Astro Doughnuts Unveils New Dishes
Astro Doughnut & Fried Chicken, 1308 G St. NW, began serving two new dishes last week.
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken unveils a new breakfast sandwich with poached egg, chicken and bacon on a savory doughnut last week. (Photo: Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken)
The new breakfast egg sandwich has a poached egg on a savory doughnut for $4.50. A fried chicken version is available for $5. Diners can add an egg from Trickling Springs for $2, bacon or sausage gravy for 75 cents and Trickling Springs cheddar cheese for 50 cents. It is available from 7:30-10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-noon on Sarturday.
The Doughnut Ice Cream Sundae features ice cream and toppings on a brûléed vanilla doughnut. Ice cream flavors from Trickling Springs Creamery include butter pecan or vanilla and toppings include caramel or hot fudge, whipped cream and bacon (Bacon costs 75 cents extra> The Doughnut Ice Cream Sundae is available for $5.50 from 1:30-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon-3 p.m. Saturday.
Cashion’s Eat Place celebrates Rickey month
Cashion’s Eat Place, 1819 Columbia Road NW, is celebrating the city’s official cocktail — the Rickey – all month long with a pop-up Rickey bar featuring specials and flights of the staff’s own Rickey creations.
Cashion’s staff has created its own take on the classic Rickey cocktail, which traditionally just requires bourbon or gin, lime and soda.
Among the Rickeys will be the “Wild Thing” with Jim Beam Rye, a housemade “Northern Neck Farms Two-Way Tincture” and fresh lime, topped with Herout Cidre cotentin organic sparkling cider from Normandy, France. The tincture is made with fresh blackberries, hyssop and chervil steeped separately in grain alcohol and organic apple cider. After aging for four weeks, mixtures are strained and blended together to create the final product. Another is the Blue Shrub made by infusing Green Hat Gin with fresh mint and mixing it with house blueberry shrub, lime and soda. Finally, theres the Green Shipman made with Green Hat’s Navy Strength Gin, fresh basil, mint and simple syrup.
All three Rickeys are available a la carte for $10 each, or sampled as a flight of three for $12, from July 1-31.
Blue Duck Lounge debuts all-American cheese flight
The Park Hyatt Washington’s Blue Duck Lounge at 24th and M Streets NW, is honoring Independence Day with an all-American cheese flight throughout July.
The all-American cheese flight includes three one-ounce tastes of pre-selected artisanal American cheeses and three three-ounce drink pairings for $30 from 5:30-10:30 p.m. nightly. Sophie Slesinger, cheese specialist for Blue Duck Tavern and Blue Duck Lounge, will pre-select the cheeses while the restaurant’s sommeliers will select the suggested beer or wine pairings.
The cheese flight will change weekly. Guests can expect American cheeses such as Summer Snow (sheep) from Woodcock Farm in Vermont, Elsa Mae (cow) from Calkins Creamery in Pennsylvania and Chevrotin (goat) from Seal Cove Farm in Maine. Sample American wine pairings include: Honig Sauvignon Blanc, Tablas Creek Rhone Blend, and Elizabeth Spencer Grenache Rose. Sample American beer pairings include Flying Dog Dead Rise, Port City Optimal Wit and Goose Island Sofie.
Old Town Pour House gets shark-y
Old Town Pour House, 212 Ellington Blvd., Gaithersburg, will pay homage to Discovery Channel’s Shark week beginning Sunday through July 12 will a special Blueberry Chum cocktail.
Old Town Pour House in Gaithersburg will be serving the special Blue Chum cocktail for Shark Week. (Photo: Old Town Pour House)
All week long, guests can order cocktail featuring Midori, Blue Curacoa, lemon juice, simple syrup and blueberries and Sprite complete with a plastic shark garnish for $9 each.
Rasika to close for renovation July 5-8
The remodeled 140-seat restaurant, designed by Harry Gregory of ARA Design of London, who designed the original interior, will feature silk effect wall covering in a soft range of mustard colors in the main dining room along with new chair upholstery, which will be in shades of olive green and brown. A whole new feel is being created in the 16-seat private dining room incorporating a specially made wall covering from Europe’s Timorous Beasties. New “artichoke” lights finished in a soft brushed-gold tone are being imported from U.K.-based Chelsom Lighting. Rasika will keep its signature red and clear glass crystal curtain.
Patterned fabrics from Rubelli in Venice, Italy, will also invoke the feel of India. The contemporary feel of the restaurant will be enhanced by new armchairs from Potocco, a company also based in Italy and specially sourced for the make-over. Finally a new feature wall with shelves and lighting will exhibit original artifacts brought from India by owner Ashok Bajaj including antique pots and vases.
