Posts Tagged ‘Ritz-Carlton’
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, December 16th, 2011
I’d like to share with you a picture of my dinner last night:
No, that’s not a technological error — that was my true dinner experience. I participated in Dining in the Dark, a Visionary Awards Dinner put on by the Foundation Fighting Blindness.
Dining in the Dark is exactly what it sounds like. If you haven’t heard of the trend that started in Germany, it’s when diners eat their meals in complete darkness — I’m talking pitch black. The idea is to enjoy a sensory awareness experience — and in the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ event, to get a glimpse into the lives of the visually impaired.
Jean Louis Palladin Tribute Menu and Cookbooks
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
It’s now officially the holiday season, with Christmas less than one month away. Need a gift idea?
Jean Louis Palladin cookbooks are now available for sale at MICHEL in Tysons Corner. The cookbook was originally published in 1989, with recipes that revolutionized the way chefs and food lovers viewed fine dining in America, and is now out-of-print. The book includes photographs by world-renowned photographer Fred Maroon and a limited quantity will be on sale for the whole month of December.
The Jean Louis Palladin cookbooks are $50 each and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the James Beard Foundation so you can help support the mission to celebrate, nurture and preserve America’s diverse culinary heritage and future. Both Jean Louis Palladin and Michel Richard have received the James Beard Outstanding Chef Award.
And in collaboration with the cookbook deal, MICHEL will serve a Jean Louis Palladin tribute menu from December 6-10. Michel Richard honors the legendary chef with a six-course prix-fixe menu, featuring: Quail Eggs with Smoked Salmon in Brioche; Chestnut Soup; Terrine of Foie Gras with Black Truffle Tricolor Pasta, Prosciutto and Fresh Herb Tomato Sauce; Fricassee of Snail with Crispy Sweet Breads, Mirepoix, Chanterelle Mushroom and Shallot Sauce; Roasted Duck Breast with Date Puree and Date Sauce; Chocolate Pasta with Mocha Sauce and White Chocolate Curls and Petits Fours.
And, of course, Jean Louis’ famous Brioche with Anchovy Butter will be served with the meal. After the tribute menu’s completion on December 10, special items from the menu will remain on the regular a la carte dinner menu through the rest of December.
The Jean Louis Palladin tribute menu is $150 per person and is available from 5:30-10 p.m. Tuesday, December 6-Sunday, December 10.
MICHEL by Michel Richard is located at The Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Galleria (1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean; 703-506-4300; www.michelrichardva.com).
-Julia Harbo
MICHEL Dinner with Benefits for Best Buddies in November
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
Best Buddies International
Give the gift of friendship and growth this November!
Each Tuesday and Wednesday MICHEL by Michel Richard in Tysons Corner supports a worthy nonprofit organization with their nightly $60 four-course prix fixe dinner menu. The entire month of November, MICHEL will donate a percentage of the proceeds from every Dinner with Benefits meal to Best Buddies.
Michel Richard has worked with Best Buddies for more than six years and is a Best Buddy to 23 year-old Jenny Holden. “This program is very dear to my heart because it is in honor of my Best Buddy, Jenny Holden. Jenny does not like chocolate, so this month we’ve designed the menu with Jenny in mind,” says Michel Richard.
Items on the prix-fixe menu may include corn soup, salmon tartare with capers and eggs, scallops with heirloom carrots, baby squash and fava beans, flat iron steak with onion carbonara and for dessert, crème brulee napoleon. The Dinner with Benefits menu is available Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant organization that has grown from one original chapter to almost 1,500 middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. As a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure rewarding jobs, live on their own, become inspirational leaders, and make lifelong friendships.
MICHEL at the Ritz-Carlton
For more information about how you can get involved with the Best Buddies program, please visit www.bestbuddies.org or www.bestbuddieschallenge.org.
Dinner with Benefits: Best Buddies is every Tuesday and Wednesday from November 1 -30, 2011. Dinner hours are 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. For further information or to make a reservation call (703)744.3999 or visit www.michelrichardva.com.
Michel at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Boulevard, McLean.
–Jennie Whistler
MICHEL Dinner with Benefits for Best Buddies in November
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
Best Buddies International
Give the gift of friendship and growth this November!
