Rosa Mexicano Introduces Agave Program
Rosa Mexicano is introducing a new beverage program, featuring craft cocktails with house-made bitters, tinctures, salt infusions and fresh-squeezed juices, and a selection of more than 150 bottles of tequilas and mezcals alongside lesser-known agave spirits such as sotol, raicilla and bacanora.
Spearheaded by beverage director and certified mezcalier Courtenay Greenleaf, the restaurant has already unveiled its new agave spirits collection at 575 Seventh St. NW in Penn Quarter, along with New York City, Boston and San Francisco. The restaurant’s other locations, including 153 Waterfront St. in National Harbor, will get the new program in the fall, allowing diners to explore the spirits category in a variety of ways, beginning with Greenleaf’s comprehensive guide to every bottle in the restaurant’s spirits collection. The website includes detailed tasting notes, agave plant categories, background on every distiller and more. Guests can try an agave tasting flight, featuring three spirits grouped by category or vertical. Also, a new agave de la semana (agave of the week) program will offer complimentary tastings of a new agave spirit at the bar each week, accompanied by an information sheet teaching guests about the spirit.
The chain is also launching a new cocktail menu developed by Greenleaf, featuring a variety of margaritas, agave spirit tipples and a rotating barrel-aged cocktail including the Mezcalisco made with Pelotón de la Muerte mezcal, Espolón reposado tequila, agave, orange and a smoked guajillo-sal de gusano rim; the Raicilla Negroni with La Venenosa Maximiliano raicilla, Carpano Bianco, Cappelletti, house-made grapefruit bitters and lemon; the Tamarind with Fidencio Clasico mezcal, tamarind, lime and a guajillo-flor de sal rim; and the Strawberry-Pink Peppercorn with Cimmarón Blanco tequila, strawberry puree, yellow chartreuse, lemon and house-made pink peppercorn tincture.
The new menu will also offer an expanded spirits selection for the restaurant’s margarita al gusto featuring over a dozen blanco and reposado tequilas to be shaken with agave nectar and fresh-squeezed lime juice. Additionally, Greenleaf will introduce infused salts, to rim cocktails with complimentary flavored salt mixtures such as smoked guajillo-sal de gusano — made with “mezcal worms” commonly found on agave plants — as well as hibiscus, lime zest, chipotle, pink peppercorn and ancho chile.
PassionFish serves new Fast & Fit weekday lunch
PassionFish restaurants, 7187 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, and 11960 Democracy Dr., Reston, are offer a new three-course, $18 Fast & Fit weekday lunch, which offers a lean mid-day meal that’s both wallet- and waist-line friendly. With all three dishes served at once, it’s schedule-sensitive too.
Rotating Monday through Friday, the Fast & Fit menu features a different energy-boosting and nutrient-rich meal each day to keep diners trim and on time. Monday’s dish is caramelized sea scallops with sweet potato soufflé, quinoa pilaf and a crème caramel. Tuesday’s selection is mahi-mahi lightly grilled ‘a la plancha with Israeli couscous tabbouleh and broccolini with a cup of Nutella hot chocolate to round out the meal. Wednesday is char-grilled swordfish with fingerling potato hash, royal trumpet nage and a dark chocolate mousee crunch. Rounding out the week is Icelandic char fillet with roasted acorn squash, majestic wild rice and a honey crisp apple turnover on Thursday and Copano blue shrimp with crispy jack cheese fritters, sautéed sugar snap peas and a passion fruit popsicle on Friday.
701 Restaurant celebrates 25 years with jazz menu
701 Restaurant, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, is celebrating 25 years with a three-course prix fixe jazz menu on Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30-10:30 p.m. from now through July 9 for $55 or $75 with wine pairings.
Diners can enjoy live jazz from bassist Eddie Eatmon and pianist Gary Rowewhile dining on a special menu. First course options include carrot funnel cake with gooseberry, burrata and carrot sambal; beet salad with labne pecans and pomegranate vinaigrette; or beef tartare with green mole, masa crisps and charred asparagus followed by entrées such as cauliflower shawarma with hummus, golden raisins, tomato jam and lavash; smoked duck breast with black beans, salsa verde and plantains; or scallops with popcorn puree, royal trumpet mushrooms and kumquats. Dessert selections include black sesame panna cotta with strawberry, white chocolate ganache and kalamansi; or s’mores with graham cracker ganache, roasted marshmallow ice cream and chocolate.
I Ricchi hosts white dinner to celebrate summer solstice
I Ricchi, 1220 19th St. NW, will celebrate the summer solstice – the longest day of the year — with a cena blanca or white dinner on its piazza Monday, June 20.
The meal begins at 6:34 p.m. and guests are encouraged to wear white and take a white accessory of their choice. The restaurant’s piazza will be filled with twinkling lights, white chairs, white linens, white flowers and live music.
