Daily dispatches on the Washington, DC area's food, restaurant and dining scene.
Maitre d' Ralph Fredericks Goes From Haute to Healthy
By
Erin Zimmer
Last fall, we chatted with one of Washington 's most beloved maitre d's. At the time, Ralph Fredericks was moving from the "very English and romantic" Coeur de Lion to the brand-new Famoso , a "snappy" and "electric" (his words) Italian eatery set amid the shiny new designer boutiques of Chevy Chase. But after five months of working the room, Fredericks is ready for another professional shift. Changing restaurants, he says, is "like moving from one fantasy country to another." So where to next? "Neverland," he answers whimsically. That Peter Pan island translates to the second manifestation of Bethesda health food restaurant Rock Creek , which is slated to open at Chevy Chase mall Mazza Gallerie in late-May. As the recently hired maitre d', Fredericks is peppering his speech with phrases like "mindful dining," while touting portion control and locally-grown produce. But he promises this isn't diet food. He says that just because the restaurant has a health-conscious philosophy, does not mean "a bunch of hippies in tie-dye shirts are forcing tofu down Washington's throat." He calls the feelgood eating "sexy." And as many of his clients will tell him, "when you pay that much for an Oscar de la Renta suit-- you want it to fit the next morning."
While the portions are smaller than Maggiano's across the street, the Mazza Gallerie space is huge (both in Ralph factor and sheer size). Fredericks calls the high ceilinged room "beautifully curvaceous," and likens it to a beautiful pink shell, with all those "niches, curves and pockets." It's a perfect "room to work," and he'll work it with that same old-school charm, even if Rock Creek's "mindful dining" philosophy is more new age. Since the restaurant focuses on daily, healthy choices that build on each other--not the celebratory five-courser that inspires crash dieting the next morning-- he may encounter less over-the-top occasions. Instead, Fredericks will fuss over the quieter, smaller celebrations. To him, making it through the day is just as dramatic as a pop-the-question engagement moment. It was very clear that Fredericks had not changed since we last spoke. He still has the killer memory that can recall a onetime diner's pearl earrings the year before. And his overwhelming urge to accommodate will still promise to chop down a tree and build another table if the room is too packed. Fredericks is like the hairdresser that is so good, you move salons with him.
Rock Creek, 5300 Wisconsin Ave., NW; Rockcreekrestaurant.com .
Comments
najboljše varcevanje <a href=http://www.revijakapital.info>revija kapital</a>
Posted by: nakedcelebsg, Feb 07, 2012 08:13:30 AM
varcevanje za otroke <a href=http://www.medvesekpusnik.info>medvesek pusnik</a>
Posted by: nakedwomanm, Feb 06, 2012 07:45:13 AM
postopno varcevanje <a href=http://www.finport.info>finport</a>
Posted by: nudecelebritiesi, Jan 17, 2012 10:17:47 PM
varcevanje v skladih <a href=http://www.publikumsi.info>publikum.si</a>
Posted by: allnakedcelebse, Jan 17, 2012 10:17:46 PM
naložba v srebro <a href=http://www.revijakapital.info>revija kapital</a>
Posted by: allnakedcelebsm, Jan 17, 2012 09:28:31 PM
davcni svetovalec <a href=http://www.finport.info>finport</a>
Posted by: nudecelebse, Jan 16, 2012 03:50:08 PM
rentno varcevanje izracun <a href=http://www.financnisvetovalci.info>financni svetovalci</a>
Posted by: celebritiesnakede, Jan 16, 2012 03:30:51 PM
varcevanje energije <a href=http://www.netavto.info>avto.net</a>
Posted by: celebritynakede, Jan 16, 2012 02:50:54 PM
graphics of <a href=http://www.buzka.com/popnet/folder?resourceId=406598> naked video clips</a> Nudebabes .
Posted by: celebritynakedl, Dec 14, 2011 11:24:56 PM
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.