Each Tuesday and Wednesday MICHEL by Michel Richard in Tysons Corner supports a worthy nonprofit organization with their nightly $60 four-course prix fixe dinner menu. The entire month of November, MICHEL will donate a percentage of the proceeds from every Dinner with Benefits meal to Best Buddies.
Michel Richard has worked with Best Buddies for more than six years and is a Best Buddy to 23 year-old Jenny Holden. “This program is very dear to my heart because it is in honor of my Best Buddy, Jenny Holden. Jenny does not like chocolate, so this month we’ve designed the menu with Jenny in mind,” says Michel Richard.
Items on the prix-fixe menu may include corn soup, salmon tartare with capers and eggs, scallops with heirloom carrots, baby squash and fava beans, flat iron steak with onion carbonara and for dessert, crème brulee napoleon. The Dinner with Benefits menu is available Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant organization that has grown from one original chapter to almost 1,500 middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. As a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure rewarding jobs, live on their own, become inspirational leaders, and make lifelong friendships.
MICHEL at the Ritz-Carlton
For more information about how you can get involved with the Best Buddies program, please visit www.bestbuddies.org orwww.bestbuddieschallenge.org.
Dinner with Benefits: Best Buddies is every Tuesday and Wednesday from November 1 -30, 2011. Dinner hours are 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. For further information or to make a reservation call (703)744.3999 or visit www.michelrichardva.com.
Michel at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Boulevard, McLean.
–Jennie Whistler
Posted by ryan / Friday, May 6th, 2011
What to do? What to do? This Sunday is your chance to show her how much you appreciate her role in your upbringing. Breakfast in bed isn’t a bad idea. Honestly though, who wakes up earlier more often than not? That’s why I would recommend an afternoon visit to one of the many classy restaurants in the area. I’m just guessing, but she’ll probably like that idea a bit more.
2941
Voted one of the best restaurants in the region, taking your mother here would certainly be an elegant way of showing your gratitude. A three-course prix-fixe meal featuring an array of artisan cheeses, pasta, and seafood is available for $68 per person. Reservations strongly recommended. 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church; 703-270-1500
Bistrot Lafayette
Treat your Mom to a delectable French meal by reserving your table now. A three-course prix-fixe lunch runs from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm. A three-course dinner starts at 4:30 pm, and runs just past 9 pm. The cost is $35 and $48 respectively per person. Make your reservation now for what’s sure to be a memorable Mother’s Day Meal! 1118 King Street, Alexandria; 703-548-2525
Bogati Bodega & Vineyard
This Argentina-inspired winery provides an escape from the hustle and bustle. It’s only forty minutes away from the District though! All mothers will receive a rose at the wine tasting. Booking this event online will ensure that she does. The afternoon starts promptly at noon, and should last around five hours. Make memories that will last a lifetime! 35246 Harry Byrd Highway, Round Hill; 540-338-1144
The Grille at Morrison House
Executive chef Dennis Marron is offering a three–course meal for $49, which includes a choice of mimosa or freshly squeezed fruit juice. Notable options include a first course offering of Virginia Crab Cakes with cherry tomatoes, brioche and sauce gribiche, Vidalia Onion Pie with mixed greens and honey mustard, Waldorf Salad of bibb lettuce, apples, grapes, and walnuts in a celery aioli or Coquille St. Jacques: bay scallops, mushrooms, parmesan gratin and grilled bread Entrée options include a Croquet Madame on brioche bread with sliced ham, gruyere, béchamel and a fried egg. You can also expect lamb and eggs with rosemary sauce. Dessert options include Chocolate Pot de Crème with vanilla whipped cream, Profiteroles served with a trio of ice creams and warm chocolate sauce and Assorted Sorbets. 116 S. Alfred St., Alexandria; 703-838-8000
Lansdowne
Celebrate the mother in your life with the time-honored tradition of brunch at the Lansdowne Restort. The menu includes a variety of house-made soups, terrines, cured meats, an impressive seafood display, made-to-order omelets, waffles, and amazing desserts. Adults will receive a complimentary glass of Champagne. The cost is $65 per person, but only $20 for children under the age of 12. 44050 Woodridge Parkway, Leesburg; 703-729-8400
The Melting Pot
Why not surprise Mom this year with something a little out of the ordinary? Treat her to a meal that she’ll want to tell all her friends about. The Melting Pot—with locations in Arlington and Reston—is a culinary experience like no other. Fondue is a fun, easy, and delicious! Cheese and chocolate fondues are paired perfectly with bread and fruit. You can also cook your own succulent pieces of meat in between. She will not be disappointed!
