City Tap House Hosts Brunch with Santa
City Tap House, 901 9th St. NW, will host a special brunch with Santa Claus on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Families can order a la carte dishes from culinary director Brian Cooke’s seasonal brunch menu after taking selfies with Santa. The menu includes ham and cheese with shaved Benton’s ham, spicy pimento cheese and pickled green tomato on a crostini; strawberry-almond French toast with vanilla mascarpone and Marcona almonds; biscuits and gravy with country sausage gravy, buttermilk biscuits, Cabot cheddar and fried eggs; house smoked salmon hash with shaved fennel, fingerling potatoes, poached eggs and hollandaise; and The Big Chick, a buttermilk biscuit with fried chicken, Benton’s bacon, sausage gravy and a fried egg. Prices range from $6-$26, but children under 10 are free.
Beverage director Dave Donaldson will dress up as the Grinch and pour $4 Breckenridge Brewery brews to those who bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. Homemade eggnog ($10 for the alcoholic version and $5 for the non-alcoholic version) will also be available from noon to 4 p.m.
Et Viola! serving bûche de noel for holiday
Et Voila!, 5120 MacArthur Blvd. NW, is getting into the Christmas spirit by adding a bûche de noel dessert to its holiday menu through Dec. 25. The traditional bûche is made from sponge cake and is generally baked in a large, shallow Swiss roll pan, frosted, rolled to form a cylinder and frosted again on the outside. Pastry chef Alex Malaise’s version is made with chocolate, almond, Poire Williams and crème fraiche for $10 per serving.
Whole rolls can be ordeed to go. The small serves four and costs $38, while the large serves six for $48. To-go orders must be placed between Dec. 11-23, and pick-up dates will be from Dec 15-25 from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. To order, call 202-237-2300 and be sure to specify the date and time of pick-up.
Arcuri debuts new $25 early bird dinner menu
Arcuri, 2400 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Glover Park has added an three-course fixed price dinner special. Executive chef/partner Richard Jones’ “early bird” menu will change monthly incorporating ingredients of the season. The early bird menu is $25 per person and available from 5:30-7 p.m. nightly.
The menu will include a rotating list of dishes. The menu for the remainder of December includes foie gras crostino with pickled red wine shallots on brioche followed by squash agnolotti with amaretti, sage, brown-butter and balsamic and smoked heritage pork with winter vegetable caponata and a bacon vinaigrette. For dessert, diners will enjoy a pear and apple crostata for two with Fior di Latte gelato paired with house-made lemoncello.
For the perfect pairing, Arcuri is partnering with the neighboring, family-operated Pearson’s Wine & Spirits, 2436 Wisconsin Ave. NW, to offer wine selections that marry well with Jones’ three-course menu. The red and white wine selections for the month of December are 2013 La Staffa Verdicchio de Castelli di Jesi Classico and the 2011 Vajra Langhe Rosso. Both wines are available by the glass for $6 each. They can also be purchased by the bottle at Pearson’s.
Magnums of champagne take center stage at Blue Duck Uncorked
During the month of December, Blue Duck Tavern and Blue Duck Lounge, located in the Park Hyatt Washington on the corner of 24 and M Streets NW, will feature rare magnums of champagne by the glass, with four-ounce pours available beginning at 5:30 p.m. and lasting until each bottle is consumed that evening as part of its “Blue Duck Uncorked” wine program.
Each Tuesday, the selection of fine champagnes is chosen by Blue Duck Tavern general manager Joseph Cerione. It is a rare opportunity to taste these champagnes by glass, with each pour priced at $30. On Tuesday, Dec. 16,a Dom Ruinart 1998 will be poured; on Dec. 23 a Gaston-Chiquet Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru will be featured and on Dec. 30 a Dom Perignon 2004 will be offered.
Jake Addeo named executive chef at Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca
Jake Addeo as the new executive chef at Bibiana-Osteria Enoteca, 1100 New York Ave. NW. Addeo brings 16 years of experience working at some of the most acclaimed restaurants in New York City and Hong Kong.
Most recently, Addeo served for three years as executive chef and partner at Trattoria Doppio Zero, which opened in Hong Kong in 2011. Prior to partnering in the award-winning Italian restaurant, Addeo served as executive chef of BLT Steak and BLT Burger Hong Kong from 2009 to 2011 under chef Laurent Tourondel. He also worked for 15 years in New York City before moving to Hong Kong. There he cooked in several famous restaurants with James Beard award-winning chefs including Abboccato Italian Kitchen, where he served as chef de cuisine; Esca under Dave Pasternack and Mario Batali from 2002-2005; and at Felidia from 1998-2002 working as executive sous chef under Fortunato Nicotra and Lidia Bastianich.
Addeo was born and raised in New York, after his family relocated to the U.S. from Puglia, Italy. He earned his BA in hospitality management from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1995. He next went on to earn his AOS in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York in 1997, before enrolling in the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Piemonte, Italy. He lived in Italy for two and half years, and staged an entire year at three of Italy’s top restaurants, including Due Spada in Milan.
Nopa debuts hot toddy happy hour
With winter here, Nopa Kitchen + Bar beverage director Jesse Hiney has added four warming winter cocktails to his happy hour menu. Happy hour is available Monday through Friday from 4:30-7 p.m, and includes 20 percent off all wines by the glass, as well as classic and signature cocktails
Nopa hot toddy
1 1/2 oz cardamom infused bourbon
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz spiced apple syrup
.25 oz honey syrup
Fill with boiling water
Top with amaretto meringue
Kentucky coffee
3/4 oz Baileys
3/4 oz Jameson Irish whiskey
Top with coffee and house made toasted meringue.
Nopa punch (mulled wine)
Becherovka (spiced liquor)
Cognac
Turbinado sugar
Fall spices
Red wine
Granny Smith apples and orange and lime wheels
Nopa hot chocolate
Tcho single origin 65 percent Ecuadorean chocolate
House made chocolate toffee
Cocoa powder
Cream
Frangelico
Lupo Verde selling Christmas gift baskets with house-made goods
This December, Lupo Verde, 1401 T St. NW, is selling Christmas baskets filled with house-made Italian goods created by executive chef Domenico Apollaro. They are the perfect gift for gourmands.
The holiday baskets are available through New Year’s Eve. Guests can choose a pre-packed basket or customize their own basket. Each pre-packaged basket includes house-made marmalade, house-made ragù, a bottle of Sagrantino di Montefalco, a bottle of limoncello, three different cheeses and three different cured meats from Lupo Verde’s cheese shop.
Baskets can be purchased in the restaurant, and are priced from $125-$150.\
Copperwood Tavern offers new Tavern Warmers menu
Copperwood Tavern, 4021 Campbell Ave., Shirlington, is launching a new Tavern Warmers menu in conjunction with two new fire pits on its 44-seat outdoor patio. The fire pits will be lit at 5 p.m. nightly, and space on the fire pit benches is available on a first come, first serve basis. The restaurant will provide fleece blankets for outdoor patrons to enjoy during their visit.
Cocktails available on the new Tavern Warmers menu include bourbon with lemon, honey syrup, orange and clove; spiced rum with apple cider redux, lemon and nutmeg; moonshine with coco-syrup, coffee and crème; and apple brandy with port-vanilla syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange. Cocktails are $9 each.
Guests enjoying the fireside can order an s’mores pack, which includes all the accessories needed for roasting s’mores. Priced at $10, the s’mores pack is meant for sharing and includes four marshmallows, four graham crackers, one Hershey’s chocolate bar and two skewers.
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.