The Weekly Feed: You're Never Getting Into Komi Again
Food and Wine Names Komi's Monis Best New Chef
Food and Wine has released their list of best new chefs for 2007, and Komi's chef Johnny Monis has made the cut. Focusing on "modest, low-key restaurants" and chefs who are "obsessed with ingredients," Food and Wine selected ten chefs from across the country who are steadily climbing the vertical food tower of greatness. Well, ten chefs other than Rachael Ray and Sandra Lee, who they somehow managed not to name five times each.
Monis and his '07 cohorts join the league of other best new chefs like 2006's Cathal Armstrong, 2005's Eric Ziebold, 2001's Frank Ruta, and 1990's Roberto Donna. It's no surprise given the awards and praise he's received in the three years his restaurant has been open. With the recent change to a tasting-menu only format, Monis' cooking has received even more acclaim, and reservations to his 38-seat restaurant are becoming increasingly hard to come by.
More than the personal honor of this award, Monis' selection goes further to cement Washington as a first rate food city. Following directly on the heels of José Andrés' blowout on Iron Chef, this Food and Wine ensures that anyone paying attention will come flocking to the city, immediately bypass the cherry blossoms, and start dialing for reservations from their hotels in Gaithersburg the Web site promised was "minutes from Washington!" D.C.'s apperance on the list is an award in itself, as there is only one chef from New York City (April Broomfield of the Spotted Pig) this year, and none from Los Angeles, Chicago, or regional Beard Award nemesis Philadelphia. Ha HA, Philly! You are stagnating in the eyes of F&W, better start making more news like the 40 year-old intern.
Photo from katmere.
Andrés Heading to L.A.
Don't be alarmed. It's in name only, but still. Foodie darling José Andrés is lending his name and culinary leadership to a Los Angeles hotel venture SLS Los Angeles, a new hotel to replace Le Meridien Beverly Hills. Designer Phillipe Starck will take the helm in the aesthetic department, but Andrés will oversee food and beverage, the direction of which is still a mystery.
While I congratulate Andrés on his expanding sphere of influence, I sincerely hope this doesn't cut into the quality of food and service his restaurants here in D.C. provide. Restaurants far removed from their executive chefs are rarely as good as the ones with the big cheese at the helm (Olives, for example), so the L.A. Venture is going to be a challenge. But, as long as Andrés doesn't move into an overpriced apartment in West Hollywood to start his acting career as a waiter, those of us here in Washington will be O.K.; like anyone in L.A. eats anyway.
Small Bites
Good Manager? Love Cheese?
Del Ray cheese shop Cheesetique is looking for a full-time manager starting this summer. Jill Erber, the shop's proprietor, is looking for a good person who won't eat all of the store's honey goat in one sitting, but is willing to sell it to those of us who will. You can check out the job posting at Don Rockwell. If you're looking for some business experience, and if you really love cheese (or are willing to learn to love it), throw a resume into the mix.
Pour House Closed For the Weekend
Capitol Hill stand-by Pour House will be closed until Monday, according to a DCist operative. On-the-ground intelligence says their liquor license has been suspended, and a few phone calls up there all hit a busy signal. Anyone out there have the real scoop?
All Part of The Same Cosmic Spiral
It's springtime, so things are growing, right? Well the fertile ground of our post on Restaurant Kolumbia sprouted a garden of anonymous dickweeds.