Burger Brackets
(34 Entries)
Chefs Tell All
(10 Entries)
Chefs to Watch
(7 Entries)
Cheftestants
(14 Entries)
Cooking at Home
(74 Entries)
More
Cupcake Cup
(33 Entries)
Early Looks
(46 Entries)
Eating in Other Cities
(15 Entries)
Events
(310 Entries)
Feedback
(146 Entries)
Food Experiments
(9 Entries)
Food Media
(54 Entries)
Food & Restaurant News
(548 Entries)
Food Trends
(86 Entries)
Food Truck Fight
(34 Entries)
Food Trucks
(329 Entries)
From the Magazine
(312 Entries)
Frugal Foodie
(33 Entries)
Hidden Eats
(17 Entries)
Holiday Eats
(143 Entries)
Inauguration
(8 Entries)
Interviews
(116 Entries)
In the Magazine
(31 Entries)
New Restaurants
(237 Entries)
Our Favorite Things
(87 Entries)
Pizza Pool
(35 Entries)
Recipes
(205 Entries)
Recipe Sleuth
(102 Entries)
Sophie at the Stove
(8 Entries)
Super Bowl 2012
(3 Entries)
Table for One
(4 Entries)
Top Chef
(89 Entries)
What We're Reading
(75 Entries)
Wine & Spirits
(92 Entries)
Worst Shift Ever
(1 Entry)
February 2012
(34 Entries)
January 2012
(77 Entries)
December 2011
(84 Entries)
November 2011
(72 Entries)
October 2011
(53 Entries)
More
September 2011
(52 Entries)
August 2011
(61 Entries)
July 2011
(55 Entries)
June 2011
(64 Entries)
May 2011
(86 Entries)
April 2011
(63 Entries)
March 2011
(84 Entries)
February 2011
(72 Entries)
January 2011
(58 Entries)
December 2010
(42 Entries)
November 2010
(46 Entries)
October 2010
(55 Entries)
September 2010
(41 Entries)
August 2010
(45 Entries)
July 2010
(53 Entries)
June 2010
(44 Entries)
May 2010
(31 Entries)
April 2010
(32 Entries)
March 2010
(58 Entries)
February 2010
(31 Entries)
January 2010
(22 Entries)
December 2009
(32 Entries)
November 2009
(31 Entries)
October 2009
(35 Entries)
September 2009
(43 Entries)
August 2009
(62 Entries)
July 2009
(51 Entries)
June 2009
(39 Entries)
May 2009
(37 Entries)
April 2009
(39 Entries)
March 2009
(59 Entries)
February 2009
(34 Entries)
January 2009
(48 Entries)
December 2008
(40 Entries)
November 2008
(35 Entries)
October 2008
(42 Entries)
September 2008
(41 Entries)
August 2008
(35 Entries)
July 2008
(40 Entries)
June 2008
(31 Entries)
May 2008
(34 Entries)
April 2008
(34 Entries)
March 2008
(21 Entries)
February 2008
(22 Entries)
January 2008
(19 Entries)
December 2007
(18 Entries)
November 2007
(15 Entries)
October 2007
(26 Entries)
September 2007
(23 Entries)
August 2007
(24 Entries)
July 2007
(28 Entries)
June 2007
(27 Entries)
May 2007
(34 Entries)
April 2007
(37 Entries)
March 2007
(31 Entries)
February 2007
(19 Entries)
January 2007
(15 Entries)
December 2006
(14 Entries)
November 2006
(18 Entries)
October 2006
(4 Entries)
Find A Restaurant
Search by Name
Home, Restaurant, etc...
