Food and Drink: August 2009 Archives

Drink of the Week: Fancy Soda

I'm all for awesome iPhone applications that make my life easier, but I'm curious exactly how often one would need to frequent the Chipotle fast food chain to justify having a special app just for pre-ordering your burritos (hat tip to the Washington Business Journal on this one).

We told you a few months ago about a new venture by CityZen's Eric Ziebold at the Mandarin Oriental called South by Southwest. The restaurant is supposed to offer less pricey regional fare. The name was questioned by the City Paper's Tim Carman, so when a number of folks received invitations to save the date for the opening of Sou'wester, we wondered, what's going on here?

Hello Cupcake in Dupont Circle turns one tomorrow, and it's celebrating in the most delicious way possible: by giving out free cupcakes! The folks over at HC will give away one free cupcake per customer tomorrow, August 25, at their Connecticut Avenue shop just south of Dupont Circle -- while supplies last that is. No word yet on whether all their usual Tuesday flavors will be up for grabs gratis, but if so, you can pick yourself up a chococo, a Velvet Elvis, a you tart! or a raspberry beret, among others. The shop is scheduled to be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., but the offer expires once they run out, so you might want to head over for a mid-morning or lunchtime fix rather than waiting 'til after work. Also, just FYI: the shop will not be selling multi-cupcake boxes, taking phone orders or doing deliveries during the promotion.

Another D.C. Restaurant Week is upon us. Three course lunches and dinners are on offer for $20.09 and $35.09, respectively. It’s an event that’s either loved or loathed by dining out enthusiasts. Restaurants cling to the promotion as way to get butts in seats during the peak of the slow season. Some diners are grateful for the bargains and excuse to try somewhere new, while RW haters out there feel rather strongly about their amateur hour complaints.

Where: Picante - The Real Taco

      

You know the feeling, dessert lovers. It’s mid-afternoon, or after dinner, or the middle of the night, and your sweet tooth is throbbing, begging you to indulge as your mind wanders into that delicious dreamland of rich chocolate, creamy peanut butter and ... crunchy bacon? Well lucky for you, pastry chef Josh Short’s mind is just as twisted as yours. He designed this month’s special cupcake at Buzz Bakery in Alexandria, a chocolate cake topped with peanut butter mousse sprinkled with crisped pieces of thick-cut applewood smoked bacon. Short, the bakery’s executive pastry chef, thought it up mostly out of boredom. “I have the attention span of a three year old,” he said. “I get bored easily.”

D.C. has always had a reputation as a drinking town. Maybe it's because of all the lobbyists, lawyers, and politicians, but in the heyday of the cocktail, before Prohibition, residents of the District supposedly out-drank their counterparts in other areas of the country several times over. We even have our own cocktail that was named after a lobbyist. These days, many of the top restaurants in the city now have extensive cocktail programs to match their ample wine lists, and a number of places focused solely on making a truly great cocktail have opened in the last few years.

The title of this event, "Chimay Vintage Beer and Cheese Tasting," was only partially misleading. There was some "vintage" Chimay to be had - one six-liter bottle of 2007 Chimay Grand Reserve (the blue label). And there was Chimay cheese to taste, if you ordered the special pizza with Chimay cheese. Good thing I read the full description on the DC Beer Week Facebook page, and ended up getting what I expected - a night of great beer and pizza at Birreria Paradiso with some extra Chimay options.

Dish of the Week: Caprese Salad

A new poll by American Farmland Trust puts three D.C. area farmers markets among the top markets in the entire country (hat tip, WTOP). They may be considered some of the smaller markets in the United States, but they're big in our hearts (and stomachs). Smart Markets at Mason in Fairfax, the Crossroads Farmers Market in Takoma Park, and the Bloomingdale Farmers Market in D.C. all made the top 20 list of smaller markets, coming in at 3, 4 and 7, respectively. The rankings break the markets into small, medium and large.

Call up your favorite designated driver and break out your iCal - DC Beer Week is only a week away. With at least two events per night, a determined beer geek could fill every evening with multiple tastings across the city. But why run around when you’re trying to enjoy some good beer and stay out of the heat? The most in-depth calendar for Beer Week lives on their Facebook page, but here are some highlights for those who aren’t going to be squeezing in every last event:

Drink of the Week: Bellini

         

We've been eagerly awaiting the opening of Room 11 Wine and Dessert Bar in Columbia Heights for some time now, and tracking their progress on their blog. The bar is situated on the corner of 11th and Lamont Streets NW and features an outdoor patio. The owners held a soft opening last night for media and friends of the bar, with the official opening set for August 10. Room 11 is the brain child of a collection of 20 investors with strong ties in the D.C. arts, music, and food communities. The decor represents those affiliations with art work and various knick knacks, like popover pans.

      

We made sure to let you know a few times about the DC Craft Bartender's Guild designation of July as Rickey Month. Bartenders from all over the city created their own variations on the District's only indigenous cocktail, and members of the drinking public were encouraged to head out, try the rickeys, and vote for their favorite. The celebration of the Second Annual Rickey Month ended in style with a party at Bourbon last night to announce winners of both the popular vote and the vote by a panel of judges.