FOODSERVICE MONTHLY'S Sauce on the Side

My First 'Downsized' Turkey Day ... Thank You Cafe Renaissance!

For the first time in 43 years (that would be Nov. 1966, when the streak started ... to keep it in sports vernacular), I did not cook a turkey on Thanksgiving Day. I have officially downsized the biggest cooking day of the year for this home cook. Even when I was a hotel manager and worked all the holidays, I still fixed turkey and all the appropriate accompaniments. I have moved passed all the failures and refinements that come with time ... until I had a blend of what I liked from my childhood past (the simple bread/herb/butter stuffing and the canned cranberry sauce) and style points for my grill-roasted Weber turkey (which freed the oven for my spectacular apple and pumpkin pies). I'll spare you the trip back through time of my learning to cook, marriages, kids, hotel food and beverage, Veuve Clicquot, nouveau Beaujolais ... I'm too full right now and the glass of Pinot too large to have any of that conversation be anything but maudlin.

What I can lucidly comment on (in my mind) is the delicious meal Acqua and I had earlier today at Cafe Renaissance in Vienna. We found Cafe Renaissance 15 years ago (it's been serving from its Glyndon Avenue location for 15 1/2 years) when I was writing community dining reviews in my new journalism career. After three visits and one glowing review I lost all objectivity and stopped writing about the restaurant in any impartial way, relegating it to the occasional community feature. The little restaurant was a step back into time where the food was classical, where all the women were lovely ladies and the owners Saeed Abathi and Tony Tassbihi (Tony has since opened Cafe Mileto in Germantown) made every guest feel like the most important. The Turkish chef Ocean Joseph (see the poor quality iPhone foto) has become an American citizen and in recent years has expanded his menu into something more contemporary, but you don't have to whisper if you would like a dish prepared in a manner not matching the menu ... it can be done. 

So Cafe Renaissance became our "romantic" restaurant ... a place where we could go and separate ourselves from the stress of life and feel special without being anyone special at all. We became friends of the family and they know my children in NC, Ohio and the UK, my brother in Ga. ... my grandchildren. We have watched Saeed and Soraya's girls grow into lovely young ladies. 

I don't get to Cafe Renaissance much any more. I live 45 minutes away. I am on the food trail chasing down the latest new spot, the latest trend, the coolest drink ... but I was off today, a tradtional food holiday ... and I wasn't cooking. Ocean prepared a wonderful turkey plate for me ... Acqua had a lamb rack that she desired and Saeed found a few minutes to join us and eat his own turkey dinner. His oldest daughter was helping on the door when we arrived. They've added a Christmas tree this year to provide a homey, holiday touch to the decor. And Ocean told us he is a new grandfather. 

Alas, I must cook a turkey; I can't give up the ghost ... it will be on Saturday. The pumpkin pie is a must and I'll improve my Red Velvet Cake with tips I've taken from David Guas's new cookbook DamGoodSweet. Life is good. 

Gaylord National Tree Lighting ... A Tornado of Opryland and Vegas on the Potomac

 

It might be the American kid's dream of Christmas (I don't think many other cultures could totally grasp the magnitude) ... loud, bright, glitz: all orchestrated to some exponential crescendo: it's the Gaylord National holiday kick-off with its second annual lighting of a 60-foot synthetic glass Christmas tree hanging from the atrium roof, a synchronized water fountain show in front of the tree and fireworks over the Potomac. All of this while choirs sang Christmas songs, kids danced and as they say ... the crowd went wild. Did I mention they can create indoor snow along the Holiday Lane?

I was exhausted after the bombs bursting in air so I missed the visit to the nine degree ICE! at Gaylord National ... a visit inside a wonderland carved out of two million pounds of ice. Don't worry, it won't melt before you get there as it remains through January 10. There are so many levels of pricing and times that it's best to visit the Gaylord ICE! Web site. My best estimate is that adults get in for around $20 and kids march through for $13. My glass of Malbec at the bar in the Old Hickory Steakhouse was perfectly soothing for me at under seven bucks ... even though I was disappointed that Carolyn Stromberg, fromagere extraodinaire, gets an occasional night off or more selfishly stated that it's on a night when I happen to stop by unannounced.

