On Tuesday, February 3rd, Aglaia Kremezi, Greece¹s foremost cooking authority and renowned author, will join Zaytinya¹s culinary team and José Andrés for an exclusive, one-night only dinner that she will prepare with Head Chef Michael Costa. Inspired by the traditional Greek festival Choirosphagia, the ceremonial butchering and preparation of an entire pig celebrated on the Kea and Cycladic islands, the five-course menu will feature Autumn Olive Heritage Pork alongside wine pairings by ThinkFoodGroup¹s Master Sommelier Andy Myers.
Tuesday, February 3rd at 7:00pm
Price: $75 per person with wine pairing, not including tax and gratuity
To reserve, please email chrissyw@zaytinya.com
Menu highlights include:
Passed
Tsiladia – pig¹s head terrine, bitter orange, pork cracklin¹
Dolmadakia warm ground pork-stuffed grape leaves, avgolemono sauce
Patsa tripe, traditional broth, hot pepper, vinegar
Second
Hirinopita house made phyllo with winter squash, smoked cheese, braised pork shank
Third
Slowly Roasted Neck sweet and sour fig sauce
Horta me Paspalas mustard greens, kale, traditional preserved pork shoulder
Fassolada Greek beans, loukaniko sausage, orange zest
Fourth
Spit-Roasted Pork Shoulder
Kohlrabi and Apple Tzatziki Greek yogurt, dill
Greek Fries crispy potatoes, sea salt, Greek oregano
House-made Pita Bread
Dessert
Winter Squash Glyko ‹ Greek yogurt cream
Traditional Greek Cookies
industree is back with its first event of the year, Heart of the House, on February 10th from 2-5PM at The Loft at 600 F Street NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC, 20004. Hear from a handful of the area’s most successful and celebrated chefs and restaurateurs as they share war stories, tales of trial and tribulation and how they’ve built their businesses. Join a candid conversation with the District’s trailblazers in the food & beverage industry, moderated by local food writer, Nevin Martell. The all-star line-up includes:
Ashok Bajaj – Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
David Guas – Bayou Bakery
Michael Schlow – Tico
Saied Azali – Perry’s/Mintwood Place
Barry Koslow – Pinea
Roberto Donna – Al Dente/Alba Osteria
Ari Gejdenson – Mindful Restaurant Group
Alex McCoy – formerly Duke’s Grocery
Network with industry leaders and up-and-comers while enjoying adult beverages and snacks at 2PM, followed by a panel discussion at 2:45PM. Students may purchase tickets for $15, while tickets are $30 for the members of the food & beverage trade, and $50 for the general public. Advance tickets may be purchased at http://dchoh2015.eventbrite.
industree is an event-based brand and the candid voice of the food & beverage industry. They cultivate a community of seasoned industry innovators, future trailblazers and everyone in between to provide the connections, tools and real-life advice that make opportunities possible. Their unfiltered events and content provide a platform to share, learn and grow both personally and professionally. @DCindustree @PHLindustree @MIAindustree
Washington, D.C. chef and grill master Victor Albisu will host a James Beard Foundation’s Celebrity Chef Tour dinner at Del Campo, his nationally recognized South American grill, on Wednesday, February 11. Albisu will team up with 10 other culinary talents from North and South America for an evening of spectacular food. The East meets the South with Asian passed hors d’oeuvres followed by a South American seated dinner. Proceeds from the event will benefit The James Beard Foundation.
“It’s an honor to host and cook along side so many talented chefs, and a personal privilege to highlight some of the world’s great, unheralded cuisines,” said chef/owner Victor Albisu. “My mother’s side of the family is Peruvian, so South American cooking is one of my passions. I’m honored that talented chefs from North America and Buenos Aires will be cooking under one roof for this very special dinner.”