The meal will be served family style and will include roasted salmon, grilled shrimp skewers, balsamic chicken, cured meats and cheeses, pasta salads, portobello corn salad, mushroom crostini, caprese, tuna conserva and beans, flatbreads and panzotti, iced watermelon, gelato and biscotti. The cost is $49 per person. Wine and cocktails are extra.
Kristin Hannah to be featured at Hay-Adams author series
The Hay-Adams hotel, 800 16th St. NW, will host its next author series luncheon with Kristin Hannah discussing her latest book, The Nightingale from noon-2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, at the Top of the Hay.
Hannah is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including Winter Garden, True Colors and the blockbuster Firefly Lane. Her novel Home Front has been optioned for the big-screen by 1492 Films, which produced the Oscar-nominated movie The Help with Chris Columbus directing. The Nightingale is a singular departure, taking her into the dramatic history of France during the Second World War.
The menu, which has not been announced, will be themed around the book. The cost for the three-course, prix fixe meal with wine pairings is $85. Tickets are available online and will not be available at the door.
Kramer Books will be on hand selling the book that Hannah will sign and personalize after the luncheon.
Righteous Cheese hosts local cheese and beer class
Righteous Cheese, 1309 Fifth St. NE in Union Market, will hold a local cheese and craft beer class at 7 p.m on Thursday, June 23. The cost is $49 per person.
Participants will taste four local brews and four local artisanal cheeses to learn how to pair cheese and beer while learning getting the lowdown on the stories behind some special makers. Fromagers Melissa Provinsal and Carolyn Stromberg will delve into the story behind each cheese and beer, as well as give advice about selecting, serving, pairing and more.
The class is limited to 16 participants. Tickets can be purchased online.
Bibiana Osteria Enoteca hosts Oddero Vineyards dinner
Bibiana Osteria Enoteca, 1100 New York Ave. NW, will host a guided tasting and winemaker’s dinner showcasing wines from Oddero, the historic winery situated in the Piedmont Region of Italy, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 23. Tickets are $120 per person.
Diners will explore the wines, which have been selected by winemaker Alberto Zaccarelli of Oddero to complement a three-course dinner. Zaccarelli will lead the dinner and answer questions about the wines. Wines featured for the evening are Luigi Oddero Barolo 2010, Luigi Oddero Barolo Vigna Rionda 2004, Luigi Oddero Barolo Vigna Rionda 2006 and the Luigi Oddero Barolo Vigna Rionda 2008. Founded in 1878, Oddero is one of the oldest producers of Barolo.
The first course is insalata di carne cruda, Chapel Hill ruby veal heart tartare with fava beans and Italian summer truffles paired with Luigi Oddero Barolo 2010 followed by the second course of agnolotti del plin, braised rabbit and goat cheese pinched ravioli with brown butter and sage paired with Luigi Oddero Barolo Vigna Rionda 2004. The final course is finanziera Piemontese, a classic ragu of Piemonte featuring veal and chicken with bone marrow, morel mushrooms, and white polenta paird with Luigi Oddero Barolo Vigna Rionda 2006 and Luigi Oddero Barolo Vigna Rionda 2008.
Anna Miller new executive chef at Vinoteca
Anna Miller, an Oregon native and Rouge 24 veteran, is the new executive chef at Vinoteca, 1940 11th St. NW. She replaces Lonnie Zoller, who is now the executive chef at Policy. Miller is only the third executive chef in the restaurants nine years.
Miller brings 13 years of experience up and down the west coast, from Portland, Ore. and Sacramento, Calif. to Tucson, Ariz.. Born in Eugene, Ore., Miller began working in kitchens at age 17, gaining experience everywhere from convention center banquet halls to doubling as the breakfast cook and barista at her local Jewish deli and mastering the art of wood-fired pizza at a local Italian restaurant. After graduating from culinary school, she moved to Sacramento, Calif. to learn the art of Texas BBQ and then Southern/Asian fusion at Ten 22.
Almost three years later, she moved to Tucson, Ariz., where she cooked at Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails for James Beard award-winning chef Janos Wilder and served as sous chef at Hacienda Del Sol resort. After a few years, Miller moved back to her home state, spending two years gaining experience in international cuisines. She made her way to the District in 2014 to work for James Beard award-winner R.J. Cooper, holding the position of Rogue 24’s sous chef until it closed earlier this year.
She has already made changes to Vinoteca’s dinner and outdoor plaza menus. “Being in a city that boasts such a diverse international culture, I love showcasing different ingredients and techniques on one plate,” she says, which is reflected in one of her new dishes, sea scallops with edamame succotash, Chinese sausage, quail egg and forbidden black rice.
Miller is also studying for her sommelier certification from The Court of Master Sommeliers and has taken full control of the kitchen at The Royal, 501 Florida Ave. NW in LeDroit Park, which has the same owner.
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.