With Thanksgiving a little more than a week away, it is time to start planning your holiday menu. If thoughts of getting up at 4 a.m. to clean and stuff a turkey, peel potatoes, candy some yams and bake some pumpkin pies, several area restaurants are offering to keep you out of the kitchen and enjoying the parade and football games. Some will do the cooking for you, so you can let your guests think you have been up slaving over a hot stove half the night, while others will be open to feed you and your family. Either way, you better make your reservations now before it is too late.

Let area chefs cook your Thanksgiving dinner this year. (Photo: Free Internet Pictures)

Pre-Thanksgiving dinner

Et Voila!
5120 MacArthur Blvd. NW

In anticipation of the gluttonous feast of turkey and pie that awaits on Thanksgiving, the classic Belgian French bistro located at 5120 MacArthur Blvd. NW will host its second annual “Stretch Your Belly” party. Guests can stuff their faces with unlimited Blue Bay mussels with cream, endive, sweet potatoes and dry vermouth paired with Belgian fries and Affligem Blonde Ale, or Carbonade a la Flamande, a traditional Belgian sweet-sour beef and onion stew paired with Belgian fries and gouden carolus for $29.95 per person. The special is available from 5-10 p.m. on Nov. 26.

Thanksgiving Day to go

B Too
1324 14th St. NW

B Too is taking offering guests a whole feast to go. The B @ Home Thanksgiving feast offers two sizes of stuffed roasted turkey: a 15-17 pound turkey that feeds eight for $179 or a stuffed turkey breast that feeds four for $80. Both come with macaroni and cheese, bourbon sweet potato puree with marshmallows; chef’s grand mama gravy; Grand Marnier cranberry sauce; and Brussels sprouts and chestnuts. Additional sides can be added for $12.95 for a four person serving including creamy coconut butternut squash soup, chestnut soup with chorizo, potato gratin, grilled root vegetables, green beans and bacon, baked apple cranberry sauce, braised endive, pears in red wine, and B Too style stuffing. Pumpkin Pie with waffle and pumpkin cream and pecan maple pie are available for $24 each. Orders can be placed by calling 202-627-2800 by Nov. 24. Orders will be available for pick up at B Too on Thanksgiving Day between 10 a.m. and noon.

Blue Duck Tavern
24th and M Streets NW

Blue Duck Tavern is offering a three-star feast to-go for $350. Orders must be placed by 5 p.m. on Nov. 21. The take-it-home Thanksgiving dinner includes a 10-12 pound free-range roasted turkey from the Earth N Eats family farm in Waynesboro, Pa. It also includes two freshly baked breads and four traditional sides from the restaurant’s menu. Two seasonal pies are also included. Dinners must be picked up at the restaurants pastry pantry between 1-5 p.m. on Nov. 27 or 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thanksgiving day. Orders can be placed at https://www.giftrocker.com/BlueDuckTavernThanksgiving. Be sure to specify the date and time of pick-up.

Thanksgiving Day

701 Restaurant
701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

A classic Thanksgiving feast with a three-course, prix fixe holiday menu priced at $48 per person will be available from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Executive chef Benjamin Lambert will be preparing a variety of starters such as potato lemongrass soup with mussels, cilantro and chili threads; crab beignets with frisée and almond romesco; and duck-chestnut meatballs with Brussels sprouts, green farro and quince ketchup. For the main course guests can order grilled pork loin with apple puree, Brussels sprouts, n’duja, cipollini onions and cider glaze; roasted turkey with sweet potato puree, stuffing, cranberry compote and gravy; Norwegian salmon with mustard spaetzle, rapini, pecans and pomegranate molasses; and orecchiette with wild mushrooms, Swiss chard, Oloroso sherry, brown butter and pecorino. Dessert will include sticky bun parfait; chocolate ingot; pumpkin butterscotch mousse; or honey almond dacquoise. 701’s live jazz duo of piano and bass will perform during Thanksgiving service.

America Eats Tavern
1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean, inside the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner

Chef José Andrés will offer his interpretation of classic American food with a modern twist, emphasizing local farmers and purveyors. The traditional menu will celebrate holiday classics alongside the native ingredients of Virginia from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. The a la carte menu includes roasted Virginia turkey from Whiffletree Farm of Warrenton, Va., and turkey fritters with mashed potatoes, crispy Brussels sprouts, sweet potato fritters, turkey gravy and cranberry sauce for $28; Virginia oyster stuffing for $12; green bean casserole with house-made mushroom soup for $9; sweet potatoes with house-made marshmallow for $9; and bourbon corn pudding for $9. Pumpkin and Dutch apple pies will also be available.

Ardeo+Bardeo
3111 Connecticut Ave. NW

Executive chef Matt Kuhn’s menu highlights include sweet potato and apple soup with toasted hazelnuts, spiced crème fraîche and bacon-apple jam; smoked turkey rillette with cranberry-fig compote and rustic bread; bouchot mussels with house pancetta, truffle, sage and black garlic broth; Roman-style gnocchi with honey mushrooms, sage-walnut pesto, roasted sweet potatoes and truffle pecorino; roasted turkey breast with grain mustard-potato puree, leg confit farro-oyster mushroom “stuffing” and sage jus; pan-roasted diver scallops with truffled celery root puree, tatsoi and cauliflower-country ham meunière; and grilled coulotte steak with beluga lentil ragu, black trumpet mushrooms, crispy parsnips and foie butter. The dessert menu feature buttermilk doughnuts with bourbon-apple butter and maple mascarpone; pumpkin arborio rice pudding with fall fruit compote and candied walnut; chocolate-peanut torte with banana caramel and vanilla Chantilly cream; and meyer lemon cake with citrus olive oil and dark chocolate ice cream. The Thanksgiving menu will be served on Nov. 27th from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and is priced at $45 per person.

BLT Steak
1625 I St. NW

BLT Steak is offering a special holiday menu from 3 p.m.-close on Thanksgiving featuring contemporary takes on traditional favorites. Served family-style, the Thanksgiving Day menu will be available as a prix-fixe tasting menu for $68 per adult and $40 per child including starter, entrée, sides and dessert options. Starters include celery root soup with Honey Crisp apples, chestnuts and sage; kabocha squash risotto with saffron, pumpkin seeds and pecorino; and gem salad with parsnips, squash and cider vinaigrette. Entrees include roasted turkey with chestnut-sausage stuffing, cranberry-grenadine sauce and rosemary gravy; dry aged roasted prime rib with confit garlic jus and caramelized onion bread pudding; and striped bass with Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and cranberry. Sides include chestnut-sausage stuffing; Brussels sprouts with cippolini, bacon and honey; creamed spinach; mashed potatoes; and sweet potato gratin. Desserts include cranberry spiced bread pudding with walnuts and cranberry coulis; pumpkin tart with maple ice cream; and velvet chocolate rocky road with vanilla anglaise and hazelnuts.

And everyone knows that leftovers are one of the best things about Thanksgiving. So all day on Friday, Nov. 28, the restaurant will serve Thanksgiving leftover popovers filled with dark and white turkey meat, cranberry chutney, potato puree and rosemary gravy. The popovers will be available for $10 at the bar or to-go during lunch and dinner service.

