Since 1969, restaurant, hotel, travel & other witty reviews by a handpicked, worldwide team of discerning professionals—and your views, too.


News for Restaurants in Washington DC
November 2008 Archive

Search / Openings / Closings / Chef Shuffle / News Bytes / Culinary Events / Wine Dinners / Sign up for our free, monthly newsletter / News Archive

RESTAURANT NEWS

Openings

Passion Food Hospitality (Jeff Tunks, Gus Dimillo and David Wizenberg) just opened the newest restaurant in their local group, PassionFish. The restaurant is led by chef Jeff Tunks, who sources a selection of the world's seafood. The real ice-breaker is in the center of the dining room, where a chilled seafood station holds a collection of raw delicacies from oysters and clams, to lobster, prawns and both crab and king crab, all of which are included in the massive shellfish towers. PassionFish, Reston Town Center, 11960 Democracy Dr., Reston, VA 20190, 703-230-3474.
 

News Bytes

Hawaiian Fare at fyve in Honor of Obama
To note the Obama administration and the Presidential Inauguration, The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, welcomes chef John Zaner from The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Hawaii to help celebrate culinary delights from the President-elect's childhood hometown. Menu items that chef Zaner will prepare to pay tribute to Obama's native hometown include kalua pork lumpia, slow-roasted pork meat shredded with ginger, cabbage and shiitake mushroom in lumpia wraps and fried, served with a ginger-lemon grass dip; and tuna tataki salad, marinated tuna quickly grilled, sliced and served on top of wakame salad, drizzled with ponzu sauce. Yann Chupin, executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, and Amy Brandwein, chef de cuisine of fyve, will help prepare the feast. Lunch & Dinner daily. fyve, The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, 1250 S. Hayes St., Arlington, Va. 22202, 703-412-2760.
 
Giving Seafood a Holiday Boost
The Oceanaire Seafood Room is in the spirit of giving, and this holiday season Washingtonians will reap the benefits. For every $100 Oceanaire gift card purchased, through December 24, the customer will receive an additional $25 gift card. Gift cards may be purchased online at www.theoceanaire.com or at the restaurant, which is open on Christmas Eve. The $25 promotional gift cards are redeemable starting January 2 through March 31, 2009. There is no expiration date or fee for purchased gift cards. The Oceanaire Seafood Room, 1201 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20004, 202-347-BASS.
 
(Sushi) Roll With the New Administration
Asia Nine Bar & Lounge's co-owner Nuthinepan Tantivejakul and co-owner/chef Boonrod Yotmanee honor the new administration by offering a selection of maki sushi, each designed with the soon-to-be former Senators in mind. The Obama Roll is a lean and green offering of mixed green veggies (asparagus, cucumber, avocado, radish sprout and basil leaves, dusted with sesame seeds). The Biden Roll features a nod toward the region in a crunchy-finished combo of local crab meat and cucumber, with wasabi cream sauce for a little heat. For a full-on celebration, each roll is paired with Hakushika Gold Yamadanishiki (Tokubetsu Junmai), sparkling saké with flecks of gold confetti. Asia Nine Bar & Lounge, 915 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20004, 202-629-4355.
 
1789 Restaurant Unveils a Prix-Fixe Menu
1789 Restaurant in Georgetown is offering a new fixed-price three-course menu for $40 per person (exclusive of tax and gratuity). Although menu items will change daily, executive chef Daniel Giusti has included a number of distinctive options for guests. Appetizer items include Northern Neck broccoli soup with beer-battered burgundy snails and Neal's Yard Montgomery cheddar, and pappardelle with pan-roasted chicken livers, sage butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Guests can also expect entrée choices such as Emerald Farms pork chops with a warm salad of scarlet turnips and dried Jonathan apples, stewed baby turnip greens and roasted pork, and braised beef short ribs with white sweet potato purée and Brussels sprouts. Reservations at 202-965-1789. 1789 Restaurant, 1226 36th St. NW, Washington, DC 20007, 202-965-1789.
 
Taberna del Alabardero Celebrates Spain's Seafood
Taberna del Alabardero invites diners to celebrate the peak of Spain's fishing and seafood season with its second annual Simply Seafood menu, featuring a vast array of fresh, wild-caught seafood. For the entire month of November, this all-seafood menu will be offered for lunch and dinner in lieu of the regular menu; however, beef, poultry, paella and vegetarian dishes will also be available upon request. Patrons will be treated to executive chef Dani Arana's specially prepared dishes featuring an array of the season's best catches, including sea bream, red snapper, swordfish, langoustine, arctic char and clams, which the restaurant will be flying in several times each week. For more information or to make reservations, call 202-429-2200. Taberna del Alabardero, 1776 I St. NW, Washington, DC 20006, 202-429-2200.
 
