Eatonville to Close, Reopen as Mule Bone
Eatonville restaurant, 2121 14th St. NW, the Southern restaurant named for the hometown of writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston will close on Jan. 17 and reopen in mid-February as Mule Bone.
A Facebook post on Dec. 8 announced the closing. Eatonville “is about to undergo a makeover. After 5 commemorative years, Eatonville is coming of age and ready to transform into a concept that will continue to honor its history and its value in the community.”
Eatonville was a pioneer on 14th Street when it opened in 2009, long before the street was popular with the trendier restaurants moving in a few blocks south. But the restaurant from Andy Shallal never caught on with diners like his Busboys and Poets restaurants, which have been popping up around the DMV.
Celebrity chef, author and The Chew co-host Carla Hall will help Shallal choose a chef for the new restaurant, which is named after a three-act play by Hurston and Langston Hughes, from five finalists on Jan. 22. She also helped choose Eatonville’s opening chef in a Top Chef-like competition, though the winner, Chris Newsome, was fired shortly thereafter and never cooked a meal in the restaurant. According to an article then in the Washington City Paper, Newsome and Shallal, who was born in Iraq, disagreed over how much pork to include on the menu.
Hall, who helped develop the new Southern-leaning Page restaurant at Reagan National Airport is “not going to be the chef” at Mule Bone, Shallal told the Washington Post. She’s not a financial partner either. Though she will provide “tweaks” to the new menu, but not create it.
Mule Bone will be smaller than Eatonville with seating for about 155 instead of its current 250. However, Shallal said it will have an expanded bar and a mixologist will be hired to oversee the new bar program that hopes to attract happy hour guests.
The new menu, while still Southern, will be modern, lighter and not rely on the deep fryer as much.
PassionFish Bethesda launches weekend brunch
PassionFish, 7187 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, is now serving weekend brunch from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The restaurant is featuring a two-course brunch for $19 with bottomless Bloody Marys or blood orange mimosas for $11 and specialty cocktails for $5.
The menu include a skinny omelet made with egg whites with Pipe Dream Farms goat cheese, roasted peppers, spinach and mushrooms; fried chicken and waffle with whipped butter and pepper jelly maple syrup; huevos rancheros with onions, black beans, queso fresco, avocado and spicy XXX Sauce in a corn tortilla; smoked Great Lakes whitefish hash with Yukon Gold potatoes and sunny side up eggs. Other dishes include a seafood crêpe with shrimp, crab, Holy Trinity and royal glaçage; crab and corn chowder; and lobster and butternut squash bisque topped with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Starters are available a la carte for $11 and entrées for $16. There are also raw bar selections priced from $9-$79 and catch of the day priced from$16-$32. Sides such as Fresh fries, Hoppin’ John grits and mac ‘n cheese are $6.
Cocktails — $5 with brunch or $10 alone – include the Ruby Slipper with strawberry liqueur, Gosling ginger beer and strawberry purée finished with prosecco on tap; a breakfast martini with vanilla-infused vodka, coffee liqueur and half and half; and the Drunk Fish with orange and raspberry infused vodka, orange and cranberry juice topped with POM pomegranate and 7-Up.
12 Days of Cocktails at Trummer’s on Main
Trummer’s on Main, 7134 Main St., Clifton, Va., is hosting the “12 Days of Holiday Cocktails” beginning Dec. 10 through Dec. 23.
The remaining drinks include the Pisco Walnut Sour with lime, egg-white, walnut liqueur and pisco on Dec. 12; the Eggnog Flight with chocolate, tres leches and original flavored eggnogs on Dec. 13; the Beet with cold- pressed beet juice, gin and mulberry vinegar on Dec. 15; and the Hot Pisco with apple cider reduction, vanilla bean, pisco and honey butter served hot on Dec. 16. Others include the Chocolate-Candy Cane with Valrhona chocolate, brandy and candy cane foam on Dec. 17; the Mazel with Manischewitz and prosecco on Dec. 18; the Apple-Dill with Granny Smith apple, Grand Marnier and dill infused Hendricks gin on Dec.19; the Cranberry Mule with pickled cranberries, ginger beer and gin on Dec. 20; the Smoked Sazerac with absinthe, Peychaud bitters, hickory smoke and rye on Dec. 22; and hot sangria with winter fruit, spices, red wine and brandy served hot on Dec. 23.
The holiday drinks are $10 each.
Hay-Adams offers holiday tea service
The Hay-Adams, 800 16th St. NW, is offering holiday tea service from 3-4 p.m. every Sunday in December.