Blue Duck Tavern
24th and M Streets NW

New chef Ryan LaRoche at the restaurant at the Park Hyatt Washington will serve dishes that reflect the all-American spirit with tempting desserts created by pastry chef Naomi Gallego. On Thanksgiving day, Blue Duck Tavern will offer its a la carte breakfast menu from 6:30-10:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Then, brunch into dinner service will be available from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. A three-course holiday meal with a selection of starters will be placed throughout the open-air kitchen for guests to help themselves to their first course. Starters will include seasonal salads, breads, meats and cheese to be followed by a choice of plated entrées and side dishes showcasing produce from regional farms. Seasonal desserts, on display in the pastry pantry, will complete the Thanksgiving feast. The holiday menu is $100 for adults and $45 for children between six and 12. Children under 6 are free.

The Bombay Club
815 Connecticut Ave. NW

In addition to the full a la carte menu, executive chef Nilesh Singhvi is preparing Thanksgiving specials including methi turkey tikka marinated with yogurt, garlic, fenugreek and grilled in a tandoor oven and served with cranberry chutney, Brussels sprout foogath and butternut squash bharta for $19.50 a person. For dessert, there will be a pumpkin brûlée with a cranberry cookie for $8. The Thanksgiving menu is offered from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and from 5:30-10:30 p.m.

Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca
1100 New York Ave. NW

Executive chef Nicholas Stefanelli will offer an authentic Italian twist on Thanksgiving. The prix fixe menu is priced at $48 per person and will be served from noon- 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Starters include roasted cauliflower salad with pine nuts, golden raisins and anchovy cream; a 45 minute egg with mushroom purée and a wild mushroom salad; smoked citrus cured swordfish belly with lemon, mâche and trout roe; and beef tripe braised in tomato, parmigiano and black pepper. Entrées include heritage turkey cooked two ways, roasted breast and braised leg, with potato mousseline, bread stuffing and cranberry sauce; plancha seared diver scallops with salsify purée and a brown butter vanilla sauce; and roasted pork loin served with polenta, Brussels sprouts and mustard sauce. Dessert options include persimmon pudding with caramelized persimmon and walnut gelato; quince crostata with jasmine ice cream and huckleberry sauce; and roasted pumpkin flan with coffee crème and hazelnut butter cookie.

An American family enjoys Thanksgiving dinner in Norman Rockwell’s Freedom from Want painting. (Photo: The Norman Rockwell Museum)

Central Michel Richard
1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

From 2-8 p.m., Central will feature a $45, three-course prix fixe Thanksgiving Dinner for adults and $25 for children under 12. Appetizer options include choices of salads such as warm spinach salad, goat cheese Caesar salad or beet-Asian pear salad with feta and oranges, and soups including classic French onion or chestnut veloute with duck confit. Traditional Thanksgiving turkey with mushroom stuffing, cranberry sauce and potato gratin, tops the entree list. For the non-traditionalists, there are additional entrée selections such as seared miso salmon with celery root, turnips and brocolini; steak frites with peppercorn sauce/ meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans; and vegetarian pearl pasta risotto. Dessert choices are pumpkin tart, apple tatin, or Michel’s famous chocolate bar.

City Tap House
901 Ninth St. NW

Culinary director Brian Cooke will prepare an “Orphan Thanksgiving” with specials from noon-midnight. Dishes include chantenay carrot soup with horseradish, short rib, crispy shallots and chive oil; kale and spiced sweet potato salad with Asian pear, blue cheese, candied pecan and a maple-pecan vinaigrette; Hudson Valley foie gras with spiced French toast, meyer lemon jam and peanut crumble; Spring Field Farm turkey with roasted baby sweet potato, black kale, cranberry relish and giblet sauce; Cervena venison with curry apples, Brussels sprout leaves, sunchokes and pomegranate gastrique, as well as Carolina Gold Rice risotto with roasted butternut squash, black kale, truffle and grana padano. Prices range from $11 to $42 each. For dessert, the restaurant is offering classic pumpkin pie with Chantilly cream and candied pecans; apple cake with bourbon vanilla ice cream and a caramel sauce; and dark chocolate pot de crème with caramelized banana, macadamia nuts and espresso ice cream. Desserts are priced from $8 to $10 each. The bar will be pouring several seasonal draft beers exclusively on Thanksgiving day including Imperial Doughnut Break by Evil Twin Brewing; Kentucky Breakfast Stout by Founders Brewing Co.; Barrel-Aged Project Brew (2014) by Brouwerji Hof Ten Dormaal; Abita Bourbon Street Baltic Porter by Abita Brewing Co.; The Beast Grand Cru and 5 Monks by Avery Brewing Co.; Dino S’mores by Off Color Brewing; Flying Dog The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale Nitro and Flying Dog The Fear 2013 by Flying Dog Brewery. Prices range from $6 to $14 by draft.

Legal Sea Foods
704 Seventh St. NW
Tyson’s Galleria in McLean, Va.
Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va.

Legal Sea Foods will offer its full menu for traditionalists as well as stuffed turkey breast with sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, butternut squash and cranberry sauce. The turkey dinner is priced at $21.95 for adults and $7.95 for children 12 and under. The Chinatown restaurant is serving from noon-9 p.m., Tysons from noon-8 p.m. and the airport location from noon-4 p.m.

Nage Bistro
I600 Rhode Island Ave. NW

Executive chef Dwayne Motley is serving a Thanksgiving buffet showcasing his Southern favorites. Menu highlights include cajun deep fried turkey; brown sugar glazed ham; cornbread and andouille stuffing; macaroni and cheese; buttermilk mashed potatoes; green beans with almonds; braised collard greens; cranberry sauce; Parker House rolls, and turkey gravy. To complete the meal, dessert options include apple cobbler; sweet potato pie and pecan pie. The Thanksgiving menu will be served 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on Thanksgiving day and is priced at $38 per person for adults and $19 for children under 13. Guests who dine at Nage Bistro at the Thanksgiving buffet will be able to fill a 7.75 inch x 5.5 inch x 2.4 inch take-home box to enjoy leftovers the next day for $12

Guests can also order whole pies to serve in their own homes. Choices include a 9-inch sweet potato pie for $25 or a 9-inch pecan pie for $29. Orders must be placed by Nov. 24, and there is a maximum of eight pies per order. Pies can be picked up Nov. 25 or 26 from 2-4 p.m. To place an order, call 202-448-8005 and be sure to specify the date and time of pick-up.

Nopa Kitchen + Bar
800 F St. NW

In addition to the a la carte menu, executive chef Greg McCarty is offering specials such as kabocha squash salad with Bayonne ham, Asian pear and pumpkin seed vinaigrette, and roasted turkey with chestnut and herb stuffing and porcini mushroom jus.To complete the meal, seasonal desserts prepared by pastry chef Jemil Gadea include pumpkin crème with buttermilk mousse, spice cake and gingersnaps; apple tart tatin with apple cider reduction and black vanilla ice cream; chocolate pecan tart with coffee porter ice cream and toffee; and mascarpone Bavarian cream with cranberry sorbet, toasted orange meringue and pistachios. Dinner will be served from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Nov. 27.