Don't even ask me why a giant PEEPS is wondering around looking for Easter eggs. I did learn that the new modern PEEP sees itself as a year-round celebration and the first PEEPS store will open at Gaylord around December 10.

Saborea Puerto Rico 2010 Dazzles With Mio Preview

I had the opportunity to sample the flavors of Puerto Rican cuisine from  two of their best chefs: Alfredo Ayala and Augusto Schreiner at Puerto Rican restaurateur Manuel Iguina’s MIO restaurant.

The media event was organized by Saborea Puerto Rico, A Culinary Extravaganza 2010, Puerto Rican cuisine’s top foodie event, now in its third year. Their visit to DC was part of its Saborea Gastronomic Journey throughout the United States to promote the event in the mainland.

Saborea Puerto Rico is an annual event by the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association carried out to highlight the best of the of the island’s cuisine. Over 60 restaurants and 50 local and international chefs come to this culinary extravaganza.

The highlight of the afternoon was the very first course that was served as we arrived: a roasted pig cooked by Luis “Apa” Ramos and accompanied by yucca with garlic sauce. Let me just make it clear ... OMG! Cut with precision by a machete-like cleaver into tasty morsels of moist, extraordinarily flavorful pork ... the dish placed itself into the category of what I would call an "instant classic." The skin was a radiant light mahogany with the feel and texture of a savory candied brittle. With a sipping glass of Bacardi Reserva Limitada, the spirit calmed the juicy meat of the pig.  

This excellent beginning was completed with a Conch Ceviche, followed by Mahi-Mahi dish served with a sweet corn sauce seasoned with a little sofrito. The next course was a guinea hen cooked in its own juice with a rum reduction.

Dessert was candied guava slices and papaya in syrup with a pastry likeness of San Juan’s famous sentry box, made by chef Schreiner. Pieces of Puerto Rican white cheese completed the sweet finish.

The third edition of Saborea Puerto Rico will be held on April 9 to 11, 2010 in the Third Millenium Park, located at El Escambrón beach in San Juan.  For more information, access: www.saboreapuertorico.com.

Thursday Night Madness: Lucinda Scala Quinn's Booksigning at ZW&K

Embrace the Mad Hungry world of Lucinda Scala Quinn at her book signing being held at Zola Wine & Kitchen (505 9th St. NW, WDC) tomorrow night Thursday, November 12. Lucinda is the vice president and editorial director of food and entertaining at Martha Stewart Omnimedia. She's in Washington to promote her new cookbook, Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys (ARTISAN BOOKS, October 2009), and will be participating in a cooking demo alongside Stir Food Group executive chef Bryan Moscatello from 6 to 8 p.m.

Tickets are priced at $75 per person and includes a copy of her book along with appetizers showcasing the published recipes and two glasses of wine per person (I'll have a big glass please ... to soothe the madness). Guests for the evening also receive a 10 percent discount on wine purchases from its wine shop during the event.

Reservations are made through Hooks Book Events.

Taste of Elegance ... Mid-Atlantic Chefs Compete for Best Pork Dish

Jerry Edwards, owner and corporate chef for Chef's Expressions Catering and Consulting, Baltimore, won the three top honors at the annual Mid-Atlantic Taste of Elegance held recently at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore. He won the Chef Par Excellence honor as well the People’s Choice Award and the best wine pairing award during the competition which was sponsored by the National Pork Board and the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA). His expression of the "Three Little Pigs" as seen in the foto was as visually appealing as it was tasty.

The Mid-Atlantic Taste of Elegance contest brings some of the region’s best chefs together to showcase their talent using pork in creative, non-traditional ways. Ten chefs competed in the competition and more than 325 invited guests from the culinary industry and the media attended the event. 

