Posts Tagged ‘Warren Rojas’
Farrah Olivia Resurrected Within Kora
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, January 4th, 2011
Renowned perfectionist Morou Ouattara is ready to slide back behind the burners.
And he’ll be doing just that at TWO new(ish) Northern Virginia restaurants. They just happen to share the same address.
Beginning tomorrow, devotees of Outtara’s short-lived fantasy dining project, Farrah Olivia, will once again be able to indulge in fanciful, multicourse tasting menus–think: beef tartare embellished with berbere, “shocked” tuna, roasted quail with banana bread stuffing–courtesy of the tasting-room-within-an-established-restaurant model Ouattara is utilizing to reintroduce his critically-acclaimed cooking style within Kora ‘s four walls.
The embedded Farrah Olivia will feature 3-, 4- or 5-course tasting menus ($45, $55 and $65, respectively) to be served in a separate 50-seat dining room from 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. “There are separate menus, decor, staff,” Ouattara promised of the custom-tailored, fine-dining experience Farrah Olivia regulars have been clamoring for ever since the shuttering of his restaurant in Alexandria.
Ouattara is also retooling the menu at Kora, having assumed control of the kitchen after his brother, Amadou, stepped down in November.
“I found that most of our diners were slightly disappointed not to be tasting my cuisine since my name was on the restaurant. They were expecting Italian with a twist, not traditional Italian cuisine,” Ouattara said, owning up to the lukewarm response Kora has received to date.
According to Ouattara, Kora’s lunch fare will likely remain undisturbed. But he’s already begun fine-tuning the dinner program, eschewing convention in favor of fresh interpretations.
“I’ve fused Italian with modern American, some French and a few other things,” he expalined. Tentative updates include: steak tartare, tuna with caponata, balsamic and olive pearls, goat cheese gnudi with fried artichoke hearts and pan-roasted, walnut-crusted chicken breast flanked by bacon mac and cheese.
And that’s just for starters.
“I’ve also been experimenting with zero-calorie pastas,” Ouattara mused, casually floating plans to make calorie counting obsolete by marrying noodles and insoluble fibers into a guilt-free go-to.
And while he’s not entirely given up on his dream of returning to downtown D.C.–”My wife and I just had another daughter, Lily,” the proud papa reported (Kora and Farrah are the names of his earlier progeny)–he’s in no immediate hurry to race back across the river.
“Farrah Olivia will stay in Virginia for the foreseeable future,” he suggested, adding that he has nothing but fond memories of the friends he made on the outskirts of Old Town Alexandria. “I still remember the names/faces of our regulars: the Brunos, the Singers, the Outlaws, Michelle Boggs, the Jaffee Family. These people saw us on a weekly and sometimes daily bases [sic],” he shared. “I don’t know if I can find that downtown.”
Farrah Olivia will re-open Wednesday, January 5. For reservations, call: 703-445-6571.
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
(Image: iStock)
Not all winter farmers markets require that you bundle yourself up like an Inuit hunter in order to take advantage of the freshest foods of the day.
Just ask any of the 1,200 (and counting) customers who prefer to do their shopping at mousepoint via Loudoun Flavor–a virtual farm stand stocked with locally sourced victuals.
Loudoun Flavor boasts approaching three dozen producers–including local wineries, farms, and artisan food and crafts makers–in its homegrown supply chain, the majority of which are indigenous to Loudoun County.
Market manager and Herban Avenues founder Laura Davimes said they’ve made a few exceptions for superlative outside producers (Bakemm Bagels, Shenandoah Joe Coffee Roasters, Mountain View Dairy Farm) but stressed that their preferred pecking order remains “Loudoun first, surrounding counties second and Virginia third.”
Quality, however, goes a long way towards trumping mere proximity.
“For us quality includes certified organic ingredients, fair trade beans, etc. and these vendors have a philosophy that is in line with our market mission,” Davimes said of high standards to which market vendors are held. “Our market food is what my family is eating every week so I (selfishly) want it to be fantastic.”