The Oval Room
800 Connecticut Ave. NW

Executive chef Tony Conte is preparing a three-course holiday menu from noon-8:30 p.m. priced at $50 per person. The menu will feature burrata with persimmons, crunchy serrano and vincotto, as well as crudo of Nantucket Bay scallops with cranberry, crispy rice and Asian pear. Main courses include free range turkey with chestnut stuffing, cranberry sauce and sweet potato puree; butter-poached Maine lobster with matsutake vinaigrette and toasted pearl pasta, as well as all natural beef filet with salsify and fall spiced red wine butter. To complete the meal, dessert options include chocolate espresso cake with malt chocolate ice cream; cheesecake with brown butter apples; and pumpkin crème brûlée.

Rasika Penn Quarter
633 D St. NW

Guests can enjoy a turkey salli, turkey cooked with apricots and straw potatoes. The special turkey dish is priced at $16. The complete a la carte menu is also available on Thanksgiving Day. Rasika Penn Quarter will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5-10 p.m.

Rasika West End
1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW

In addition to the a la carte menu, the restaurant will serve dum ka turkey, turkey hot pot flavored with saffron and cashew nuts. The special turkey dish is priced at $16 Rasika West End will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5-10 p.m.

Station 4
1101 Fourth St. SW

Executive chef Orlando Amaro will be offering a special four-course, prix fixe menu priced at $38 from 2-11 p.m. this Thanksgiving. The menu starts with an amuse of crab fritters with pimiento cheese followed by a choice of starters such as spiced butternut squash soup with pecans and micro cilantro; turkey meatballs with Stilton cheese polenta and roasted grapes, or crab and pumpkin tartar with Maryland crab meat, dilled pumpkin and maple vinaigrette. Main courses include roasted turkey with rustic stuffing, green beans, roasted sweet potato puree and cranberry sauce; Atlantic salmon with apple-cranberry relish, farro risotto and Brussels sprouts; butternut squash ravioli with caramelized apples, sage butter, goat cheese and walnuts; or pomegranate glazed pork tenderloin with couscous and roasted root vegetables. For dessert, guests can enjoy traditional Thanksgiving favorites such as pumpkin pie with a ginger cookie and cinnamon gelato or pecan pie with vanilla gelato and chocolate sauce.

Ulah Bistro
1214 U St. NW

In addition to the regular a la carte menu this Thanksgiving, executive chef Mehdi Lahlou will be serving a $35 prix-fixe option including pumpkin bisque garnished with blue crab meat; roasted butternut squash salad with endive, pecans, radish, blue cheese and apple cider vinaigrette; and roasted turkey or baked whole branzino accompanied by house-made cranberry sauce, traditional stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and gravy. For the perfect ending, guests can select from bourbon butterscotch pudding or pecan pie. Dinner will be served from 5-11 p.m.

Zaika
2800 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington

From 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., guests can enjoy an Indian buffet with an assortment of Thanksgiving-inspired dishes priced at $14.99 per person. Then, from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. the restaurant will offer a three-course, prix fixe holiday menu priced at $35 per person, or $50 with wine pairings. Children under 12 are priced at $17.50. The prix fixe menu begins with a variety of starters such as Indian style mashed potatoes and aloo chaat papri with cranberry sauce and traditional tamarind chutney. For entrées, guests can select from tandoori turkey marinated in a yogurt sauce; oregano salmon filet marinated in a house sauce; turkey biryani, basmati rice mixed with spices and turkey; harabara malai kofta, cheese, potatoes and spinach dumplings cooked in a creamy tomato-flavored gravy; rara gosht Punjabi, roasted minced lamb cooked in a traditional Punjabi styled curry; and basil chicken kabob with a yogurt dipping sauce. Dessert is a gajar ka halwa, homemade carrot pudding topped with nuts and served hot.

Five-time James Beard Award winning chef and Chopped judge Marcus Samuelsson’s previous cookbooks were recipes he had to tweak to make home-friendly, but in his newest cookbook Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook at Home, the Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised, European-trained, Brooklyn-based chef and Top Chef Masters winner features recipes that started in his home kitchen.

Marcus Samuelsson (right) talks with Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Samuelsson was at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue on Thursday talking about the book and signing copies for fans. The chef owns six restaurants in New York City, Chicago and Sweden.

In his latest cookbook, Samuelsson chronicles his life and travels through food, all translated in to the recipes he and his wife, Maya, cook for friends and family in the small kitchen of their Harlem brownstone. What we see is a humble mash-up off flavor-packed influences, from his grandmother’s Swedish kitchen to New-Orlean’s inspired chicken-fried steak on a salad that he learned from his mentor Leah Chase, to 158th Street plantanos mash inspired by the Dominican community in the area of New York City where Harlem turns into Washington Heights.

Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s new cookbook, Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I cook at Home. (Photo: Marcus Samuelsson)

With each recipe Samuelsson shares its cultural influence and significance, and his personal inspiration with hand-written notes. Each chapter starts with music to cook by, playlists to create the ultimate home cooking experience.

He grew up cooking with his adopted Swedish grandmother and two sisters. “I still cook familiar, but a little to the left,” he told the audience. If he hadn’t been adopted by Swedes, “my food would have been completely different,” since herring, meatballs and pork wouldn’t have been his main staples. But he noted that in Ethiopia, people eat with spiritual compass. “In Ethiopia, people fast (in some fashion) 220 days a year, but then they break the fast and eat. In the U.S., we only do that maybe three times a year — Thanksgiving, the Superbowl and maybe the Fourth of July.”

Samuelsson said it is important to teach children to cook and to have dinner together at home. “Teaching someone to cook is just as important as teaching them technology and language” because it is their DNA, their tribe. But cooking and eating together isn’t valued like it used to be. “We have to train children that this matters — cooking, eating together and the conversations your have around the table.”

He encouraged the audience to bring new techniques and tastes into their kitchens. “You live in a city where you can eat from the world,” he said. “When I grew up and was learning to be a chef, the only food you were told that mattered was French food. I soon realized that was a lie.” He said $3 street food in Singapore or food from Japanese chefs who don’t speak French can be better than “food that matters.”

He said every kitchen should have a wok, a bamboo steamer, a cast-iron skillet and a pressure cooker.

When asked about opening a restaurant in D.C., Samuelsson skirted the issue saying “I love D.C. and what’s been happening in the last five years. D.C. is the (U.S.) ethnic center for Ethiopians. The DNA and drive means I cold do a restaurant here.”

Roof Kitchen & Bar unveils new menu

Bethesda’s Roof restaurant has gone through a metamorphosis. The new Roof Kitchen & Bar, which will undergo a redesign featuring a casual dining area with pops of color, has already debuted it new menu.

Roof in Bethesda has unveiled a new menu. (Photo: Robert Dyer)

Chef Jed Fox’s retooled menu includes an expansive list of small plates, perfect for sampling and sharing. Choices include everything from hand-cut garlic fries with chipotle mayonnaise ($7); seared local tuna tacos with guacamole, mole salsa and cucumber tomato salad ($12); and guacamole in classic verde or bacon chipotle ($8), to cornmeal fried oysters with pickled cucumbers, spicy cocktail sauce, tartar sauce and lemon ($13); mild to hot crispy chicken wings ($11); crispy calamari with spicy herb cabbage salad, sriacha mayo and lemon ($12); and drunken smoky mussels with dark beer, lime, house pork chorizo, smoked tomatoes, oregano and cream ($14).

