Don't Give Up on Fine Dining!

"The tail end of great fine dining restaurants is not here,” Robert Wiedmaier of Marcel's tells us. “People still crave celebrated, civilized gourmet experiences." That's exactly what they're getting at the recently remodeled restaurant named after one of the chef's sons. A peek around Marcel's dining room on a Thursday evening reveals young couples celebrating big moments. That raving Tom Sietsema Washington Post review has re-energized the place too. With unpretentious service, and imaginative dishes like a brand new buffalo strip loin bursting with bites of bone marrow or this stunning hen plated with finesse, fine dining still has a place in DC.

In a world where the question “where does it come from” is becoming as important as “how much does it cost,” for both diners and restaurants, it's crucial for local farmers and chefs to connect. That was the goal at Birch & Barley Monday, when Arcardia Food held its third Farmer-Chef Speed Sourcing event. Like old school speed dating (or Match.com), attendees were provided with a cheat sheet of whom they'd benefit from talking to. For example, Hank's Oyster Bar Chef/Owner Jamie Leeds shared that she's looking to source beef, lamb, goat, rabbit, vegetables, fruit and honey. We snapped her with Willowsford Kitchen's Bonnie Moore.

Top personnel from Arcadia Food and Neighborhood Restaurant Group (NRG) were mingling in the packed house, helping to make valuable introductions. We snapped NRG Owner Michael Babin, who is also the founder/chairman of Arcadia. NRG's Chef Nathan Anda joined him. You'll find Arcadia Farm on the Woodlawn Estate in Alexandria, VA. It works to build innovative partnerships between local, sustainable farms and consumers, as well as helping more people have access to healthy food and fresh produce. One way it does this is through operating two “mobile markets” that make stops throughout the region.

“Sit next to someone you don't know,” Underground Kitchen co-founder Micheal Sparks encourages. “It's DC though, so you'll either get along or not,” he chuckles as guests take their seats for a six-course dinner in Alexandria, VA. The Richmond-based supper club known for haute pop-up dinners made its second debut in the DC area Tuesday night. We snapped Micheal with Underground Kitchen's sommelier Terricinia St. Clair. It was a big night for both of them, as there was a cameraman shooting the dinner for a potential TV pilot.

“Eating & Art” was the evening's theme because the dining table was nestled among The Torpedo Factory's many art galleries. Dishes were artfully presented, like a scallop carpaccio arriving in a cloud of smoke, or the intermezzo of lemon Lambic sorbet topped with a nest of basil cotton candy. Richmond chefs Todd Butler and Chad Thompson prepared the dishes. Check out the Underground Kitchen team in their element Sept. 19-27, when they host a foodie tent at the Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships (a qualifier for the Tour de France). Guest chefs from Richmond, DC and North Carolina will be cooking. “It's going to be Union Market on steroids,” Micheal says. (Steroids make a nice tribute to the world of competitive cycling.)

Big news from DC's new BBQ authority, DCity Smokehouse. Our friends at PoPville learned DCity Smokehouse will open a second, much larger location at 1700 2nd St NW. Their current spot is a four-seat cubbyhole on Florida Avenue. We snapped chef/co-owner Robert Sonderman going over blueprints with his team toward the end of 2014. No word yet on an opening month, but when we chatted with them, they hinted at more seats, later hours and even booze. 

The international food community summited in DC for a two-day event presented by Food Tank—a think tank dedicated to global food change. Day one culminated with a reception and dinner at Farmers Fishers Bakers, where the Washington Post's Joe Yonan, Chef José Andrés and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) spoke. We snapped the Congresswoman, who owns a restaurant and authored the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act. “I think many of you are here because you care deeply about the disastrous food policy we have in this country today,” she says. “Congress, state legislatures, we move slowly, but we move because people like you push us from the outside in."