Shake Shack Opens Monday in Tysons
Shake Shack will open its first Virginia restaurant and fifth location in the DMV at 11 a.m. Monday in The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center.
Like its D.C. predecessors on F Street, in Dupont Circle, in Union Station and at Nationals Park, the Tysons Corner Shake Shack’s menu has all the classics, from 100 percent all-natural Angus beef burgers and griddled-crisp flat-top dogs to its Brooklyn Brewery ShackMeister Ale. The Shack will also have a location-specific frozen custard concrete: Tysons Treat made with vanilla custard, banana, chocolate sprinkles and chocolate graham crackers from local bakery Pollystyle. Five percent of the sales of the Tysons Treat will be donated to Potomac Conservancy, which fights to ensure the Potomac River boasts clean drinking water, healthy lands and connected communities. The D.C. locations’ Busy Bee concrete made with vanilla custard, strawberry purée and a Baked & Wired Bee Sting bar with sliced almonds and honey and the Washington Monu-Mint with chocolate custard, minted marshmallow sauce and chocolate truffle cookie dough will also be available at Tysons Corner.
Shake Shack Tysons Corner is a stand-alone restaurant built on an elevated plaza with lush green spaces and gardens, situated adjacent to Tysons Corner Center. It is within walking distance of Metro’s new Tysons Silver Line station.
The restaurant features walls clad in regional reclaimed barn board and is constructed with recycled and sustainable materials and features energy-efficient kitchen equipment and lighting. Chairs and booths are made from lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and tabletops are made from reclaimed bowling alley lanes by Brooklyn-based CounterEvolution. It also has free wi-fi.
Restaurants offer gourmet grilled cheese specials during August
Throughout August, restaurateur Med Lahlou is offering gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches paired with cold summer soups at three of his neighborhood restaurants: Station 4, Lupo Verde and Ulah Bistro.
Station 4, 1101 4th St. SW is serving a taleggio and broccoli rabe grilled cheese made with peach jam served on brioche paired with a cool watermelon gazpacho during brunch, lunch, and dinner service for $12.99.
Ulah Bistro, 1214 U St. NW, is serving a grilled cheese made with grilled Texas bread, caramelized onions, onion marmalade, grilled goat cheese, melted butter and four-hour braised short-ribs that have been cooked with red wine, carrots, celery, onions, rosemary, thyme and black pepper in a salt and beef base. It will be available during lunch and dinner and serviced with chilled cucumber and yogurt soup made with Greek yogurt and topped with paprika oil, parsley, cumin, basil oil and micro greens. The soup and grilled cheese pairing is priced at $14.
Lupo Verde, 1401 T St. NW, is serving focaccia al parmigiano with culatello di zibello D.O.P, rucola pesto, grilled eggplant with scamorza cheese, gorgonzola cream, melted teleggio cheese with a side of butter roasted potatoes, and salsa rosa, a creamy Italian sauce served with celery soup and bresaola strings with blueberry vinaigrette. The combination is priced at $15 during dinner.
National Rum Day returns to D.C.
National Rum Day is Aug. 16 and was established for the education, development and promotion of rum within the spirits industry. Rum Day D.C. highlights rum’s great history and brings awareness to its diversity.
Festivities kick off Thursday at The Graham hotel’s panoramic rooftop in Georgetown with a rooftop rum and smoke soirée from 6-9 p.m. Enjoy the best flights of premium aged rum from Barbados, St. Lucia, Cuba, Dominican Republic and more, and tasty hors d’oeuvres including beef sliders, curry chicken, veggie samosas and mini crab cakes. All guests will receive a complimentary cigar courtesy of Georgetown Tobacco. Tickets are $45.
On Friday, the Rum Runner Party Bus will embark on a bar crawl through some of D.C.’s trendiest stops from 5:30-10:30 p.m. The evening includes gift card raffles, prizes, swag and more. Each of the four stops – the Flats at Atlas Event Space, Farmers Fishers Bakers, Lincoln and Smith Public Trust will serve hors d’oeuvres and premium rum drinks and rum punch will be served on the bus. The bus leaves from Farmers Fishers Bakers! Tickets are $45.
Finally, the fourth annual Rum-B-Que will close out the celebration from 1-5 p.m. on Aug. 16 at Jack Rose Dining Saloon’s rooftop terrace. Chef Russell Jones will be serving up barbecue from the wood-fired grill including pulled pork sliders, skewers, grilled chicken and more. Party highlights include education and rum tasting areas, six signature punch stations featuring premium rums and rum-inspired desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth. Tickets are $65.
Individual tickets along with an all-access pass for all three events ($125) are available here.
B Too launches chef’s counter
Chef Bart Vandaele has launched a weekly chef’s counter tasting menu at B Too, 1324 14th St. NW. At 7 p.m. every Wednesday, eight guests can grab front row seats to experience Vandaele and his team in action as they prepare a curated six-course menu.
The chef’s counter will feature a new tasting menu each week for $45 with an optional beverage pairing. Guests can also book the chef’s counter for a private tasting any day of the week for a minimum of eight people with two weeks advance notice.
“The chef’s counter at B Too is a playground for me, and unlike anything I have ever done before,” Vandaele said in a press release. “This tasting menu is an opportunity to have fun while also showing people that there is more to Belgian cuisine, and my style of cooking, than mussels and waffles.”
The tasting menu features items such as red beet sorbet with smoked oyster vodka, parmesan cheese crackers with Hoegaarden jello and a waffle square followed by kelp marinated scallops with American sturgeon caviar, green apple & green pea mouse, crème fraiche with bronze fennel and Nasturtium flowers; Josper Hay-smoked lobster tail with Ardbeg whiskey perfume, lemon, coffee roasted heirloom carrots and black garlic crème; grilled rack of lamb with rosemary, purple artichoke, watercress, open ravioli, smoked mayonnaise and pickled Girolles mushroom; warm tomato and goat cheese tart with purple basil syrup, green tomato, basil crystals and extra virgin olive oil; and sweet avocado soufflé with kiwi, elderflower, Belgian bitter chocolate and coconips.
Zaika adds lunchbox delivery in Clarendon
Zaika, a modern Indian restaurant located at 2800 Clarendon Blvd., Alexandria, is offering a new “Tiffin” lunchbox menu, which must be ordered for six or more people. Delivery is available for $3 for addresses within a five-mile radius of the restaurant.
Each tiffin lunch order is individually packaged and diners can specify the level of spice of their savory or curry tiffin meal. Savory tiffin lunchboxes are $10.99 each and curry tiffin lunches are $12.99. Soda or water can be added for $1.50 or a glass of mango lassi for $3.
Savory tiffins include a choice of chicken, lamb, salmon or soya bean accompanied with jeera basmati rice, chana masala (a chickpea dish), raita (a yogurt relish with fresh herbs) and a kachumber salad of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, broccoli and chickpeas with a lemon herb dressing. Choices include the tandoori tiffin with chicken tikka and mint chutney, the hara tiffin with a boti lamb kabob and tamarind chutney, the sagar tiffin with salmon and tamarind chutney, the murgh tiffin with chicken, fenegreek leaves and mint chutney, the vegetarian vanaspati tiffin with soya bean and mint chutney, and the biryani tiffin with the choice of chicken or vegetables.
Curry tiffins are served with jeera basmati rice, chana masala, kachumber salad, raita and naan. Choices include the murgh makhani tiffin with chicken in creamy tomato curry, the macchi tiffin with fish fillets in cashew curry, the rogan josh tiffin with lamb in creamy tomato curry, and the palak paneer tiffin with cottage cheese in spinach curry.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.