Passed hors d’oeuvres will be prepared by celebrated D.C. chefs Erik Bruner-Yang of Toki Underground, Scott Drewno, executive chef of The Source by Wolfgang Puck, Haidar Karoum, chef/partner of Doi Moi, Estadio and Proof, Jonah Kim, chef/partner of the forthcoming restaurant Yona, and Danny Lee, co-owner of Mandu. Cocktails will be provided by Del Campo bar manager, Mary Kelly and Mike Isabella Concepts beverage director, Taha Ismail.
Six acclaimed chefs from North and South America will share in the creation of the evening’s five-course menu:
- Chef Victor Albisu of Del Campo (Washington, D.C.)
- JBF Award Winner Chef Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa and Toro (Boston, MA)
- Chef Chris Ford, Corporate Pastry Chef of Bryan Voltaggio Restaurants (Frederick, MD)
- Chef Anthony Lamas of Seviche (Louisville, KY)
- JBF Award Winner Chef Michael Schlow of Tico (Washington, D.C.)
- Chef Antonio Soriano of Astor Bistro (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
The Celebrity Chef Tour showcases the culinary artistry of James Beard Foundation Award winners and celebrity chefs in restaurants, resorts, and other exclusive venues around the country. Like dining at the James Beard House, guests have the rare opportunity to interact with the participating chefs throughout the evening and savor specially designed tasting menus complete with wine and beverage pairings.
When: Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Where: Del Campo, 777 I St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Time: 6:30pm
Price: $195 inclusive of tax and gratuity
Tickets are on sale now at http://www.
Black Jack will host an inaugural Capital Cocktail Competition on Mardi Gras, an evening benefitting the Black’s Family Foundation that will pit eight teams of top bartenders from across the city against each other in a secret ingredient style challenge. The judging panel will be comprised of Duane Sylvestre, lead bartender, Bourbon Steak DC, Svetlana Legetic, founder, BrightestYoungThings.com and Scott Drewno, regional executive chef, The Source by Wolfgang Puck. In addition to having the opportunity to sample auctioned drinks from each competing bar team, guests will enjoy a welcome cocktail, Mardi Gras-inspired passed bites including freshly shucked Barren Island oysters compliments of Congressional Seafood, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches on Addie’s rolls, crawfish hushpuppies, Black Jack’s signature duck nachos, and shrimp campeche from chef Colleen Conrad. Drink specials such as $2 pours of Abita Amber and Flying Dog, and $2 Bacardi hurricanes, both frozen and on the rocks, will also be available for purchase, in addition to Black Jack’s full bar menu.
Each bar team will be shown a secret ingredient, given two minutes to plan a cocktail and five minutes to execute two identical drinks. One cocktail will be judged by appearance, flavor and technique/creativity, while the other will be auctioned off to the crowd for charity. Drinks will be scored and a winner will be chosen to move to the next round until the 2015 Capital Cocktail Competition winner is crowned.
The line up of competing bar teams includes:
D.J. Suan & Frank Manganiello, Black Jack/Pearl Dive Oyster Palace
Noah Broaddus & Pete Sit, Café Saint Ex/Bar Pilar
Torrence Swain & Rachel Vistica, Founding Farmers/Farmers Fishers & Bakers
Jo-Jo Valenzuela& Bryan Tetorakis, Gypsy Soul
Jason Strich & Mike Saccone, Hank’s on the Hill
Trevor Frye & Justin Hampton, Jack Rose
Taha Ismail, Mike Isabella Concepts & Scotty Holland, Kapnos
Christine Kim & Anthony Marlowe, TICO
All ticket purchases include entrance to Black Jack, which will be closed to non-ticket holders, drink specials, and complimentary passed bites. DJ Brandon Duff will be spinning for the duration of the event and bar manager E. Jay Apaga will emcee the festivities.
Dr. Joyce Harts Hurley conducts this science-focused workshop about how brain function aids in wine pairing. Guests will learn how to identify and assess the six essential elements in wine that make a difference when pairing wine with food. There will be taste examples of eight key food elements alongside different wine styles, and individual palates can decide how closely it gets to making food and wine magic happen. This fun learning experience includes a smattering of neuroscience, chemistry, anatomy and of course, drinking.