Salads and entrees include baby kale with apples, almonds, sunflower seeds, radish, eggs onions and sesame ranch dressing ($9); wilted spinach and mushroom salad with crispy shitake mushrooms, onion, poached egg and bacon vinaigrette ($14); ancho BBQ crusted baby back ribs with garlic panko crunch, crispy Brussels sprouts, candied pumpkin seeds, bing cherries and mashed potatoes ($19); slow braised pot roast with classic carrots, onions and mashed potatoes and gravy ($22); and farm fresh steak and eggs with house made garlic fries and chimichuri sauce ($26). A selection of sandwiches and sides are also available.

Desserts include blackberry trifle with lemon cake; apple crumb cobbler and chocolate crème brulee plus an assortment of ice cream and sorbet ($9). Whiskey and after dinner drink selections are also well represented.

The bar features a variety of artisan cocktails, wines by the bottle and glass and bottled and on-tap beers. Happy hour runs from 3-7 p.m. weeknights, with an additional late night happy hour Thursday through Saturday from 9 p.m.-midnight.

Roof is located on the second floor at 7940 Norfolk Ave., Bethesda. It is open for lunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays; dinner from 5-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 5-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and brunch from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday.

Arcuri debuts express lunch menu

Arcuri, Glover Park’s new American-Italian neighborhood restaurant at 2400 Wisconsin Ave. NW., is now serving an express lunch menu from noon-2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Executive chef Richard Jones’ new lunch option includes four sandwiches, three salads, pizza by the slice, 10-inch or 14-inch pizza prepared in a wood-fired brick oven.

Arcuri in Glove Park is offering an express lunch. (Photo: Food Crave Blog)

Diners have the option of ordering one of the restaurant’s wood-fired brick oven pizzas or combining toppings to create their own pizza. Pizzas include the broccoli rabe with tomato, garlic, fennel sausage and chili oil; gorgonzola bianco with speck, peach and balsamic vinegar; proscuitto with tomato, mozzarella and arugula; smoked buffalo mozzarella, guanciale, smoked pepperoni and scallion; or the new oven-roasted turkey pizza with chestnuts, cranberry mostarda, bacon and Brussels sprouts, which is available on in November. Pizzas are $15.50 for a 10-inch and $19 for a 14-inch.

Sandwich options include prosciutto, coppa and aged provolone; pepperoni, capicola and mozzarella; salami, mortadella and aged provolone; and veal and pork meatballs with tomato sauce and mozzarella for $9.50 each. Salad options include the house salad, Caesar salad or arugula salad for $8 each. Pizza-by-the-slice options includes cheese; pepperoni; veggie or special of the day. Pizza slices range from $3.50-$4 each. Guests can also opt for two slices of pizza and a small salad for $8.

Chef Sean Brock comes to DMV to promote cookbook

Sean Brock, the James Beard Award-winning Chef of McCrady’s and Husk restaurants in Charleston, S.C., will be in the DMV this coming week to promote his new cookbook Heritage. His much-anticipated first cookbook reveals how the Wise County, Va. native is transforming American flavors by exploring our culinary roots.

Chef and author Sean Brock (Photo: Sean Brock)

Each chapter begins with the deliciously accessible comfort food he cooks at home such as chicken simply roasted in a skillet or chocolate Alabama stack cake and builds toward the recipes that have made him a magnet for the global spotlight including roasted cauliflower with meyer lemon and pickled ramps and flounder crudo with rhubarb, buttermilk, radishes and sea beans.

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, he will be at America Eats Tavern from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Chef Nate Waugaman will prepare a taste from the cookbook. Guests will also sample local wines from Virginia’s Trump Winery and receive a signed copy of the book. The reception will take place in the front bar and private dining room in a passed bite/drink format.

America Eats Tavern is located inside the Ritz-Carlton at Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean. Tickets are $60 and available here.

The following night, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. Bock will have a conversation with Michele Kayal, a regular contributor to the Associated Press and the co-founder of American Food Roots, at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. A book signing will follow. Bock will explain how his childhood in Appalachia — and especially the time he spent in the garden with his grandmother — gives context and inspiration to the food he cooks today.

Tickets are $15 each or two tickets and a cookbook for $40 and can be purchased here.

Chef Richard Sandoval will sign cookbooks at Toro Toro

Chef Richard Sandoval, who recently published his Richard Sandoval’s New Latin Flavors cookbook with more than 125 recipes, will hold a launch party on Wednesday at Toro Toro, 1300 I St. NW.

D.C. chef Richard Sandoval has published a new cookbook. (Photo: Richard Sandoval Restaurants)

The cookbook hit bookstores and went on sale at Sandoval’s area restaurants including Masa 14, Zengo, Ambar, Toro Toro and El Centro D.F. this past Wednesday for $29.95.

From 6-9 p.m. on Nov. 19, Sandoval will host a book signing and reception. For $75, guests will receive a signed copy of the cookbook, unlimited appetizers from the cookbook including ham croquets, crispy shrimp, ahi tuna cerviche nikkei, Thai chicken empanadas, beer and corn anticucho, pots de crème and more, bottomless cocktails and wine, a meet-and-greet with Sandoval and a $25 gift card to Toro Toro.

Reservations are available here.

Slate to hold Beaujolais Nouveau wine tasting

The 2015 Beaujolais Nouveau debuts on Nov. 20. Beaujolais wines are aged longer than most wines in oak barrels prior to release. Recent years have seen a rise in the number of terroir driven estate-bottled wines made from single vineyards or one of the Cru Beaujolais communes.

Slate Wine Bar & Bistro will hold a Beaujolais Nouveau wine tasting on Thursday. (Photo: Gilt City)

If you can’t wait for this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau, Slate Wine Bar & Bistro’s owner/sommelier Danny Lledo will lead private at-the-table tastings of the 2014 Nouveau and three choice Beaujolais for guests on Thursday from 5-8 p.m. for $15. The wines include George Duboeuf Beaujolais “Nouveau” 2014, George Duboeuf Flower Label Beaujolais 2013, Jean Paul Champagnon Fleurie, Beaujolais 2012 and Domaine Laurent Martray Brouilly, Beaujolais 2012. The full dinner, cocktail and wine menu will also be available.

Slate’s monthly wine tastings are done personally for each guest. The wines are explained in this intimate fashion not only to suit subjective taste profiles, but also to answer individual questions, paired with menu items and for a personalized experience.

Slate is located at 2404 Wisconsin Ave. NW and is open Monday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-midnight and Sunday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Central Michel Richard celebrates Beaujolais Nouveau

Wine world tradition calls for a celebration of the end of the grape harvest and the first bottling of Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday of November. From Nov. 20-23 between 5-10 p.m., Central Michel Richard celebrates the new vintage and offers up a few temptations from nearby Burgundy.

Central Michel Richard is having a Beaujolais Nouveau wine sale next weekend. (Photo: Cocobella Ballerina)

Central will feature 2014 Beaujolais Nouveau alongside some of its venerable Burgundian counterparts at special prices along with a collection of favorite high end pinot noirs and chardonnays.

