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Openings
With great enthusiasm, DC's dining public welcomes back to town Fabio Trabocchi, who made famous the now-closed Maestro in The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. After a stint in NYC, Trabocchi returned to Washington to launch his own upscale Northern Italian restaurant, Fiola, where he creates the foods from his youth in Italy's Le Marche region. He even understands DC's work ethic, offering a businessman's three-course lunch. Fiola, 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004, 202-628-2888.
For anyone looking for a low-cal substitute for fast-food chains, Litestars may be the answer. A local French cook has taken it upon herself to turn away from butter and all sorts of rich, creamy dishes to showcase a line of calorie-trimmed fare in this cafeteria-as-restaurant. Indeed, you can start your day with a light but healthful breakfast of oatmeal, muesli, yogurt and an egg white omelet tartlet, all accompanied by a "soupdrink" of blended fruits and vegetables. Lunch and dinner options also fall within the minimal fat and calories category: meat-filled tartlets, big salads, vegetable-fruit drinks. Litestars, 2101 L St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, 202-293-0281.
Mexican Cooking Series
The Mexican Cultural Institute will offer its The Mexican Table Cooking Series with Patricia Jinich. Each event includes a cooking demonstration followed by a full-course dinner that includes wine and beer as well as recipes for the dinner served. The class dates include March 15, A Culinary Compass, which takes guests to all four corners of Mexico; May 24, for a celebration of Cinco de Mayo; October 18, A Taste of the Mayan World; and December 6, Street Foods. Cost is $70 per session. To register via Paypal, visit www.instituteofmexicodc.org or send a check, including your name, full address, phone number, email and the session for which you are registering to: MEXICAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE 2829 16th Street, NW Washington, DC, 20009. The Mexican Cultural Institute, 2829 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20000, 202-728-1628.
"Lunch Break" at BlackSalt Restaurant
BlackSalt Restaurant is launching a prix-fixe lunch menu, a "lunch break," that lets guests select any three or four features from the appetizer, entrée, dessert, or alcoholic beverage choices. This lunch option is priced at $18 per person, not including tax and tip, for three options; guests can choose to have all four options for $23 per person. BlackSalt Restaurant, 4883 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Washington, DC 20007, 202-342-9101.
So Long, Lima
Latin-infused restaurant-bar-lounge Lima will change to a more Asian-influenced restaurant called Fujimori in 2012. Lima, 1401 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20005, 208-789-2800. Chef Shuffle
Joining the culinary team at Bibiana-Osteria Enoteca is pastry chef Jemil Gadea, who began his career as a pastry cook when he worked alongside Jean-Louis Palladin and Wolfgang Puck. He was then hired at Picasso at Bellagio in Las Vegas in 2000. Within a year, he was tapped as its assistant pastry chef, a position he has held until his recent move to DC. Bibiana-Osteria Enoteca, 1100 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20005, 202-216-9550.
Recently taking charge of the kitchen of Blue Duck Tavern after the departure of Brian McBride, Sebastien Archambault hails from a French restaurant family and has spent several years in France and elsewhere in Europe, plus a stint in Los Angeles, honing his skills. A graduate of the cooking and hospitality program of ESCF-Ferrandi, Archambault has worked at such high-profile restaurants as Les Bouquinistes and Alain Ducasse in Paris. Archambault is a big proponent of using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, making him an ideal fit for the Blue Duck Tavern's focus. Blue Duck Tavern, Park Hyatt Washington, 1201 24th St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, 202-419-6755.
Chefs and longtime friends Brian McBride and Robert Wiedmaier are partnering for numerous ventures, including the opening of a restaurant in a year's time showcasing their joint culinary talents, with McBride running the kitchen. In the meantime, McBride will join his friend in overseeing the workings of Brasserie Beck and the Mussel Bar, helping to keep them true to their Belgian roots. McBride's own hearty but refined rustic cooking will enhance the comfortable, casual, old neighborhood feeling at both restaurants. Brasserie Beck, 1101 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20005, 202-408-1717.
Closings
Check back soon for more news.
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DINING ON A BUDGET
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