Though certain vendors naturally shine a little brighter during different times of the year–Mom”s Apple Pie Bakery reportedly enjoyed a spike in blackberry pie sales after Southern Living paid them some lip service this June, Stoneybrook Farms’ tomatoes were fast movers in July and poultry farms made a killing in November–Davimes said most Loudoun Flavor vendors stick with the program year-round.
Consumers, likewise, are welcome to shop at will.
“We are happy to bring you one loaf of just-baked bread or three bags full of groceries … your choice,” Davimes suggested, equating the shop-from-home service to “an ‘ala carte’ CSA.”
During the bustling summer months, shopping orders are accepted Monday-Wednesday of each week with deliveries sent to the predetermined delivery points every Friday. Come winter, the market switches to a bi-weekly shopping window but abides by the same order/delivery timeline (shop: Mon-Wed, collect: Fri). Newcomers can try out the site for free, while repeat customers will eventually be prompted to consider shifting to an annual membership ($25 per year) via email “reminders.”
That fee covers all the expected administrative costs–”everything from ink to ice,” Davimes explained–and also includes invites to special events (farm tours, movie nights, Made in Loudoun Gift Fair), free samples and sporadic discounts.
Oh yeah, and then there’s Tomato Fest:
This past summer, Davimes et al. took it upon themselves to celebrate all things toma-toh by sharing their favorite vine-ripened creations with complementary pairings poured by Corcoran Vineyards and Chrysalis Vineyards.
“People bought bruschetta and baguettes and sat down with their wine, or took home a bag of tomatoes and garlic and a recipe to make their own. It was alot of fun,” Davimes said of the roving food and wine soiree. “Next year we will hop to three or four vineyards with our fest.”
On the the agenda for 2011: securing a trusted seafood vendor. And adding more pick-up sites in outlying areas (Davimes called out Fairfax, specifically).
Meanwhile, Davimes plans to continue fighting to keep LoCo as green as can be.
“Loudoun should be D.C.’s Countryside and not D.C.’s next over-developed commuter bedroom community. If we get lazy about preserving the best of Virginia’s farmland now, it won’t be there,” she warned.
* Loudoun Flavor’s next ordering window opens Monday, January 3.*
–Warren
————————————————————————————————————————————————-
NoVA’s Winter Farmers Markets
Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market • 301 King St., Alexandria – Sat, 5:30-11 a.m.
Arlington Farmers Market • N. 14th St. & N. Courthouse Road, Arlington – Sat, 8-noon
Clarendon Farmers Market • 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Del Ray Farmers’ Market • E. Oxford & Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria – Sat, 8-noon
Falls Church Farmers Market • 300 Park Ave., Falls Church – Sat, 9-noon (Jan-Mar); Sat, 8-noon (Apr-Dec)
Fredericksburg Farmers Market • George and Prince Edward Streets, Fredericksburg – Mon-Sat, 7-6 p.m.; Sun, 12:30-4 p.m.
Leesburg Farmers Market • 20 Catoctin Circle S.E., Leesburg – Sat, 8-noon (May-Oct); Sat, 9-noon (Nov-Apr)
Smart Markets – Oakton • 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton – Sat, 10-2 p.m.
Or click here for our full list of local farmers markets.
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, December 27th, 2010
(Image: Penzeys Spices)
Anyone contemplating a blanket “eat less” resolution for the New Year should seriously consider postponing any dieting plans till at least January 3rd.
Otherwise you’ll miss newly minted restaurateur Asad Sheikh’s complimentary, all-day grand opening tasting at Curry Mantra.
Sheikh claims to have sent out over 200 personalized invitations to local politicians (Reps. Jim Moran and Gerry E. Connolly made the list), media outlets and community members, but assured us that “anyone who walks through our door on January 2nd” will be privy to unlimited samples of his nine signature curries.
Sheikh said his kitchen will focus on North and South Indian curries, with a few Tandoor-style dishes rounding out the menu.
