Enjoy a traditional colonial plantation holiday dinner at Gunston Hall, the home of founding father, George Mason.

Dine tavern-style, by candlelight, on items such as traditional   turkey and dressing, Virginia ham, dressing, and of course, home made pie.

For more about Gunston Hall, check out my Oct. 12, 2007 post.

Plantation Christmas Yuletide Dinner at Gunston Hall
Gunston Hall Plantation
10709 Gunston Road 
Mason Neck, Virginia 22079  (map it)
703-550-9220

Dates and Times – Friday, December 12, 2008 at 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 13  at 4:30, 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Tickets – Adults – $39.95 , children 10 and under – $19.95. Beer and wine is extra. Dinner includes admission to Plantation Christmas. Call 703-550-9220 for reservations. Parties of ten may reserve a private table.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Franconia-Springfield – Blue line, then a 12 mile cab ride.

Parking – Free parking is available.

Image – from personal collection   ©2008, Jon Rochetti  _________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

It’s billed as a sophisticated California wine bar and bistro, but I must say, I did not get a very comfortable feeling when I entered the restaurant and looked over the wine bar. It seemed a bit too casual, colorless and cold. Definitely not what I would call hip California casual.  Based on its reputation as a DC favorite (in the “expensive” category), I had incorrectly assumed that patrons would be dressed up a bit more for a Saturday evening on the town. Yet the crowd looked similar to one found in any other “casual” or moderately priced neighborhood restaurant.

Checking in with the hostess within a couple minutes of our scheduled reservation time, turned into a bit of an ordeal.  It made me wonder if I had made a good selection for the evening. After giving my name, the hostess answered the phone which turned into about a 7-minute long conversation, completely ignoring me and my party.  We rated not even a glance or whispered “sorry”.  Even the addition of a second person at the hostess stand, after 5 minutes of waiting, who was more interesed in repeatedly checking the reservation book, then finding us a table. He did nothing except silently look at my party, which didn’t seem to help speed the process.  But eventually we were seated in a booth that was very comfortable and private.

We started off by checking out the extensive international wine list. With probably 100 selections by the glass or by the 3 ounce sample pour, the decision-making process took a while.  Luckily, our waiter was thoroughly knowledgeable about each of the wines we were contemplating, and described each one rather effectively.  We each selected a different Cabernet and when they arrived, shared a taste to determine which wine each person enjoyed the most.  Surprisingly, we all selected the same Cabernet from California for our second glass.

Their menu changes frequently and is not listed online, (only a sample menu is available), but the staff is very familiar with all the dishes and ingredients. Different from most bistros, I found the menu to offer a nice variety of more complex and seasonal dishes with a few non-traditional twists from the typical bistro offerings.

I thoroughly enjoyed my ultra-tender and rich braised lamb shank with mixed greens and white beans. The portion was more than filling.  Additionally, the phyllo-wrapped Black Cod with clams, olives and potatoes was also delicious and different. 

Our waiter was very helpful and attentive but did not intrude or over-manage our table. The no-rush attitude made us feel all comfortable and relaxed.

Dinner appetizers are priced $5.50 to $15.00 and entrees range form $25 – $35.

I would recommend Grapeseed, but don’t expect a high-end ambience. Think “upscale casual” in atmosphere, with decidedly “upscale” food.

Grapeseed
4865-C Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, MD  (map it)
301-986-9592

Hours - Daily from 5:00 p.m. until 10 Mon. – Thur., 11:00 Fri. – Sat. and 9:00 on Sunday.

Reservations - recommended, especially on weekends, and can be made online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Bethesda – Red line, then a ½ mile walk.

Parking – Valet parking is available for $5.00 or metered street or public garage meter parking is available,. But check the meters for maximum times allowed and effective hours carefully. Bethesda is notorious for very expensive parking tickets and aggressive enforcement. 

Images – 1 – Grapeseed, 2 & 3 – personal collection

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Post from: The DC Traveler

It’s time for the annual  DC Restaurant Week.

