Category Archives: Food and Drink

Food and Drink, The Features
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Kirk’s Almost Famous Chili Recipe

Photo courtesy of
‘Chillli! Chille? Chili?’
courtesy of ‘goodcatmum’

If last weekend told you anything, it’s that cold weather is right around the corner. I’m writing, dear reader, to inform you of a method of defense against chill.  I want to bestow upon you a chili recipe that will warm your body and soul.  A chili recipe that is, as of last night, award winning. A chili recipe that has never been written down, before. My very own “Kirk’s Almost Famous Chili Recipe,” winner of the 2009 Miriam’s Kitchen Chili Cookoff.

My recipe is a bastardized Cincinnati style chili. Cincinnati style is sweeter and more complex than its Texan cousin.  It’s more about the spices than about the types and amount of chilis that go into it.  This isn’t to say that it’s weak or anything, it’s just different. What I tried to do was marry the complexity of Cincinnati chili with the beefiness and savor of Texas chili.

It should come out with a subtly sweet broth that has a slow burn towards the back of the throat.  There are hints of bourbon and cinnamon that go very nicely with the change in season and make the chili palatable enough to be eaten without rice or corn bread. Ideally, everything will come out in balance: sweet, but not too sweet and spicy, but not too spicy. And yes, it has beans.  Sorry, purists.

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Adams Morgan, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Night Life, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: MAN EDITION

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_6739’
courtesy of ‘chrysti harrison’

Welcome to We Love Drinks: MAN EDITION (imagine the title with with like flames and motorcycles around it.  That’s how I picture it in my head, anyways.) Jenn has graciously handed me the reins this month to take you all on a more masculine version of her beloved feature. I’ll be leading you all on what is, for me, the ideal man-night in DC.

Man nights can take many forms.  There’s the cheap beer and wings version at a sports bar, there’s the suits and scotch edition at a cigar bar, there’s the more sodden bachelor party iteration, and each has its place.  My version is somewhere in the middle.  It’s not classy, but not frattish, not too raucous, but not boring.  Consider it the business casual pub crawl of man-nights.

First of all, some ground rules: no phone calls with women, no sissy drinks, no dancing, no personal vehicles, keep the list of bars short and local.  Follow these and you’ll be much happier, safer, and richer by the end of the evening.  For this man night, I’m keeping in the U St., Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan area of town.  It’ll keep transport costs low and leave you more time for desired man activities.

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Food and Drink, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Learn About The Good Stuff

Photo courtesy of
‘a flight of whisk(e)y’
courtesy of ‘sleepyneko’

At 7pm, Thursday, October 22, National Geographic Live gets its drink on with photographer Jim Richardson and whisky expert Dave Broom hosting a guided tasting of Scotland’s finest single malt whiskies.  Co-sponsored by DC’s Brickskeller, the tastings will be paired with Richardson’s  images of the Celtic landscapes, distilleries, and people that produce these world reknown spirits. Obviously you must be 21 or older. View event details at Exploring Scotland’s Whisky Trail.

Adventures, Food and Drink, The DC 100
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DC Omnivore 100: #50 Sea Urchin

Photo courtesy of
‘Sea Urchin’
courtesy of ‘aslives’

It’s that time of week when WeLoveDC brings you another edition to our ever growing list of DC Omnivore 100. For this entry, let’s push the envelope and go beyond personal food comfort levels by trying Sea Urchin.

If you’ve watched any Jacques Cousteau-esque nature shows, you know what a sea urchin looks like–a purplish-black, spiked, baseball sized creature attached to the ocean bottom or coral.  And you know that stepping on them is a definite no-no. It’s also one of those peculiar food items, like lobster or snails, where some human was SO hungry and that he/she had no other option than taking on the time-consuming task of figuring out how/what parts of this creature they should/could eat.