And every effort will be made to overcome the authenticity deficit Sheikh said he’s experience far too often at other local Indian restaurants.
“Curry Mantra is exactly what you get in India,” he pledged.
Come January 2nd, he’ll have to put his money where your mouth is.
Curry Mantra – 9984 Main St., Fairfax; 703-218-8128; www.dccurrymantra.com
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010
(Video: Team Unicorn)
Bolt the door. THEN resume baking.
(Got it.)
–Warren
Crop Rapport: Smith Meadows Grill
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010
Ever been roaming the stalls at your local farmers market and wondered, “Why didn’t I bring my oven/grill/any cooking conveyance with me?”
You are not alone.
Medical researcher cum sustainable dining evangelist Abdur Rashid said he and Smith Meadows Farm owner Forrest Pritchard never could understand why folks would be asked to come spend their hard-earned money on locally produced, seasonal foodstuffs only to then be sent out into the commercial wilderness of fast food joints for sustenance.
Enter: Smith Meadows Grill
The pop-up eatery–which appears Saturdays at Courthouse and Sundays in Takoma Park–unites locavorism and immediate gratification, providing the farmers market faithful with nutritious nibbles sourced from many of the surrounding vendors.
“We saw a niche … and we wanted to eat,” Rashid said of the impetus for co-founding the mobile kitchen this past April.
Their immediate mission is, naturally, to showcase the full range of Smith Meadows burgeoning product line (they serve up everything from pasture-raised meats to free-range eggs to homemade pastas). But in Rashid’s macro view, the Grill helps strengthen the bond between all local producers and patrons by ingeniously weaving agriculture and commerce into one-stop shopping.
“You can literally look across the way and wave to the person who grew the lettuce in your sandwich,” he said of the reach-out-and-touchable supply lines that make the Grill menu possible.
According to Rashid, all the proteins (beef, pork, lamb, chicken) are sourced from Smith Meadows Farm, as are the signature empanadas (savory and sweet), ham biscuits–Smith Meadows kitchen aide Linda McCarty said she prepares between 75-150 of her “heart healthy” country-style sandwiches (based on a recipe provided by her father’s cardiologist) each week–and rotating soups.
Grilled items (burgers, wraps, sandwiches), however, are often embellished with specialty ingredients plucked from neighboring vendors, including: Fields of Grace Farm (cheeses), Endless Summer Harvest (lettuce), Bon Matin Bakery (croissants), Potomac Vegetable Farms (produce), Toigo Orchards (apple cider).
Based on their preliminary research into competing food trucks, Rashid said everyone just assumed that their grass-fed burger and all-beef half smoke would be the driving forces for repeat business. But whether it be because of the early hours (Rashid et al. are usually on sight each Saturday by 5:30 a.m. to get the Grill primed for business) or perhaps a more health-conscious clientele, the breakfast wraps–wheat or corn tortillas filled with everything from scrambled eggs to pesto–have fast emerged as proven crowd pleasers.
“Folks like being able to grab a nice, hot sandwich,” he said of the simple but satisfying eye-openers.
For Rashid, the Grill remains very much a work in progress. He floated ideas for some new menu items (chilis, heartier soups), but stressed that, in the end, it’s really all about fulfilling both the physical and intellectual curiosity of the customer.
“Maybe they come for lunch … and they kind of get a whole new insight into this ‘new’ food,” he said of his tasting-is-believing proselytizing.
Amen to that, brother.
–Warren
**The Smith Meadows Grill will be absent from the Courthouse farmers market throughout the holidays, but will return on Saturday, January 8.**
————————————————————————————————————————————————-
NoVA’s Winter Farmers Markets
Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market • 301 King St., Alexandria – Sat, 5:30-11 a.m.
