the latest dish

Whet your Appetite

By Linda Roth Conte

August 2008

Photo: Angella Reid, Colleen Evans and Pam Galloway: - Chef Amy Brandwein at fyve Restaurant Lounge at Ritz-Carlton was part of the Convention Countdown.  Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City general manager, Angella Reid, invited women of influence to a cocktail party at fyve Restaurant Lounge to celebrate the beginning of “Convention Countdown.”

Inox is the name of the new restaurant that Jonathan Krinn and Jon Mathieson, both formerly at 2941, plan to open in November. They’ll cook and work the front of the house – at least to make chef appearances. The pleasant surprise is new team member –  John Wabeck. Renowned as the chef at New Heights now, Wabeck will take on new responsibilities as wine director – trading his toque for a taste vin. The new restaurant resides in the Price Waterhouse Coopers building in Tysons. FYI – Inox is the abbreviated French word for stainless steel – and is known by many chefs because the word is engraved on many cooking utensils.

San Francisco-based Michael Mina Group plans to expand to DC, when they open Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons Washington, DC by year’s end. This contemporary steakhouse marks Mina’s 15th restaurant and fifth Bourbon Steak in the U.S. The DC restaurant and cafe operations will be on one floor on the lower level of the Georgetown property. 

CHEF UPDATE: Andrew Markert, former apprentice at Citronelle, then chef de cuisine at Vermilion in Alexandria (part of Neighborhood Restaurant Group - NGR), will take on chef duties at NGR’s Arlington eatery, Tallula and Eatbar, the pub bar and lounge within Tallula. Current Tallula chef Nathan Anda will stay with NRG, working on a new project -- a butcher shop and restaurant. He is finalizing the concept at the location. Eric McKamey replaced George Vetsch as chef at Etrusco in Dupont Circle. Chef Vetsch is now at Le Mistral in McLean. Daniel Giusti is the new chef at 1789 Restaurant in Georgetown. Although he arrived via his last stint as chef de partie at Restaurant Guy Savoy in Las Vegas, he is a familiar talent in the kitchen at Georgetown’s venerated landmark restaurant. He was sous-chef at 1789 for much of 2007, when Nathan Beauchamp was executive chef.

Jawad Laouaouda, a long-standing bartender at Citronelle, will open his own restaurant with his long-time friend, Khalid Raji, who also worked at Citronelle. Raji has worked with Yannick Cam and Ashok Bajoj (Ardeo and Bardeo).  The new Mediterranean-themed restaurant will be called Royal Blue Bistro slated to open this fall on 14th St., NW in Columbia Heights, DC. Joining Raji in the kitchen will be Rissa Pagsibigan, most recently found at Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert in the front of the house. She has recently spent some time in Morocco to gain fresh food perspective and inspiration to move back to the kitchen. 

Paul Rupert  plans to open a new wine bar in Columbia Heights at the corner of 11th and Lamont Street NW, the old 11th Street Deli space. The casual bar will serve wine, desserts, cheese, and charcuterie, along with a few hot food items, care of Australian chef Ben Gilligan. Desserts will be care of Lizzy Evelyn and Nichole Ferrigno of Paisley Fig, who also consult on Cork Wine Bar’s dessert menu. The yet to be named win bar hopes to open by early October.

Consider it a re-birth. Commissary is the new restaurant opening two weeks after Logan Circle’s Merkado Kitchen closes. David Winer’s new place will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, the ingredients dubbed in the style of a “neighborhood hangout.”  In the spirit of trying to be “green,” the decor consists of exclusively recyclable items and all goods and materials will be biodegradable and recyclable, too.  Commissary is due to open in early September – and is rumored to be pet-friendly. 

Dupont Circle is slated to get its first tequila bar later this year.  The specific location of the aptly named Dupont Tequila has not yet been released, but according to their website the menu will feature cocktails with fresh squeezed juices, sangrias of many colors, frozen margaritas and over 20 of the finest tequilas. From the kitchen a mix of Mexican favorites like tequila glazed jumbo shrimp and tequila salsas.  Live entertainment is slated for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm to 1am on what is claimed to be Dupont’s largest outdoor patio. 

On the Calendar: The Washington Area Concierge Association’s White Garden Gala, elegant with a floral theme and grandiose silent auction, is Sunday, August 10 at Aria Trattoria at 13th & Pennsylvania. It’s $65 for members and always worth it to all restaurant managers. Attire is white cocktail.