Open Kitchen
If you really want to cook her something, this may be the perfect thing to do. Dads and kids can learn how to cook a gourmet meal for that special woman in their lives. Chef Jackson Yordon will teach you how to make the perfect three-course meal, after which you can eat it! The cost is $179 for two parents and one child. Each additional child is $25. The fun begins at 10:30 am. . 7115 Leesburg Pike # 107, Falls Church; 703-942-8148
Ritz-Carlton - McLean
Enjoy an extravagant brunch in the Old Dominion Room featuring omelets, carved meats, organic salads and celebratory champagne. The cost is $120 per person, unless you have children under the age of twelve. Their meal will only cost $40 (not including tax and gratuity). Another option is an Afternoon Tea with a scrumptious variety of sweets from the Pastry Shop. Reservations are recommended. 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean; 703-506-4300
For a more comprehensive list, click here.
As far as gifts are concerned. I can only suggest you learn from their mistakes.
-Ryan Robertson
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, November 29th, 2010
Every year at Thanksgiving, I make a gingerbread house. Actually, I buy a gingerbread house kit and follow the instructions, usually eating part of the candy cane lamp-post and gumdrop roof before the walls are even up. My gingerbread house usually looks a little different, but I am sure that has to do with my eating of the building material.
Not all gingerbread houses and pieces are edible, so if you decide to have a taste, check the ingredients or the box. Not every gingerbread house is as simple as mine. In fact, there are some pretty intricate gingerbread houses out there.
(Image: artisan cake company)
Building a gingerbread house may seem like something for kids, but it is a really fun activity you can enjoy with kids, adults, or the entire extended family. When it’s finished, you have a masterpiece that is truly your own, even if it looks a little simple.
(Image: Chilly Bear’s)
You can order some cool gingerbread kits from King Arthur Flour, or pick one up at Target, CVS, or Whole Foods. You can even get a personalized Gingerbread Estate custom-made from Williams-Sonoma.
(Image: Willams-Sonoma)
If you aren’t sure you have the skills to make a gingerbread house, head to the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City on December 4th or 18th for a gingerbread house workshop. Pastry Chef Dallas Marsteller will host the workshop, and you will go home with your very own gingerbread house.
-Liz Stevenson
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
My financial reporting skills have probably diminished significantly since my marathon stakeout days on Capitol Hill.
But if the number of celebration cakes–a cheer-worthy construct featuring overlapping layers of chocolate mousse and fresh berries, all heralded by a flame-spewing sparkler that showers captivated onlookers in a fountain of pyrotechnic glory–flowing from the Michel kitchen is any indicator, local diners appear ready to splurge again.
Cheflebrity Michel Richard was nowhere to be seen during a recent visit.
But his fledgling operation was expertly attended all the same by executive chef Levi Mezick (sure to soon be sporting quite the off-season glow, as much time as he spends applying finishing touches beneath the warming lights) and minibar alumnus cum Michel executive sous chef Brad Race (inexhaustibly bounces around the totally open kitchen).
The menu seems to tilt more towards the bistro-casual style Richard has embraced at Central than the fantasy dining pearls offered at Citronelle–though Michel does field a few deceptively delicious dishes of its own.
An onion is unspooled into ultra piquant “noodles”–proved too potent for one companion, whereas I relished the ravishing swap–and tossed with velvety cream, black pepper and still-cooking egg in a distinctly allium-centric carbonara.
Colossal grade shrimp are tasked with doing their best porcupine impression, each preternaturally puffy crustacean arriving cleverly camouflaged beneath strands of baked-till-crispy phyllo dough. The surf-as-wild turf creation is accompanied by baby kidney beans basking in a buttery chardonnay reduction.
Strict traditionalists, meanwhile, should be pleased to hear that Richard’s iconic chocolate bar–the same powdered cocoa-covered, gourmet Kit Kat emulated (and reproduced) by dessert menu-writers the region over–survived the move to the NoVA ‘burbs and tastes every bit as dark chocolaty-hazel nutty as it does downtown.
The wine program favors France (read: Burgundy, Rhone Valley) and the U.S. (read: West Coast wineries), with some additional consideration paid to the rest of the world (Spain, Italy). Look for roughly a dozen mixed whites and reds by-the-glass (most above $10) including the 2007 Barboursville Viognier Reserve and Richard’s private label white burgundy, as well as a succinct but well-developed beer list (Delirium Tremens, Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale, Old Speckled Hen).
