Food and Drink, The Features

We Love Food: BLT Steak


Courtesy of ThreeLockharts PR

Talk to people who’ve been around this town for a while and you’ll discover that DC used to be a bit of a one-trick pony in the food scene. We had steakhouses. Meat and potatoes was what we did. And though the city’s culinary scene has advanced by leaps and bounds, every now and then it’s nice to go back to those beginnings. And frankly, sometimes you just want a perfectly cooked, big, honkin’ steak. Enter BLT Steak.

The steakhouse down by the White House, which opened its doors in 2006, ushered in a new chef this past spring with the departure of Victor Albisu and the arrival of Jon Mathieson. Though French cuisine might not be the first thing that pops into your head when you think “steakhouse” (unless we’re talking about steak frites), Mathieson has been putting his classic French-training to work on the new menu at BLT. And it suits the restaurant well.
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Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Features, We Love Food

We Love Food: DC Eats for September

Photo courtesy of
‘Autumn of my Life’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

Summer may be over, but good food goes on. You can eat your sad feelings about colder weather and fewer hours of daylight coming at some of these events happening this month in the city.
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Adventures, Business and Money, Education, Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The District, The Features

Quick Contest: BLT Cooking Class

Happy Friday everyone! In celebration of the end of the week, BLT Steak and WeLoveDC are giving away two seats for this Saturday’s (aka tomorrow’s) South American Asado cooking class. The two hour plus class will be held at BLT Steak, starts at 12:30pm and features in-depth instruction from Executive Chef Victor Albisu on how to prepare exotic and delicious barbecue from South America. Oh, did I mention you also get a filling four-course lunch of the dishes demonstrated during the class? Well, yeah, you do.

BLT holds these executive cooking classes six times a year and seats generally go for $100. So for all you aspiring chefs, this is the perfect opportunity to glean some 5 star tips, tricks and creative methods of preparing foods AND fill your belly with yummy goodness.

To enter for the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address (one entry per email address, please) between 11am and 1pm today. Entrants must be able to attend the class in person, so check your schedules. If you aren’t declared the winner, you can always make your own reservations with Erica Frank at 202-689-8989 or erica@bltrestaurants.com.

Special Events, The Daily Feed, We Love Drinks, We Love Food

Upcoming: Operation Smile’s Grin Gala

Photo courtesy of
‘Lauren Graham and Peter Krause’
courtesy of ‘greginhollywood’

Got plans Saturday night?

The Grin Gala, now in its fourth year, is a benefit for Operation Smile. It is described as “an evening of cocktails, dancing and silent auction.” Lauren Graham, pictured above, is this year’s honorary host. Tickets come in two varieties: general admission ($120, of which $95 is tax deductible), and VIP ($240, of which $215 is tax deductible).

VIP access includes an early reception on the Chamber of Commerce rooftop with top DC chefs and mixologists including Chef Todd Gray and Mixologist Simo Ahmadi from Equinox; Chef Peter Smith from PS 7; Chef Victor Albisu and Mixologist Troy Bock from BLT Steakhouse; and Mixologist Stephen Warner from Columbia Firehouse.

The Social Chair and I will be there as invited guests. Look for us there Saturday night, and a wrap-up of the cocktails and food here next week!

The Daily Feed

This Week in Food

Photo courtesy of
‘Bacon Doublecheeseburger’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Just Because I Love Burgers

LOVE this post. EaterDC gathered three chefs and had them duke it out to see who could “create a burger that would make the presidential mouth water.” The brave participants were Chefs Todd Gray (Equinox), Victor Albisu (BLT Steak) and Brian McBride (Blue Duck Tavern). Albisu won the challenge, but all the burgers looked to die for.

Lobster Update

Washingtonian tells us that New York-based Luke’s Lobster co-owners Ben Conniff and Luke Holden have signed a lease for a 700-square-foot space in Penn Quarter. They hope to open by the end of May.  The menu will include, of course, those buttery lobster rolls,  as well as clam chowder and Empress crab claws. 

Liquor License

Prince of Petworth has the scoop on the old Post Office Building at 1407 T St. NW.  According to the liquor license application, this would be a “casual and relaxed bistro restaurant serving an extensive Saturday & Sunday brunch.”

Loving Carbs

WeLoveDC Marissa got to baking this week at PAUL, a new bread shop and bakery in DC.  PAUL officially opens May 2nd and will offer pastries, soups, quiches, French macarons, sandwiches and salads. So head down to 801 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

Cinco de Mayo!