During the event, two Beaujolais will be poured by the glass and bottle. The 2014 Beaujolais Nouveau, Domaine Dupeubles will be available for $10 a glass or $40 a bottle, and the 2011 Morgon Beaujolais by Savoye will be $15 a glass and $50 a bottle. Other Burgundy wine bottles on sale include Pommard, Domaine Maillard, “Les Crais” 2008 for $45; Morey St. Denis, Thomas Morey “Clos St. Jean” 2011 for $50; Gevery-Chambertin, Domaine Guillon 2004 for $52; Beaune 1er Cru, Domaine Pere et Fils, “Vigne de L’Enfant Jesus” 2006 and 2010 for $105; Pommard, Domaine Rossignol 2009 for $90; and Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, Domaine Taupenot-Merme, “La Combe d’Orveau”, 2009 for $110.

Chef/partner David Deshaies has created a three-course seasonal menu, priced a la carte, to pair with the grapes. Featured dishes are crispy pork belly with braised green lentils for $14; filet mignon with syrah-shallot sauce, pommes noisette and Brussels sprouts for $34; and crepes suzette at $10 for dessert.

Cookbook author dinner at Buck’s Fishing & Camping

On Thursday at 7 p.m., Buck’s Fishing & Camping at 5031 Connecticut Ave. NW, will host a dinner for New York chef and author Gabrielle Hamilton created by guest chef Amy Brandwein of the upcoming restaurant Centrolina, slated to open next year in CityCenterDC.

Prune by Gabrielle Hamilton (Photo: Amazon)

Hamilton is a James Beard award-winning chef and owner of Prune in New York City. She recently published her second cookbook, Prune.

Brandwein’s featured dinner menu is inspired by recipes from Prune as well as Hamilton’s time in Puglia, Italy. Buck’s chef James Rexroad will assist with the dinner, and the featured dessert will be created by chef Lauren Parlato of Little Red Fox.

Tickets for one book and one meal are $150 ($140 for member of Politics and Prose Book Store) or $250 ($240 for Politics and Prose members) for one book and two dinners.

Brandwein’s menu includes pre-dinner snacks of radishes with butter and salt, shrimp toast, deviled eggs and grilled lamb sausage with mustard and cornichons. Dinner will feature antipasti of pork skins stuffed with octopus and potatoes paired with Rosa Del Golfo Salento Rosato 2013, followed by handmade buckwheat pasta with chick peas and Italian anchovies paired with Pietra Porzia Frascati Superiore 2013, and braised rabbit leg with vinegar, turnip greens and polenta barese paired with Rosa Del Golfo Primitivo Salento 2010. Parlato’s dessert will be orange granite and panna cotta with pistachio and prune cookies paired with Marenco Brachetto d’Aqui 2013.

Tickets are available here.

J&G Steakhouse owned by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the W Hotel will close permanently on June 23. The hotel and Vongerichten’s Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group have ended their five-year contract.

J&G Steakhouse at the W Hotel downtown, which just remodeled last fall, will close permanently later this month. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

The restaurant closed last August and September last year to remodel and retool its menu.

Hotel officials have not revealed any details on the new concept, but said chef Richard Wiggins will replace Philippe Reininger and oversee all dining including the rooftop P.O.V Lounge and room service. Wiggins has worked with Starwood Hotels the past eight years, most recently at the Westin St. John Resort & Villas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Plans for the new eatery are to be announced in the coming weeks, with a late-summer opening.

Barry Koslow, the chef behind DGS Delicatessen since its opening at 1317 Connecticut Ave. NW, will leave the restaurant June 20 to helm the W Hotel’s new upscale eatery. Brian Robinson, a sous chef at DGS, will replace Kaslow there.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity for me,” says Koslow of the new spot, which he says is a fine-dining restaurant. “I’m returning to my roots.”

American Eats Tavern debuts at Tysons Ritz-Carlton

José Andrés’ America Eats Tavern, a recreation of his 2011 Penn Quarter pop-up, opened June 2 in the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean. The space formerly housed Michel Richard’s Michel, which closed in 2012, and Maestro, an acclaimed restaurant from Fiola chef Fabio Trabbochi before that.

The new America Eats Tavern at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. (Photo: R. Lopez)

The restaurant is an ode to American cuisine. It originally opened as a pop-up at 405 Eighth St. NW in the space that once housed Café Atlántico and Minibar in conjunction with the National Archives’ exhibit “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?”

The décor and menu both pay homage to America, Andrés’ adopted home. The restaurant is decorated with antique furniture pieces, classic American books, Mason jars and “We the People…” on the wall above the open kitchen.

Executive chef Nate Waugaman, formerly of Tallula, is serving up regional dishes such as chicken pot pie and she-crab soup using local ingredients.

The restaurant is serving breakfast, a first for Andrés in Washington. The morning menu includes classics with Andrés twist such as an egg-white omelet soufflé with asparagus and morels, johnny cakes, eggs a la benedick made with pork belly, waffles a la mode, shrimp n’ grits, maple glazed scrapple and house-made doughnuts with blackberry jelly. There’s also a Hangtown Fry – scrambled eggs, fried oysters and bacon — which according to the menu comes with notes on the food—scrambled eggs, fried oysters, caramelized onions and bacon—which according to the menu originated during the gold rush in 1849 in Hangtown, Calif., a rough mining town known for public hangings and gold strikes. When a prospector struck gold he celebrated by ordering this dish at the Carey House Restaurant.

The lunch and dinner menu includes Chesapeake soft-shell crabs, hushpuppies, Buffalo wings, chicken and dumplings, Virginia hams and peanut soup. Entrees include chicken pot pie, crawfish jambalaya for two, fried chicken with “cold slaw” and house-made hot sauce. Texas-style beef short ribs, blackened scallops and mutton with oysters.

The drink menu includes “locovore” cocktails, featuring local spirits and ingredients, such as the Peach Grove with bourbon, peach puree, lemon and demerara syrup; the Tractor Pull with bourbon, orange marmalade, maraschino, lemon and elderflower vinegar; the Counting Chickens Before They Hatch with white whiskey, strawberries, rhubarb and lime; and the Green Acres with vodka, cucumber, fennel, lime and grapefruit bitters. There are also classic cocktails, beer and wine by the bottle or glass.

American Eats Tavern is open daily from 6:30-11:30 a.m. for breakfast, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for lunch and 4:30-10 p.m. for dinner.

Brookland’s Finest to open on June 9

Brookland’s Finest Bar & Kitchen, 3126 12th St. NE, will open Monday. The family friendly restaurant located in the Brookland section of northeast D.C. will serve American comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Brookland’s Finest will open on Monday. (Photo: Popville)

Owner Frank Hankins describes the restaurant’s look as rustic industrial with exposed beams and brick, plenty of natural light and concrete and metal accents.

Chef Shannan Troncoso will oversee a comfort food menu featuring soups, salads and small plates including a charcuterie board, bay shrimp and grits, Maryland crab cake sliders, oven roasted butter beans and Lardon bacon mac and cheese. Small plates range from $12-$15. Sides are $4-$5 and include crispy Brussels sprouts chips, pretzel bites, house cut fries, tempura onion rings and a spiced nut sampler.

Sandwiches, which range from $12-$14, include the Colonel burger with pickled onions, Tillamook cheddar, apple wood smoked bacon on a brioche bun with tempura onion rings; a Baltimore style pit beef sandwich with tiger sauce and pickled ramps on a brioche buns and hand cut fries; porchetta with roasted suckling pig, sausage and arugula, mozzarella with whole grain mustard sauce on Italian bread with hand cut chips; a fried green tomato “B”LT with braised portabella mushroom, spinach and sweet onion aioli on soda bread with hand cut fries; a blackened chicken club with apple wood smoked bacon and roma tomatoes with Dijon aioli on brioche bread and hand cut fries; and a turkey Panini with goat cheese, cucumber, sundried tomato spread and creamy vinaigrette with hand cut chips.

