The one thing that's predictable about our weather this time of year is that it's...unpredictable! One minute it's record-breaking snow, the next, tornado-quality winds, then...birds chirping and lots of sunshine. Go figure! The one thing that is predictable these days, regardless of what it's doing outside, is that the local food and wine scene is getting into full spring mode, with the blossoming (sorry, couldn't resist) of new menus and promotions, scores of new cooking classes and demos, beer and wine seminars and tastings, gala events and...well, that's just the beginning. If you think we're laying it on too thick, just click to Local Events to see the hundreds of calendarized listings of things to do to feed your sense and your brain in the coming weeks.
For particulars on some of the very cool, and maybe lesser known things going on, the Buzz has, exactly what you need to know. Check in out for news on recent restaurant renovations, chef announcements and new foodie-fueled promos like "artinis" at the Corcoran, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington's week of "unleashed" and the March 11, area wide, Dining Out for Life promotion benefiting Food & Friends and so much more.
In our new Chef's Column, BLT Steak's Chef de Cuisine, Victor Albisu, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, is known for tapping into his French education while adding a dash of spice lent by his Cuban and Peruvian roots at BLT Steak. For added fun, Chef Albisu gifts us with his special recipe for braised short ribs with garlic-thyme brown butter, a "must try" for the home chef.
In this issue's Grapes & More, Serbian-born mixologist Ivan Iricanin talks tequila, and how he works his magic alongside Chefs/Owners Richard Sandoval and Kaz Okochi, as bar manager/principal at Masa 14. At the restaurant, Ivan is working to reintroduce tequila to bar patrons as a sophisticated spirit that can be sipped and enjoyed with food, or used in cocktails other than the margarita. Want to know how he does it? Click to Grapes & More and all will be revealed.
Lastly, if you're not tuning into Dishing It Out (Sundays, 11:00 a.m. to noon, on 1500 and 820 AM), you're missing all the fun and info that the DC area's only food and wine variety show has to offer. Last Sunday, you missed hearing from Et Voila's Chef/Co-owner Claudio Pirollo, with some great tasting tips on making professional-grade crepes at home. Michael Weber, an ardent and eloquent animal rights activist, was in talking about the mission of FARM (Farm Animal Rights Movement), FARM's annual "Meatout" promotion and the many health and planetary benefits of going vegan. We also were joined on the phone by Jean Ann Van Krevelen, author of the gardening/cookbook, Grocery Gardening: Preparing, Harvesting & Cooking Fresh Food and got an education on how to become a home farmer and harvest a bounty of healthy eating, right from the backyard. And, you missed hearing from Cyrille Brenac, co-owner of Bistrot Lepic, who was in pouring tastes of and discussing the special French wines being served there to celebrate the restaurant's 15th Anniversary.
Next week's show? Oh, well, you know, the usual cast of all-stars is coming in...like local celeb-chef and now nationally known chef, Bryan Voltaggio, owner of the acclaimed VOLT in Frederick and recent Top Chef runner-up, like Amy Scherber of New York's crazy-famous Amy's Breads and author of a new, bread baking cookbook, and Chef/Owner Darren Morris of Kushi, the new izakaya restaurant (izakaya = Japanese gastropub) in Mt. Vernon Square.
If you miss Dishing It Out live, you can always find all the shows archived: click here
OK, that's it from us. Don't forget that Local Events, Coming Soon and Openings are all updated daily so check back regularly for all the food, wine and spirits fun. Get on out there and ....
ENJOY!
