Food and Drink: January 2009 Archives

Where: Bourbon, Rustico, The Big Hunt

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Everyone knows it's been a big week for chili, especially Ben's Chili Bowl. But we're not here to talk about Ben's, for once this week. Because whether you love or don't love the chili from Ben's, its squeeze-tap runny texture isn't quite comparable to most traditional chili.

While most kids were licking their fingers after dipping into the sugar bowl or squeezing mounds of maple syrup on to their pancakes, I took to sprinkling salt on my hands and licking it. (This was long before I knew that people usually follow this with tequila and a lime.)

     

Anthony Bourdain is the acerbic host of No Reservations on the Travel Channel. His rise to fame can be attributed to Kitchen Confidential, his book exploring the seamy underworld of the restaurant industry. Since then he has written two more books, and has served as a guest judge on Top Chef.

Scotch lovers rejoice! There's a new joint in town serving some of the world's rarest and most sought after scotches, and it's opening just in time for the upcoming celebrations in D.C. Not to be outdone by all the other establishments stepping up the snazz for inauguration, the Willard Intercontinental Hotel's Round Robin Bar is now featuring The Scotch Bar, a cozy little alcove within the Round Robin that is home to an intimate bar and small seating area—not to mention a wide selection of premium scotches. Exploring the newly compiled catalog of Scotch malt whiskies, including dozens of labels and ages from each of the regions of Scotland, might be the perfect way to kick off an extra long inauguration weekend, or to top off a long night of inaugural ball-ing.

For D.C. residents and visitors alike, it seems like the planning for Inauguration has been haphazard at best. Even the people tasked with running the show don't know what's going on. But there is one thing we can all be certain of on Tuesday: the Inaugural lunch. The Senate has put together an entire webpage devoted to Barack Obama's first meal as president, complete with wine pairings and recipes. The meal, which is inspired by Abraham Lincoln, features "a brace of American birds" and will be served on a replica of Mary Todd Lincoln's china. For the overly curious, you can also learn about the flower arrangements, artwork, and weird glass tchotchkes that will be presented during the meal.

Regardless of where you'll be when Inauguration fever sets in, you'll need an appropriate beverage to toast our new President. Some folks may tout the celebratory bottle of Champagne, and there are no shortage of Obama-themed cocktails around. However, I plan on focusing on the man himself in my Inaugural drinking, and he has stated his preference for a nice beer. With this focus, you can take one of two approaches: Drink beers that are brewed in Obama's home state(s), or drink beers that were brewed for Inauguration.

Drink in the Details is a monthly column highlighting spirits and classic cocktails written by DC Craft Bartenders Guild members Adam Bernbach (Bar Pilar) and Chantal Tseng (Tabard Inn).

   

From the name alone, you might expect that Punch Club is a shabby knockoff of the 1999 movie, Fight Club. Further strengthening this likeness is the fact that Punch Club is held only once a week, on Thursdays. And although both Fight Club and Punch Club both have the potential to knock you out, the former does with uppercuts and jabs what the latter does with expertly crafted cocktails and, well, punch.

Like Rodney Dangerfield, the D.C. dining scene doesn't get a lot of respect. For years, the District was regarded as a second-class city when it came to restaurants. Fortunately, the last few years have seen great improvements to the reputation of D.C. dining, thanks in large part to chefs like Michel Richard, José Andrés, Eric Ziebold, Cathal Armstrong, and others who've brought a level of sophistication and imagination to local cooking that has allowed D.C. area restaurants to gain national recognition. Finally, it seems the District has arrived as a city with more than museums and monuments to draw tourists. Or so we thought.

When I was in Denver for the Democratic National Convention last August, I wondered if the anti-Coca-cola policies of the Pepsi Center wouldn't lead the then-Obama campaign to alienate a large segment of the population: Coke drinkers. But with Pepsi's latest ad campaign popping up all over Washington, in Metro stations, the sides of Metro buses, and even outside Union Station in advance of Obama's inauguration on Tuesday, the tables have turned.

Everyone was excited that President-elect Obama made his first big foray into the city this weekend with a stop at Ben's Chili Bowl. Some were more excited than others. Namely, the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, who put out a press release hilariously titled, "National Hot Dog & Sausage Council Says President-Elect Obama's Historic Trip to Famous DC Hot Dog Restaurant Reflects Excellent and All-American Taste in Cuisine."

Last year we made a number of predictions for the food scene in 2008. We thought it would be a big year for cocktails, charcuterie, and burgers. Cocktails got a lot of attention at Bar Pilar, Hummingbird to Mars, and The Gibson. Charcuterie has yet to get the expected boost, but Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve and the Neighborhood Restaurant Group are poised to open charcuterie shops this year. Burgers got even bigger with Ray's Hell Burger and Good Stuff Eatery. As for the stuff we didn't call, froyo and cupcakes, they sure seems to be on the outs with DCist commenters.

Thursday marks the opening of the second TangySweet location, this one in Penn Quarter (the former Juan Valdez Cafe). The store is in addition to their latest trendy venture - Red Velvet Cupcakery. To celebrate the opening, they will be serving up free frozen yogurt from 11a.m. to 11 p.m. Take a look at our story on the opening of the first Tangysweet location. For those of you willing to brave the cool temps and knock-down winds predicted for tomorrow, enjoy!