With over 170 participating restaurants, offering two and three course prix-fixe menus for seven days, what’s not to like?

An with prices at just $20.08 for lunch and $30.08 for dinner, you can try several new places as well as hit a couple old favorites, without breaking the bank. 

How about checking out Acadiana, Butterfield 9, D’Acqua, or a couple of personal favorites, Zaytinya and Mie N Yu.

Ned a place for a low cost “power-lunch”?  Try The Palm.

While some restaurants like Hook, Capital Grill and The Palm offer only a lunch special and some, like the Oceanaire Seafood Room, offer only dinner; with so many choices, the only problem will be deciding which places to visit. 

Here’s the list of participating restaurants.

DC Restaurant Week

Dates and Times – Monday – Sunday, Jan. 14-20, 2008. Lunch and Dinner at most participating restaurants.

Cost - $20.08 for lunch, $30.08 for dinner (per person) and do not include beverage, tax or tip.

Reservations – Reservations are recommended, and most can be made online through OpenTable. 

Images – Restaurant Week image courtesy of DC Restaurant Week, other Flickr

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Post from: The DC Traveler

But one possible solution, courtesy of The DC Traveler, is to go out for a meal of tapas.  If you order just a plate or two at a time, not only will you have a very relaxing meal, but you’ll probably eat less, and perhaps keep at least one of your resolutions this year.

The history of tapas is clouded with many stories as to how it originated, but one of the most entertaining relates to the King of Spain, Alfonso the 10^th.

After he recovered from being ill, during which he was required by his doctor to take small bites of food washed down with wine, he decreed that no wine could be served at any of the inns of the Castile region in Spain, without being accompanied with something to eat.

Other stories include the creation of a small snack for farm workers during their long days in the fields or the need to keep flies out of a glass of wine by topping it (Tapa means “lid” or “cover” in Spanish) with a piece of bread with meat, fish or cheese on top.

Yet another story tell the tale of a tavern owner that discovered that if cheap wine was paired with the powerful smelling cheese, it could disguise the taste of the poor quality wine. I guess “Two-Buck Chuck” is not a new thing. 

In Spain, tapas is traditionally an early evening “snack” or after work “bar food”, designed to hold you over until you sit for a more formal dinner, usually served between 9:00 and 11:00 p.m.  However more recently,  sampling many different plates of tapas has become a dinner substitute for the traditional two or three-course meal; allowing diners to sample a wide variety of dishes.

Here’s a list of some of the tapas restaurants in DC:

• Jaleo - Downtown, Crystal City and Bethesda. One of DC’s favorites.
• Bambule - 5225 Wisconsin Ave. NW.  Check out my recent review of Bambule and don’t miss the gypsy guitar shows on Friday and Saturdays nights.  It’s some of the best live music in DC. 
• Bardeo Wine Bar – 3309 Connecticut Ave. NW.
• Las Tapas - 710 King St., Alexandria, VA. One of DC’s more affordable tapas places. 
• Meze - 2437 18th St. NW. Check out the tango lessons on Mondays, Salsa lessons on Tuesdays, and belly dancing lessons on Sundays.
• Mezza Luna - 1140 19th St. NW. Not really Spanish tapas, more of a mezze (small plate) restaurant.  Check out the 10 happy-hour tapas specials at just $4.00 each (weekdays 4-7 p.m.).
• Taberna del Alabardero - 1776 I St. NW. Classic Spanish food and tapas.  Also has a happy hour special with 50% off all tapas weekdays, 3-7 p.m.
• Zaytinya - 701 Ninth St. NW. One of my favorites places to dine in DC. They serve great Mediterranean tapas/mezze.  I’ll be writing a full review of Zaytinya in the next few weeks.

All restaurants listed are located in Washington, DC, unless noted.

images – Flickr, except the Meze bar, courtesy of Meze
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Post from: The DC Traveler

This sparkling chrome and glass high-rise community was built on acreage comprising of mostly former industrial properties and railroad rights-of-ways. It now houses some of DC’s more desirable commercial properties, hotels, high-rise apartments and retail space.  