Entrees, which range from $16-$27, include a bone-in pork chop, oven roasted half chicken, seared salmon and grits, spaghetti and meatballs, a porcini rubbed rib eye steak, friend Maryland catfish and a seasonal pasta.

Brookland’s Finest will open at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends.

Pinstripes to open second area location in MoCo

Pinstripes, the bowling and bocce bistro that opened in the Shops at Georgetown Park in February, will open a second location in the DMV in 2016.

Pinstripes, which opened in Georgetown in February, will open a second area location in North Bethesda in 2016. (Photo: Pinstripes)

The restaurant, which serves Italian and American cuisine and wines, and has bocce courts and bowling lanes, signed a least with with Federal Realty Investment Trust for Phase II of its new Pike & Rose mixed-use development in Montgomery County. Located at the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Rockville Pike, Pinstripes will occupy 32,000 square feet of first and second floor indoor/outdoor space.

The Pike & Rose location will feature 14 bowling lanes, 10 indoor and outdoor bocce courts, a bistro and wine cellar, outdoor patios with a fireplace and event space that will hold 20 to 600 people.

“The energy and diversity of amenities and attractions at Pike & Rose perfectly complements our entertainment and dining venue which provides a completely unique customer experience,” stated Dale Schwartz, Pinstripes founder and CEO. “The development has successfully combined shopping, cultural, dining and entertainment uses that positions Pike & Rose as the gathering spot and center for nighttime activity in Montgomery County.”

Pinstripes will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and will soon be taking reservations for private events and parties.

Pike & Rose, currently under development in the North Bethesda area where the Mid-Pike Plaza formerly stood, will include 3.4 million square feet of mixed-use development including 1.1 million square feet of commercial office space; 430,000 square feet of retail space; 1,500 residential units; a boutique hotel and approximately 4,000 parking spaces. It is within walking distance to the White Flint Metro Station.

Phase I, scheduled to open this fall, will include an iPic Theatre, Del Frisco’s Grille, Protein Bar, Roti, ShopHouse, Chipolte, La Madeleine, Stella Barra Pizzeria and Summerhouse restaurants. Also, Strathmore will open its AMP music venue there. In mid-2015, Neighborhood Restaurant Group will open a beer garden on Muse Alley.

Dangerously Delicious Pies closes in Union Station

Dangerously Delicious Pies has closed its location in the Union Station food court, just two years after opening in the old Vacaro’s location.

Dangerously Delicious Pies in Union Station has closed. (Photo: Chris I./Yelp)

“We just closed last week as they begin renovations and begin replacing the escalator, which is currently shut down, that ran directly in from of our spot in the food court,” said owner Sandra Basanti. “There is some major construction going on in that wing. We had so many lovely regulars visit us that have reached out and we are sad to not be able to serve them every week, but we hope to be invited back to serve pies at Union Station perhaps after renovations or in a new spot.”

Dangerously Delicious Pies’ other two locations, the original DC location at 1339 H St. NE and their newest location at 901 7th St. NW, as well as its food truck are still open.

Home of $1,000 sundae closes

Serendipity 3, 3150 M St. NW, the Georgetown restaurant that offered the $1,000 Golden Opulence sundae has closed. Between a temporary closure due to health-code violations and a brawl between the owners, Serendipity has had a bumpy ride in Washington since opening in the former Nathan’s space in 2011.

Serendipity 3 in the old Nathan’s hot dog shop in Georgetown has closed because it owed almost $100,000 in back rent and utilities. (Photo: Google Maps)

The pricey sundae was made with a vanilla bean ice cream infused with Madagascar vanilla and covered in 23K edible gold leaf served in a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet with an 18 carat gold. The restaurant also offered a $25,000 Frrrozen Haute Chocolote, made with a frozen hot chocolate mix that contains 14 rare and secret cocoas from Africa and South America and shavings from the world’s most expensive truffle served in a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet with an 18 carat gold and white diamond bracelet attached to the neck.

According to court documents, the landlord, 3150 M Street LLC, filed a lawsuit in the Landlord and Tenant Branch of D.C. Superior Court seeking to evict the restaurant on March 12. The landlord sought base rent of $20,000 per month for February and March along with unpaid utilities, taxes, late fees and attorney fees totaling $98,921.54.

According to court records, operator 3150 M Street Restaurant Group LLC, owned by Rodrigo Garcia and Britt Swann, has been sued four other times since 2011 in small claims court including suits by ADT Security, Register Equipment Co. and Cannon Fish Market. All those have been closed. However a civil case filed by linen company ALSCO is seeking $8,480 for unpaid linen rentals and additional fees is still open.

“I am the owner of the Serendipity 3 brand and for nearly 60 years I have operated the New York Flagship restaurant,” said Serendipity 3 founder Stephen Bruce in a statement. “The Georgetown restaurant was not operated by me. It was operated through a license agreement with an entity named Dessert Concepts headed by Britt Swann and Rodrigo Garcia. I had grown increasingly displeased with the quality of food and service offered at the Georgetown location and rather than allow our good name to be tarnished, I made my concerns known. It appears that rather than meet my exacting standards, they chose to close their doors. As for any landlord tenant issues, neither I nor Serendipity 3 had any dealings regarding the space. The lease would presumably have been between the landlord and Dessert Concepts.”

Under Armour founder Kevin Plank recently bought the building as well as a luxurious home nearby. Rumors of a sports clothing store moving into Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW have abounded since. We’ve reached out to the Under Armour team to find out more.

Rare Sweets moving into City Center DC

Meredith Tomason, owner of Rare Sweets (Photo: Washington Post)

RareSweets, a bakery by Meredith Tomason who produces her treats at Union Kitchen and sells them in area stores and coffee shops, is opening a bricks-and-mortar location at CityCenterDC this fall.

Rare Sweets will sell layer cakes, ice creams, cookies, brownies and breakfast hand-pies along with doughnuts. Most of the sweets are based on Tomason’s family recipes or on recipes from one of the many historic cookbooks she has collected over the years.

The shop will have seating for 10 along with patio seating in warm weather. It will join Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, an upscale steakhouse; DBGB Kitchen and Bar, a burger and bistro concept; and Mango Tree from chef Richard Sandoval and a European restaurant group. Famed New York chef David Chaing is negotiating to bring a Momofuku Noodle Bar location to the development as well.

Bayou Bakery to open location on Capitol Hill

Chef David Guas, who will host the Travel Channel show American Grilled starting in July, said he will open another location of his Arlington Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery at the historic Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital at Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE this fall.

He historic carriage house at the Hill Center will be the next location for Bayou Bakery. (Photo: Hill Center)

It will be the first retail operation and restaurant to occupy the Carriage House, the two-story 1866 structure that housed the horse-drawn ambulance and medic team commissioned by Abraham Lincoln the year before his death. It was built adjacent to the oldest naval hospital in Washington, D.C. Now, it serves as a thriving arts, culture and education center.

