a trend, now a staple.
But in this region, pop-ups were still underground three years ago. So underground, that when Michael Babin, owner of Neighborhood Restaurant Group (Vermilion, Evening Star Cafe, Rustico) used the patio adjacent to Planet Wine for Red Apron Butchery charcuterie, salami and paninis, he didn’t even know how to categorize the Canteen. “I’m not sure we knew that we were supposed to call it a pop-up back then,” says Babin of his short-lived patio party.
The weekend-only pop-up lasted for a month and a half, which was just as soon as the landlord caught on. When he started demanding rent for the unoccupied space, Babin closed it down, “If we’re paying the rent he wants, then we’d only be doing this to benefit him, so we stopped.”
But now that Babin bought the property six months ago, he’s thinking about resurrecting the concept with month-long pop-ups staring NRG chefs. Babin’s vision would include building a utility kitchen in a small building in the back of the patio, filling the 50-by 40-feet space to the right of Planet Wine with picnic tables and topping it with a retractable awning.
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Evening Star Café Re-Opens TODAY!
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, December 8th, 2011
Out of the loop on Evening Star Café?
The 15-year old restaurant in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria has been closed for the past month while undergoing fun and communal renovations. Today, December 8, the restaurant re-opens with a revamped look, new menu and new chef Jim Jeffords.
Doors open to the neighborhood today to reveal a refurbished space — original wooden banquettes still line the walls, but a new center with bold blue, plush benches boost the seating capacity to 60. New lighting and artwork by local artist Rick Singleton brings a retro feel with old junk turned into new art, in particular, an old Erector set that hangs the lights from the original ceiling in the dining room.
If you look around the restaurant, you’ll notice small vintage details from unique light fixtures made out of old metal to the trophy display on the back wall of the Majestic Lounge bar (the trophies were donated by community members and date back to 1901).
A light fixture made out of vintage jars hangs over the Majestic Lounge's bar.
As a matter of fact, everything about the renovation process has involved the community, from old trophy donations to a yard sale to sell the old furnishings from the pre-renovated restaurant, to a cocktail-naming night that will take place a couple weeks after today’s opening.
The Evening Star menu still features classic-meets-modern American comfort food, but with a more Southern tone. The back bar (dubbed “The Majestic Lounge”) now features 30 bottles of craft beer, 19 draft beers — served from 1950s vintage refrigerators — and one cask, which will feature local brews and rotate constantly. The bar will be serving original cocktails, including “The Hipster,” made with mezcal, chipotle peppers and PBR. You can also order any bottle of wine from Planet Wine next door with your meal.
The kitchen gets cookin’ today for dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. — and it sure isn’t going anywhere for a while.
The Evening Star Café is located at 2000 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria (703-549-5051). Visit www.eveningstarcafe.net for more information.
-Julia Harbo
EatBar’s Holiday Sparkler Tasting
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, December 5th, 2011
Image: Ivanova Inga/Shutterstock
Want to get fizzy?
This Saturday, December 10, from 1-4 p.m. EatBar in Arlington is hosting a Sparkler Tasting and sale of 20 of the best sparkling wines of the holiday season.
The afternoon will be full of fizzy delight as EatBar uncorks 20 sparkling wines.
From Cava to Champagne to Cremant, featured wines will include: Aubry 1er Cru Brut, Champagne France; Argyle Brut, Willamette Valley, Oregon; Pierre Paillard Grand Cru Brut, Champagne, France and Chateau Gaillard, Cremant de la Loire, Loire Valley, France.
The fifth annual Sparkler event is open to all with tickets for $25 per person and includes tastes of the 20 different sparkling wines with the opportunity to purchase any of the featured bottles at a special price (all bottles are under $50).
Tickets must be purchased in advance at http://tallulaeatbar.ticketleap.com/sparklerparty/.
For more information, visit www.tallularestaurant.com or www.eat-bar.com.
-Julia Harbo
SECRET SANDWICH: The New Luther
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
This weekend, my Sunday morning was spent taking full advantage of the extra hour of sleep from daylight savings, lounging in my pajamas, and browsing food blogs. It was a perfect lazy Sunday morning with my mind at pure peace — until I stumbled upon a page of the Number One New Sandwich in the U.S.: a hidden, off-menu sandwich at D.C.’s ChurchKey, made of fried chicken and applewood smoked bacon between a sliced house-made glazed donut with maple-bacon jus and candied pecans, apparently available only on Sundays from noon to 8 p.m., with only 30 available throughout the one day. And it happened to be that day.
The picture and description had me instantly drooling as excitement and anxiety shot through my mind. I glanced at the clock — 12:02 p.m. — and thought, I HAVE to have the Luther!
In 10 minutes, I was walking out the door. I called ChurchKey and the chipper voice on the other end of the phone confirmed that they had just opened at 12 and yes, the Luther was being served, but only 30 would be available throughout the day. I figured I had a decent shot and my determination grew stronger.
At about 12:30 p.m. I was seated in a booth at ChurchKey with my boyfriend, along with only a handful of other brunch-goers. When the waiter brought us our menus, we immediately told him we’d like to have one New Luther, to split, and luckily, he nodded and replied, “You got it.”