The first building to be erected in the early 1960s, the Crystal House at 1900 South Eads Street, set the standard for naming buildings in the area, using the word “crystal” in its name, and eventually the area became known as Crystal City.

The area boasts an underground network of corridors and walkways that allows residents who work nearby to never have to brave the elements to and from their daily commutes.  They can also shop and dine in their underground city.

With retail, dining and housing all in one convenient community, it’s an unique place to live, shop, work and play.

Over a dozen full-service major-chain hotels, including a Marriott, Hyatt Regency, Sheraton serve the area. And with over 5,300 rooms in Crystal City, it attracts business travelers and tourists alike, being only 10 minutes or a short Metro subway ride to downtown DC and the National Mall. Some great discounted room rates are often available at some of the hotels, notably on weekends and during holidays when occupancy by business travelers is low.  Staying in Crystal City is definitely an alternative to a DC hotel.

Finding a great meal is also easy, from fast food to fine dining. A few of the area’s favorites, especially for steak-loving carnivores are:

• Jaleo (tapas) – 2250, A Crystal Drive
• Morton’s Steakhouse (steaks) – 1631 Crystal Square Arcade, Suite 54
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House - (steaks) 2231 Crystal Drive
• McCormick & Schmick’s (seafood) – 2010-B Crystal Drive
• Ted’s Montana Grill (check out a bison filet or bison burger) – 2200 Crystal Drive, Suite A

The besides the local shopping, the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall (1100 South Hayes St.) is just one short subway stop away on the Metro’s Blue and Yellow lines.  The mall hosts anchors such as Macy’s and Nordstrom, as well as Armani Exchange, Coach, BCBG, Cole Haan and a Ritz-Carlton hotel as well as several great restaurants within a block of the mall. 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

They get a few of DC leading chefs to battle Iron Chef-style while attendees enjoy a sampling of food from 40 of the area’s hottest restaurants. Beers, wines, waters and juices are also provided at this food-lovers “grazing” event.

This years’ chefs are:

• Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve, Eamonn’s, and The Majestic; who was named 2006 Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMMY) and Food & Wine magazine Best New Chef.
• RJ Cooper and his upscale Southern food at one of DC’s favorite places to dine, Vidalia. RJ can take classics like shrimp and grits to a whole new level.
• Barton Seaver from Hook in Georgetown. Sever was voted the RAMMY Rising Star in 2006 for some of his great seafood.
• Bryan Voltaggio from Charlie Palmer Steak, the favorites of Capitol Hill lobbyists.
• Returning 2006 champions, Anthony Chittum of Notti Bianchi and Roberto Donna form Galileo.

Capitol Food Fight 2007  
Ronald Reagan International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC

Dates and Times -Tuesday, Nov. 6th, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. The chef’s “battle” starts at 6:30.

Tickets – $175.00 and are available online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Federal Triangle – Orange and Blue lines.

Parking – Metered street and paid garage parking is available in the area.

