Food and Drink: December 2008 Archives

          

It's a cold, dark night, and I'm looking for a speakeasy that should be next door to Marvin. I'm not quite sure what to do. I spy a set of ringers, with a small label next to one: The Gibson. I press it. A door opens, and the bouncer quickly waves me in. He checks ID with the low light from his cell phone; as he explains, the phone is dimmer, all the better for the incognito theme. He escorts me into the bar, where I grab a seat. The first thing I notice is how amazing the place smells: It smells like Christmas.

As the city stares down another D.C. winter, my thoughts inevitably turn to the warming comfort of D.C.'s Ethiopian food culture. In contrast to a shabby Chinatown and the occasional Latin gem in Adams Morgan, the vibrant Ethiopian scene in D.C. is the shining star of our downtown ethnic cuisine offerings. If you're looking to take visiting family out to a uniquely D.C. dinner, you should really consider an Ethiopian restaurant. Although they are most common around U Street in the 9th-12th Street range, there is also a pocket in Adams Morgan, a few strewn around Georgetown and Logan Circle, and a strong showing in the suburbs. We randomly surveyed six local Ethiopian restaurants to see how they prepare this DCist's favorite specialty: tibs.

Where: Lighthouse Tofu/Vit Goel, Mandu, Adam Express

Don Ho was right about tiny bubbles, and there’s no better time of the year to warm up and get happy with a great bottle of bubbly. With holiday parties happening nearly every night these days, there’s no doubt that most of us will end up consuming our fair share of cheap, and often tasteless, sparkling wine. But there’s good news: it doesn’t have to be that way. Whatever your price range, there are a number of great sparkling wines available.

In the D.C. alcoholic beverage scene, the phrase, "Where there's a will, there's a way" has been proven time and time again. Legend has it that in the early days of the Brickskeller, Dave Alexander drove cross-country to purchase beer from breweries on the West Coast. More recently, Ledroit Brands (a D.C.-based distributor) started bringing in barrel-strength whiskey from Kentucky under the Willett brand. Even in the last few weeks, the Dolin brand of vermouth entered the D.C. market, a product that was unavailable in the States until D.C.'s own Derek Brown prodded an importer to look into it.

The new Organic to Go location opening at 1700 K St. NW will be offering a number of free items with purchase during its inaugural week. All of Organic To Go's fare is made with organic ingredients whenever possible. Hopefully it will provide a healthy balance to all the office sweets that are circulating during the holiday season.

Dish of the Week: Whipped cream

Deck the halls, hang the mistletoe, and preheat the oven. ‘Tis the season for Christmas baking, which means it’s time to inundate your kitchen counter and colleagues’ desktops with an array of cookies, bars, and other sweet treats. Most supermarkets cater to holiday baking enthusiasts by offering huge discounts on staples like flour, sugar, and the requisite bag of chocolate chips, so stock up the pantry and try adding a few new recipes to your baking repertoire. Besides, it’s easy to make an office gift out of any culinary “mishaps.”

Drink of the Week: Mulled wine

Capitol Hill’s 8th Street SE will add its newest hangout tonight with the opening of pizza bistro Matchbox’s new Capitol Hill location. The restaurant and bar will open its doors at 5 p.m., and will likely host crowds nearing Chinatown-level proportions, if the attendance at this past Wednesday’s soft opening are any indication. This weekend, the restaurant will be open daily for dinner and on Sunday for brunch. Saturday brunch begins next weekend, and weekday lunch may come at a later date.