Guas will serve his Southern cuisine including the muff-a-lotta, pressed cubano, GW stoneground grits, BBQ shrimp and red beans and rice. The D.C. menu will expand to include various seafood specials from a fried oyster and shrimp po-boy, known as the Peace Maker, to “chew dats” like baked oysters or thinly-sliced fried catfish and coleslaw.

The 19th-century interior of the Carriage House will retain many of its distinctive original accents such as the ceiling-high stable doors, stall partitions, wooden hay chutes, feed troughs, exposed brick walls and renewed wide-plank wood floors. The existing glass garden room on the eastside will be flooded with an abundance of sunlight through the framed, leaded floor-to-ceiling windows.

Campono casual Italian eatery opened Friday in the Watergate at 600 New Hampshire Ave. NW. The new restaurant near the Kennedy Center is owned by longtime D.C. chef Bob Kinkead.

The interior of Campono features wood on the walls, tables and stacked along the walls to fire the pizza oven. (Photo: Campono)

The restaurant in the former Cup’a Cup’a space is named for the village in Italy’s Marche region where Kinkead has family. The menu features Neapolitan rosso and bianco (red and white) pizzas, hot and cold subs, salads, breakfast, coffee and house-made gelatos and sorbeti.

The traditional, whole wheat and gluten-free pizzas are baked in an 800-degree wood-burning oven and cost $9-$18 for the red and $12-20 for the white specialty pizzas such as the Abbruzzo with tomato sauce, Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, mozzarella and olives or the white Sicilia Bocci with sautéed cauliflower, leek cream, raising, pine nuts, garlic bufala mozzarella and parmesan. Diners can also top their own one-topping pizza for $12 (small) or $16 (large). Additional toppings cost extra.

Among the subs are the cold Lazzio with capacola, salami, mortadella, ham and provolone or the hot Stacoto with beef brisket, onion agrodolce, spicy slaw and horseradish sauce. Sandwiches range from $8.50-$10.

The breakfast menu includes breads, pastries, yogurts, fruits, breakfast sandwiches, quiches and breakfast pizzas such as the bacon and egg pizze, a white pizza with smoked bacon, sliced tomato, sautéed onion and sunnyside up eggs; the carbonara pizze with sliced pancetta, four cheese, cream, black pepper and eggs; or the fig and gorgonzola pizze with roasted red onion, fig conserva, walnuts, gorgonzola dolce, prosciutto and saba.

The 55-seat restaurant is beside Kinkead’s Ancora restaurant, which is currently closed for renovations. Everything on the menu can be ordered to-go. It is open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont starts daily lunch on Tuesday

Hank’s Oyster Bar at 1624 Q St. NW in Dupont will begin serving lunch between 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays beginning Apr. 1, the restaurant tweeted on Friday. The Dupont location along with its sister restaurants on Capitol Hill and in Old Town Alexandria serve lunch only on Fridays now.

With the expanded lunch hours, the Dupont location will expand its mid-day menu to include sandwiches such as grilled cheese with tomato jam, a beer-battered cod sandwich with tartar sauce and Old Bay French fries, oyster and shrimp po’ boys and small plates plus steamed mussels, oysters on the half shell or a veggie-plate.

Also, Hank’s Dupont will host its 7th annual oyster fest with all-you-can-eat fresh oysters on the half shell, fried oysters, barbequed oysters, popcorn shrimp, Old Bay fries and onion rings plus all-you-can-drink premium draft beers for $80 on Apr. 26 beginning at 11 a.m.

Mission Mexican restaurant opens in Dupont

Mission Mexican restaurant, owned by Reed Landry and Fritz Brogan of Georgetown’s George and Mason Inn, opened Tuesday at 1606 20th St. NW in Dupont Circle, the former One Lounge location.

Mission Mexican recently opened in Dupont. (Photo: Mission)

The menu from chef Rodrigo Albarran, who owns R&R Taqueria in Elkridge and Perry Hall, Md. that he’ll continue to operate, includes traditional Mexican cuisine such as fajitas and chicken, beef and pork tacos like at R&R along with specialty tacos such as mahi mahi, chipotle shrimp, chorizo, picadillo, pablano peppers and potatoes, and pork belly. Tacos and fajitas range from $11-$15. There’s also tilapia baked in a banana leaf, cactus sopes, whole clam soup, mole chicken, steak with chorizo and ribs with a spicy barbeque sauce. Entrees range from $13-$18. The menu also includes a chorizo burger, a caliente burger with ghost peppers and pepper jack cheese, and Cubana burger with egg, ham, a beef hot dog, pineapple and cheese. Burgers range from $11-$14. Sides include grilled jalepenos and nopales cactus, black beans, refried beans, sweet plantains and waffle fries. The bar has almost 50 types of tequilas and mezcals as well as margaritas and has eight beers, including Mexican varieties, on tap.

The restaurant has a wooden, 23-seat bar lined with electrical outlets to charge your phone downstairs plus a marble-topped bar upstairs, three dining rooms and a 35-seat outdoor patio for warmer weather. There is also a loft space with its own bar. Mission is decorated with longhorn horns, stained glass, a fake fireplace and reclaimed church pews with wood, exposed brick, brown leather and exposed lightbulbs. There is also a phone booth on the second floor with a phone that doesn’t work, but outlets to charge your phone and make calls.

Mission opens at 5 p.m. daily for lunch, but will add lunch and brunch in the spring.

Cheesetique looking for third location

Cheesetique, the specialty cheese shop with a wine shop and restaurant in Del Rey and Shirlington, is looking for a location to open a third shop.

Cheesetique asked its Facebook friends on Friday to suggest possible locations.

“Welcome, cheese fans! It is with tremendous excitement that we announce the hunt for Cheesetique #3! We don’t know exactly where. We don’t know exactly when. But we do know exactly WHY – because we love cheese and we love the people who love cheese!” they company said on a new https://www.facebook.com/Cheesetique3 Facebook page.

“Got a great location we just MUST consider? Let us know here! As we go through the process, we’ll post lots of updates so you’ll feel like you’re right there with us – through location scouting, permit bliss, build-out heaven and the final big opening.”

So far, fans have suggested Kingstowne, Merrifield/Mosaic, Ashburn, Old Town, Richmond, Union Market, Logan Circle and in NW D.C. where Cowgirl Creamery was.

Vinoteca opens patio and backyard bar

Vinoteca at 1940 11th St. NW has opened its front patio and backyard Plaza Bar. Al fresco diners can enjoy an expanded new grill menu of housemade hot dogs, burgers and other grilled snacks, sip new spring cocktails, play a round of bocce or enjoy a brunch in the sun.

Vinoteca’s Plaza has opened for the spring. (Photo: Vinoteca)

Equipped with a full outdoor grill, chef Lonnie Zoeller has amped up his grill offerings with an expanded menu of housemade hot dogs and burgers just for the spring season. Zoeller began making his own hot dogs last year and has added several new varieties including the Who Dat Doggy, a boudin pork dog with grilled red onions and remoulade, and the Barbie Dog, chicken dog with BBQ, cheddar and apple. These join the classic Plaza Dog topped with ketchup, mustard and relish, the Frankfurter topped with homemade sauerkraut and caraway mustard, and a spiced-up veggie dog. All hot dogs are $7 with $1 off during happy hour..