- The New Luther, in all its glory.
This secret sandwich was everything I had built it up to be in such a short amount of time since discovering it. A sticky, sweet glazed donut with the juiciest, most tender yet crispy fried chicken inside. Sweet and savory at their best. And great texture from the crisp and crunch of the chicken and the doughy softness of the donut. I licked my fingers dry and picked up every last bit of maple-soaked pecans and bacon crisps that were left on the plate.
An inside view...I know gluttony and heaven don’t typically go hand-in-hand, but can I beg to differ?
The New Luther was possibly the single most gluttonous item I’ve ever experienced. In the best possible way.
For those of you who also want to be inducted into the secret sandwich society, ChurchKey is located at 1337 14th St. N.W., D.C.
-Julia Harbo
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
Photo Credit: Neighborhood Restaurant Group
At first glance, any event that’s described as a “rollicking outdoor celebration” with “a night of oysters, cigars, bourbon & bluegrass” sounds pretty hard to beat.
At second glance, The Vices That Made Virginia is an amazingly planned event for a great cause, put on by Arcadia, Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.
And the list doesn’t stop at oysters, cigars, bourbon and bluegrass–the celebration also includes a pig roast, local cheeses and veggies, local braised lamb, bison short ribs, autumn spirited desserts, and a bountiful supply of beverages from local Virginia wineries, breweries, and distilleries.
The party goes from 4-8 p.m., Saturday, November 5, at the historic Woodlawn Plantation in Alexandria, one of George Washington’s former farms at Mount Vernon.
Tickets are $125 per person, but remember, it’s for a great cause (and, bonus, it’s tax deductible!). You can purchase your tickets here and feel good about it, as all proceeds benefit Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture and Woodlawn, a National Trust Historic Site.
The event will support Arcadia’s mission to improve the health of our community, the viability of local farmers, and preserve our environment for future generations by combining education about healthy food and its sources with better logistical connections between local farmers and the urban and suburban core of the region.
-Julia Harbo
Posted by Warren Rojas / Monday, August 29th, 2011
August is historically the steamiest, stickiest, sweatiest month of the year–brilliant move, Founding Fathers, building the nation’s capital on a swamp–in these parts. We’ve tracked down 31 frozen treats (one a day for the rest of this month) to provide you with some temporary, and often insanely delicious, relief.
The place: Buzz – Multiple NoVA locations; www.buzzonslaters.com
The prescription: open-faced oatmeal cookie sandwich with cereal milk ice cream. “It’s supposed to taste like the milk leftover after you eat a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch,” a Buzz worker says of pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac’s whimsical creation. Maybe–if you’re used to having breakfast at Charles Bukowski’s house. The cookie—spot warmed right when you order—is great, delivering mouthful after mouthful of whole grains, golden and traditional raisins plus bonus cinnamon spice. But it’s the boozy cereal milk, which gets a boost from a long pour of bourbon, that had us cleaning our plate and clamoring for more.
Should you (unlike me) happen to NOT be a raging alcoholic. MacIssac’s treat churning prowess extends to virgin flavors (the aptly named “exotic” weaves together ultra tart mango and lusty spice cake; vanilla is plain delicious) as well as seasonal sorbets (raspberry, apricot).
–Warren
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Keep tabs on the month long Freeze Jag trek here.
Posted by Warren Rojas / Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
(Image: Facebook)
Executive chef Barry Koslow will close out his tenure at Tallula on Tuesday, July 5.
“I’ve decided it’s time to move on,” Koslow shared in an email.
Koslow’s imminent departure signals a very real changing of the guard at the Neighborhood Restaurant Group‘s fine dining/gastropub hybrid, a shift that began last year when EatBar chef Joey Alvarez split to join forces with Peter Pastan.
According to an NRG spokeswoman, the cooking duties at Tallula will be spread amongst in-network talent. ”
While we are in a transitional phase we are being supported by the great depth both at Tallula and the other restaurants, especially by some of our up and coming chefs that have shown a lot of promise,” she stated, adding, “There’s no immediate executive chef taking the spot.”
The spokeswoman also indicated that chef Brian Wilson, who has logged time in several high profile kitchens (2941, Eola, New Heights, Palena), has been behind the EatBar burners for several months now. *Updated: 6/29 @ 3 p.m.* Brian Wilson decamped from EatBar earlier this month.
Although he expressed a desire to decompress for a spell and reconnect with his budding family (he has a 10-month old baby girl), Koslow did leave the door open to returning to the hospitality game.
“I have many options to sort through while I take my first brake [sic] from the kitchen in 12 years,” Koslow suggested. No word, yet, if said “options” include tackling that nouveau deli concept he floated earlier this month.
–Warren
Posted by Warren Rojas / Tuesday, June 14th, 2011
Anyone who believes it’s hard being the new(ish) girl in town has probably never Tiffany MacIsaac:
(Image: Neighborhood Restaurant Group)
MacIssac and hubby Kyle Bailey swooped into town in late 2009 to help the Neighborhood Restaurant Group launch Birch & Barley. Since then, MacIsaac has been handed the reins to the multiplying Buzz bakeries and placed in charge of the dessert programs across the NRG properties–scooping up a RAMMY nomination along the way.
