Marcel’s Opens with New Menu After Flood
Marcel’s, 2701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, reopened Friday after burst pipes flooded chef Robert Wiedmaier’s French-Belgian restaurant in mid-January.
Prior to the closure, the restaurant had announced a new menu, which is now in place. Marcel’s now offers the options of a four-course vegetarian menu for $85, a three-course á la carte menu for $115, a seven-course chef’s tasting menu for $165 and a three-course pre-theater menu for $85. Additional items are also now available á la carte.
The chef’s tasting menu features an assortment of seafood, meat and seasonal ingredients that will change daily, such as citrus marinated Maine lobster with sweet melons, seared A-5 Wagyu beef with truffle celeriac purée and a chocolate cassis reduction. The seven-course meal could end with Cherry Bombe mousse served with Blackout chocolate cake, brandied cherry, cherry coulis and anglaise.
Two wine pairings are also available: the Sommelier Wine Promenade for $95 and the Chef’s Reserve for $135.
The Royal launches Colombian-inspired winter menu
Executive chef Cable Smith has launched a winter menu of Colombian-inspired comfort foods, soups, vegetarian dishes and wood-grilled meats at The Royal, 501 Florida Ave. NW.
Warm bowls of the weekly-rotating house soup, which include spicy tomato with avocado, grilled cabbage, cotija cheese and cilantro, and butternut squash with cumin, chilies, crispy quinoa, lime crema and cilantro, are served with pandebono, a Colombian cheesy bread for $9. Seafood cazuela with coconut broth, shrimp, mussels, plantains and potatoes is served with grilled bread for $18.
Three new winter salads include kale and Brussels sprout with compressed apple, urfa candied pecans, pickled golden beets, herbed goat cheese, crispy speck and mojo verde aioli; vegetarian grilled winter salad with heirloom carrots, Brussels sprouts, citrus vinaigrette, crispy sunchokes and harissa aioli; and the crispy pig ear salad with picante dulce, grilled hearts of palm, cabbage, mint, crispy rice and lime. Salads range from $10-$13.
Masa gnocchi, priced at $16, is made with the same masa flour used to make the restaurant’s signature arepas, which makes for unique fluffy and gluten-free pillows tossed with braised beef, maitake mushrooms, cotija cheese, masa crumbs and fresh herbs. And pan-seared redfish, priced at $18, swims in a sea of aji seafood nage, atop coconut lime rice and grilled red cabbage.
From the wood grill, diners can choose grilled quail with plantain stuffing, ‘nduja and blackberry agridulce for $17; and a Roseda Farm flat iron steak with grilled red beets, roasted maitake mushrooms, pistachio pistou, horseradish crema and butternut squash puree for $20.
The restaurant is also offering house-made ice cream, kicking off with avocado ice cream topped with bitter chocolate, salted peanuts, chile, toasted coconut and lime zest for $9.
New hot cocktails include The Panela with agua panela (a simple syrup made with panela, a rich molasses-like unrefined cane sugar), house spice, rock candy-infused rye whiskey and fresh lime juice; The Apple with Laird’s Apple Brandy, cardamaro, apple cider, white verjus and simple syrup; and the Ginger made with Copper and Kings white brandy, Dolin Genepy, fresh ginger, lemon and honey. All hot drinks are $12. The bar is also serving sabajón, Colombia’s version of eggnog made with milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, condensed milk and dark and light rum for $10.
Oceanaire offers white wine flights for winter
Oceanaire Seafood Room, 1201 F St. NW, is offering Whites of Winter through March 9, where guests can create their own white wine flight of four vintage tastes from 15 sommelier-selected vintages from around the world for $19. Additional tastes can be added for $5 each.
Choices include Trimbach, Pinot Blanc, Alsace, France; Château Beaulieu, Rosé, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, France; La Caña, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain; J Vineyards, Pinot Gris, California, USA; Château de la Ragotière, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Loire, France; Chehalem, “Ridgecrest Vineyards,” Grüner Veltliner, Ribbon Ridge, Oregon, USA; Robert Weil, “Tradition,” Riesling, Rheingau, Germany; Tozai, “Snow Maiden,” Junmai Nigori, Sake, Kyoto, Japan; Gabbiano, “Promessa,” Pinot Grigio, delle Venezie IGT, Italy; Domaine de la Perrière, Sancerre, (Sauvignon Blanc), Loire, France; Giesen, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand; Butter Block, Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley, USA; Castello della Sala, “Bramito del Cervo,” Chardonnay, Umbria IGT, Italy; Vietti, Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Italy and St. Supéry, Moscato, Napa Valley, USA.
Astro Doughnut adds new February flavors and specials
Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken, 1308 G St. NW and 7511 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, will add four new flavors on Feb. 7.
Beginning Wednesday, diners can choose from four monthly specials including passion fruit streusel filled with passion fruit curd topped with vanilla glaze and oatmeal streusel for $3.35 each; raspberry rose with raspberry rose glaze and rose sugar for $3.10 each; coffee pretzel with an espresso glaze, double-chocolate crumbs and pretzel-toffee for $3.25 each; and chocolate orange blossom, a chocolate cake doughnut with orange chocolate glaze, orange blossom almonds and white chocolate drizzle for $3.25 each.
The shops will also offer a USA doughnut – a vanilla glazed doughnut with raspberry drizzle, blueberries and with USA piped on top — during the Winter Olympics from Feb. 9-25. It will cost $3.25 each. A King Cake doughnut, priced also at 3.25 each, can be pre-ordered only for Feb. 13.
Astro Doughnuts is also offering a Valentine’s Day mini box for $22 that includes three chocolate orange blossom doughnuts, three raspberry rose doughnuts, two crème brulee doughnuts, two passion fruit streusel doughnuts and two coffee pretzel doughnuts. The mini box is only available on Feb. 14 and should be pre-ordered, since only a limited number will be available in the stores.
All Set Restaurant & Bar adds Olympic cocktails
All Set Restaurant & Bar, 8630 Fenton Street, Plaza 5, Silver Spring, will offer five specialty cocktails from Feb. 9-25 during the XXIII Winter Olympics. The games will be shown on the bar’s four flat-screen TVs.
The new cocktails include Irish coffee with hot coffee and Jameson Irish whiskey, topped with whipped cream and ground cinnamon; Mexican coffee with hot coffee, Kahlúa, tequila and whipped cream; Amaretto coffee with hot coffee, amaretto, whipped cream and toasted almonds; the All-American Hot Toddy with lemon, mint basil syrup, ginger syrup, Falernum, cinnamon whiskey and Angostura bitters; and a White Russian with vodka, Kahlúa, Bailey’s Irish Cream and milk.
The cocktails are $8 each.
Red’s Table hosts Old Bust Head beer dinner this Saturday
On Saturday, Feb. 10, Red’s Table, 11150 South Lakes Drive, Reston, will host a beer dinner featuring Old Bust Head Brewing Company starting at 7:30 p.m.
The four-course dinner will pair with Old Bust Head’s craft brews. The meal begins with Table Talk Belgian Wit, a Belgian style wit with passion fruit and guava. The first course is butternut squash soup with sage oil and bread tuile paired with Vixen Irish Red Ale, followed by mince meat pie with shredded beef, currants and apples paired with Extra Extra Ordinary NE Style Double IPA. The main course is chicken curry with coconut curry, jasmine rice and lavender paired with Graffiti House West Coast Style IPA. Dessert is caramel crème Pie with “Gold Cup” spent grain crust paired with Gold Cup Russian Imperial Stout.
The price of the beer dinner is $85 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.