Given the spiny, hard appearance of the sea urchin, it’s of no surprise that only a small portion of the creature, its roe (aka: gonads, ovaries, milt or eggs,) is edible.  “Uni,” as the Japanese call the eatable part of the sea urchin, is considered a culinary delicacy in many parts of the world. Sea urchins are often eaten raw, with a squeeze of lemon or used to flavor omelets,  soups and sauces, or used instead of butter. Continue reading →

Alexandria, Entertainment, Food and Drink, The Features
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Modern Gents at Morrison House

Champagne Sabering

"Jason Tesauro sabers champagne" by Jenn Larsen, on Flickr

Maybe it’s easier to define feminine elegance than masculine, but one thing I know for sure – a man can be elegant without losing his swagger. In fact, both complement the other. It’s no coincidence that the men who best epitomize this quality are usually from another era – Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Duke Ellington, Steve McQueen.

Sound appealing? Enter Jason Tesauro, author of The MODERN GENTLEMAN: A Guide to Essential Manners, Savvy & Vice. Earlier this week I had the privilege of attending a complimentary preview of his upcoming series at Morrison House in Old Town. These four courses are designed to give modern gents a roadmap for mixing confidence with class. Or as Jason put it, to give you “a code of ethics even in the dicier areas of vice.”

Want to learn how to saber a bottle of champagne? How to navigate the world of artisan cocktails, stocking your home bar with confidence? How about choosing hand-rolled cigars, carving a bird, learning about custom tailoring, all while wooing the ladies? Covered, in true raconteur style. Continue reading →

Downtown, Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Capital Area Food Bank’s Empty Bowls

Photo courtesy of
‘Sustain Ceramics: Three mocha pinch bowls.’
courtesy of ‘Liverpool Design Festival’

In an effort to remind all of us that have, about those of us who deserve to have, Capital Area Food Bank is hosting their annual Empty Bowls lunch. This year’s event is taking place at DLA Piper (500 8th Street, NW) on on Wednesday, October 21. All you need to do is stop by between 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM with $25. The site says, “You’ll receive a lunch of soup, bread, cookies and a unique handcrafted bowl to take home. The bowl serves as a reminder of the 600,000 empty bowls in the National Capital Region.”

The soup, bread, and cookies will be provided from some of the area’s best eat places: Breadline, Café Atlantico, Capital Area Food Bank, Clyde’s of Gallery Place, Food & Friends, Israel CME Church, PS 7’s, thebestcookie.com, and Thrive DC.

Help Capital Area Food Bank know how many people to expect, by rsvping to richardsonj (at) capitalareafoodbank (dot) org.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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It’s Chili Inside, It’s Chili Outside

Photo courtesy of
‘Every Food Fits – It’s Gettin’ Chili in Here!’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

I don’t know about the rest of you out there, but I found this morning’s weather pretty chilly. Yeah…the forecast calls for a high of 70, but today’s upper 50s commute was brisk.  Not that I’m complaining–I love the fall–but come on weather gods! Give us a heads up and don’t make it blazingly hot one day and then brisk and chilly the next.  It’s just not fair!

The chilly weather also brings to mind recipes for…wait for it…chili.  The piping hot, spicy, hearty dish is the perfect fall, football-season fare. The best part of chili is that everyone seems to have their own special recipe, serving style (with cornbread, on a hotdog, with rice, in a breadbowl, etc.) and desired spice level.  Personally, I like mine with cornbread and on the mildly spicy, bourbon BBQ sweet side. What’s yours?

Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, News, The Daily Feed
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Foodie Round-Up: Openings Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘We’re Cooking’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

I’ll be honest with you, reader. I just didn’t feel like putting together foodie round-up today, but I didn’t want to leave you hanging. So instead, like a good food blogger, I decided to write about the flurry of restaurants expected to open this month. So on with you, we’ve got greek, latin-asian fusion, a gastropub, and beer drinker’s heaven coming atcha in October. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Gin at New Heights

Gin Flight, New Heights

"Gin Flight, New Heights" by Jenn Larsen, on Flickr

The first spirit I ever tasted was gin. It was that obligatory illicit shot from your parents’ liquor cabinet, the “hmm, what’s this all about?” experimentation. And – UGH – that first sip was enough to put me off “Mother’s Ruin” for life. For years afterwards the smell would provoke an instant reaction of, well, ick. 