Looking for a fun place to celebrate? How about sitting down (or standing up) at Masa 14’s 74-seat Tequila Lounge? Masa will celebrate Cinco de Mayo by offering five different flavors of margaritas for just $5 each on Thursday, May 5th.  Just make sure to pair them with Latin-Asian tapas.

Happy eating!

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed

Cook like a Pro: Learn to Roast a Whole Pig at BLT Steak

Photo courtesy of
‘The main entree – pig’
courtesy of ‘wfyurasko’

It’s not every day that you get to roast an entire pig, and frankly, it seems like a daunting task. But this weekend executive chef Victor Albisu of BLT Steak can break it down for you, as well as show you how to break down the whole hog.

The April 23rd class will run from 12:30 until 3 PM and is $100 per person. The class includes a four-course lunch and cooking demonstration. At the end, you get to feast on lechon asado, whole roasted suckling pig, crispy pig ears and artichokes, a valencia salad with Iberico ham and a chorizo stuffed pork loin. In hog heaven, yet?

To snag a spot, you can make reservations with Erica Frank at 202-689-8989 or email her at erica@bltrestaurants.com. Enjoy the Saturday afternoon literally “pigging out.”

The Daily Feed

This Week in Food

Photo courtesy of
‘BLT Steak’
courtesy of ‘my_amii’
Open

Lincoln Restaurant turns three days old today. The McPherson square restaurant pays tribute to our former president and serves plates like oysters, gingerbread and chicken fricassee. Washington Business Journal tells us the decor is inspired by a log cabin and that one million pennies decorate the tile floor. Of course, a Sunday Brunch is coming soon.

Chipotle!

More details are here about Chipotle’s Asian Spin-Off, ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, due to arrive in Dupont Circle this summer. From a press release: “The ShopHouse menu will pair the bold and complex flavors of southeast Asia with fresh, sustainably raised ingredients…Customers will move along a service line and customize their meal according to flavor preference and diet, in a format similar to the one that has become the hallmark of Chipotle’s success.”

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The Daily Feed

BLT Restaurants to Provide A Different Kind of Tax Relief

Photo courtesy of
‘Raspberry Mojito’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

Every year it just seems to kind of sneak up on you, huh?  Well if your taxes are stressing you out more than usual, no worries! BLT restaurants nationwide are offering you 50% off all alcoholic beverages on Tax Day, April 15th.

So if you already know you’ll need a drink, they’ve got you covered all day long.  There’s a BLT Steak conveniently located at 1625 Eye Street NW, and they have a seat at the bar just for you.

Downtown, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, Special Events, Technology, The Daily Feed, The District, We Green DC

Flowers for Phones, April 13-14

Photo courtesy of
‘ting’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, from 11-2pm drop off your used cell phones at either Farragut Square Park or Triangle Park and you’ll get a free potted flower to take home and a chance to win one of many cool prizes.  Collected phones will be recycled as part of the Golden Triangle’s Clean, Green & Golden week to make the District’s central business district look better than ever.

In addition to receiving some flower power, cell phone donors will be automatically entered awesome prizes from Eye Street Massage Therapy, Public Bar, Green & Blue, Taberna del Alabardero, etc. Show up at noon on Tuesday and hang with Ward 2 DC Councilman Jack Evans and possibly snag one of four $50 gift certificate for BLT Steak.

Make sure your phone has been deactivated from service, there aren’t security or privacy concerns. All makes and models of mobile phones, pagers, and PDAs are accepted—along with batteries, chargers, and other accessories. For more details on what can be recycled visit Earthworks, the Golden Triangle BID’s partner responsible for recycling the phones. Continue reading

Capital Chefs, The Features

Capital Chefs: Victor Albisu of BLT Steak (Part I)

PB140264

The first thing that you need to know about him is that Chef Victor Albisu has a calm, dry sarcasm that I find highly entertaining. Cathy and I recently stopped by his Farragut restaurant, BLT Steak,  to learn how to cook mushroom risotto.

We walk into his kitchen and Chef Albisu pulls out a pan of mushrooms and a big round of Idiazabal cheese from the Basque Country of Spain. “Spain is my favoritist place in the world,” Chef Albisu deadpans. “I’ve been incorporating elements of Basque cuisine into my cooking recently.”  And as he pours oil and rice into a pan, letting Cathy take the spoon, we launch into a conversation about Chef Albisu’s cooking styles and whether garlic is better than truffles. Continue reading