Sushiko Offers Vegan Omakase Experience
Sushiko, 5455 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase is offering an all vegan omakase menu for $80. The menu include nine courses showcasing the seasonal vegetables and unique Japanese vegan ingredients. The menu is only available during dinner service at the sushi bar and requires a 48-hour notice.
A sample menu listed a first course of ohitashi with bamboo shoots, wakame and kombu dashi jelly’ followed by a second coure of suimono with matsutake, yuba, mitsuba and kombu dashi; a third course of agemono with brussel sprouts, ichimi togarashi and ginger caramel; and a fourth coure of mushimono with house-made tofu, asparagus, black seaweed caviar and tamari soy. The sample menu’s fifth course was yakimono with nama-fu, dengaku shiro miso and dengaku aka miso; followed by the sixth course of sunomono with Japanese cucumber, burgundy truffle, watermelon radish, beet, cherry tomato, olive and tosazu; a seventh course of shokuji with somen, umeboshi, shiitake mushroom, myoga, kaiware and kombu dashi; and an eighth course of yasai sushi, a seasonal vegetarian sushi assortment. Dessert was an adzuki-bean jelly.
Bao Bar holds pop-up at RIS
Bao Bar, the people’s choice winner in last summer’s Launch Pad competition, is holding a pop-up at RIS, 2275 L St. NW, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. today.
The set menu includes three different baos – the Men in Boa with braised pork belly, pickled cucumber, crushed peanut, cilantro and chee you reduction sauce; the “Bao”mance with fried chicken, pickled radish and carrots, sweet chili sauce and basil; and the “Bao”tanical Garden with fried tofu, stir-fried shitake mushrooms, pickled red onions, cilantro and crushed, roasted peanuts. Side dishes include a mango salad made with red onions and lime juice and traditional kimchi. Lunch will be followed will be a taro, tapioca and coconut dessert.
RIS will offer brunch drinks at the bar.
For tickets, call 202-730-2500.
Macon Bistro & Larder hosts Porktail Party on Sunday
Macon Bistro & Larder, 5520 Connecticut Ave. NW, is hosting a Porktail Party on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 5-9 p.m. Priced at $65 per person, the Porktail Party will offer guests an exhibition in nose-to-tail cooking.
Executive chef Daniel Singhofen and chef de cuisine Jenna Pool will create 10 dishes showcasing every part of a whole hog, provided by Whitmore Farm in Emmitsburg, Md. Dishes will include sausages, terrines, stuffed trotters, braised head, quick-cured hams, dry-aged loins, pork belly chips, pork rinds, liver mousse, whipped lardo and more.
The Catcher in the Rye, a signature cocktail made with Whistlepig 10-year rye, Vieux Carre absinthe and Belle de Brillet pear cognac will be offered along with beers and wines to compliment the swine.
Reservations are required by calling 202-248-7807.
Mango Tree offers wine flight at upstairs bar on Mondays
Starting Nov. 9, Mango Tree, 929 H St. NW in CityCenterDC, will offer “Flights Above the Crowds,” a special that features three half-portions of featured wine or beer on a rotating schedule starting at 5 p.m. every Monday. Later in the month the restaurant will add cocktail and whisky flight.
“We really wanted to offer an experience to guests who would like something a little more chill than happy hour” said new general manager Thomas Hanson. “Our happy hour is still being offered downstairs, but guests can opt for the gorgeous upstairs bar and try something new.”
This Monday’s beer flight ($15 per flight) includes Singha from Thailand, Duckpin Pale Ale from Baltimore and Oskar Blues Brewery IPA from North Carolina. The white wine flight ($18 per flight) includes Brut Nature from Spain, Eric Louis Sancerre 2014 from France and Dr. Loosen ”Blue Slate” Riesling Kabinnet 2014 from Germany. The red wine flight ($18 per flight) includes Hook & Ladder Pinot Noir 2013 from California, Parlay “The Bookmaker” Cabernet blend 2010 from California and Vinaceous “Snake Charmer” Shiraz 2013 from Australia.
In addition to the drink flights, Mango Tree’s Taste of Thailand appetizer spread that includes shrimp cakes, chicken satay, som tum papaya salad, Brussels sprouts with pork and a veggie spring roll is $10.
Flight selections will be announced on the restaurant’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts @mangotreedc.
The Royal hosts men’s health fundraiser
For the second installment of its new Royal Knights spirits exploration series, The Royal, 501 Florida Ave. NW in LeDroit Park, will feature craft spirits from The 86 Co. from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. on Nov. 9 while raising money for men’s cancer health awareness during Movember.
