The chicken Parm sandwich at G. Photograph by Greg Powers.
With no opening date announced for the long-awaited Kapnos and G on 14th Street, many of us are getting anxious to sample the goods. Well, an opportunity has presented itself. The Jersey-bred Graffiato restaurateur and Top Chef breakout star will preview G’s menu of sandwiches at his Penn Quarter spot (707 Sixth Street, Northwest) May 13 through 17 from 11:30 to 2. In the same month, Isabella will launch G GrabandGo in Edison, New Jersey, in collaboration with his sister and brother-in-law.
In February, Isabella gave us the scoop on what to expect at G—there will be some familiar favorites from Graffiato, including the popular roasted cauliflower and the Caesar salad with cream-cheese croutons, four sorts of sandwiches, and, at night, a tasting menu featuring seasonal ingredients. The pop-up will showcase limited offerings from the full menu, including a roasted suckling pig sub, a chicken Parmigiano sandwich, and a Greek salad with red wine vinaigrette. You can check out the offerings after the jump.
The vinegar barrels at Blue Duck Tavern. Photograph courtesy of Sebastien Archambault.
Growing up in France, chef Sebastien Archambault remembers his grandmothers descending to their caves for homemade vinegars made from leftover wine. Inspired by the memory, the Blue Duck Tavern toque bought some barrels and a live bacterial starter—called a “mother”—to help transform wine from the restaurant into distinctive vinegars he can use in salads and other cooking. Making his own vinegars appealed to him because it offered a chance to bring the restaurant’s from-scratch, DIY identity to a basic and versatile ingredient. “And we have a lot of leftover wine,” he adds.
To make the vinegar, Archambault first dilutes the wine. For a bottle with 12-13 percent alcohol, he adds the same amount of water to bring the mixture down to six percent, and then pours it into a barrel—for his first round, Archambault used new white oak containers—with the starter. He keeps the barrel open on top and covered with cheesecloth so that it can breath as it changes into ascetic acid. It takes about six weeks in the barrel before the vinegars are usable, and from that point on Archambault adds leftover wine directly to the vinegar—always making sure the barrel is less than three-quarters full. The mother will continue to grow—if it gets too bloated it can block the barrel spout—so the chef stirs the mixture up now and then to break it up.
Currently the chef has a red wine vinegar, a white made with Chardonnay, and a sherry vinegar. You can try them in a selection of salads on BDT’s new lunch menu. These salads showcase vegetables sourced from Pennsylvania farms and list recommended proteins like hanger steak, scallops, shrimp, and duck confit. They correspond to a request from customers for lighter options, says the chef. By carefully composing the dishes and matching up proteins, Archambault hopes to offer lighter eaters a way to still experience the signature flavors of the restaurant. Look for more to come: The chef hopes to offer a raspberry vinegar and a balsamic one aged in an old Barolo barrel.
While probably not low in calories, the crispy rice salad at Bangkok Golden must not be missed. Photograph by Scott Suchman.
You’re not alone. This weekend’s sunny skies inspired some pretty piggy behaviors in all of us—beer and honey-laced wings at Boundary Stone, croquettes on the deck at Jaleo Bethesda, maybe a big old brunch at Green Pig Bistro. Far be it from me to suggest you abstain from anything delicious, but if you’ve got that Monday urge to repent, here are ten spots to head for good salads.
1) Okay, we’re starting with a carb-fueled dish with ham on it, but the crispy rice salad on the Laotian menu at Bangkok Golden, topped with herbs, coconut, onion, and the aforementioned pork bits, must be included in any roundup on the subject. (Don’t worry, thing get greener after this.)
Open Monday for lunch and dinner.
2) The aforementioned wings may be the most famous food at Boundary Stone, but the Bloomingdale bar does a lot of dishes right, and in the way I wish so many tavern-type spots would—with a focus on great flavors rather than unnecessary cheffy frills. Case in point: its rotating selection of fresh salads topped with vegetable combos such as red onion, tomato, and Manchego cheese plus always-on-point dressings.
Open Monday for lunch and dinner.
A Washington Post article recently revealed that it cost Stephen Starr more than $6 million to build out Le Diplomate, now open on 14th Street. Photograph by Jeff Elkins.
