Beard Foundation Names Semi-Finalists

Last week, the James Beard Foundation released its list of semi-finalists for their annual awards — the so-called Oscars for restaurants. The finalists will be announced Mar. 27, and the awards will be handed out in Chicago on May 6 at the Lyric Opera during a ceremony hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson of Modern Family.

Chef Jeremiah Langhorne of The Dabney with his medal after winning the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef—Mid-Atlantic award in 2018. (Photo: Huge Galdones)

 
The DMV was well represented, which could be promising. You can find a list of all the semi-finalists online. Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse in Dupont will be given its America’s Classic award at the same dinner. The local semi-finalists are:

New Restaurant

Ellē (Mount Pleasant)
Spoken English (Line Hotel, Adams Morgan)

Outstanding Chef

Vikram Sunderam, Rasika (West End and Penn Quarter)
Fabio Trabocchi, Fiola (Penn Quarter)

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Pichet Ong, Brothers and Sisters (Line Hotel, Adams Morgan)

Outstanding Restaurant

Jaleo (Penn Quarter, Crystal City, Bethesda)
Komi (Dupont Circle)

Outstanding Restaurateur

Ruth Gresser, Pizzeria Paradiso and Birreria Paradiso (Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Spring Valley, Old Town and Hyattsville)

Outstanding Service

Marcel’s (West End)
Peking Gourmet Inn (Falls Church)

Rising Star Chef

Kwame Onwuachi, Kith and Kin (the Wharf)

Best Chef—Mid-Atlantic

Amy Brandwein, Centrolina (CenterCityDC)
Erik Bruner-Yang, Brothers and Sisters (Line Hotel, Adams Morgan)
Tom Cunanan, Bad Saint (Columbia Heights)
Jerome Grant, Sweet Home Café (National Museum of African American History and Culture)
Haidar Karoum, Chloë (Navy Yard)
Jon Sybert, Tail Up Goat (Adams Morgan)
Kevin Tien, Himitsu (Petworth)
Nobu Yamazaki, Sushi Taro (Dupont Circle)

Outstanding Bar Program

Columbia Room (Shaw)

Outstanding Wine Program

Tail Up Goat (Adams Morgan)

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, Beer Producer

RdV Vineyards (Delaplane, Va.)

Chick-fil-A brings back fish sandwiches for Lent

Get the tartar sauce ready. Chick-fil-A is bringing back its fish sandwiches for Lent.

Some Chick-fil-A restaurants will be serving fish sandwiches for Lent. (Photo: Chick-fil-A)

 
Starting on Wednesday, Mar. 6, the chicken-focused chain will offer the sandwiches and fish sticks on its menus through Apr. 20. During Lent many Christians abstain from eating meat on Fridays.

Chick-fil-A’s sandwiches are made from cod and include a traditional fish sandwich and a deluxe fish sandwich with cheese as well as 2- and 3-piece boxes served with waffle potato fries.
The sandwiches contain 370 and 439 calories, respectively.

Before heading out check to see if your local restaurant is serving the sandwiches.

Astro Doughnut serves CBD doughnuts for limited-time

Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, 1308 G St. NW and 7511 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, unveiled its flavors for March and a CBD doughnut that is available for a limited time.

Astro Doughnuts’ March flavors include (clockwise from top) cherry cheesecake, coconut almond “Almond Joy,” bananas foster and chocolate chip cookie dough. (Photo: Jennifer Chase)

 
The first CBD doughnut available in the DMV, Astro’s is its signature birthday cake doughnut, a chocolate cake doughnut topped with vanilla glaze and sprinkles, and instead of vanilla buttercream, it is filled with a chocolate buttercream made with CBD oil ($4.50/each).

The March flavors include chocolate chip cookie dough, a chocolate cake doughnut with cookie dough glaze, cookie dough filling and mini chocolate chips ($3.50); cherry cheesecake, a square doughnut filled with tart red cherry compote, cream cheese glaze and graham cracker crumble ($3.60); coconut almond “Almond Joy,” a yeast doughnut with almond coconut glaze, shredded coconut, chopped candied almonds ad chocolate drizzle ($3.50); and banana’s foster, a yeast doughnut with banana rum glaze, cinnamon brown sugar streusel and butterscotch drizzle ($3.35).

Morton’s serves twin lobster tails for Lent

Morton’s, 1050 Connecticut Ave. NW, 7400 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, and 11956 Market St., Reston, is offering its twin lobster tails fort $39 every Friday through Lent.

Morton’s will offer twin lobster tails for $39 on Fridays during Lent. (Photo: Morton’s)

 
The special is available Fridays from Mar. 8 through Apr. 12 from 5 p.m. to close.