Images – Flickr

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Yet that success hasn’t gone to Tim’s head. Asked if winning awards adds pressure to be even more innovative or if it lets him relax a bit, he stated that a chef can never relax, especially with DC becoming such a Mecca for top chefs and great new restaurants. Tim changes his menu seasonally to keep things fresh, having just introduced a Vietnamese focus for Autumn 2007, that followed seasonal menus that each highlighted China and Japan.Tim tries to focus on all-natural and sustainable ingredients, when possible, as well as using some local ingredients. Some of his favorites include rockfish and Maryland crab that he successfully blends with Asian-influenced flavorings. His spicy chili crab cakes that I’ve tried before, are some of the best in DC with added flavor that you rarely find in a traditional crab cake.He was preparing a tasting menu for some diners and offered me some of his red curry mussels that are on the list of starters. They were tender, plump and bathed in a rich and spicy coconut milk and curry broth that was creamy enough to be a soup.  The slight hint of lemongrass and just the right amount of curry heat made me want to order more. Just make sure you have extra bread on hand just for dunking in the delicious sauce. Even the New York strip steak has an Asian flair with Cashel Blue cheese, truffled mushrooms, roasted peppers and crispy tempura onions. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Tim serves up a special sushi menu with about a dozen tasty offerings. I had a chance to taste his special sushi with seared foie gras wrapped in Kobe beef carpaccio. It had fantastic flavors that emphasized the creaminess of the foie gras and the richness of the beef.Mie N Yu has an extensive wine list (over 300) and a nice list of more exotic martinis including a favorite Moroccan Delight that combines mango Vodka and liquor, with orange and white cranberry juice.Mie N Yu seats about 185 people in several rooms separated by gauzy tents filled with relaxing pillows in rooms reflecting the styles of a Turkish tent, a Moroccan bazaar and a Tibetan lounge. Seating ranges from small tables with leather stools to The Birdcage, the centerpiece table for larger groups.Mie N Yu offers wine tastings and other special events about once a month, such as a recent whisky tasting paired with select dishes.The long bar is popular (packed) on weekends, yet during the week is a great place for a relaxing drink and sampling a few of Tim’s appetizers.Reservations are recommended on weekends to avoid a wait and ask for a table served by Spencer, one of DC’s most friendly waiters. It can get a bit noisy when crowded, so ask for a booth if you want a more intimate experience. Just don’t miss the curry mussels.Mie N Yu
3125 M Street, NW
Washington, D.C. (map it)
202-333-6122Dinner Entrees – $20 – $50.Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom, Blue and Orange lines, then a 7 block walk.Parking – Metered street and paid garage parking is available._________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

Once in a while, you might see a few of DC’s serious flamenco or belly dancers put on an impromptu show during one of their sets.

Besides being a great musician, Michael also composes and teaches guitar, including one rather famous student, Senator John Kerry. He has also played for dignitaries and world leaders, including Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Colin Powell and Henry Kissinger, to name a few. In addition to his quick fingers on the neck of a guitar, he’s also a rather entertaining magician. During breaks, he often entertains people at the bar with a few of his favorite magic tricks.He has appeared on a couple of CDs playing for other performers and has one solo CD of his own entitled “Illumination” and a second entitled “Baila Me“. On weekends after the guitar show, Bambule turns into an international dance club where a DJ spins Latin, Middle Eastern and international dance music. The mostly 30+ crowd is a fun and eclectic group that includes local professionals, ex-pats, embassy employees, and the occasional incognito Ambassador, foreign dignitary or humble DC blogger.And while you’re listening to the great music, enjoy one of the close to 40 hot and cold tapas dishes (most in the $6-$9 range), or a selection from more than a dozen entrées including three classic Paella dishes.  Either way, there are some great options for a light snack at the bar or a full dinner at a cosy table.  

My personal favorites include:

• Gambas Al Pil-Pil – Shrimp sautéed in olive oil and garlic – a Spanish classic
• Pollo Sevillana – Sautéed chicken, escargot and mushrooms
• Tabla De Embutidos Mixta – A combination of Serrano ham, Spanish salami, chorizo, Manchego cheese and olives – another Spanish classic
• Vegetables a la Parrilla – Grilled vegetables marinated in garlic, oregano and olive oil (you really should order something healthy)

As for dessert, (and I’m a sucker for a good dessert), my favorites include the cannoli, chocolate dipped strawberries or the tartufo – vanilla ice cream in a puff pastry covered with chocolate sauce and served with raspberry and mango sauces.

Bambule’
5225 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20015 (map it)Live Shows – Fridays and Saturdays – Gypsy Flamenco / Rumba Guitar show – 8:00 – 11:30 p.m., Thursdays – Bossa Nova show 8:00 – 11:00 p.m.Nearest Metro Subway Station – Friendship Heights – Red line, then a 3 block walk. line

Parking – Street parking is usually fairly easy to find, check the residential areas off Wisconsin Ave.