WR: Butter. Sugar. What other culinary elements could you not live without?
TM: Salt. I prefer maldon for finishing, but there are all kinds of salt that add depth and balance to sweetness. My assistants know that every recipe gets a pinch of salt.
WR: What’s the very first dish you ever mastered? How long did it take? Do you still make it today?
TM: Early on I was really focused on ice cream and sorbet. I have always loved making it and it was the first thing I really dove in to and understood. I use a refractometer to make my sorbets, so there is no exact recipe. I currently have over 40 flavors that we produce for all of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group.
WR: What seasonal ingredient(s) get your creative juices flowing?
TM: I love grapes. I always look forward to concord grape season. I remember the first time I ate one, I was 19 and it completely blew my mind. It tasted the way I had always known grapes were supposed to taste, but I had only had that flavor in Bubalicious [sic] Bubblegum. Every year I remember how special that moment was.
WR: My latest cookbook obsession is …
TM: I read every issue of Art Culinaire. I love it.
WR: What’s the most challenging dish you’ve ever attempted? Would you make it again?
TM: I always try to challenge myself with new ideas/flavors/techniques. There is no particular dish, but I do have a general philosophy that if you can’t make something work, put it down and come back to it later. Sometimes I’ll work on something, abandon it for a year then come back and it just clicks. You can’t force things to work.
WR: If I could the spend the day working alongside any local chef, I’d love to collaborate with …
TM: This might be weird, but I’d say Sara Moulton. I used to watch her religiously on The Food Network. She was part of the reason I went to culinary school. When I was at Allen and Delancey, she dined there and I actually went to the table like a total nerd and gushed over her.
WR: What’s the easiest/quickest–but still wholly satisfying–meal you make for yourself?
TM: I am sandwiched obsessed. I can eat a good sandwich for any meal and I can make almost anything in to a sandwich. When my husband puts a new item on the menu at Birch & Barley, the general manager and I are always scheming a way to put the dish on a sandwich. At home, I am big fan of chicken salad, especially if Kyle roasts a chicken and we have leftovers.
WR: In the next six months you won’t want to miss my …
TM: Well, it’s summer and we have a new line of frozen items at Buzz – Ballston including the frozen fruit pops which are fun. I’m also getting a cotton candy machine. I’m not even sure what I’m going to do with it yet, but it’s cotton candy, so it should be fun!
WR: It’s quitting time. I’m pouring myself …
TM: Johnny Walker Black on the rocks
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Spontaneous sorbets, MacGyver-like sandwich ingenuity and access to a cotton candy machine? Chef, you sound like one fun gal.
Come back next Tuesday for another helping of Red Meat.
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
Chef Will Artley has been around food for a LONG time.
He cut his teeth on several local properties–the since-shuttered Colvin Run Tavern, Butterfield 9 and IndeBleu, as well as Kinkead’s–before taking up the Neighborhood Restaurant Group‘s cause in Del Ray, where he continues to steer Evening Star‘s culinary ship (including the subordinate Majestic and No. 9 lounges) as well as running Planet Wine’s by-reservation-only Farm Table.
But rather than clear things off his plate, this apparent workaholic plans to add another title to his curriculum vitae this year: gardener.
WR: Salt. Pepper. What other spices/herbs could you not live without?
WA: I’d give up pepper for fresh thyme. Fennel seed I use quite a bit, too.
WR: What’s the very first dish you ever mastered?
WA: Eggs. all styles.
WR: How long did it take?
WA: About 40 dozen. lol.
WR: Do you still make it today?
WA: Yes. I actually give cooks/sous chef applicants two eggs when they apply. I tell them to cook them one sunny side and one over hard. You’d be amazed at how many people fail that test.
WR: What seasonal ingredient(s) get your creative juices flowing?
WA: Ramps. Every year I spend time trying to figure out how I can prolong their shelf-life.
WR: My latest cookbook obsession is …
WA: A toss up between bread books and Sarma Melngailis’ “Living Raw Food” UNcookbook
WR: What’s the most challenging dish you’ve ever attempted? Would you make it again?
WA: Isomalt teardrops–Never. Not my style.
WR: If I could the spend the day working alongside any local chef, I’d love to collaborate with …
WA: Frank Ruta. He’s a stud.
WR: What’s the easiest/quickest–but still wholly satisfying–meal you make for yourself?
WA: Seems boring, but to be honest with you, anything I can throw in a wrap. Quick, easy, satisfying.
WR: In the next six months you won’t want to miss my …
WA: 2,000 square foot garden (located about 3/4 of a mile from the restaurant). We plan to harvest: green beans, cukes, squash, all herbs, 130-150 heirloom tomato plants (hope to harvest 500 pounds), carrots, beets, greens and onions. I’m sitting down with my buddy Travis Hester this month to finalize our planting. Come on, springtime!
WR: It’s quitting time. I’m pouring myself …
WA: A Maker’s.
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We’ll toast to a fruitful garden with you, chef. But I’m more of a Booker’s man.
Come back next Tuesday for another helping of Red Meat.
–WR
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