It’s unfortunate, really, as gin’s complexity is overlooked by many like me whose introduction was less than ideal. But this lady with a past (I love the old Hogarth engravings of depraved Gin Lane in the 1700’s) is beloved by mixologists and enjoying a revival.

Case in point – New Heights restaurant has turned their downstairs bar into a gin joint, complete with a “Gin Manifesto” menu and gin flights. 

Wait, flights of gin? I just about fainted dead away when Rebecca first alerted us to this. In order to make it through a tasting without a PTSD attack, I needed back-up. It wasn’t hard to convince a gin-swilling friend – let’s call him Hogarth – to come along and help me get over the psychological trauma of my childhood sip, and enjoy a historic cocktail along the way.

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Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors
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Saloon Flea Market

Photo courtesy of
‘The Saloon, U Street’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

Commy, owner of the Saloon, is hosting a flea market this Sunday at his famed, U St. pub.  He promises to offer “many unique items” for sale, the proceeds from which will benefit his international school building efforts.  On top of the interesting goods and the worthy cause, the Saloon will be offering $2 off its selection of excellent beers.  The market will run from 1pm-5pm and, contrary to normal Saloon rules, there will be a strict, no-sitting policy for the afternoon.  So, go out, enjoy a nice beer on what promises to be a lovely fall afternoon and support school construction in developing nations.

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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61st Annual St. Mary Armenian Church Food Festival

Photo courtesy of
‘Skewers on the Grill’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Starting yesterday and continuing through this weekend  you can enjoy the culinary delights of the 61st Annual St. Mary Armenian Church Food Festival at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church (Metro Red Line to Friendship Heights Station).

The festival highlights delectable Armenian foods such as: lahmajoon, kufta,  stuffed grape leaves, grilled shish kebobs, lamb skewers and other traditional fare. You can also partake in authentic Armenian beer and grape wine.  Portions are ample and pricing is reasonable.

Lunch:  October 7, 8, 9 and 10th from 11AM to 2 PM

Dinner: October 10th from 5 PM to 9 PM

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink, People, The Features
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Capital Chefs: Cooking with Chef Palma of Westend Bistro, Part I

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WeLoveDC authors Cathy (cooking queen) and Katie (restaurant aficionado) have paired up to bring you a double-hitting feature about great seasonal dishes that chefs at local area restaurants are whipping up this fall. Katie gets insider info about the chef and the restaurant, and Cathy recreates the chef’s recipe at home. Cheers to that.

After our previous adventure with Glenn Babcock of Nage Bistro, Cathy and I were invited to cook a seasonal fall dish with Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert‘s Chef de Cuisine, Joe Palma.

It was early Saturday morning on a perfect fall day, the type that is sunny and warm but with crisp, fresh air. Cathy and I were trailing chef Joe Palma through the Old Town farmers market in Alexandria as he pondered what seasonal dish to show us how to make.

“I sort of just wander around and see what looks good,” he said. “Kind of like Top Chef?” I tossed out. “Yeah,” he replied. “I can create bistro food on the fly, but I don’t think I’d enjoy being thrown a random ingredient.” And yet, that’s sort of what happened that Saturday morning at the market. Palma paused at the pears, then brussel sprouts caught his eye. “You guys like brussel sprouts?” he asked. “Yeah”, Cathy and I chimed. “How about green tomatoes?” “Of COURSE! I’m a southern girl!” I laughed. If Palma thinks it would be good, I’m totally happy to eat it. He’s one of the few chefs in the city that I have complete blind faith in.