The special tea offers an all-inclusive tableside presentation of sweets and savory snacks on Dec. 13, 20 and 27 in the Lafayette Room for $50 per person or $40 for children younger than 12.
The tea service includes a pot of tea from the Mighty Leaf Tea Co. with selections such as organic English breakfast, organic Himalayan peak darjeeling, acai pomegranate black decaf, organic earl grey, ti kuan yia, white locus, organic emerald pearls, organic sencha, chamomile citron, organic African amber and wild blossoms & berries. With windows overlooking Lafayette Park and the White House, this dining room is an oasis to celebrate the holiday season, and the hotel is festively decorated. A pianist will entertain with holiday music.
The traditional holiday menu features a savory selection of tea sandwiches including English cucumber with tomato and mint; farmhouse egg salad with wild watercress; smoked salmon and dill cream cheese; and cucumber and shrimp salad. A special children’s menu features hot chocolate and fruit teas, assorted tea sandwiches, such as ham and cheese and peanut butter and marmalade, and a fresh fruit salad.
There is also a selection of Viennese and French confectioneries, such as warm cranberry scones with Devonshire cream and organic strawberry preserve, chocolate opera cake, strawberries choux puffs, French fruit tartlets, a lemon raspberry tart and macarons.
The Royal to host a A Bubblé Holiday on Monday
The Royal, 501 Florida Ave. NW in LeDroit Park, will host “A Bubblé Holiday” edition of its industry night series, Royal Nights, on Monday from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
The early celebration will offer sparkling wine cocktails, Champagne specials, Michael Bublé tunes, holiday movies including Die Hard and Elf, Christmas cookies, Fernet ice luges, a ceremonial midnight Champagne saber toast and more.
Guest sommelier Chad Cortner of wine bar Bin 1301 and Hauz Alpenz importer rep Jake Parrott will collaborate on a series of sparkling cocktails priced at $8 made with unique, esoteric bubbles including an Asti and Brut from the House of Cocchi and a sparkling Gruner Veltliner and Rosé from Punkt Genau in Austria. The wines will also be available by the glass at $8 and by the bottle for $25.
Come midnight, Cortner will perform a Midnight Magnum Champagne Saber, toasting to the holidays with complimentary tastings for guests until the bottle runs dry.
The January Royal Knights will take place on Jan. 11 themed around South American Tiki.
Blue Duck Tavern features rare magnums on Tuesdays
Blue Duck Tavern and Blue Duck Lounge, 1201 24th St. NW inside the Park Hyatt Washington, will feature rare magnums by the glass, with four-ounce pours available until the bottle is empty every Tuesday from 5:30-10:30 p.m. as part of its “Blue Duck Uncorked” wine program.
The specially selected rare magnums are not found on the restaurant’s featured wine list. Each pour is $30.
Champagnes are being featured in December with Billecart-Salmon, “Nicolas Francois,” Mareuil-Sur-Ay, Grand Cru 1999 on Dec. 15; Perrier-Jouet, Brut, “Le Belle Epoque,” Champagne, FR 1995 on Dec. 22; and Jean Laurent, “Poppy,” Blanc de Noir 2000 on Dec. 29.
January selections include Right Bank Bordeaux with Chateau Le Moulin, Pomerol, FR 1999 on Jan. 5; Chateau Moulin-St.-George, St.Emillon, FR 1998 on Jan. 12; Chateau Gracia, St. Emillon, FR 1998 on Jan. 19; and Chateau Beau-Sejour-Becout, St. Emillon, FR 1998 on Jan. 26.
February selections are from the Rhone Valley and include Chateau de Beaucastel, Chateaneuf-du-Pape, Rhone Valley, FR 1997 on Feb. 2; Domaine du Pegau, “Cuvee Reservee,” Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone Valley, FR 1997 on Feb. 9; Paul Jaboulet Aine, “La Chapelle,” Hermitage, Rhone Valley, FR 1997 on Feb. 16; and Chapoutier, “La Sizeranne,” Hermitage, Rhone Valley, FR 1990 on Feb. 23.
Finally, the March selections are Napa Cabernets including Cafaro Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, CA 1998 on Mar. 1; Judd’s Hill Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, CA 1998 on Mar. 8; Whitehall Lane Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, “Leonardini Vineyard,” CA 1998 on Mar. 15; Karl Lawrence Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, CA 1997 on Mar. 22; and Turnbull Wine Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, CA 1997 on Mar. 29.
Pete’s Apizza serves holiday canolli
Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza in Columbia Heights, Friendship Heights, Clarendon and Silver Spring, is serving three holiday cannolis.