Spring has officially sprung, and new restaurants have been popping up way faster than those late-to-the-party cherry blossoms. Washington has recently welcomed spots for chowing down on homey fried chicken, relaxing with a date on an outdoor patio with raw oysters and Chablis, or getting rowdy with friends over beers and the big game. Check out these dozen new spots, and stay tuned for more—so many more—coming soon.
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
The newest face of the fried chicken and doughnuts game just opened its doors on Monday, and is soft-opening this week by doling out comfort eats from 8 AM until the shelves are empty (which so far has been just after the lunch rush). Stop by the storefront early for coffee and a vanilla-glazed round, or get creative at lunch with double-fried Korean-style chicken.
The gastro-bar above Daikaya’s Penn Quarter ramen shop is equally suited to eating and drinking, with Japanese small plates and beer, cocktails, and sake galore. Nibble on grilled avocado with ponzu or crispy crab croquettes paired with a spherified sake bomb. You can always teeter downstairs to slurp noodles if you work up a hefty appetite.
With highs in the 70s, you could start that summer tan while dining at Clarendon’s newest spot for mussels, sausages, and cold brews. The cozy outdoor patio features picnic tables, so get a few friends together over giant steins of citrusy Erdinger wheat beer and brats—or, for the more adventurous, rattlesnake dogs.
GBD (Golden, Brown, Delicious)
Fried chicken, doughnuts, and booze—the newest joint from the Neighborhood Restaurant Group just launched full service on Wednesday. In addition to daily counter-order breakfast and lunch, there’s also now a full bar and evening sit-down dinner. Bad news for the arteries: You’ll find freshly fried dough and buttermillk-brined birds at all hours, as well as beer, wine, and punch.
The Brixton’s open-air roof deck is open for your boozing pleasure. Photograph by Jeff Martin.
It finally feels like spring, with a weekend forecast of sun and temps in the 60s and 70s. Even if the weather is a little erratic, you’ll want to post up on the nearest patio while the mild temperatures last. Whether you’re looking to catch some rays or huddle under heat lamps in the chilly evenings, there are plenty of al fresco spots to get an early start on outdoor partying.
The expansive beer garden of this H Street spot is open year-round— it’s partially covered and lined with heat lamps—but sunny days are the best time to grab a seat at one of the long, communal tables and drink a few supersize German beers.
Specials: Monday through Friday from 4 to 7, you’ll find brews—including Paulaner Pils—plus select glasses of wine and currywurst sausages, all discounted to $5.
One of DC’s best open-air roof decks is open and ready for outdoor drinkers. Order a shandy and catch a few rays before the crowds descend this summer.
Specials: Monday through Friday from 5 to 7, three varieties of drafts are $5 and rail drinks and house red and white wines are $6. Sunday brings a late-night happy hour and a shot-and-beer combo for $8.
The weather finally feels right for sitting by the water with a margarita at this Southwest Waterfront spot, even though the deck has been open since early March. You can also catch a great view of the cherry blossom fireworks on Saturday, April 6.
Specials: Daily deals include $4.50 Blue Moons on Friday and $5 Yuengling pints on Saturday.
Patios at both the Del Ray and Shirlington locations of Jill Erber’s cheese shop/restaurant are open, so you can sip wine and nibble fromage al fresco.
Specials: Find $2 off wines and beers and $4 off cheese boards weekdays from 3 to 6.
This neighborhood Petworth bar already boasts a huge outdoor patio armed with picnic tables and bar seating, and construction is now complete on the new al fresco service bar.
Specials: You can get two-for-one anything (yes, anything) from behind the bar on Monday through Saturday from 5 to 9 PM. Test your capacity for mimosas and bloody Marys during the bottomless brunch on weekends.
The newest addition to the Clarendon scene boasts communal tables on a small outdoor patio, perfect for taking down steins of German and Belgian beer alongside brats and mussels.
Specials: Happy hour starts next week with specials like 17-ounce Erdinger beers and pints of Ommegang for $5.
The bar at Daikaya Izakaya, set to debut soon in Penn Quarter. Photographs by Jeff Elkins.
