Cava Grill to Open 15th Store in Dupont
Cava Grill will continue its expansion, opening its 15th location in the Dupont Circle neighborhood at 1218 Connecticut Ave. NW. The restaurant, in the former Bertucci’s space, is expected to open next March.
The new location will feature a dedicated space for online order pick-up, so customers can order ahead and quickly pick up their meals. It will also feature an expanded open-kitchen layout, local beer and wine on tap, new menu items including seasonal vegetables roasted in new stone-fired ovens and rotating seasonal soups, juices and teas made in-house daily.
As is Cava’s tradition, there will be a Community Day to be announced with free grain bowls, salads, and pitas with an encouraged donation to City Blossoms, a local non-profit partner that champions healthy eating
Stumptown Coffee hosts roasting class at Dolcezza factory
On Saturday, Oct. 3, Jaime Hodgkin and Daniel Metcalf of Stumptown Coffee Roasters will host a coffee roasting seminar at Dolcezza’s Gelato Factory + Coffee Lab, 550 Penn St. NE, from 10 a.m.-noon. Tickets are $25 per person.
Coffee aficionados will have the opportunity to sample Stumptown’s Hair Bender Blend at three stages of the roasting process, which will show how the flavor profiles shift. The in-depth look at the roast will give a better appreciation for the talent of roasting. Guests will also have a chance to learn about three different brewing methods- — AeroPress, Chemex and Bee House — while sampling three of Stumptown’sseasonal, single origin coffees: Ethiopia Mordecofe, Guatemala Finca El Injerto Bourbon and Indonesia Beis Penantan.
Attendees will see how various brew guides impact the flavor profile of various coffees and how preferences vary across the board. As an added bonus, those who attend the class will receive a free bag of single-origin coffee beans and a pint of limited edition espresso gelato, made with Stumptown’s Hair Bender shots.
Park Hyatt Washington offers seasonal weekend tea table
The Park Hyatt Washington, 1201 24th St. NW, is offering a new tea service in the tea cellar Saturdays and Sundays from 2:30-4:30 p.m. from Sept. 12 through May 29. The Tea Table, complete with house made savory bites, pastries, scones and jams, is $45 per adult and $20 per child between six and 12 years odd.
Tea is ordered by the pot and ranges from $8-$300 with the hotel’s resident tea specialist Christian Eck ready to assist, sharing his vast knowledge and passion for tea. The seasonal menu includes cucumber and dill sandwiches, smoked salmon sandwiches, crab deviled eggs, lobster rolls, spinach and mushroom tarts and curry chicken salad sandwiches.
For those with a sweet tooth, the afternoon tea table menu has autumn confections Items change weekly based on ingredient availability and seasonality. Favorites include lemon scones, fruit and nut scones, French macrons; chocolate chip cookies, mini-crème brûlée, orange-lime tiramisu cups, strawberry tarts, cinnamon chocolate mousse cups, mini- cheesecakes and chocolate fondant cakes.
The Tea Cellar has more than 37 rate and limited production, single-estate teas, featuring teas from remote regions of China, Japan, Sri Lanka and the Himalayas, as well as herbal selections from Egypt, France and Argentina. Teas include white, Chinese green, Japanese green, black, jerbal, Oolong Pu-Erh, with vintages ranging from 1949-2003.
To make a reservation, visit www.parkhyattwashington.com.
Sushiko offers mini-omakase experience
Sushiko, 5455 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, is offering a mini-omakase menu (mini chef’s tasting menu) for the fall.
It is five courses with two small dishes, a sashimi course followed by a nigiri course ending with dessert for $50 per person. Reservations are not required and selections will rotate weekly to showcase the freshest fish and ingredients available. The special is available through the end of October during dinner service in addition to a $90 nine-course omakase menu, and the $60 sushi-only omakase menu served at the sushi bar.
A sample menu includes a first course of hakusai karasumi with Napa cabbage, bottarga, bonito flakes and dashi, followed by a second course of sakana tempura with seasonal white fish, matcha salt and lemon. The third course could inclue tsukuri, the chef’s finest sashimi selection of the day, followed by edomae style sushi, a fish selection of the day. Dessert could include house-made green tea ice cream.
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.