Images – Musicians – personal collection, John Kerry & Michael Bard – Michael Bard, dancers Anna & Micaela, photo by Michael Perez – DC Flamenco (one of DC’s best sources for Flamenco info.), food – Flickr
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Post from: The DC Traveler

According a study on women winemakers in California, an estimated 15% to 20% of California’s wine-makers are women. And while it may currently be a a male-dominated industry, there’s no surprise that evidence indicates women’s senses of taste and smell are more acute, resulting in a high demand for winemakers with these heightened senses.

This fun and flavor-packed evening occurs at one of Washingtonian magazine’s consistent Top 100 Best Restaurants, Café Atlantico.  Each of the specially prepared five courses, created by Chef Katsuya Fukushima, is being paired with a premiere wine, including:

• 2004 Jose Pariente ‘Dos Victorias’ Verdejo, a classic white wine from two winemakers, both named Victoria
• 2005 Luca Syrah, named after winemaker Laura Catena’s son, Luca
• 2006 Susana Balbo ‘Crios’ Torrontes, from a longtime Argentinean winemaker, Susana Balbo.  The wine recently scored a 90 out of 100 in a Wine & Spirits review.
• Domaine Carneros champagne form  Napa (a personal favorite)

Regarding the champagne choice, I recently revisited Domaine Carnaros, the French-inspired champagne house on the edge of Napa Valley that’s related to the famous french champagne house Taittingers. I must agree with wine experts when they say that winemaker Eileen Crane is consistently creating better, more exciting and innovative champagnes in the Napa Valley than what’s being produced at Champagne Taittinger headquarters in Champagne, France.  

The food should presented should be as over-the-top as the wines, and definitely add to the pleasure of the evening. Chef Fukushima’s offerings for this special night of food and wine include tiny fried egg sandwiches with caviar and dehydrated banana; Idiazabal Cheese “Gnocchi” Andoni with Jamon Serrano Jus; and slow cooked Pork Tenderloin, Chicharrones with “Blueberries” and smoked Potato Puree. Check here for the full menu, and get ready to start planning a fun night out.

And not related to this event, if you’re interested in meeting a successful local winemaker, Jennifer McCloud, the winemaker at nearby Chrysalis Winery in Middleburg, VA often leads the tastings at her winery and, in my experience, is always more than willing to talk about her wines and the business.

Girls’ Night Out Wine Dinner
Cafe Atlantico
405 8th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004 (map it)

Date and Time - Wednesday, Oct. 17th, 7:00 p.m.

Tickets – $125 per person including tax and gratuity. Call 202-393-0812.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Archives – Green and Yellow lines, then a 1 block walk. 

Parking – Street and paid garage parking is available, as well as valet parking after 5:00 p.m.

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Post from: The DC Traveler

At the Taste of Bethesda, you can sample food from the menus of 50 Bethesda restaurants and enjoy five stages of live music from 11:00 until 3:00 p.m.  Sadly, none of the more notable places are participating this year, but there should be some good offerings from Café Europa, McCormick & Schmick’s,  Ruth’s Chris and Jaleo. 

Taste of Bethesda
In the Woodmont Triangle – bordering Norfolk, Cordell, St. Elmo, Del Ray and Auburn Avenues
Bethesda, MD (map it)

Dates and Times – Saturday, Oct. 6th –  11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Tickets – Admission is free, food and drink tickets are packaged four tickets for $5.00 with a single food serving costing 1-3 tickets.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Bethesda – Red line, then a 3-block walk.

Parking – Parking is available in Bethesda’s public parking garages. Watch and read the meters carefully as Bethesda police aggressively write expensive parking tickets ($50+ for expired meters if I recall), some meters are free on weekends and others may be in effect until 10:00 p.m.
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Post from: The DC Traveler