Pete’s pastries including seasonal varieties of gelato, tiramisu and cannolis are made in-house daily. During December, the restaurants are offering three holiday cannolis: candy cane, eggnog and gingerbread. The cannolis feature a crisp handmade pastry shell piped with sweetened, whipped ricotta cheese.
The eggnog cannoli features ricotta whipped with Trickling Springs Dairy’s eggnog and topped with freshly shaved nutmeg.
Bibiana Osteria celebrates with 25 cocktails for Christmas
Bibiana Osteria Enoteca, 1100 New York Ave. NW, is counting down to Christmas with 25 seasonally-inspired cocktails. The cocktails, which are available until Dec. 24, are priced at $12 each.
The cocktails include Vin Brule with mulled wine and spices served warm; spicy hot chocolate with brandy and a house-made cardamom marshmallow; Sbagliato with Campari, Cochi vermouth and prosecco; the Christmas Cookie with espresso, prosecco grappa and lemon air; the hazelnut old fashion with hazelnut infused Filibuster bourbon, orange and cherry; the hot and cold gin fizz with chilled gin and lemon and warm spuma; the Sazerac with bourbon, lemon absinthe and Peychauds bitters; the Clementina with Campari, fresh clementine juice, lemon and prosecco; the Affogato martini with Grey Goose, Kahula, espresso and gelato; the Italian 75 with blood orange, prosecco and gin; and classic eggnog with a twist made with Pedro Ximenez, Benedictine and Buffalo Trace.
Also, the Amari Cup with cucumber, Averna, Fernet Branca, lemon, lime and Gassoza; the Sanguinella with bourbon, lemon and pumpkin-cinnamon syrup; the hot butter rum with rum, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; the Speciale with ginger infused vodka, grapefruit, cherry bitter and rosemary tincture; the Fichi with Maker’s Mark, pureed figs, maple syrup and vanilla sugar; and the Passione with vodka, Aperol, grilled pineapple juice, passion fruit and lime.
And finally, the Francesca with Hayman’s Old Tom gin, creme de violette, Luxardo maraschino and lemon; the Bibiana Corretto with Laubade blanc, Caffe Moka and espresso; Sidro di Mele with brandy, cinnamon maple syrup, lime and apple cider; the Belladonna with bourbon, apple cider and cranberry; the aged Negroni that was barrel aged for 12 months; the Variopinto with prosecco grappa, orange, honey, fig, ginger and rosemary tincture; the Acero Sprezzatura with Buffalo Trace, maple syrup, Amaro Nonino and Orange; and the Vespa with Ketel One, Bombay Sapphire, Cochi Americano, tangello bitter and ginger.
RareSweets offers holiday items for gift giving
RareSweets bakeshop, 963 Palmer Alley NW in CityCenterDC, is selling holiday items including holiday cakes, bake-at-home pastries, cookie tins and gift baskets for gift giving, as well as indulging on Christmas morning.
Holiday cakes include eggnog and vanilla bean, vanilla bean cake with spiked eggnog buttercream; ginger and lemon, gingerbread with lemon buttercream; pumpkin, bourbon and cocoa, pumpkin cake with bourbon filling and cocoa buttercream; and chocolate peppermint, chocolate cake with chocolate peppermint icing and candy garnish. Six-inch cakes are $40, 8-inch cakes are $60, 9-inch cakes are $70. Bake-at-home items, which come with baking instructions, include six butter croissants, $22; six chocolate croissants, $24; Bartlett pear and winter spice crisp kit that serves 12, $45; and chocolate and cinnamon bread pudding kit that serves 12, $50.
Gift Selections:
Gift tins include a hot cocoa and marshmallow kit with hand-cut marshmallows, $25; snowflake cookies with crystal sugar detail, $30/dozen or $60/2 dozen; an classic cookie assortment including chocolate chip, gingersnap and oatmeal raisin, $30/dozen or $60/2 dozen; and coconut macaroons, $30/dozen or $60/2 dozen. Gift baskets, which include a collection of cookies, macaroons, hot cocoa mix and handmade confections, are $120 for a small and $160 for a large.
Orders must be placed by 5 p.m. Dec. 20 for in-store pick up on Dec. 23, 24 and 30.
Macon Bistro to feature One Eight Distilling Cocktail takeover
Macon Bistro & Larder, 5520 Connecticut Ave. NW, will host a One Eight Cocktail takeover on Dec. 19 from 4 p.m. until close.
There will be six featured cocktails each priced at $12 and all made with local spirits from One Eight Distilling, which include Ivy City Gin, District Made Vodka and Rock Creek White Whiskey. At 8:30 p.m., all six cocktails will be paired with snacks at the chefs table for $40 per person.
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.