Seaver was awarded the title by Esquire Magazine. Does he deserve it? Let us know your thoughts.
Last week, Jane Black wrote this on the Washington Post’s All We Can Eat blog: “Congratulations to Barton Seaver. In its November issue, Esquire Magazine will name him ‘chef of the year’ and Blue Ridge, Seaver’s farm-to-table restaurant in Glover Park, one of the best new restaurants in the country.”
Seaver, who’s made his name synonymous with sustainability and local food, was the chef at Café Saint-Ex, then headed up the splashy Hook before leaving that Georgetown restaurant in June 2008, saying he wanted to spend his time as an advocate, not a chef. The Washington Post item went viral in the foodie blogosphere, and a number of sites questioned the ethics of Esquire’s food writer, John Mariani, who told Black he ate at Blue Ridge once for lunch and Seaver knew he was there.
As for us, The Washingtonian named Seaver one of 20 fabulous singles in 2006 and Washingtonian.com did a Favorites interview with him last year, so we know he loves Champagne, spells his name with all lower-case letters, and goes to early-morning spinning classes. As for his cooking talents, we want to know what you think. Does Seaver deserve to be anointed “chef of the year”?
This week, we stopped by the new Italian restaurant Bibiana to find out what diners think of the latest venture from Ashok Bajaj, the man behind 701, the Oval Room, Bombay Club, Rasika, Ardeo, and Bardeo.
We’re only half joking when we say Ashok Bajaj is a modern-day Midas. Much of what the local restaurateur touches—or, in this case, opens—seems to turn to gold. At least that’s the impression we left with after talking to customers outside his newest place, downtown DC’s Bibiana. Among those interviewed: Motion Picture Association of America president Dan Glickman. What did he think of his meal? You’ll have to watch our video to find out. (For more FeedBack and other videos, check out our video channel.)
Each week, we ask you to tweet us the best (and the not so great) dishes from your eating adventures.
Each week, we ask you to tweet us the best dishes from your eating adventures from over the weekend. And you always deliver with a Twitter stream full of enticing choices. Check out the list below to see what Twitterers around town want a second helping of; if you want to see a favorite dish included, tweet @bestbitesblog, and we'll update the list to include your recommendation.
(Psst—you can also follow Washingtonian on Twitter here, and food and dining editor Todd Kliman here.)
Last week, we got word that New York-based chef Scott Conant had signed a deal for the former Olives space in downtown DC. He’s just the latest in a line of celebrity chefs who’ve picked Washington to open an outpost of their dining empires—we now have restaurants from Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Eric Ripert, Alain Ducasse, Michael Mina, Wolfgang Puck, and more. Before these guys came to town, though, we had a pretty great batch of homegrown talent here—and still do.
We want to know what you think of all the celebrity-chef-owned restaurants that are cropping up. Are you flattered that Washington is suddenly a hot spot? Do you think the newest chefs are overshadowing the ones who actually live here? Do you want more celebrity chefs to come, or do you just wish they’d all pack their knives and go?
Chef Morou Ouattara and his brother, Amadou, recently opened Kora, a red-sauce Italian spot in Crystal City. How do diners rate the food and funky decor? Does it stand out among the other Italian joints cropping up in Washington? And are there any traces of the super-modern dishes Morou crafted at his recently shuttered Farrah Olivia? We set up our cameras outside the restaurant to find out.
This season’s Top Chef features a number of contestants with local ties, among them Zaytinya chef Mike Isabella. On the show, he’s made his fair share of controversial comments. About a month ago he got married, and last Sunday the Washington Post told the story of his relationship, showing a softer side to the 34-year-old chef. We’ve heard rumblings of Top Chef viewers who are so turned off by Isabella’s attitude that they’ve vowed never to visit Zaytinya again. What do you think? Are a chef’s comments on a reality show enough to turn you away from his or her restaurant? Or has the Bravo show’s editing turned Isabella into something he’s not? Let us know in the comments!
Each week, we ask you to tweet us the best (and the not so great) dishes from your eating adventures.
Each week, we ask you to tweet us the best dishes from your eating adventures from over the weekend. And you always deliver with a Twitter stream full of enticing choices. Check out the list below to see what Twitterers around town want a second helping of; if you want to see a favorite dish included, tweet @bestbitesblog, and we'll update the list to include your recommendation.
(Psst—you can also follow Washingtonian on Twitter here, and food and dining editor Todd Kliman here.)
LaurenMarley: perfectly cooked Filet Rossini at Ray's the Steaks topped w/ mushrooms & foie gras, huge chunks of crab in their bisque brendenchaney: Dangerously Delicious Pie and @CurbsideCupcake could not have been better at the H Street Festival. Mmm coffee cupcake! TasteDC: Great Dishes this wkend: Braised Veal with Olives and Saffron Risotto w/ Dom d Couroulu Vacqueyras Vieilles Vignes 2003
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.
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Though Ann Limpert graduated from Connecticut College with a degree in art history and creative writing, she spent most of her time in New England debating the merits of warm, buttery lobster rolls vs. cold, mayo-y ones. She spent two years covering the internet for Entertainment Weekly magazine (highlights include interviewing the Beastie Boys and dancing to "Livin' la Vida Loca" with Penn Jillette), then left to hone her kitchen skills at the Institute of Culinary Education. She has worked as a cook at several New York restaurants, researched and edited cookbooks, and now writes about food and restaurants for the Washingtonian.
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Kate Nerenberg
Kate Nerenberg started as an editorial intern at The Washingtonian in January 2008 and became an assistant editor in September 2008. A native of West Hartford, Connecticut, she spent the first half of her writing life as a sports reporter, and was the editor of the athletics section for the newspaper and student-run magazine while at Middlebury College. A joint Spanish and Art History major, Kate graduated in 2005 and took off on a year-long journey around the world. After tasting everything from fried crickets to lavish Turkish breakfasts, she realized she wanted to devote herself to writing about food, a lifelong passion. She lives with three roommates just east of Logan Circle in a house that's often filled with the smell of sauteed garlic, warm banana bread, or fried bacon and eggs.
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Rina Rapuano
Rina Rapuano's English degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond put her on the path to becoming a managing editor of a weekly business magazine; a freelance copy editor; and assistant managing news editor—and later the lifestyles editor—at a weekly paper in Maryland. But she realized her true calling when her descriptions of meals to friends and colleagues always seemed to end with the same statement: “You're making me hungry.” Frankly, it was making Rina hungry, too. She chucked her day job in 2006 to become a full-time freelance writer focusing mainly on food, and now works as assistant food and wine editor at The Washingtonian.
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