Join in the Fight Against Juvenile Diabetes
To raise awareness and funds for juvenile diabetes research, The Oceanaire Seafood Room's executive chef Rob Klink and former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta have joined forces to create a heart-healthy, classic version of beef barley soup that will be featured on the restaurant's menu for the entire month of November. The soup will be available for $5.95 a cup or $7.95 a bowl and proceeds from the soup will be donated to the Capitol Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The Oceanaire Seafood Room, 1201 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20004, 202-347-BASS.
 
The 2008 holiday cake from The Willard Room Having Cake, Eating it Too
The Willard Room's 2008 holiday bûche de Noël pays homage to The Washington Ballet's The Nutcracker, by artistic director Septime Webre. Each year, the arts and culinary excellence are celebrated as the hotel's pastry chef highlights a Washington D.C. cultural leader, reflecting that leader's cultural institution in sumptuous design and flavor. Pastry chef Courtney Goldian rendered the ballet master's vision in a foot-long bûche. Inspired by Webre's French and Cuban heritage, the cake is made of a rich chocolate sponge with a dulce de leche cream filling and enrobed in a pink fondant icing. The tasty "slipper" cake will be available in carry-out boxes from November 27 through January 1. Priced at $119 including tax, a portion of each purchase will be dedicated to The Washington Ballet's Pointe Shoe Fund, which supplies The Washington Ballet ballerinas with over 400 pointe shoes per season. Orders must be placed 48 hours in advance by calling 202-637-7305. Cakes can be picked up in the hotel lobby at the concierge desk. The Willard Room, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004, 202-637-7318, 800-327-0200.
 

Chef Shuffle
Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj named Alex McWilliams as the new executive chef of Cleveland Park's Ardeo/Bardeo. McWilliams was most recently at Spuntino Three 60 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Ardeo, 3311 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008, 202-244-6750.
 
Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert Joe Palma has been appointed the new chef de cuisine at Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert. He has an interesting background with degrees in philosophy and economics. He comes from Le Bernardin, where he worked his way through every station in the kitchen to become a sous chef. Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert, The Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C., 1190 22nd St. NW, Washington, DC 20037, 202-974-4900.
 

Closings

CLOSED FOR GOOD
Take your taste buds on a walk down memory lane! Check out our exclusive closed restaurant database for Washington D.C. to virtually visit your favorite dining spots from the past. La Colline, R.I.P.

Check back soon for more news.

CULINARY EVENTS
Want to learn to cook? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area.


View our calendar of Wine Dinners & Tastings in Washington DC

Current News View archived news: November 2019 | July 2019 | May 2019 | April 2019 | February 2019 | January 2019 | December 2018 | October 2018 | July 2018 | April 2018 | March 2018 | December 2017 | August 2017 | July 2017 | June 2017 | April 2017 | March 2017 | November 2016 | October 2016 | August 2016 | July 2016 | June 2016 | May 2016 | April 2016 | March 2016 | February 2016 | January 2016 | December 2015 | November 2015 | October 2015 | September 2015 | August 2015 | July 2015 | June 2015 | May 2015 | April 2015 | March 2015 | February 2015 | January 2015 | December 2014 | November 2014 | October 2014 | September 2014 | August 2014 | July 2014 | June 2014 | May 2014 | April 2014 | March 2014 | February 2014 | January 2014 | December 2013 | October 2013 | September 2013 | August 2013 | July 2013 | June 2013 | May 2013 | April 2013 | March 2013 | February 2013 | January 2013 | December 2012 | November 2012 | October 2012 | September 2012 | August 2012 | July 2012 | June 2012 | May 2012 | April 2012 | March 2012 | February 2012 | January 2012 | December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011 | September 2011 | August 2011 | July 2011 | June 2011 | May 2011 | April 2011 | March 2011 | February 2011 | January 2011 | December 2010 | November 2010 | October 2010 | September 2010 | August 2010 | July 2010 | June 2010 | May 2010 | April 2010 | March 2010 | February 2010 | January 2010 | December 2009 | November 2009 | October 2009 | September 2009 | August 2009 | July 2009 | June 2009 | May 2009 | April 2009 | March 2009 | February 2009 | January 2009 | December 2008 | November 2008 | October 2008 | September 2008 | August 2008 | July 2008 | June 2008 | May 2008 | April 2008 | March 2008



VALENTINE'S DAY WINES

Add wine to the celebration of love, curated by GAYOT´s Wine & Spirits Editor.

Check the list.

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS

For a rosé bubbly Valentine's Day celebration.

Get the recipes.

GAYOT'S RESTAURANT AWARDSOver the years, we have been electing restaurants to be on GAYOT's Yearly Restaurant Awards.

Check the list.