TKO Burger Set to Open Apr. 17
TKO Burger, chef Lance London’s new boxing-themed burger concept, will open Apr. 17 in Rhode Island Row, 2350 Washington Place NE, just steps from the Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood metro station. It will be London’s fourth restaurant in the DMV. He also owns the Carolina Kitchen with locations in Rhode Island Row, Largo, Md. and Hyattsville, Md. TKO Burger will be open for lunch and dinner.
TKO Burger will serve 8-ounce certified Angus-beef patties as well as non-beef burgers including the brunch burger made with bacon, fried egg and American cheese; the mac ‘n cheese burger made with Carolina Kitchen’s homemade macaroni and cheese, bacon, cheddar cheese and TKO sauce; the soft shell crab burger, a battered seasoned fried soft-shelled crab po boy; the veggie burger made with lettuce, tomato, grilled pineapple, red onions and sweet and spicy mayo; and a black bean burger made with homemade guacamole, salsa, lettuce, Monterey Jack cheese and chipotle mayo. All the burgers are served on a toasted potato roll or brioche bun. Burgers will range from $7-$14.
Side dishes will include hand-cut fries, pickles, asparagus, onion rings, plantains, eggplant fries, fried okra, potato salad, baked beans and deviled eggs. Wings, hot dogs and specialty salads will also be on the menu.
There will be 12 beers on tap including a variety of IPAs, ales, domestics and Belgium beers priced from $4-$7 and 16 by the bottle priced from $4 to $14 each. The restaurant will also serve milkshakes including sweet potato pie, strawberry shortcake, chocolate banana and peach cobbler as well as t fresh-squeezed “Sucker Punch” lemonade.
TKO Burger will seat 40 guests with a large 22-seat communal table. Outdoor seating will be available during the spring and summer and seat 28 people. The restaurant will be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Sunday.
Remodeled Härth restaurant reopens in Tysons Hilton
Härth has reopened with an enhanced kitchen at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, 7920 Jones Branch Drive, McLean. The restaurant will now serve a full selection of executive chef Thomas Elder’s contemporary American comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A streamlined redesign of the entire kitchen has added more room to the prep lines with added Montague ranges and ovens. The pastry kitchen has additional refrigeration along with a state-of-the-art gelato machine that will churn out a variety of flavors year round.
The restaurant’s seasonal menu showcases local suppliers including Eco Farms in Lanham, Md., Parker Farms in Oak Grove, Va., and C&E Farms in Cheriton, Va. During spring and summer months, Elder hyper-locally sources a variety of produce and honey from the restaurant’s terrace level garden and rooftop apiary.
The chef grows 12 varieties of mint as well as peppers and chilies, including ghost peppers – the hottest pepper in the world. The menu will take full advantage of the kitchen’s wood-burning copper clad oven with a number of smoked and fire roasted dishes for dinner including a smoked pork chop with sweet, roasted butternut squash; a roasted half chicken served over a zesty combination of mustard, white wine reduction, sweet garden pepper jam and Brussels sprouts; and wood-fired flatbreads including a roasted mushroom topped with caramelized onion, fontina cheese and truffled sea salt.
Lunch includes a variety of hand-carved sandwiches, salads and main plates. The härth burger is a house ground patty made from Martin’s Angus Beef, The Plains, Va., Talbot reserve sharp cheddar, wood fired onions and apple wood smoked bacon. There’s also an apple and pear salad made with mixed greens, poached balsamic figs, candied walnuts and blue cheese tossed in apple cider vinaigrette and a bacon jam glazed salmon accompanied by cheddar grits and braised kale.
Breakfast is served daily from 6:30-11 a.m. Lunch is available Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and dinner is available Monday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m.
Ardeo+Bardeo, 701 Restaurant debut Sunday Supper
Beginning tomorrow, restaurateur Ashok Bajaj’s Ardeo+Bardeo Restaurant and 701 Restaurant will begin their new three-course Sunday Supper.
The new Sunday night menu will change weekly and feature a starter, soup or salad and a fish or meat entrée with a vegetarian pasta option plus a dessert.
The first Sunday Supper at Ardeo+Bardeo, 3311 Connecticut Ave. NW, will include burrata antipasti with grilled banquette, olio verde and chickpea-olive tapenade to start; and a second course of brick oven porchetta with Anson Mills polenta, dandelion greens, crispy fennel and natural jus. Each week, the menu will also include a dessert option such as chocolate peanut butter bar or lemon rosemary cake. All entrées will be paired with a choice of a glass of wine for $40.
