Daily dispatches on the Washington, DC area's food, restaurant and dining scene.

Calling All Starbucks Addicts

Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson makes an appearance at the Starbucks Coffee Festival at Reston Town Center

By Whitney Spivey   Published Friday, September 14, 2007

New York chef Marcus Samuelsson (left), the new face of Starbucks, will be in Reston this weekend.

New York chef Marcus Samuelsson (left), the new face of Starbucks, will be in Reston this weekend.

Seattle-based Starbucks hasn’t yet set up its green umbrellas on the streets of Stockholm or Gothenburg—but it has managed to befriend Swedish celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. The coffee giant has collaborated with Samuelsson, chef at New York’s Aquavit and Riingo, to create pastries that complement two new java blends. Samuelsson’s creations—chocolate-cinnamon bread and apple coffeecake—are already being sold in stores. You can catch him in person Saturday, September 15, at the Starbucks Coffee Festival in Reston Town Center.

Starbucks and Samuelsson are in some ways a natural fit. Both are international presences: Starbucks has an expanding global influence, while the chef has a cosmopolitan background that spans many countries. Born in Ethiopia, he was orphaned at age three when his parents were killed in a tuberculosis epidemic. He was taken to a Swedish field hospital and adopted by a couple from southwest Sweden. Now he runs two restaurants in New York—one Scandinavian, one Japanese—and will soon open another, focusing on African cuisine.

Last year, Samuelsson published The Soul of a New Cuisine, a cookbook exploring the foods of Africa. A special repackaging of that book, called Discovery of a Continent: Flavors and Inspirations From Africa, will be available at the coffee festival, with proceeds going to the US Fund for UNICEF. At 1:30 PM, Samuelsson will hold a ticketed tasting of his new recipes. At 2:30, he’ll sign books. His events are sandwiched between two musical performances. Fools & Horses, a rock band from Baltimore, hits the stage at 11; Ozumatli, a nine-piece Latin hip-hop and rock band from Los Angeles, goes on at 3. Admission to the festival, including coffee-and-food pairings, is free.

The Starbucks Coffee Festival is at Reston Town Center, 11900 Market St., Reston, from 11 to 5 Saturday, September 15. Click here for more information.

Post a comment

Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question. Because of the prevalence of spam, we ask that you fill out the code in the image below to help us eliminate spam comments. By posting here, you affirm that you are 13 years of age or older. Washingtonian.com reserves the right to remove or edit content once posted.

Find A ...
Find A Restaurant







  1. Only show Delivery
    Only show Kid Friendly
    Only show Late Night
    Only show Party Space
    Only show Weekend Brunch
Find Events




Find A Happy Hour





  1. search_finda.gif
Find A Spa




  1. search_finda.gif
Find a Home





  1. search_finda.gif
  2. Powered by  
Find A Hotel


  1.   


  2. Reviewed by Washingtonian
  3. Kid Friendly     Valet Parking
    Handicap Accessible    

  4. Childcare
    WiFi
    Pet Friendly
    Bar/Lounge/Dining
    Airport Shuttle
    Salon/Spa
    Swimming Pool
    Fitness Room
    On-site Drycleaning
    Meeting Rooms
    Golf
    Tennis Courts
    Game Room
  5. search_finda.gif
Newsletter Signup
  1. Bridal Party
  2. Dining Out
  3. Kliman Online
  4. Shop Around
  5. Where & When
  6. Learn more sign_up.gif
 

Can DC’s New Digital News Operations Replace the Once-Great Newspaper Bureaus?

Gone are the robust bureaus for the Los Angeles Times, Newhouse News, and other once-healthy news organizations. Digital media bureaus now are taking their places with as many reporters and plenty of swagger. more

Where & When: What to Do This Weekend

Sip some Beaujolais Nouveau, check out the Terra Cotta warriors, see a vintage murder thriller, and more this weekend. more