Westend Bistro is currently my favorite restaurant in DC, and that’s quite a proclamation. I rarely choose favorites (don’t ever ask me my favorite book!) but I think there’s something uniquely lovely about Westend. I spend a lot of my time in restaurants these days, and Westend rises to the top of my list every time. Maybe it’s the relaxed, yet sophisticated atmosphere. Maybe it’s the buzz of the place, and the fact the wait staff are trained in the ways of the Ritz-Carlton. But mostly, I believe it’s that Palma puts the focus solely on the ingredients and purchases only the best possible.

“When I first came on, I cut costs down to about 28%, and it should be at about 32%,” Palma said. “I used that margin of cost savings to find the best possible ingredients, meats, produce.” It shows. Westend’s food is simple food. Sous Chef Adam Barnett told me one night that he likes working for Palma because he doesn’t get fussy with his food. Barnett said Palma doesn’t pile ingredients on a plate, that chef thinks about his ingredients before assembling them. So how would that translate for Cathy and I learning how to cook one of Palma’s dishes? Continue reading →

Farm Fresh, Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
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Farm Fresh: Bourbon Steak

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Here’s another installment in the series where WeLoveDC authors Donna (greenie) and Katie (foodie) pair up to bring you a double-hitting feature about local area restaurants that take on the challenge of being green. Donna will explain the logic behind the environmentally friendly trends and Katie will tell you if the food tastes any good. It’s a rough life, but someone has to do it, right?

Katie: So you don’t always think of a steakhouse as environmentally-conscientious, right? Well, Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak goes above and beyond the green call of duty, and plants their own vegetables, and works all of them into the dishes at the restaurant. Donna and I were invited over to the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown to take a tour of the garden and sample some dishes that used the herbs and veggies grown there on the property.

Donna: Last spring, Bourbon Steak created a small garden on its property, in a peaceable little spot just across from the C&O Canal. I was happy we were invited to tour this terraced plot and sample the dishes it flavors. It supplies the restaurant with 62 varieties of herbs, vegetables and flowers — 400 plants in all, some of which came from Amish farms. Look around, and up front you’ll see some plants you recognize, such as thyme, chives, marigold and different kinds of basil. Farther back are the harder-to-find plants that produce curries and other unusual spices.

Katie: So with all these herbs and vegetables grown on the property, could you taste the difference in the food? We headed inside for dinner to find out. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Night Life, The DC 100, The Features
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DC Omnivore 100: #58, Beer above 8% ABV

Photo courtesy of
‘the cask’
courtesy of ‘volcanojw’

It’s time for another item from the DC Omnivore 100 list of the top one hundred foods every good omnivore should try at least once in their lives.

Finding a beer above 8% alcohol by volume isn’t the challenge that it once was.  The emergence of the craft beer movement in the past few decades and American beer aficionados unquenchable thirst for unique and challenging brews has caused the market for strong beer to explode.  This is not to say that highly alcoholic beers are something new. In nearly every, beer-drinking country aside from the US, breweries and monasteries have been crafting batches of potent beer for centuries.  It’s only in America that the trend has recently come into vogue.

If you’ve graduated from the typical grocery store, great American swill, you recognize that not all beer is created equal.  There are full bodied beers, crisp and refreshing beers, fruity beers, darker beers, and so on and so forth.  Each has something special that makes it unique, but each still has the same basic ingredients (barley, hops, water, and yeast) and each is created with variations on the same, basic brewing process.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Serious Eats on the Half Smoke

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My good friend Craig pointed out Serious Eats’ article on the Beloved Half Smoke, which includes a fine history of this excellent regional delicacy. True fact: for the first year I lived in DC, I couldn’t believe that the street hotdog carts sold half-packs of cigarettes. I had no idea just how clueless & stupid when a friend of mine introduced me to the real deal. Craig was also quick to point out that you can even get half smokes shipped anywhere in the US via the ever-awesome Ben’s Chili Bowl.

