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April 25, 2014
Goodbye Stuffy Steakhouses
Ballston BID presents The Taste of Arlington VIP Pavilion pass. It's your ticket to unlimited beer, wine and hors d'oeuvres inside a tent with seating and an close-up view of the food judging. Find out more here.
Hello street food! The DC dining scene is getting more adventurous with the opening of two new street food spots. We suggest you start by orienting yourself to Compass Rose.
The restaurant is from Rose Previte and her husband, David Greene, who co-hosts NPR's Morning Edition. We snapped them on their first Saturday night of service. Compass Rose serves street food from more than 13 different countries and we found the atmosphere enchanting with its exposed brick and secret garden accents. “We actually live upstairs from the restaurant,” Rose told us. “So, that makes it our living room.” John Paul Domato serves as chef, and the standout dish servers are encouraging guests to order is khachapuri, a cheese-filled bread from Georgia.
Get a Taste of a Thai Night Market
Another street food spot, SOI 38, opens Monday, April 28 in the West End. It's a dream 10 years in the making for owners Nat Ongsangkoon (right) and Dia Khanthongthip (left). They want DC to experience the lively atmosphere and explosive flavor of the restaurant's namesake night market in Bangkok. We spoke to them as they were putting in the final touches. “This city is changing; people are showing they can handle spicy, flavorful food,” Nat tells us. Both chef Mitchai Pankham and mixologist JP Caceres will be heavy handed with the Thai basil, Keffir lime, and chilies. SOI 38 will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Pizza in a Garage
There's no more speculating over the shuttered Taylor Charles Steak & Ice at 1320 H Street NE. Taylor Gourmet founders Casey Patten (above) and David Mazza re-opened the doors Monday under the name Pizza Parts & Service. They retooled the space to reflect Casey's affinity for motorcycles and committed to making pizza from scratch. We spoke to Casey on opening day. “It took us three months of testing, but we finally perfected our dough,” he said.
Despite the effort that goes into scratch cooking, prices remain competitive—slices start at $2.75. Wings, salads, and cheesecake from a Baltimore baker are also on the menu and delivery starts in two weeks. Check them out @thatslice.
Blue Duck Tavern's Healthy Dinner
“Our goal is to combine nutrition with gastronomy; there's no rule that good food can't be good for you,” chef Jeremy Bearman (left) of New York's Michelin-Starred Rouge Tomate tells us. Jeremy traveled to DC with his team to join forces with Blue Duck Tavern's executive chef Sebastien Archambault (right) to serve a five-course meal to a communal table of 14 guests.
Rouge Tomate is SPE Certified, which stands for Sanitas Per Escan or “Health Through Food.” SPE works with all types of food establishments to optimize nutritional density without sacrificing flavor. The meal was fruit and vegetable forward, but also featured a stunning lobster salad, rabbit three ways, and Waygu beef teres major.
Start Thinking Summer!
One way to be literal about farm-to-table is by attending a Dirty Dinner at Calleva Farm in Dickerson, Md. We snapped this one-of-a-kind experience last summer. The evening starts with mocktails and a hayride tour of the property followed by a multi-course dinner—almost entirely sourced from the farm. Live music, dancing and Virginia wine accompany the meal. The three dates for Summer 2014 are June 28, July 26 and Aug. 23. Tickets (from $110) are now available: click here.
Mission Accomplished: A New Mexican Option
A city that's a bit short on Mexican restaurants has a new addition. Mission opened this spring in the former One Lounge space at the mouth of the Dupont Circle metro station. We met owners Reed Landry (left) and Fritz Brogan (right), who tapped R&R Taqueria chef Rodrigo Albarran (center) to man the kitchen. “Rod” is from Mexico City and told us to try his best-selling tacos de pescado.
“The city is definitely moving eastward," says Fritz. "We want to be where people are living and working; we want to be a neighborhood place.” We noticed that Mission was bustling on a weeknight, and Fritz tells us the private event space books up seven days a week.
Restaurant Celebrates Milestone with Women's Only Club
La Taberna del Alabardero is celebrating their 25th anniversary in DC in unique fashion. The Spanish restaurant has created a club for professional women that meets the last Wednesday of every month. These “Women Power Hours,” are by invitation only and typically cost $25. We participated in the April 23 launch, where women from Spain, Venezuela, Columbia, the US and beyond exchanged double cheek kisses and business cards over croquetas and sangria. “After many years of being in business, it's good to target new faces; In this case, we're targeting a gender,” says Isabel Lobo, the marketing and event manager. As for the invite list, Lobo says they pull from their own database, plus LinkedIn.