Arlington Farmers Market • N. 14th St. & N. Courthouse Road, Arlington – Sat, 8-noon
Clarendon Farmers Market • 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Del Ray Farmers’ Market • E. Oxford & Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria – Sat, 8-noon
Falls Church Farmers Market • 300 Park Ave., Falls Church – Sat, 9-noon (Jan-Mar); Sat, 8-noon (Apr-Dec)
Fredericksburg Farmers Market • George and Prince Edward Streets, Fredericksburg – Mon-Sat, 7-6 p.m.; Sun, 12:30-4 p.m.
Leesburg Farmers Market • 20 Catoctin Circle S.E., Leesburg – Sat, 8-noon (May-Oct); Sat, 9-noon (Nov-Apr)
Smart Markets – Oakton • 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton – Sat, 10-2 p.m.
Or click here for our full list of local farmers markets.
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, December 16th, 2010
Break out those thinking caps, Gut Checkers!
(And it might not hurt to have a few back issues and/or our features page open. But you didn’t hear that from me).
Now, the rules of the trivia challenge are pretty simple.
All the restaurant-related trivia questions were derived from the past 12 months of reviews. The first 10 people to correctly answer all 10 questions–please send all submissions to warren@northernvirginiamag.com–will win a gift certificate to one of our participating restaurants. In the case of a tie, we’ll pick a winner at random from all the correct responses.
Submissions will be accepted until noon EST on Monday, December 20.
You ready? Then have at it!
2010 Relish Trivia Quiz:
Question 1: At what local gastropub was I unexpectedly greeted (and perhaps professionally “outed”) by a high school chum?
Question 2: What 50 Best Restaurant bowled me over with homemade donuts and sumptuous dipping sauces?
Question 3: What local hot dog haven cooks all their wieners in Dale’s Pale Ale?
Question 4: What LoCo bbqpreneur boasts a homemade hot sauce forged from 17 fiery peppers?
Question 5: Which Bavarian-born butcher treats his clients to seasonally-inspired spiessbraten?
Question 6: What ice cream oasis saved an ill-equipped fellow bicyclist from certain doom?
Question 7: What exurban cafe pads their signature paninis with pairings like bacon and apple or peppermint and Nutella?
Question 8: Which Tunisian restaurateur takes great pride in his Merguez-based mezze?
Question 9: What Crystal City eatery’s fish tacos did I feel completely floundered?
Question 10: Which licentious bingo caller showers patrons with vintage Barbies and off-color humor?
In order to avoid any confusion, please make sure to tag all responses with the question number (Q1, Q2, Q3, etc.) you are attempting to answer.
Good luck!
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
Welcome, Gut Checkers, to the first installment of our new semi-regular feature–Crop Rapport.
While I certainly hope to continue this ongoing investigation throughout the year, my immediate goal is to highlight those purveyors who bravely weather the bitter cold to provide fresh foodstuffs at the handful of farmers markets that remain active throughout the winter (check the bottom of this entry for our list of year-round markets).
We’d like to kick off our tour of these (often) far-traveling comestibles by introducing you to Ashbank Farm’s Catherine Elstob:
Elstob said she’s only been participating in the Del Ray farmers market since May, but claims her homemade baked goods have been very well received. The family farmer dabbled in home baking over the years–she admits to “some formal training” and has turned out special order cakes, pies and cookies for the past 20 years, but insists the most important training occurred at her grandmother’s elbow–but only elected to shift her focus to full-time baking after watching the produce parade pass her by.
“In the past years, our farm has produced vegetables and mostly hydroponic tomatoes with the baked products and jams being value added products. When I found that we could not compete with lower priced produce, I made a decision to make our little country bakery the focus of our farming efforts,” she said of the unexpected, but not totally undesirable, career change.
But what should she focus on?
Elstob seemed to suggest it was a no-brainer.
“Everyone loves a donut,” Elstob said of her now-signature creation.
She specializes in apple cider-infused cake donuts and yeast-based varieties–both chemical additive- and preservative-free, according to Elstob–forged from homemade batter, seasonal and preserved fruits and other popular goodies. “We try to glaze those products with our own marmalades and jams, as well as using chocolate and nuts in new ways,” she said of her ever-evolving donut catalog.