“The make-over is necessary to maintain Rasika’s good looks and cutting edge appeal,” said Gregory in a press release. “Without transforming the restaurant’s appearance too much, it was decided to freshen up the interior by changing the color palette and by providing new lighting, fabrics and furniture. However the first step is to install a new acoustic ceiling to lower the noise level which will make the restaurant an even more pleasant space to dine.”
Macon Bistro & Larder serves lunch beginning July 7
Macon Bistro & Larder, 5520 Connecticut Ave. NW, will debut lunch service from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday beginning July 7. The menu will include classic dishes with a Southern twist.
Starters include a classic Caesar with romaine, anchovies, croutons and parmesan; niçoise salad with local greens, olives, onions, eggs and house-preserved tuna; Killed Salad with bacon vinaigrette, hard-boiled egg, pickled onion and croutons; fried green tomatoes with country-sausage gravy, cheddar, pickled chilies and fried egg; and chilled cucumber soup with toasted almonds, spicebush vinegar and herbs. Entrees include a city ham sandwich with cheddar, honey mustard and country bread; corned beef on rye bread served with house-made coleslaw; the Macon burger on a house-made bun with aged cheddar and fingerling potatoes; chicken salad with lettuce and grapes served on a baguette; a bistro fillet with béarnaise sauce and fingerling potatoes; and a market fish that will change daily.
Side dishes include Essie’s biscuits served with honey butter and pepper jelly; collard greens simmered in white wine and topped with bacon and garlic; Hoppin’ John with sea island red peas and Carolina gold rice; spicy kale with crispy grits, shallots, garlic and chilies; vegetables a la grecque made with spring vegetables and extra virgin olive oil; and ‘mac’on cheese with cheddar mornay and panko breadcrumbs.
Desserts include smoked pecan pie with vanilla ice cream and local sorghum; chocolate truffle cheesecake with mint syrup and fresh thyme; and almond custard with rhubarb compote, almond crunch and fennel merengue.
Black Salt plans Jackson Family Estates wine dinner
On July 8, BlackSalt Fish Market and Restaurant, 4883 MacArthur Blvd. NW, will partner with Jackson Family Estates to host a seven-course wine dinner. Leading the tasting will be two educators from Jackson Family Estates.
The dinner begins with a coromandel oyster with Italian Ossetra caviar and cucumber mignonette followed by Japanese Hiramasa sashimi with fresh wasabi, pickled local melon and radish. Next is a crispy soft shell crab with corn risotto, sweet peas and smoked guanciale then Spanish turbot with house gnocchi, wild mushrooms and shaved white truffle. That is followed by beef duo with roasted barrel of ribeye, braised deckle, baby vegetables and red wine jus followed by pecorino oro antico cheese with local honey, toasted hazelnuts and grilled bread. For desserts, guests will be served assorted house made cookies.
A welcome reception starts at 6:30 p.m., and dinner begins at 7 p.m. Dinner is $145 per person and reservations are required.
Enjoy breakfast for dinner at City Tap House
From 5 p.m. to closing on July 9, City Tap House, 901 9th St. NW, will host a tap takeover with Founders Brewing Co. featuring two of the breweries most sought drafts: Kentucky Breakfast Stout and Canadian Breakfast Stout.
For the perfect pairing, the restaurant will feature pancake specials in addition to the restaurant’s full a la carte menu. Pancakes include lemon, ricotta and blueberry with mascarpone cream and stout maple syrup; bananas foster with whipped cream and stout caramel sauce; and Benton’s bacon and chocolate chip topped with candied pecans, whipped cream and stout maple syrup.
Ambar taps Rico Wisner as brand mixologist
Rico Wisner has been appointed brand mixologist at Ambar, 523 8th St. SE.
Rico Wisner is Ambar’s new brand mixologist. (Photo: Ambar)
In his new role, Wisner will spearhead Ambar’s beverage program, which includes over 40 different varieties of Rakia, an alcoholic beverage produced by the distillation of fermented fruit popular throughout the Balkans. He will be responsible for the restaurant’s beverage focus both nationally and internationally as it expands. Wisner recently returned from Belgrade, where he developed the cocktail list for the new Ambar location in Serbia, which will open later this summer.
Prior to joining Ambar. Wisner was the bar manager for Graffiato. He was previously a bartender at BLT Steak and a lounge manager and mixologist at Kimpton’s Poste Moderne Brasserie. Wisner also managed the bar at McCormick & Schmick’s in Bethesda.
Wisner is a member of the D.C. Chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild and the D.C. Craft Bartenders Guild.
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.