Eat Like Me, Food and Drink, The Features
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Eat Like Me: September’s Best Dishes

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

There’s something lovely and reassuring about sitting down somewhere with a cool drink in one hand and an evening of dishing stretched out in front of you. That’s the thing about restaurants. It’s not always about the food. While the food is oftentimes (for this feature especially) the focus, I also appreciate the fact that for the price of my meal I’m also renting a table’s worth of space. For however long I need it, I “own” that space to catch up with friends, make lovey eyes at a boy or discuss business with coworkers. Sitting down at a restaurant is practicing the word in the name: a rest. No one is playing host – no one is rushing in and out of the kitchen tending to food or people – everyone can focus on the company at hand. For that hour or three, you’re taken care of, with everything you need. The space is yours, your friends are there, and you’ve only got to focus on talking and eating. I’m always grateful to end a hectic day at work seated across from friends, drink in hand, open menu in front of me. As one of the food lovers here at We Love DC, that’s often how I end my days. So with practically all my time spent in restaurants I’m frequently asked for my favorites. I do this feature monthly to recommend the best of the best – my favorite plates from all across DC.

This month has been a busy one. September is always busy in the food world in DC, places open their doors, fall menus pop up, and everyone stakes out spots on the patios before winter sneaks in. I’ve done a lot of traditional fine high-heels-on, white table cloth dining this month. So what are my favorites? I’ll tell you where I’ve been and then compose a full meal out of the best dishes I’ve had all month. Ready? Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Free Ben and Jerrys Tomorrow!

Photo courtesy of
‘Ice cream with free spoon’
courtesy of ‘Wyscan’

Tomorrow, October 1st, the Liason Hotel near Capitol Hill will be handing out free single serve containers of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the hotel lobby from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. until supplies runs out.

You are welcome for that, DC.

The free ice cream is to promote the launch of The Liason’s “Comfort Package,” which “welcomes guests to indulge in ice cream while lounging in cozy pajamas. The “Comfort Package” includes one pair of Lands’ End cotton pajamas customized with the Affinia logo; two single serving containers of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream; in-room breakfast for two or breakfast in bed; and a late check-out to ensure a restful stay. The package starts at $159 per night (based on double occupancy), and is available from October 1 to March 31, 2010. For every “Comfort Package” booked, $10 will be donated to Common Ground, a non-profit whose mission is to end homelessness through the development of supportive housing and other research-based practices.”

That’s all good and well, but FREE ICE CREAM! WHEE!

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
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We Love Food: Cheesetique

Photo courtesy of
‘Cheesetique’
courtesy of ‘angela n.’

In my humble opinion, cheese shops are too few and far between. Americans settle for the lactic crap that comes in baggies at super markets and fail to enjoy the finer aspects of one of God’s greatest creations. Sure, cheddar melted over tortilla chips has its place, but there’s so much that goes unrealized in the world of cheese.  Fortunately, there’s a place in Del Ray called Cheesetique: it purveys the wonders of excellent fromage to the greater DC area.

Cheestique is, perhaps, the brightest star in the glimmering neighborhood of Del Ray, Alexandria.  Over the past few years, this quaint area has been a haven for simple, unpretentious restaurants that serve excellent food to the many young families that occupy the neighborhood. None is as well conceptualized or executed as the Cheesetique.  By day it serves as a specialized grocery with dozens of excellent cheeses and decent bottles of wine.  By night, it’s a wine and cheese bar that is the first stop for a date night, or as the romantic destination itself. The former iteration was my first exposure to it.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Good Stuff Melts for Michelle

Photo courtesy of
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courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn revealed yesterday that his restaurant, Good Stuff Eatery, will now carry a “Michelle Melt” turkey burger. The Obamas are already known to be fans of the restaurant, and Good Stuff returns the love with an Obama Burger as well.

What’s next, Malia fries or a Sasha shake? How about just asking Spike to move into the White House. I mean, I get that the first family coming to your restaurant is awesome for business (and personal bragging rights), but if it turns your menu into one big love letter to the Obamas, is it worth it?