When: Saturday February 28, 2015 | 3:00-5:00pm
followed by an Oregon Wine dinner (details and tickets for wine dinner here)
Where: RIS | 2275 L St, NW Washington DC | 202.730.2500
Cost: $35 per person For more information and to purchase tickets, click this link.
The First J. Paul’s Icons of Georgetown Awards Dinner
What: J.Paul’s 2015 Icons of Georgetown Awards dinner will be hosted by Thomas L. Gregg, the newly appointed chief executive officer of Capital Restaurant Concepts to honor two individuals who have contributed greatly to Georgetown.
When: The dinner will be held on Wednesday, March 11, 2015, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: J. Paul’s, located at 3218 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007, http://jpaulsdc.com/
Why: J. Paul’s has been serving Georgetown for over 30 years as an iconic dining saloon, and Capital Restaurant Concepts recognizes the importance of honoring members of the community who have taken great strides to support and improve Georgetown, Washington DC’s oldest neighborhood. The first 2015 Icons of Georgetown award will recognize two remarkable people, The Honorable Jack Evans and Mr. Paul J. Cohn, for their contributions to Georgetown over the last 20 years of service. Proceeds raised from the evening’s ticket sales will benefit Georgetown Heritage, a new nonprofit dedicated to promoting and presenting the history of Georgetown, http://georgetownheritagesociety.org/ . The funds from the March 11 award dinner are earmarked to help rebuild the Georgetown canal boat that services the C&O Canal National Historic Park.
How: Tickets for a buffet dinner including drinks are priced at $60 per person (all inclusive) and reservations must be made byMarch 6, 2015. Online ticketing http://shop.capitalrestaurants.com/j-pauls/ or by phone at 202.339.6806
About the two iconic award-winners for 2015:
Paul Cohn, started J. Paul’s Dining Saloon at M Street in 1983, and was a co-founder of Capital Restaurant Concepts which was established in 1984 that grew to include J. Paul’s, Paolo’s, Neyla, Old Glory and Georgia Brown’s as well as the since-closed River Club and Club Zei. Cohn, originally from Baltimore, started out as a manager for singers Peaches and Herb in the 1970s. With his restaurants in Georgetown and downtown D.C., he became influential in local politics as well as instrumental in establishing the Georgetown Business Improvement District and other business and non-profit initiatives.
Jack Evans, Councilmember for Ward 2, was first elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in a 1991 special election and re-elected in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. As the Ward 2 Councilmember, Jack represented 11 distinct neighborhoods including Georgetown. At the Council, Jack serves as Chair of the Council’s Committee on Finance and Revenue, which oversees the District’s finances and tax policy. He also serves on two standing Council committees – Economic Development and Public Safety and the Judiciary.
A native of Pennsylvania, he received an economics degree with honors (cum laude) from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1975, and a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Law in 1978. Jack began practicing law at the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Enforcement and currently serves as Of Counsel at Patton Boggs law firm. On September 18, 2010, Jack married Michele Price. They live in Georgetown with their six children (Katherine, John, & Christine – age 15; Sam – age 20; Maddy – age 18; and Jack – age 15) and their golden retriever Kelly.
As many people know, life is always sweeter when you have a great buddy by your side and Best Buddies Virginia’s Chef Buddy pairs will prove that at Life is Sweet, a culinary tasting event, on Tuesday, March 24, 2015, while raising funds to support the Best Buddies programs. Long-time partner CSC will host the event at their headquarters located at 3170 Fairview Park Drive in Falls Church, Virginia from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with sponsors to include SAP NS2 and Exelis.