Edwards’ winning entrée, “Three Little Pigs,” featured a Straw House (wheat berry salad garnished with miso bacon), a Stick House (smoked pork loin grilled over rosemary branches with rosemary-onion soubise), and a Brick House (brick-pressed pork belly infused with star anise). Edwards received $1,000 and entrance into the National Taste of Elegance competition, which will be held in the spring of 2010.

Trey Massey III, the private chef to the Irish ambassador to the United States, earned Premium Chef honors. Jordan Lloyd, executive chef at the Bartlett Pear Inn at Easton, Md., earned Superior Chef honors. 

Judges for this year’s event included besides myself representing Foodservice Monthly:

• Mark Salter, a Pork Checkoff Chef from Maryland’s Inn at Perry Cabin
• Bryan Voltaggio, chef/partner of Volt in Frederick, Md. and currently seen on Top Chef
• Lynn Hoot, executive director of the Maryland Pork Producers Association

 

Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Kick Off 2009 Conference WIth Gala at Ritz-Carlton DC

I realized as I was sending tweets from the Ritz-Carlton Washington DC ballroom that many of my readers might not be familiar with Women Chefs & Restaurateurs … here is a smidgen of background and a list of the women honored … with fotos of Ris Lacoste, Kate Jensen, Ellen Kassof-Gray and Nora Pouillon.

Formed in 1993 by eight of the nation's top women chefs and restaurateurs, the Women Chefs & Restaurateurs has grown to a membership of over 2,000 foodservice professionals through which it offers a variety of networking, professional and support services.

Founding Members included women chef/restaurant pioneers Lidia Bastianich, co-owner of Felidia and Becco; Elka Gilmore, chef, San Francisco; Joyce Goldstein, author/restaurant and food consultant, San Francisco; Johanne Killeen, co-owner of Alforno, Providence, RI; Barbara Lazaroff, owner of Spago Beverly Hills and Imaginings Interior Design, CA; Mary Sue Milliken, co-owner of Ciudad & Border Grill, Santa Monica, CA; Anne Rosenzweig, owner of Inside, New York City and the late Barbara Tropp, author/chef/consultant, San Francisco.

Through Tuesday the women’s group is holding its national conference at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to their Sunday night gala where the "Women Who Inspire Awards" were given out during a dinner celebrating “The First Ladies of the Table.” In the spring of each year, hundreds of women are nominated for these prestigious awards.

I will be writing more about the conference in the December issue of Foodservice Monthly … for tonight I have the winners of the awards to announce. Carla Hall, Alchemy Caterers, was the gracious, entertaining emcee of the evening’s festivities.

 Golden Fork Award recognized excellence in the dining room and honored a woman whose front of the house service/management skills demonstrate a commitment to excellence: Ellen Kassof-Gray, Equinox, Washington DC.

Golden Whisk Award honored a woman whose passion and excellence as a chef serves as a role model for others: Ris Lacoste, RIS, Washington DC.

Golden Goblet Award recognized excellence in the beverage profession and honored a woman whose has made the serving of wine, spirits, coffee or tea one that enhances the dining experience: Shelly Lindgren, A-16 and SPQR, San Francisco, Calif.

Golden Plow Award recognized excellence in growing and producing from nature’s bounty and honored a woman whose skill in farming results in food that graces our plates while respecting the environment: Moie Crawford, New Morning Farm, Pennsylvania (she has sold in DC since 1974 and now every Sunday at Dupont Circle).

 Golden Bowl Award recognized excellence in baking and pastry arts while honoring a woman whose skill in the baking and pastry arts inspires others: Kate Jansen, Willow Restaurant, Arlington Va.

Community Service Award recognized outstanding contributions in community affairs by honoring a woman who has made a strong impact on the lives of others: Linda Vogler, DC Central Kitchen, Washington, DC

Barbara Tropp President’s Award recognized a lifetime of culinary excellence and honored a woman who has made exceptional and lasting contributions to the restaurant industry: Judy Wicks, White Dog Café, Philadelphia, Pa.