Experiment away, madam.
A “plain” vanilla donut was light yet incredibly moist, rewarding conservative sweets chasers with a pleasantly chewy, innocently sweet escape.
The cider donut mixed things up a bit more, lulling one into submission with it’s mulled core, only to slip a spicy jab (that’d be the cinnamon) every few bites.
A blueberry-studded number, though, was the best of the bunch. The extra dense donut was bursting with tart fruit and drizzled with a decorative sugar glaze.
Elstob typically trots out at least a half-dozen different cake donut varieties, including: apple cider, blueberry, pumpkin, red velvet, chocolate and vanilla. She’s also known to frost a few from time to time, turning out specialty donuts draped in: lemonade, chocolate, crushed nuts, crumbled Reese’s Pieces, Turtles and more.
So, what does a homemade donut set one back these days?
Elstob’s cake donuts are $1 apiece, while frosted varieties sell for $1.75.
But you better act fast.
Elstob will be out one last time this Saturday, Dec. 18, before closing up shop till the spring.
Of course, die-hard donut lovers are always welcome to visit her Markham farm or place a special order (540-878-6054; dgelstob@aol.com)–assuming a few months is too long to live without fresh, cakey, cider-enriched donuts.
“I try to make them extra special,” Elstob maintains. “And it’s working.”
–Warren
————————————————————————————————————————————————-
NoVA’s Winter Farmers Markets
Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market • 301 King St., Alexandria – Sat, 5:30-11 a.m.
Arlington Farmers Market • N. 14th St. & N. Courthouse Road, Arlington – Sat, 8-noon
Clarendon Farmers Market • 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Del Ray Farmers’ Market • E. Oxford & Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria – Sat, 8-noon
Falls Church Farmers Market • 300 Park Ave., Falls Church – Sat, 9-noon (Jan-Mar); Sat, 8-noon (Apr-Dec)
Fredericksburg Farmers Market • George and Prince Edward Streets, Fredericksburg – Mon-Sat, 7-6 p.m.; Sun, 12:30-4 p.m.
Leesburg Farmers Market • 20 Catoctin Circle S.E., Leesburg – Sat, 8-noon (May-Oct); Sat, 9-noon (Nov-Apr)
Smart Markets – Oakton • 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton – Sat, 10-2 p.m.
Or click here for our full list of local farmers markets.
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).
Giving Thanks for Martha Et Al
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, November 15th, 2010
(Image: David M. Russell/The Martha Stewart Show)
Martha Stewart and SiriusXM have rolled out their 2010 Thanksgiving Hotline Recipes, a gratis holiday planning guide stuffed with over three dozen recipes shared by Ms. Stewart and various cheflebrity pals.
Given that the menu for my own holiday table remains very much in flux, I may have to toss some of the hotline selections into the mix, including:
* Rick Bayless’ butternut tamales with chipotle chicken (Ole!);
* Emeril Lagasse’s turkey roulade with peach and sage gravy (Let’s roll!);
* Sunny Anderson’s fried stuffing with cranberry-walnut pesto (Breathing new life into leftovers)
* Stewart’s white chocolate-sweet potato cake (Sounds heavenly); and,
* Allen Katz’s Thanksgiving lemonade (Sherry, lemon juice and gin? – I’m in!)
How’s your menu planning going?
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, November 15th, 2010
(Video: Share Our Strength)
First they snag a celebrity endorsement from The Dude.
And today they’re getting a taste of the action from socially-conscious food trucks.
Share Our Strength is on quite the roll…
A handful of local food trucks–including NoVA rovers @badabingdc and @CHOUPICREPES–have agreed to donate 10 percent of today’s sales to help commemorate the inaugural No Kid Hungry Day (view the full list of participating trucks here).
And D.C.’s The Passenger will sweeten the pot by donating 10 percent of tonight’s happy hour (5-8 p.m.) take to next April’s Taste of the Nation DC event (@TOTNationDC) as well.
–Warren