Ardeo + Bardeo, where the mimosas flow freely. Photograph courtesy of Ardeo + Bardeo via Facebook.

The Coffee: La Colombe, roasted in Philadelphia 

The Mood: Boisterous and all-inclusive, with a mix of neighborhood families, groups, and solo diners sipping coffee and catching a game at the bar. 

A wine bar with a top-notch small-plates menu—Ardeo + Bardeo, for example—isn’t what leaps to mind at brunch time. But restaurateur Ashok Bajaj’s sleek Cleveland Park dining rooms were packed on a recent Sunday afternoon with boisterous diners who know the secret: There’s nothing small about the daytime offerings.
Oh, you can still nibble on charcuterie if you want, but better to go with the crowd and pick two courses from the set menu, offered alongside unlimited J. Roget champagne or mimosas ($25 per person). Crispy, lightly charred Brussels sprouts, dressed up for breakfast with tangy yogurt and chopped pistachios, are a surprisingly addictive starter, while creamy salmon rillettes with everything bagels make for a tasty riff on bagels and lox. Rock shrimp and grits, dressed with arugula and a lobster emulsion, are surprisingly light. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s a smoky burger topped with cheddar, house-made bacon, and a fried egg. When combined with frequent top-offs from servers bearing jugs of mimosas, it may just inspire an afternoon nap.

Brunch at Ardeo + Bardeo is served every Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 3 PM.

Robert Wiedmaier in his kitchen at Brasserie Beck.

This Wednesday, Chef Robert Wiedmaier, the man behind Marcel's, Brasserie Beck, Brabo, and Mussel Bar, will stop by the Washingtonian offices for a live online chat about best practices for cooking up a flawless T-Day feast.

The conversation starts at 11 AM on Wednesday, November 16, but you can submit your questions now, here.

Popsicles are appearing in restaurants, at farmers markets, and at Williams-Sonoma in the form of an ice-pop maker that promises them in less than ten minutes. We gave it a try.

The photos accompanying the Zoku Quick Pop Maker ($49.95) show star cutouts, zigzags, and artfully arranged fruit. We didn’t expect to replicate these fancy pops (what happened to freezing a wooden stick in a cup of grape juice?), but the machine makes them doable.

Firefly chef Danny Bortnick likes what he can pick in his home garden. Photograph by Scott Suchman

Looking to plant something a little more exciting than tomato and basil? We asked local chefs with gardens of their own for easy-to-grow ideas.

Rob Weland, chef at Poste in DC’s Penn Quarter, suggests planting salad greens: “They’re extremely easy and come back quickly when cut correctly.” He especially likes the slightly bitter flavors of dandelion, kale, and geranium, and he grows mesclun and mâche for their softer textures.

When it comes to herbs, Firefly chef Danny Bortnick favors lemon verbena: “It smells great and adds great flavor to salads and even cocktails.” He tends more than 70 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs in his 450-square-foot home garden.

Perhaps the most avid gardener is Frank Ruta, chef/owner of Palena in DC’s Cleveland Park. He plants seeds he’s saved from year to year, with some strains dating back to his childhood. In early July, he plants shelling beans and Italian heirloom squash.

You can save and replant heirloom seeds by collecting them from ripened vegetables, washing and drying them, and then storing them in airtight containers in a cool, dark, dry place until you’re ready to use them next season.

Sophie's inexpensive salad whose simplicity reminds her of home. Photograph by John Wilwol

If I were a businessman (and it should be immediately apparent from my choice of career that I am not), one of the first things I’d do is import Sainsbury’s to the U.S. The British supermarket chain is probably the thing I miss most from home (hopefully my mom isn’t reading this), and it’s just about impossible to find anything here that even comes close. British pork-belly mini joints with apple-and-shallot stuffing? Done. Broccoli-and-Stilton quiche with a crunch cheddar crumb? Sold. Looking at the Web site now is enough to make my poor, Trader Joe’s-condemned self weep. What I wouldn’t give right now for a Gruyère-topped bap (a soft roll) or six.

The brilliant thing about British supermarket chains is that they put mini stores on almost every street corner, meaning organic arugula and Oyster Bay wine are just steps away no matter where you are. And it also means that pre-made lunch options are a cinch, whether you’re a fan of char-grilled vegetable couscous for £1.59 (about $2.50) or edamame-and-butter-bean salad for a mere £1.99 (about $3.15). Getting a wholesome lunch in England is an inexpensive cinch, even if you’re confronted with Cadbury’s chocolate at every checkout line. Getting lunch in DC? I don’t have a window in my office, but if I did I’d be looking out at a Staples, a Potbelly, and a Corner Bakery, none of which seem to be tempting me with the siren call of whole grains and exotic vegetables. Yes, there’s always my hometown import, Pret A Manger, but my monthly spending there is starting to rival my mortgage, and the staff give me the same kind of judgmental looks that bartenders give alcoholics.

A wonderfully messy sandwich from Ray's Hell-Burger.

If there's one meal to make for Fourth of July weekend, it's burgers on the grill. And if there's one guy who can do it right, it's Michael Landrum. The Ray's Hell-Burger and Hell-Burger Too owner has built a local mecca for hamburger-lovers that serves everyone from college kids to President Obama. For replicating Ray's burgers at home, here are Landrum's tips.

DIY Meat
For maximum flavor and juiciness, Landrum swears by grinding your own burger meat. Any Cuisinart food processor or simple hand-grinder does the trick. The golden ratio is 80 percent fattier chuck-eye steak from a market such as Whole Foods—you can pre-order a whole portion from a chuck roast—and 20 percent leaner flank or skirt steak. Always use whole cuts, not scraps or pre-cubed meat.

Landrum says it's important to keep both the grinder and the meat cold so the fat doesn't melt out. Cube the steaks and freeze the beef and tools for about 20 minutes, or until a layer of ice spreads across the meat. If using a processor, pulse it quickly for a rough chop—avoid the puréed texture of grocery-store patties—or guide it through the grinder without pushing. The coarse texture will give the burger what Landrum calls a "meatier, more primordial satisfaction."

Onion blossoms look a lot like dandelions and have a mild onion-like flavor. Photograph by Phoebe Connelly

The ingredient: Onion blossoms. These green-and-white dandelion-like flowers come out in late spring. Farmers cut them off the tops of onion plants to encourage growth in the bulb underground. The flavor is similar to an onion, but milder. They should be available for two or three more weeks.