Genesis Award recognized a woman who has achieved a true “first” in the culinary profession: Nora Pouillon, Restaurant Nora

Bethesda Central Farm Market Adds Fall Fun to Sunday Shopping

Ann Brody and Mitch Berliner have expanded their super Bethesda Central Farm Market (BCFM) near the intersection of Woodmont and Elm (right behind Jaleo) -- adding things like music, fresh pressed cider, oyster shucking and portable wood burning pizza to replace the mainstream summer harvest foods. The Sunday market will continue at this location until some time in November from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

First I headed for one of those awesome almond croissants from Praline Bakery & Bistro so I could have that triple sensory explosion of sugar, butter and almond -- yum! You'll have to go by the bakery till they return to the market next spring. 

I picked up some buckwheat honey (uber high in anti-oxidants) from Naked Bee ... and some fresh pizza from the guys at EuroGourmet. And the folks from Two Acre Farm in Keymar, Md. have organic heirloom beans ... I bought their Black Valentine Beans -- it's that time of year.

I met Vernon Johnson, a master oyster dude, who was shucking some plump, briny ocean grown Sewansecott Brand oysters from the Hog Island Bay on the Virginia Coast Reserve for market vendor Vernon Lingenfelter. You can slurp around the market for a buck a shuck from Vernon. If you grew up in the South and have that craving for salt like I do, here is a better way to get your fix than sodium packing fast or processed food. The area where they come from is a designated and protected United Nations Biosphere Reserve ... I'll be doing some Googling after releasing this post.

Lastly, Mitch and the market kids made some fresh cider in the center of BCFM ... all in good fun and good taste. Bags full and belly happy ... I was on the way back home to finish the November issue ... and a day of relief for the poor souls at Safeway.

RIS Leads Linda Roth Conte's 'Latest Dish' in November's FSM

The November Foodservice Monthly goes to press on Tuesday ... here you have the first look at Linda Roth Conte's insider look at the DC restaurant scene. The 14th Street corridor's opening of Birch & Barley and Masa 14 have dominated the local press this week ... but the West End Dining District is getting ready to make its statement when Ris Lacoste opens RIS in the coming month.

The Latest Dish

by Linda Roth Conte

With a menu created by the amazing Ris Lacoste, RIS, the heart of the West End, will open this month. Ed Kwitowski, formerly of Bistro Bis, has been named the chef de cuisine at RIS. Ris and Mitchell Herman, co-owners of RIS, named Noel Burke as general manager. He hails from Elements in the Napa Valley. The all-day café will open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sunday suppers will follow in due time, as will weekend brunch. (foto: Noel Burke, Scott Atkinson, Ed Kwitowski, Ris Lacoste, Mitchell Herman)

Chef Update:  Stavros Aktipis of Kellari Taverna, has hired Tony Acinapura as chef of the new Greek restaurant on K Street (formerly Restaurant K). Tony was previously at Potenza (Italian). Tom Wellings is the new pastry chef at Equinox. Previously, he was at Restaurant Eve, (the late) Maestro and Fiamma in NYC. Glenn Babcock has been named chef de cuisine and co-owner at Nage Restaurant on Rhode Island Avenue in downtown DC. He previously worked at The Oval Room as sous chef. He joins co-owners Josh Grapinski and Kevin Reading. Dallas Kee has been named the new pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City. She will be working with Amy Brandwein, the chef at the property’s fyve Restaurant & Lounge, as well as with the executive chef, Yann Chupin. Jason Brauer is the new director of food and beverage at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City. He has worked in food and beverage for Ritz-Carlton properties all over the world – from San Francisco and Miami to Shanghai, China and Osaka, Japan.

