Who Deserves a Free Restaurant?

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After serving hundreds of bites at Taste of Arlington on May 18, eight Ballston BID Restaurant Challenge semi-finalists plated the most important dish of all—the one that comes with an 11-year lease with 12 months of free rent.

But before the judges got to eat, hungry masses bounced from booth to booth trying food from Arlington standbys like Willow and Liberty Tavern as well as restaurants that fall under the “coming soon” category like Kapnos Taverna from Mike Isabella, set to open this fall. Mike knows what it's like to expand into Ballston and has been at the helm of the Restaurant Challenge.

We snapped (left to right) Jill Goubeaux, Morou Ouattara, Simon Carney, Mike Isabella, and David Guas getting ready to judge. They were joined by Walter Tejada, Rodney Henry, Andrew Palmieri, Marc Orem, Rich Massabny, and Donnie Pereira.

Chef Victor Albisu (pictured) of Taco Bamba and Del Campo plus Christiana Campos we named as two finalists and will square off in early June. Christiana's concept Casita would offer classic comfort foods from Spain, while Victor would open Bombazo, a full-service Mexican street food eatery.The winner will receive a life-changing prize package, in addition to the lease: a $245,000 interest free loan; free legal services donated by Saul Ewing; free financial advising donated by Allender CPA; and a year's membership to RAMW.

The Black Sheep of 14th Street

That's what chef/owner Michael Schlow dubs TICO, the restaurateur's first DC restaurant. Like its Boston location, the menu will offer American food with twists inspired by Michael's travels to Latin America, Mexico, and Spain. “We're not trying to be an Estadio or a Barcelona Wine Bar; they do a great job serving authentic Spanish cuisine. We're first and foremost approachable American food.” However, grab a moment with Michael and he'll regale you with impassioned stories about Spain, like his dinner at the famed (but shuttered) elBulli that lasted close to 10 hours. Michael's the creative type, and so is his wife, Adrienne. She's working on the distressed brick walls and mixed media artwork while Michael is meticulously making perfect playlists. TICO is set to open in June inside the Louis at 14 development.

Jack Rose Gets a Boost of Southern Charm

It must be next to impossible to find a chef that can stand up to one of the most impressive beverage programs in the city. Scratch that—the country. Jack Rose Dining Saloon has 1,600 bottles of hand-selected whiskies as well as top cocktails and beers. The next man to try his hand at pairing food with this intimidating selection is chef Russell Jones, whom we snapped chatting about his background. Russell most recently cooked at Restaurant Eve, but now that he's at Jack Rose, he can serve Southern food that's close to his heart.

The menu's packed with dishes that hit the deep fryer like fried chicken skins, shrimp hush puppies, fried oysters, and fried green tomatoes (pictured). Russell hails from South Carolina—a state that's starting to get real trendy in DC. Bourbon Steak just hired a new executive chef, Joe Palma, who comes from Charleston. Then there's Barrel, a new bourbon bar in Eastern Market headed up by executive chef Garret Fleming, also from South Carolina. It looks like DC will be eating a lot more hush puppies, which is never a bad thing.

American Summits Quenches Thirst for Better Water

American Summits founder Philip Lajaunie often wondered why, if he wanted bottled water in restaurants, he had no other choice but imported brands for still or sparkling. His dream: create a premium American brand that would rival in quality with any import. The result: American Summits, a premium, mountain-spring bottled water, with springs away from any pollution that would require various treatments. Its first source: a high spring in Wyoming's remote Beartooth Mountains, recharged naturally from rain and snow. The water flows through rock down to bottling facilities in the middle of National Forest. It took Philip six years to find the spring and four years to put the dream together. The brand is now surging in six major US markets following its launch in DC two years ago. Why the DC launch? It's an all-American brand in a rising and prestigious culinary scene. Find out more about our sponsor here.

Go Ahead and Graze at The Fainting Goat

Most assume the go-to dishes at The Fainting Goat involve the namesake protein, which is rapidly increasing in popularity as beef prices continue to spike. Goat dishes at the U Street restaurant range from a refined tartare to a street-style goat sausage. However, it's chef James Barton's vegetable dishes that really shine. The former Oval Room chef sure knows how to treat leeks—They're served Spanish style with Romesco sauce. Then there's the “garden,” a small pot of the freshest veggies James can find, which changes almost daily.

It turns out the restaurant, which opened this winter, isn't named for an affinity for goat. Owner Greg Algie tells us, “I froze up talking to girls just like a fainting goat, according to my friends. I guess the name stuck." (If all restaurants are named after awkward encounters with women, that would explain all the references to brasseries.) Greg's cozy dining room and bar are constantly packed. “I tried to create something that was timeless, not trendy,” he explains to guests as they admire the somewhat eccentric décor. In addition to dinner, they're now serving Saturday and Sunday brunch.

Announcing: The Bisnow SuperSchmooze!

Every couple years, you veterans may remember, we put on a big pure networking and food event—so big we can only call it "SuperSchmooze!" The evening of June 12 is our next one. Bring your business cards, and your appetite to the old ESPN Zone downtown. But instead of finding games there, you will find over 20 of DC's top restaurants, offering some of their best food. Plus, a big open bar. And you will find our readers from every local field of business: tech, law, association, finance, commercial real estate, and government, all converging for two hours of fun, food, and schmooze. More info and sign up!

Chefs Take Aim for a Great Cause

Two of the biggest names in food picked up pistols on May 21. They also picked up bourbon, cigars, and a whole lot of crabs, given that they were on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Chefs Mike Isabella of Kapnos, G, and Graffiato and Bryan Voltaggio of VOLT, RANGE, Lunchbox, and Family Meal teamed up on a project called Shooting with Chefs, which featured a silent auction benefiting Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, which helps children battling life-threatening medical conditions. The featured auction item was none other than a private, in-home feast prepared by the two celebrity chefs. We snapped a group shot of the folks who helped raise $17,480 (from left to right): Capital Bank's William Rothwell, Bryan, MICROS Systems' David Smelson, Mike Isabella, and Winmar Construction's Jason Wilt. Sponsors included Capital Bank, SC&H Group, Winmar Construction, Edge Commercial Real Estate, and Unison.

Del Campo Does
Pizza and Pisco

Yup, that's Victor again. This time chef Albisu is serving up Argentinian pizza, a new dish at Del Campo, his downtown Latin steakhouse. “People from Argentina and Uruguay eat pizza and pasta all of the time. There's a huge Italian population and the cuisine has evolved over time,” Victor tells us. He says he loves to fuse old world and new world ingredients and cooking methods. In addition to pizza, Del Campo also launched its patio pisco bar this week. On Thursdays from 5pm to close, you can try pisco flights or seven different pisco cocktails ranging from a standard Pisco Sour to the more adventurous Pantera, which is like a Bloody Mary but boasts ingredients like fish stock and squid ink.