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
Got a handful of new restaurant openings to report, including a couple that are rolling out the welcome mats this very morning:
* Michel began serving breakfast at the Tysons Ritz just a few hours ago and will be welcoming dinner guests this evening. A receptionist suggested that lunch service is likely to follow in a few weeks (early to mid-November was her best guess);
* Ballston diners can check out the new Rustico (4075 Wilson Blvd. Arlington; 571-384-1820)–which promises a few menu tweaks (homemade ricotta doughnuts, a Bibb salad with shaved apples, smoked cheddar and almond granola) and broader brew selection (400+ bottles, and counting) than the original–beginning at lunch today;
* Daniel O’Connell’s alumnus Colin Abernethy will be working his culinary magic as executive chef of Travinia Italian Kitchen in Leesburg, set to debut November 1; and,
* Chef Jacques Haerigner will be shaking things up at L’Auberge Chez Francois by unveiling Jacques’ Brasserie at L’Auberge–a more casual, a la carte alternative to the restaurants’ traditional multi-course service–on November 9. “I’ll be serving some of my favorite dishes, the ones I grew up with,” Haeringer said of his plans to delve into Alsatian comfort food, adding, “Many of these recipes come from a notebook of handwritten recipes my father brought with him when he moved from France to the United States.” Tentative additions include: Tarte Flambée (Alsatian-style pizza), organic chicken in riesling, traditional and fish choucroute, and pinot noir-braised ribs.
Let’s eat.
–Warren
Fashion, Tea & Charity: A True Trifecta
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, August 10th, 2009
7 for All Mankind Drape Dress in Silk Charmeuse, $189 (7forallmankind.com)
Good morning, shoppers! Here’s hoping you all had a great weekend and are successful in staying cool today. Fortunately, the temps are forecast to be closer to normal by 4 p.m. this Thursday afternoon (8/13); after all, it will be tea time!
Continuing their Fashion Teas for a Cause series, the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner is teaming up with 7 for All Mankind to benefit The Wolf Trap Young Professional Society (WTYPS). WTYPS brings together emerging leaders, primarily aged 21 to 39, from all industries to enhance the greater Washington area’s cultural scene while fostering members’ knowledge of, and involvement with, the performing arts.
Set in the new ENTYSE Restaurant & Lounge, afternoon tea will be presented with a modern twist, including Pastry Chef David Nolan’s cupcakes and champagne, as models sporting the season’s latest trends stroll by guests’ tables. Children are welcome to attend and enjoy the regularly presented Peter Rabbit Tea, created especially for kiddos aged 12 and under, which features super-yummy delights like peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese finger sandwiches, Peter Rabbit sugar cookies and Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate.
To make a reservation or receive additional information, call Restaurant Reservations at 703-506-4300. The price per person to attend starts at $40 per adult, $24 per child, plus tax and gratuities. Ten percent of proceeds from the event will benefit WTYPS.
Ritz Dumps Steak for Small Plates
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
While the “who’ll-finally-replace-Maestro?” guessing game continues at the Tysons’ Ritz (neither the Ritz-Carlton folks nor Michel Richard’s people will confirm their rumored partnership), the hospitality giant has scrapped its steakhouse concept for the sampling-friendly, seasonally inspired ENTYSE.
The new, sustainably focused enterprise provides plenty of options, including floating three- and four-course menus ($32 and $42, respectively), locally sourced entrees and gourmet bar snacks. Dishes range from rock shrimp corn dogs and ice cream “sliders” to hanger steak with artisanal mac and cheese or a lobster Cobb salad.
Every Wednesday, Maestro vet Vincent Ferraud gets another chance to shine with “Wine’d Down Wednesdays”–a weekly happy hour featuring rotating by-the-glass specials (Ferraud plucks a wine from his plentiful cellar and offers 4 ounce pours for $5) and a seafood island crowded with freshly shucked oysters, shrimp cocktail and crab claws (all starting at $1 a pop).
“It’s more of a value-oriented experience,” a Ritz-Carlton spokesperson said of their nascent WDW program.
The discount wine and raw bar specials run from 5:30 till ?? and are tentatively scheduled to continue through the summer.
–Warren
