Photo by Jen SFO-BCN.Drink of the Week: Negroni
We are on the cusp of the holiday season, a time for awkward family dinners, unbridled gluttony and elastic waistbands. With Thanksgiving around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to sip on something to whet the appetite. Before your next big dinner, try starting cocktail hour with a Negroni. There’s something palate cleansing about the bittersweet citrus flavors that make it an excellent precursor or companion to a rich meal.
The Negroni falls into that class of beverages known as apértifs, a drink meant to be served ahead of a meal. It’s an old drink, thought to have been invented in Florence, Italy in 1919 for Count Camillo Negroni, a man after a strong cocktail. Don’t let the bright red-orange color fool you — the Negroni is not for the faint of palate or weak of liver. Made with equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and campari, the Negroni is like boozy party of bitter orange peels in your mouth. Bracing and vaguely medicinal, it definitely falls under the rubric of an acquired taste. I personally like to imagine the Negroni is a favorite among old Italian gentleman.
If you find the classic Negroni a little harsh, fear not, for there are endless variations on this theme. While some lament the latest cocktail craze of fiddling with the original Negroni recipe, it can be an opportunity for some exciting and creative combinations. Both Fiola and Dino offer a dizzying array of Negronis, or you can try your hand at making this simple classic at home.
Small Bites
Thanksgiving, sans cooking
If you don’t feel like cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year, there are dozens of local restaurants that would be happy to roast the turkey for you. Both Washingtonian and Eater have pulled together several lists of restaurants open on Thanksgiving. Options range from a high end $95 turkey dinner at Blue Duck Tavern to a casual $35 bbq feast at Hill Country to a well-price $50 three-course dinner at the Oval Room. Most restaurants are offering a prix fixe menu, though a handful, including Rasika and Vidalia, will be offering their regular menu ala carte.
Lions, Thai-gers, and bears
Taw Vigsittaboot, chef and owner of the beloved Thai X-ing, tells Washingtonian that the restaurant will be closing temporarily come January. The hiatus will allow Vigsittaboot to devote attention to the opening of his second restaurant, Thai-ger, located at 9th and V St NW.
Acronyms are the new bacon cupcakes
The latest restaurant fad? Acronyms. While it’s probably a coincidence, this week marked the opening of DGS Delicatessen, a Jewish-style deli in Dupont Circle, and Woodward Table and Woodward Takeout Food (WTF) in the former Potenza space near McPherson Square. Woodward Table is the latest venture from Jeff Buben, the man behind D.C. staples Vidalia and Bistro Bis. And while not quite an acronym, the much anticipated Sūna, helmed by former Komi and Toki Underground chef Johnny Spero, also started service in Eastern Market this week.