Burger lovers now have three juicy, grilled-to-order choices: the O.G. Bocce, a local beef burger topped with basil aioli, fresh mozzarella, grilled red onions, lettuce and tomato; the Holy Mother of Pork topped with fig and bacon jam, gruyere and frisee; or the Ciao Fungo, a portobella mushroom burger topped with roasted red pepper, feta and arugula. The O.G. Bocce and Holy Mother of Pork burgers are $9 ($8 at happy hour), and the Ciao Fungo is $7 ($6 at happy hour).

Other grilled snacks include beef skewers with chimichurri, onions and queso fresco; chicken skewers with honey, lime, garlic and cashews; and grilled cauliflower with Asiago cheese and chives.

Mixologist Horus Alvarez has created a new spring cocktail menu to enjoy on the Plaza, starting Apr. 1. Vinoteca’s take on a Caipirinha, the Pra Caramba! ($11) combines Velho Cachaça, grilled mango juice, fresh lime and sugar garnished with a fresh mint sprig; Green Excitement ($11) is a gin and tonic creation combining Green Hat gin, cucumber-mint-jalapeño water, orange bitters and tonic water; and the Sidecar’s Sidekick ($12) was inspired by the classic Prohibition cocktail made with Paul Beau 6yr Cognac, Combier orange liqueur, Pür Pear Williams Liqueur, fresh lemon juice, sugar and orange zest.

Rammy Awards voting now open

Voting in the four public voted categories of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s annual Rammy Awards is now open. The public can vote through Apr. 27. Winners will be announced at the 32nd annual awards gala on June 22 at the Washington Convention Center.

This year, the public will decide the winners of the Favorite Gathering Place of the Year category, awarded to a neighborhood hangout where the atmosphere and vibes are just as important as the food and drink. The nominees are Bar Pilar, Bistro du Coin, Cashion’s Eat Place, Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont and Tune Inn.

The public will also decide the Favorite Fast Bites award given to a fast-casual restaurant that demonstrates a dedication to great food and superb service. The finalists are Amsterdam Falafelshop, Bayou Bakery, Buzz Bakery, Red Apron Butcher and Woodward Takeout Food.

Also, the public will choose the winners of the Upscale Casual Brunch and Everyday Casual Brunch winners, presented to restaurants that demonstrate dining excellence and service for their brunches, one in the upscale environment and the other in a more casual, everyday environment. Nominees for the upscale brunch are Art and Soul, Blue Duck Tavern, Mintwood Place, The Source by Wolfgang Puck and Vermilion. Finalists in the casual brunch category are DGS Delicatessen, Et Voila!, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, Pizzeria Orso and Ted’s Bulletin on Barracks Row.

Each weekend through Apr. 13, any diner who tweets a picture of brunch using @RammyAwards or #RAMMYSBrunch will be entered to win a pair of tickets to the 2014 Rammys Gala. The winner will be announced the week of Apr. 28.

You can cast your votes at ramw.org.

Republic Kitchen and Bar open in Ballston

Republic Kitchen and Bar, a “modern comfort food” restaurant, has opened at 801 N. Quincy St. in Ballston in the space formerly occupied by Leek American Bistro, which closed in November, and Thai Terrace before that.

Republic Kitchen and Bar has opened in Ballston. (Photo: ARLnow)

Republic had a soft opening last week serving dinner beginning at 4:30 p.m. and will open for lunch as well beginning this coming week.

The restaurant is making everything, except French fries, from scratch daily, general manager and owner Anthony Catselides told Arlnow.com. “We’re serving high-quality good at a medium price point” he said. No entrée is priced over $20 and most cost less than $15.

Owner and executive chef is Alan Newton, formerly of McCormick and Schmick includes hints of international, Asian fusion and Southern cooking in the menu.

America Eats Tavern to open in Tysons Ritz

Jose Andrés newest 150-seat restaurant, America Eats Tavern will tentatively open in late May at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean. Chef Nate Waugaman, formerly of Tallula and EatBar in Arlington, will lead the kitchen.

Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup originally launched the concept in 2011 as a pop-up in the former Café Atlantico.

Waugaman, who joined ThinkFoodGroup after leaving Neighborhood Restaurant Group late last fall, has been working with the company’s research and development team creating a menu designed to be friendly to upscale hotel diners.

A menu with appetizer, entree and dessert sections will replace the free-flowing menu from the pop-up, but many of the most popular dishes, like vermicelli prepared like pudding (ie pioneering mac ‘n cheese), Hangtown fry oyster and bacon omelet, and oysters Rockefeller will still be on it. Burgers, hot dogs and po’ boys will likely join them. The restaurant will be the first of Andrés’ eateries to serve weekday breakfast in the DMV, although locations outside our area do serve the morning meal.

Work is ongoing to transform the space, which formerly was Michel Richard’s short-lived Michel from October 2010-February 2012 and Fabio Trabocchi’s Maestro before that. Vincent Celano of the Celano Design Group is overseeing the new look. A large bar will greet diners and the space will be open and light with wood floors and exposed brick.

Drink the Vote at The Coupe in City Primary

While many D.C. residents are tempted to hit the bottle when it comes to city politics, The Coupe at 3415 11th St. NW in Columbia Heights is taking a “straw poll” in the city’s primary election this Tuesday.

Now through midnight on Apr. 1, customers can order their favorite candidate’s drink to cast a vote. The restaurant has also invited each candidate to put campaign materials on display at the restaurant.

“We see one of the main roles of The Coupe to be a community gathering place, a place for our guests to engage with not only our restaurant community but with the DC community at large,” general manager Maxwell Hessman said in a release. “There’s been a lot of talk about many D.C. residents not being engaged or informed about local politics during this primary election; we see this as our opportunity to help get some information out to voters and also have some fun with it.”

The Cocktails & Candidates menu from The Coupe. (Photo: The Coupe)

The Coupe says the “pairings of cocktails to candidates is totally random and no reflection on them or what we think they might drink.”

The candidates and their cocktails are:

• Carlos Allen (D), musician and promoter — Bas Bulles with Armagnac and Benedictine
• Muriel Bowser (D), Ward 4 councilwoman – Harvard with Gilles Brisson VSOP cognac, Dolin rouge and angostura bitters
• David Catania (I), at-large councilman – Reviver Royal with gin, yellow chartreuse and Pierre Ferrand dry curacao
• Jack Evans (D), Ward 2 councilman – Byrvardier with High West double rye, byrrh and aperol
• Vincent Gray (D), incumbent mayor — French Bikini with Rhum agricole blanc, coconut cream, life and hibiscus syrup
• Reta Jo Lewis (D), State Department official — Pomme d’Or with calvados, Dolin dry, yellow chartreuse and thyme
• Bruce Majors (Lib), real estate agent – Suzette with suze, brown butter French gin, Liquor 43, dry curacao and lemon
• Vincent Orange (D), at-large councilman — Kir Royal with crème de cassis and sparkling wine
• Andy Shallal (D), owner of Busboys & Poets — Left Ear with absinthe flamed and a sugar cube
• Tommy Wells (D), Ward 6 councilman — Fraise Royal with strawberry puree and sparkling wine

 
Also, The Coupe and sister restaurants The Diner, Open City and Tryst will offer expanded happy hour drinks ad a free iced tea with any purchase to diners with an “I voted” sticker on election day.