Update: Daikaya Izakaya is now open.
The Chinatown ramen shop Daikaya has only been open a few weeks, but already it’s attracting hourlong waits and even one gentleman who traveled across the world to slurp a bowl of noodles from chef Katsuya Fukushima. Now the project—which Fukushima and fellow co-owners Daisuke Utagawa and Yama Jewayni literally built from the ground up over the course of several years—is nearly complete with the imminent debut of a 90-seat izakaya above the sidewalk-level eatery. True to the izakaya concept in Japan, the space operates as both a bar and a restaurant—though you can get anything from a light snack to a full meal (here’s the menu)—with the intention of becoming a neighborhood gathering place. Here are five things to look for at the new spot, set to debut in the coming days (we’ll keep you posted).
Photograph via Shutterstock.
When attending a Passover Seder, we like the idea of bringing a kosher wine to the party so our kosher-keeping friends can partake. However, by reputation many kosher wines aren’t among the tastiest. To help us find some good options, we hit up the obliging Michael Dumas, a serious vino geek to whom this blogger regularly turns for excellent value-driven bottle selections. Dumas can be found assisting customers at Cleveland Park Wines, a neighborhood wine shop that stocks a lot of good cocktail stuff, too—Dolin vermouth, Fever-Tree tonics, Scrappy’s Bitters, and the like.
Here are Dumas’s choices for kosher bottles. Handily, he also offers advice on which wines pair well with traditional Passover dishes such as maror (bitter herbs), charoset (apple-walnut relish), karpas (green leafy vegetables), beitzah (hardboiled egg), and zeroah (roasted lamb shanks).
The big value:
“There is a good, inexpensive brand from Chile—Terra Vega—that is kosher. Terra Vega has a whole line of affordable Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carménère that sell for $8.99 each. Out of those, my favorite is the Sauvignon Blanc; it has good acidity, good minerality, and a nice fruity mid-palate followed by a slightly spicy, clean, crisp finish perfect for cheeses, grilled chicken, or fish and light salads. Out of the red, I like the Carménère—a light body red wine with nice dark-berry aromas, soft tannins, and a spicy finish that is easy to pair with a variety of foods and is really good with roasted lamb dishes.”
Halibut crusted with bitter herbs is one of the modern takes on traditional Passover foods at DGS Delicatessen. Photograph courtesy of DGS.
Let’s face it: Not everyone has time to whip up a full Seder dinner for their ten closest relatives. Thankfully, a number of Washington restaurants and markets put together menus for the holiday, offering everything from a traditional multi-course meal to Manischewitz sangria at the bar.
In keeping with the new-wave deli theme (cocktails! House-made everything!), the Dupont restaurant offers a modern Seder menu. Grab friends, a date, or your bubba for house-made matzo soup with bone marrow, bitter-herb-crusted halibut, braised lamb, and an assortment of interesting beverage pairings (never started Seder with sherry? Now you can).
Details: Monday, March 25, through Sunday, March 31; $40 per person, with a $20 pairing option.
Get slow and low on the go at Smoke BBQ Bethesda. Photograph by Andrew Propp.
You’ve been to Potbelly a billion times, and the cashier at Pret A Manger greets you by name. Sound familiar? Lunchtime go-tos are nothing to be ashamed of (the above describes this writer’s midday habits perfectly), but it’s nice to mix it up once in a while. Whether you’re looking for a quick grab to take back to your desk or a meal to linger over, we have eight new lunches for you to try.
All of the sandwiches are available in half and whole portions at this lower Dupont family-operated eatery, which is a good thing: Halves of an Italian hoagie or braised beef brisket sandwich are as large as most restaurant’s wholes, and full-size means a feast (or leftovers). A variety of salads, pizzas, and soups round out the menu, as do a selection of seasonal pickles.
You’ll find truffles with exotic flavors at Fleurir Hand Grown Chocolates. Photograph by Erik Uecke.
Don’t be that Valentine. You know, the one who rushes to the pharmacy at 5:30 on February 14, desperately hoping there’s a heart-shaped box of something left on the shelves. It’s not a good look. Instead, head (early-ish) to one of these chocolate shops around town and pick up some sweets as special as your special someone.