Locals who are now elsewhere:  Joshua Whigham has replaced the departed Michael Voltaggio at The Bazaar by Jose Andres as the chef du cuisine. He was sous chef at Cafe Atlantico and Zaytinya. Jorge Chicas is now the executive chef of the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills that is home to The Bazaar.  Fabio Trabocchi, formerly of Maestro at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner and Fiamma in NYC, is new executive chef at the Four Seasons restaurant in NYC. He succeeds Christian Albin, the chef for 19 years, who died in June.

Twisted Vines Bottleshop & Bistro, slated to open this month in the Columbia Pike neighborhood, will offer great wines paired with good, simple, local food. The owners, Sybil and Josh Robinson, are Columbia Pike residents, and are food and wine aficionados who want to share that passion with folks in their ‘hood.’  They will offer at least 20 wines by the glass and over 100 bottles from small producers around the world. Food-wise, they will offer small plate entrees and dessert that pair nicely with the wines they offer.

Atlanta-based Zoe’s Kitchen is slated to open in Woodbridge’s Potomac Town Center. The Mediterranean-inspired fast casual restaurant chain has nearly 30 company-owned locations in the south and southeast, but the Woodbridge restaurant will be the first to open in Virginia.

Congratulations to DC pastry chef extraordinaire, David Guas, on accolades from Food & Wine magazine, which proclaimed the New Orleans native’s first cookbook, DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style, one of their “favorite new dessert cookbooks,” and one of “fall’s top baking books.” The cookbook will no doubt be followed by his Bayou Bakery, once the location is confirmed.

Look for a possible new Clarendon restaurant from the folks who brought you Liberty Tavern. Awaiting a confirmation about Lyon Hall restaurant, also possibly offering live entertainment.

Devlin Keating and Kris Hart, alumni of George Washington University have taken over the old nearby Foggy Bottom Grocery (FoBo Gro) store and pumped it up a notch. Together with partner and frat brother, Daniel Blake, they have renamed it FoBroGro and plan to offer take-away prepared food for lunch and times where students may be hungry, as well as convenience items.

Minneapolis-based Buffalo Wild Wings plans to open in Rockville, part of its franchise operator’s domain. Wings Across America, the Maryland franchisee, has already opened seven stores in its region.

Corrections: Scott Conant will not be opening Scarpetta in the old Olives space at 16th and K Streets, NW. Several restaurateurs are looking at it now. Terrell Danley worked briefly as a consultant at Kemble Park Tavern; he is not a chef/partner.

Safeway Busted Again ... this time it's Snickers and Football

OK, enough already about Safeway ... I need to move my issues with them to its own blog: Michael's Grocery Adventures. And actually this will be the last Safeway post except if by some heavenly intervention, Safeway wants to respond and explain or defend itself. Someone asked me after my last post if they ever commented. No ... I did drop off Foodservice Monthly at the Eastern HQ three miles from the store and at the Fairwood store itself. Not a word.

Here's the latest in the "consumers are idiots approach." I buy Snickers. Yes, at times I like a Snickers (refrigerated only) bar for a late night treat. In line at my Safeway on Wednesday, I noticed a familiar "football" themed wrapper ... promoting the Super Bowl contest like they did last year. When I picked it up I realized that it was last year's candy, last year's promo that ended 12/08. I did a mini-rant for the cashier's benefit, got my usual what-planet-are-you-from look from the Safeway staffer and then I put it back. Of course, since then I've fit it into several conversations from cocktail and dinner sound bites to the casual banter I deliver to most anyone. What I regretted was that I didn't buy the souvenir. When I went into the store today, surely the handful of leftovers would be gone ... wrong. Indeed they are mixed into boxes of fresh Snickers in the aisles. Oh my, here's my take: they ordered too many last year and didn't want to sell them during basketball and baseball seasons, so they squirreled them away for a rainy day. Low and behold another football season has arrived and now they can slip them into the new candy and we (the stupid consumer) will buy them, eat them and life is good.

The problem is that is a low-life form of retail. If you make a mistake, it's not the end of the world to sell them in baseball season. Learn how to buy and do better next year. Blame it on the economy like everyone else.