Guests will have the opportunity to taste savory treats and decadent desserts created by many of the best chefs in the area. Each chef has been partnered with a Best Buddies participant, and all of the pairs will showcase their treats throughout the evening. This event provides a wonderful example of the work-life opportunities that exist in our community, while showcasing the abilities of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“This is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Life is Sweet Chair Susan Wallace, Executive Pastry Chef of BlackSalt Fish Market and Restaurant. “I really enjoy sharing my passion of pastry with my Buddy Chef and shining a light on such a worthy cause.”
“Exelis is pleased to support and contribute to the mission of Best Buddies,” said Bob Edmonds, Exelis Vice President and Best Buddies Virginia Advisory Board Member “Exelis is committed to bringing diversity to the workplace, building upon its history of civic engagement, and continuing to provide opportunities for the disability community. We are honored to join Life is Sweet as a sponsor this year.”
Guests will sample delicious creations from culinary artists including Chef Chris Hutcheson of District Commons, Suga Chef’s Padua Player, Ruth Gresser of Pizzeria Paradiso, Eurest Catering and Chef James Foley, Swiss Bakery’s Chef Bethany Drake, Chef Susan Wallace, and George Fassiadis of the Weston National Harbor to name a few. Highlights of the evening will include a silent auction running throughout the tasting, and a live auction scheduled to take place at 8:00 pm. Featured auction items include restaurant certificates, hotel accommodations, sports memorabilia, an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, a stay in a luxury apartment in Buenos Aires, an In-Home Cooking Demo for up to 10 people with Executive Chef Gregory Booth and Pastry Chef Padua Player, and much more.
Tommy McFly, host of 94.7 FRESH FM, will be the emcee for the night, and Miss District of Columbia USA, Miss District of Columbia Teen USA, Miss Virginia USA and Miss Teen Virginia USA will also be present to support the cause. Tickets can be purchased at www.bestbuddiesvirginia.org/lis
For more information, contact Chris Hammond by phone at (703) 533-9420 or email ChristopherHammond@bestbuddies.org.
WHAT: SMITHSONIAN at 8—The Smithsonian’s premier 21+ after-hours event series for young professionals—and Francophonie DC present “La Grande Fete”
WHEN: Friday, March 27, 7 to 11 p.m.
WHERE: La Maison Francaise, Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road, Washington, DC
Get ready for a #SMITHSONIANat8 spectacular party with a French accent. The annual Francophonie Cultural Festival spotlights the music, art, literature, film, cuisine, and customs of French-speaking countries and regions from across the globe, and its closing celebration is alwaysmagnifique. This year’s bash will be no exception.
Beginning at 7 p.m., launch into a world tour of francophone cultures. Sample food and drink from more than 30 embassies as you explore each nation’s unique attractions and traditions. There will be plenty of giveaways for you to take home as souvenirs. Don’t forget to Instagram your experiences and dishes throughout the night using #at8enfrancais for a chance to win prizes.
Emeline Michel will perform from 8 to 9 p.m. This captivating performer and versatile vocalist is one of the premier Haitian songwriters of her generation. She has recorded and appeared on concert stages throughout the Caribbean, Europe, and North and South America for over 20 years. Singing both in French and Haitian Creole, she has catapulted into international acclaim.
DJ Princess Slaya spins music from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and plenty of destinations in between. At 9 p.m., she pumps up the sounds as the evening’s dance party begins.
Don’t miss this chance to experience the best of the French-speaking world—all without leaving home #NoPassportNeeded.
Participating organizations and embassies include but are not limited to: Alliance Francais de Washington, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Commonwealth of Dominica, Cote d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Hungary, Laos, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Monaco, Niger, Republic of Congo, Romania, Senegal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Togo, and Tunisia.
#SMITHSONIANat8 #at8enfrancais #NoPassportNeeded
General Admission $40. (includes admission and food and drink samples from 7 to 9 p.m.) Cash bar starting at 9 p.m.
Tickets must be purchased in advance (no sales at the door).
IDs will be checked at the door. Those under 21 will not be served alcohol
For tickets and further information the public may call 202-633-3030 or visit www.SMITHSONIANat8.com