At 701 Restaurant, Pennsylvania Ave. NW Executive chef Benjamin Lambert’s menu will include a rotating list of seasonal ingredients from spring vegetables to lamb, black bass, lobster and house-made pasta. A sample menu includes starters of spice crusted beef carpaccio with hearts of palm, bean sprouts, Thai basil and black garlic vinaigrette; roasted beets with goat cheese, red mustard greens, strawberries and pomegranate vinaigrette; or butternut squash soup with ginger fluff, toasted oats and fried Brussels sprouts. Entrees could include roasted flatiron steak with crispy potatoes, snap peas, spring onion and blue cheese sabayon; crispy skate wing with watercress, roasted fennel, pickled onion and caper raisin emulsion; or scorched wheat chitarra pasta with wild mushrooms, arugula, parmesan and a soft egg. Desserts could include olive oil semi freddo with strawberry salad and peppercorn sugar; coconut panna cotta with crispy vermicelli, jewel fruit and ginger tapioca; or Linzer torte with blueberry-thyme marmalade and brown butter lemon curd.
At 701, diners select the three courses they want, but both guests must order the same main course. Cost is $35 per person without wine or $55 per person with a bottle of featured wine. The a la carte menu will also be available and there will be live jazz music.
Celebrate National Beer Day at City Tap House
City Tap House at 901 9th St. NW is celebrating National Beer Day from 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. on Monday with rye infused beers and rye whiskey cocktails.
Beers specials include Atlas Brew Works’ Rowdy, The Bruery’s Sour in the Rye, Boulevard Brewing’s Rye-on-Rye, Firestone Walker Brewing’s Wookey Jack, Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye and Terrapin Beer’s Rye Pale Ale. Beers ranges from $6-$10 each. Rye whiskey cocktails include the Sazerac, Manhattans and old fashioneds. Catoctin Creek, Knob Creek, Smooth Ambler Old Scout, Filibuster, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and WhistlePig Straight rye whiskey will also available straight or on the rocks for $9-$16 for a neat pour.
Food specials will include a French dip sandwich on homemade bread made using rye malts from Atlas Brew Works’ Rowdy. This sandwich is finished off with shaved beef ribeye, gruyère cheese, Filibuster Rye Whiskey mustard, Terrapin Rye au jus and served with duck fat fries for $13.
Trummer’s on Main hosts tiki party Wednesday
Trummer’s on Main at 7134 Main St., Clifton, Va., will throw a patio tiki party on Apr. 9 with a menu of beach-themed cocktails and complementing hors d’oeurves.
The first official patio party of the year will include a flight of summery cocktails including a pineapple and vanilla margarita made with fresh pineapple, vanilla beans and house made syrups; a white peach sangria and hot and cold daiquiri with vanilla-infused rum, lime juice, vanilla syrup and hot coconut foam. Passed spring hors d’oeuvres from executive chef Austin Fausett will include grilled pineapple with lime zest, chili and sea salt; spring garlic soup shooters with lemon vodka cream; and chicken satay.
A live band will provide music. Tickets cost $32. Grass skirts and coconuts are optional.
Felipe Milanes new chef de cuisine at Masa 14
Felipe Milanes is the new chef de cuisine at Masa 14, Richard Sandoval’s Latin-Asian fusion restaurant, at 1825 14th St. NW. Milanes brings over a decade of experience to his new position.
Milanes earned an associate degree in food science and culinary arts at Stratford University in Falls Church in 2003. He has worked in area kitchens including La Colline, Vidalia Restaurant and Ardeo+Bardeo. He also served as junior sous chef at 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church before moving to Pocantico Hills, N.Y. in 2005 to work under Chef Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns as a grade manager. Milanes then moved to Mount Kisco, N.Y. where he worked as executive chef at Ladle of Love and Café of Love restaurants for three years. In 2009, he became executive chef at 109 Commons overseeing daily operations at French American Bistro, FAB Café and Tre Contemporary American Cuisine in Connecticut.
In 2012, Milanes returned to the District serving briefly as sous chef at Think Food Group’s Zaytinya before becoming chef de cuisine of Eatwell DC’s Logan Tavern and Grillfish in August.
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.