“86” in the restaurant industry means to get rid of something. “86” Cancer with 86 Co. will feature cocktails from guest bartender Martim Smith-Mattsson, The 86. Co.’s brand ambassador from New York City, incorporating the company’s Fords gin, Caña Brava rum, Aylesbury Duck vodka and Tequila Cabeza. Eighty-six cents of every cocktail will be donated to the Movember Foundation.
Cocktails include the smoked turkey fat-washed Forduckin made with Fords Gin, a house-made tonic tincture, vermouth and fresh cranberries; the Loco en la Cabeza made with Tequila Cabeza, dry vermouth and aperitifs garnished with brûléed banana; the Can[y]a Fernet About It with Caña Brava Rum, Fernet Francisco and a Mexican Coke reduction; and the large-format punchbowl of the Pond Pounder, a hot cocktail made with Aylesbury Duck vodka, Jacks Hard Cider, Port City porter, Oloroso sherry, apple and a variety of fall spices.
Four cocktails from ABV cocktail bar in San Francisco, winners of the Bar Fight Club at Tales of the Cocktail 2015, will also be offered throughout the evening. The featured rare pour of the night will be a 1986 single-cask cask-strength Armagnac, available in limited supply until the bottle runs dry.
The Royal’s Royal Knights series on the second Monday of each month focuses on a new batch of craft spirits, lesser-known liqueurs and the people who make them. The Dec. 14 Royal Knights’ theme is sparking cocktails for New Year’s Eve, while the Jan. 11 night will be Tiki in January.
G offers holiday cooking classes, Mike Solmonov dinner
G by Mike Isabella, 2201 14th St. NW, will offer a slate of holiday cooking classes this month and next.
On Nov. 9 and 10 at 6:30 p.m., corporate chef Adam Howard will demonstrate how to make holiday pies, including spiced pear with mascarpone and sweet potato pie. Tickets, which are $101.22 per person and can be purchased online, include the demonstration, food, wine and a pie to take home.
On Dec. 14 and 15 at 6:30 p.m., G’s chef de cuisine Elliot Drew will teach the class how to make Italian rainbow, nutella, and lace holiday cookies as well as traditional biscotti. Tickets, which cost $101.22 per person and are available online, include the demonstration, food, wine, and a cookie platter to take home.
On Nov. 16 from 6-8:30 p.m., G will offer a special menu by James Beard Foundation award winner Mike Solmonov, chef and co-owner of Philadelphia’s Zahav restaurant, for a sneak-taste of the modern interpretations of Israeli and Middle Eastern dishes found in his newly released cookbook Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking.”
Tickets, which are $138.14 and can be purchased online, include a family-style dinner, copy of the cookbook, tax and gratuity. The four-course menu includes a first course of hummus tehina with an assortment of vegetarian salads. The second course include crispy haloumi with apples and date sauce; fried cauliflower and herbed labneh; fluke crudo with grapefruit and fennel; and kibbe naya, raw lamb, walnuts and bulgur. The third course is lamb shoulder with crispy rice and chickpeas. And dessert is new school konafi with chocolate, crispy filo and labneh, and a tehina cookie.
Vinoteca hosts all-American wine dinner
On Nov. 11 from 7-11 p.m., Vinoteca, 1940 11th St. NW, will showcase the vitality of American wines with a six-course all-American wine dinner.
Wine director Kate Chrisman will lead guests on a tasting through the U.S., featuring styles and varietals from Sonoma, Calif. to Purcellville, Va.. Each wine will be paired with fall dishes from chef Lonnie Zoeller. The menu will include soups and salads from local greens, breads from D.C.’s Lyon Bakery, game meats such as squab and bison, as well as cheese and charcuterie selections.*
The dinner will featuring wines from Wolffer Estate in Long Island, N.Y.; Ravines Wine Cellars in Finger Lakes, N.Y.; Kivelstadt Cellars from Sonoma County; Breaux Vineyards from Purcellville; McPherson Cellars from Lubbock, Texas; and Chateau Grand Traverse from Old Mission Penninsula, Mich.
The six-course dinner is $99 per person, which includes service charge and tax. Tickets can be purchased online.
Blue Duck Tavern hosts four-course game dinner
Blue Duck Tavern, 1201 24th St. NW in the Park Hyatt Washington, is celebrating fall with a Masters of Food & Wine event featuring Fisher Vineyards at 7 p.m. on Nov. 11 for $175 per person.
The dinner salutes the ingredients and flavors of the autumn season featuring premier game, local vegetables and specially selected Fisher wines. Guests will enjoy chef de cuisine Brad Deboy’s four-course, family-style feast while Fisher Vineyards general manager Robert Fisher will offer pairings of the Unity Chardonnay, Unity Pinot Noir, 2011 Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Coach Insignia Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2005 Coach Insignia Cabernet Sauvignon.
