Cathal Armstrong, who now presides over the mini-empire of Restaurant Eve/Eamonn’s/PX/The Majestic, took top honors at the 25th anniversary RAMMY awards, winning Chef of the Year. Nathan Beauchamp of 1789 was named Rising Culinary Star, and New Restaurant of the Year went to Rasika in Penn Quarter…
…Pastry chef Lisa Scruggs has left Alexandria’s Buzz. Taking over as the bakery's top toque is Josh Short, who recently sold From Scratch Baking Co., his Charlottesville shop, and moved back into the city. Short previously handled the desserts at DC’s Zola and Red Sage…
…Across the street from Buzz at Rustico, beer popsicles—a favorite of Counterintelligence—are now officially on the menu. Chef Frank Morales and beer director Greg Engert created three flavors for the summer: “Raspbeer-y” made with St. Louis Framboise, “Plum” with Chapeau Mirabelle, and “Fudgesicle” with Bell’s Kalamazoo stout. Traditional pops are $4 and larger beer “cones” go for $6…
…the City Paper raves about Taqueria Nacionale, Ann Cashion’s takeout joint behind Johnny’s Half Shell on Capitol Hill, where authenic tacos with “succulent chunks of plate meat that provide just the right amount of resistance” are $2.50 a piece…
…Komi’s Johnny Monis appears on the July cover of Food and Wine with his nine fellow Best New Chef honorees. No shocker there, since the winners were announced in April, but we did enjoy a photo inside the magazine of Monis—named one of Washingtonian’s 25 Most Beautiful People last year—adorably peeking over a tower of bread…
…This weekend, celebrate every variation of American ‘cue when the National Capital Barbecue Battle takes over Pennsylvania Avenue between 9th and 14th streets. Competitors are serious about their meat, but everyone can fill up on ribs, brisket, and pulled pork in the sampling pavilion. The cook-off winner gets $25,000 and will represent the Mid-Atlantic at the Barbecue World Championship in Memphis next May.