Restaurant
Where & When / Event
Happy Hour
Spa
Home
Hotel
Select Neighborhood
All Neighborhoods
DC :
Adams Morgan
Brookland
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, National Mall
Capitol Hill, Northeast
Capitol Hill, Southeast
Capitol Hill, Southwest/Waterfront
Cleveland Park
Downtown
Dupont Circle
Foggy Bottom/West End
Georgetown
Georgia Ave./Petworth/Takoma DC
Glover Park
H Street NE
Logan Circle
Mt. Pleasant/Columbia Heights
Palisades
Penn Quarter/Chinatown
Petworth
Southeast
Tenleytown/Friendship Heights
Upper Northwest
U Street/Shaw
Woodley Park
MD :
Annapolis
Baltimore
Beltsville
Bethesda/Glen Echo
Bladensburg
Bowie
Brookeville
Bryan's Road
Burtonsville
Carroll County
Chevy Chase
Clinton
College Park
Columbia
Crownsville
Damascus
Easton
Ellicott City
Fort Washington
Frederick
Gaithersburg
Germantown
Glen Burnie
Grasonville
Greenbelt
Hagerstown
Hyattsville
Kensington/Garrett Park
Landover
Langley Park
La Plata
Largo
Laurel
Maple Lawn
Mitchellville
National Harbor
Northern Montgomery County
Olney
Potomac/Cabin John
Rockville
Seabrook
Silver Spring/Takoma Park
Southern PG County
Stevensville
Tenleytown/Friendship Heights
Waldorf
Wheaton
VA :
Alexandria
Alexandria, Del Ray
Alexandria, Old Town
Annandale
Arlington
Arlington, Ballston
Arlington, Clarendon/Courthouse
Arlington, Crystal City/Pentagon City
Arlington, Rosslyn
Arlington, Shirlington
Arlington, South
Ashburn
Baileys Crossroads
Barboursville
Bristow
Chantilly/Centreville/Clifton
Culpeper
Fairfax
Falls Church
Flint Hill
Fredericksburg
Front Royal
Great Falls
Leesburg
Leon
Little Washington
Lovettsville
Manassas
Mclean
McLean/Tysons Corner
Middleburg
Reston/Herndon
Round Hill
Shenandoah Valley
Springfield
Sterling
The Plains
Upperville
Vienna
Warrenton
Winchester-Frederick
Woodbridge
Select Price
All Price Ranges
Inexpensive
Moderate
Expensive
Very Expensive
Select Cuisine
All Cuisines
Afghan
American
Argentinian
Barbecue
Belgian
Breakfast
Burmese
Cajun/Creole
Cantonese
Caribbean
Chinese
Cuban
Deli/Quick Bites
Dim Sum
Diner
English/Irish/Scottish
Ethiopian
French
Fusion/Eclectic
German/Austrian
Greek/Mediterranean
Grocery Store/Market
Indian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Lebanese
Malaysian/Indonesian
Mexican
Middle Eastern
Modern
Moroccan
Nuevo Latino
Pan-Asian
Peruvian
Pizza
Russian/E. European
Salvadoran
Sandwiches
Scandinavian
Seafood
Soul Food
South American
Southern
Spanish/Portuguese
Steaks
Sushi
Szechuan
Tapas/Small Plates
Tex-Mex
Thai
Turkish
Vegetarian/Vegan
Vietnamese
West African
Select Star Rating
All Star Ratings
1.0 Star
1.5 Stars
2.0 Stars
2.5 Stars
3.0 Stars
3.5 Stars
4.0 Stars
Sort By
Alphabetical
Location
Price
Top 100 Ranking
Only Show
Any
100 Best Restaurants (2010)
100 Best Restaurants (2011)
100 Best Restaurants 2012
Cheap Eats (2009)
Cheap Eats (2010)
Cheap Eats 2011
Dirt Cheap Eats (2008)
Dirt Cheap Eats (2009)
First Look
Great Bars 2011
Happy Hour
Only show Delivery
Only show Kid Friendly
Only show Late Night
Only show Party Space
Only show Weekend Brunch
Find A Happy Hour
Home, Restaurant, etc...