The menu includes a first course of a selection of Mid-Atlantic cheeses and house-made charcuterie. The second course includes crispy rabbit pave with apple-foie gras puree, pistachio brittle and chervil; coffee roasted carrot salad with charred fennel, shaved carrot, carrot-almond vinaigrette and fall citrus; and smoked venison cavatelli with cultured ricotta, shaved winter radish and brown butter emulsion. The third course includes slow roasted boar shoulder with fermented oats and mustard; whole roasted Rohan duck with house-made Worcestershire and spiced honey; sweet and sour Brussels sprouts with Granny Smith apple and Brussels sprout sauerkraut; brown butter roasted sweet potatoes with caper-raisin puree, cultured cream and candied pumpkin seeds; and roasted turnips with pickled turnip relish and mountain rose apple. The final course is seasonal desserts.
Jack Rose unveils new rare scotch ale
Jack Rose Dining Saloon has partnered with Belgium’s Brasserie de Silly on “Silly Willet,” a limited-edition scotch ale aged in Willett bourbon barrels. The rare beer will be unveiled during a rooftop launch party at 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 with brewers and sixth generation owners Lionel and Bertrand Van Der Haegen, who will travel from Belgium. The celebration will feature specials on all Silly beers, a ceremonial toast and meet-and-greet with the brewers.
The beer began as the brewery’s Scotch De Silly, an 8% ABV Wee Heavy-style ale. The scotch ale was then aged in 12-year-old Willett bourbon barrels from Bardstown, Ky., which were sourced by Jack Rose owner Bill Thomas. The beer is aged about three months.
The Silly Willett is a rich beer with significant notes of hazelnut and caramel and pours a deep chestnut color. The unique yeast strains compliment the beer with notes of apple and raisin, and Kent Hops balance the beer with their trademark woody and floral notes. The Willett bourbon barrels add a level of backbone sweetness and more mouthfeel.
Kegs of Silly Willett will also be distributed at bars around the county.
The event, in the Terrace Bar, is free.
Black Jack, Pearl Dive hot fall tasting
Black Jack, 1612 14th St. NW above Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, will hold Roast n’ Toast, an all-inclusive fall-themed tasting, from 2-5 p.m. on Nov. 14.
Newly appointed chef de cuisine Austin Ginsberg will prepare a number of seasonal dishes including a whole-roasted pig and wood-grilled oysters, which will be cooked outside on the patio in a Caja China. Passed dishes include maple glazed ribs, boudin blanc rolls — the restaurant’s famous Addie’s Rolls stuffed with house-made boudin blanc– house-made bacon BLT sliders and Angels on Horseback. Deserts include maple bacon cheesecake and apple cake with brown butter buttercream. Unlimited Brown Ale from Caboose Brewery along with house-made cider and bourbon cocktails are included.
Tickets are $55, which includes gratuity but not tax, and can be purchased online.
Marc Hennessy new chef at BLT Steak
Marc Hennessy has been named the new chef de cuisine at BLT Steak, 1625 I St. NW.
A former BLT Steak veteran, Hennessy has cooked his in kitchens from Hong Kong to Sonoma, Calif. He previously opened and operated BLT Steak restaurants in both Hong Kong and Scottsdale, Ariz.
He has also worked at The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance, in Sonoma, Calif. While living in Napa, Hennessy developed a passion for sustainable farming and seasonal produce, reflected in the weekly, chef-inspired “blackboard” menus. From growing his plants from seed to sprout, to creating soils from juice pulp, to even building his own greenhouse, he plans to source his ingredients from local producers in the region. Hennessy also cooked at Blue Sage and Meritage in the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.
Bouchaib Benahmida new pastry chef at L’Hommage Bistro
Bouchaib “BB” Benahmida is the new pastry chef at http://lhommagedc.com L’Hommage Bistro Francais, 450 K St. NW, in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. Working with executive chef Joshua Perkins, Benahmida is responsive for the bread and desserts at the restaurant, as well as the pastries featured in L’Hommage’s Boulangerie.
A native of Casablanca, Morocco, Benahmida was most recently the head pastry chef at Delice des Cieux in Springfield, where he was responsible for designing specialty cakes, wedding cakes, French pastries and desserts since 2013. With more than 22 years of experience in pastries, bread making and cake design, he has work in pastry shops such as La Pensee in Morocco and Lenôtre in Paris. Locally he has worked at BlackSalt Restaurant, Bread & Chocolate and Federal Bakers, where he oversaw 12 employees and developed recipes for the bakery.
Benahmida lives in Alexandria and speaks English, Spanish, French and Arabic. He replace Nicole Shirley, who had only been with the restaurant since its opening in September.
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.