When I called Mars, I was given the key to the date code. The first 8 is the year and the next two digits (in the case 38) give you the week that the bar was made. Then the rest is secret stuff that doesn't concern us. I was surprised when the consumer person told me that they consider it out of date after one year ... for freshness and good taste (it won't kill you unless you have a serious nut allergy or they bought filthy nuts to begin with, which we learned this year can happen, but not to Snickers ). Yes, the football contest is over by 10 months and the bar is out of date by a few weeks. Oops.

My issue is that someone had to initiate this store sales strategy ... willfully. That's sad. And just for the record Safeway, we're not stupid.

New York's Chateau Lafayette Reneau Riesling Honored On Capitol Hill by ASWA

The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association held its annual awards ceremony in the House Agriculture Committee's room on Capitol Hill Wednesday night. On hand were Best of Category wineries, members of the Congressional Wine Caucus, Hill staffers, media and the ASWA Board including Carl Brandhorst, ASWA president, and Gordon Murchie, president emeritus. The Best of Show winner of the Jefferson Loving Cup is the 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling from Chateau Lafayette Reneau in Hector, New York. On hand to receive the award from Rep. Eric Massa (D-29th, NY) were Chris Reno (son of the winery owner) and Tim Miller, winemaker. (foto: Miller, Reno, Massa). It was appropriate that the ceremony was held in the middle of the annual Regional Wine Week ... check out DrinkLocalWine for more information.

515 wine entries from 109 wineries in 11 states were entered in this year's ASWC competition. Twenty judges, representing all facets of the wine industry including Sauce on the Side's Michael Birchenall and Dave McIntyre's WineLine, selected the Best of Show, Best of Category, Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners. There were 21 Best of Category, 29 Gold Medal, 101 Silver Medal, and 166 Bronze Medal winners. 

The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association is a non-profit organization with its mission of promoting the wine industry along the East Coast of the United States and sponsors many events, both regionally and nationally, including the Virginia Wine Festival. 

BEST OF SHOW

2008 Semi-Dry Riesling by Chateau Lafayette Reneau, NY

BEST OF CATEGORY

Blush/Rose Hybrid/NA

2007 Stony Brook Blush by Hopewell Valley Vineyards, NJ

Bordeaux-Style Red Blends

2007 Meritage by Wagner Vineyards, NY

Cabernet Franc

2007 Reserve Cabernet Franc by Sunset Hills Vineyards, VA

Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon by Sunset Hills Vineyards, VA

Chambourcin

2007 Chambourcin by Fabbioli Cellars, VA

Chardonnay

2007 Chardonnay by Rappahannock Cellars, VA

Gewurztraminer

2008 Gewurztraminer by Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, NY

Merlot

2007 Merlot by Barrel Oak Winery, VA

Norton

2005 Reserve Norton Locksley by Chrysalis Vineyards, VA

Other Red Vinifera Blends

2006 Instinct by Wolf Mountain Vineyards, GA

Other Red Vinifera Varietals

2007 Petit Verdot by Pearmund Cellars, VA

Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio

2008 Pinot Grigio by Ingleside Plantation Vineyards, VA

Pinot Noir

2007 Pinot Noir by Dr. Konstantin Frank, NY

Riesling

2008 Semi-Dry Riesling by Chateau Lafayette Reneau, NY

Sauvignon Blanc

2007 Sauvignon Blanc by Vineyard 48, NY

Seyval Blanc

2008 Seyval Blanc by Lake Anna Winery, VA

Sparkling Vinifera Wines

2006 Chateau Reserve Blanc de Blancs by Biltmore Estate Wine Company, NC

Sweet White Hybrid/NA  (RS 4.1 or above)

2008 Vidal Blanc by Starr Hill Vineyard & Winery, PA

Syrah/Shiraz

2007 Leaf-Stone Syrah by Black Ankle Vineyards, MD

Traminette

2008 Traminette by Amrhein Wine Cellars, VA

Viognier

2008 Viognier by Biltmore Estate Wine Company, NC