Restaurant
Where & When / Event
Happy Hour
Spa
Home
Hotel
Search by Name
Neighborhood
All Neighborhoods
DC
Adams Morgan
Brookland
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, National Mall
Capitol Hill, Northeast
Capitol Hill, Southeast
Capitol Hill, Southwest/Waterfront
Cleveland Park
Downtown
Dupont Circle
Foggy Bottom/West End
Georgetown
Georgia Ave./Petworth/Takoma DC
Glover Park
H Street NE
Logan Circle
Mt. Pleasant/Columbia Heights
Palisades
Penn Quarter/Chinatown
Petworth
Southeast
Tenleytown/Friendship Heights
Upper Northwest
U Street/Shaw
Woodley Park
MD
Annapolis
Baltimore
Beltsville
Bethesda/Glen Echo
Bladensburg
Bowie
Brookeville
Bryan's Road
Burtonsville
Carroll County
Chevy Chase
Clinton
College Park
Columbia
Crownsville
Damascus
Easton
Ellicott City
Fort Washington
Frederick
Gaithersburg
Germantown
Glen Burnie
Grasonville
Greenbelt
Hagerstown
Hyattsville
Kensington/Garrett Park
Landover
Langley Park
La Plata
Largo
Laurel
Maple Lawn
Mitchellville
National Harbor
Northern Montgomery County
Olney
Potomac/Cabin John
Rockville
Seabrook
Silver Spring/Takoma Park
Southern PG County
Stevensville
Tenleytown/Friendship Heights
Waldorf
Wheaton
VA
Alexandria
Alexandria, Del Ray
Alexandria, Old Town
Annandale
Arlington
Arlington, Ballston
Arlington, Clarendon/Courthouse
Arlington, Crystal City/Pentagon City
Arlington, Rosslyn
Arlington, Shirlington
Arlington, South
Ashburn
Baileys Crossroads
Barboursville
Bristow
Chantilly/Centreville/Clifton
Culpeper
Fairfax
Falls Church
Flint Hill
Fredericksburg
Front Royal
Great Falls
Leesburg
Leon
Little Washington
Lovettsville
Manassas
Mclean
McLean/Tysons Corner
Middleburg
Reston/Herndon
Round Hill
Shenandoah Valley
Springfield
Sterling
The Plains
Upperville
Vienna
Warrenton
Winchester-Frederick
Woodbridge
Scene
All Scenes
Billiards
Food Specials
Low-key
Outdoor Seating
Sportsbar
Upscale
Day of the Week
All Days
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Sort By
Alphabetical
Neighborhood
Editor's Picks
Find a Home
Home, Restaurant, etc...
Restaurant
Where & When / Event
Happy Hour
Spa
Home
Hotel
Location
Bedrooms
Select
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 Bedrooms
6 Bedrooms
Bathrooms
Select
1 Bathroom
2 Bathrooms
3 Bathrooms
4 Bathrooms
5 Bathrooms
6 Bathrooms
Min. Price:
Select
100,000
125,000
150,000
175,000
200,000
225,000
250,000
275,000
300,000
325,000
350,000
375,000
400,000
425,000
450,000
475,000
500,000
550,000
600,000
650,000
700,000
750,000
800,000
850,000
900,000
950,000
1,000,000
1,250,000
1,500,000
1,750,000
2,000,000
2,250,000
2,500,000
2,750,000
3,000,000
3,250,000
3,500,000
3,750,000
4,000,000
4,250,000
4,500,000
4,750,000
5,000,000
6,000,000
7,000,000
8,000,000
9,000,000
10,000,000
Max. Price:
Select
100,000
125,000
150,000
175,000
200,000
225,000
250,000
275,000
300,000
325,000
350,000
375,000
400,000
425,000
450,000
475,000
500,000
550,000
600,000
650,000
700,000
750,000
800,000
850,000
900,000
950,000
1,000,000
1,250,000
1,500,000
1,750,000
2,000,000
2,250,000
2,500,000
2,750,000
3,000,000
3,250,000
3,500,000
3,750,000
4,000,000
4,250,000
4,500,000
4,750,000
5,000,000
6,000,000
7,000,000
8,000,000
9,000,000
10,000,000
Powered by
Woo at the Zoo, the opening of “Genesis Robot” at Synetic Theater, and the Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival.
more
Our recommendations for the best in live music over the next seven days.
more