Supra observes International Women’s Day with special wines

In honor of International Women’s Day on Friday, Mar. 8, www.supradc.com Supra, 1205 11th St. NW, will highlight Georgian wine produced by female winemakers, as well as host a fundraising initiative benefitting N Street Village.

Supra will offer $10 off bottles of wine from sisters Baia and Gvantsa Abuladze on Friday to celebrate Internatioanl Women’s Day. It will also donate 8 percent of all dinner sales to N Street Village. (Photo: Supra)

 
Marked as a public holiday in the country of Georgia, International Women’s Day recognizes and remembers women and the accomplishments they have made to society.

To mark the day, Supra will feature the wines of sisters Baia and Gvantsa Abuladze and will offer $10 off of featured bottles including Baia’s Tsolikouri, 2017; Baia’s Tsitka-Tsolikouri, 2017; Baia’s Tsitka-Tsolikouri-Krakhuna, 2017; Gvanta’s Ojaleshi, 2017; and Gvantsa’s Otskhanuri Sapere, 2017.

The young female winemakers, still rare in Georgia, are making a big impression on the wine scene and are becoming very well known. While theirs is a family affair – they are fourth-generation winemakers – Baia is largely responsible for the white and amber varietals, while Gvantsa focuses on the red varietals. The Gvantsa sisters hail from the west of Georgia, where wines tend to be light and refreshing, with less skin contact that gives many east-Georgian wines darker colors and more intense flavors.

Supra will also donate 8 percent of all dinner sales on Friday to N Street Village, the largest provider of services for women experiencing homelessness in the District, serving nearly 2,000 homeless and low-income women each year. It offers services, housing and advocacy.

Pizzeria Paradiso donates U.S. of Pizza sales to charity

Pizzeria Paradiso, 2003 P St. NW, 3282 M St. NW, 4950 Massachusetts Ave. NW, 124 King St., Alexandria, and 4800 Rhode Island Ave., Hyattsville, will donate 100 percent of its United States of Pizza sales on International Women’s Day, Mar. 8, to She Should Run.

Pizzeria Paradiso will donate 100 percent of the sales of its Virginia Pizza with Virginia country ham, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, creamed corn, black eyed peas, collard greens and onions to She Should Run on Friday in observance of International Women’s Day. (Photo: Pizzeria Paradiso)

 
This week’s special honors Virginia and Reps. Elaine Luria, Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton. The pizza features Virginia country ham, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, creamed corn, black eyed peas, collard greens and onions.

She Should Run is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization promoting leadership and encouraging women from all walks of life to run for office.

Oceanaire celebrates National Crab Meat Day

www.theoceanaire.com Oceanaire Seafood Room, 1201 F St. NW, celebrates National Crab Meat Day on Saturday, Mar. 9.

Oceanaire celebrates National Crab Meat Day on Saturday with with special crab mashed potatoes. (Photo: Oceanaire)

 
In addition to its Chesapeake crab cakes and lump blue crab, the restaurant will add crab mashed potatoes to its menu for the day. The concoction is a blend of truffled whipped potatoes topped with chunks of Alaskan king crab and Old Bay butter. The dish is priced at $29.

The restaurant is open from 5-11 p.m. on Saturday.

Rakesh Singh is the new head chef at www Rasika West End

Rakesh Singh has been named head chef at Rasika West End. (Photo: Ashlie Levy)

Rakesh Singh has been named the new head chef at Rasika West End, 1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW.

Singh will lead the kitchen under the direction of group executive chef Vikram Sunderam, who opened both Rasika locations and created the recipes for the company’s first cookbook released in October 2017, Rasika: Flavors of India. Guests will see a selection of new dishes created by Singh on the seasonal menu of this landmark restaurant, which will still be spearheaded by Sunderam.

Singh hails from Patna, the northeast region of India. He most recently was the executive chef of The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace in Telangana, India, from 2016-2018. During that time, he was awarded the ACE Executive Chef among Marriott’s Full-Service portfolio. He joined the resort in 2011 as chef de cuisine, climbing to the executive chef role during his tenure.

Prior to joining Westin, Singh served as sous chef and then head chef for two Michelin one-star restaurants, Tamarind and Amaya, both located in London from 2009-2011. He gained his early culinary experience at ITC Hotels, as a sous chef and junior sous chef from 2006-2009 working in Mumbai, India.

New additions to Rasika West End’s menu include smoked eggplant golgappa with cilantro, tamarind and pomegranate; scallop moilee with coconut, ginger and green chillies; duck galouti, smoked duck with cashew nut, foie gras and marmalade; paneer roll with cottage cheese, carrot, cabbage and garam masala; margi na curry with chicken, poppy seeds and coconut; bhurani gosht of lamb with caramelized onions, red chilies and a spice blend; and palak kofta, spinach dumplings with dill leaves and tomatoes.