In a sign that things are not slowing down in the Food Network’s reality show world, Grub Street reports a casting call for the 2010 season of The Next Food Network Star.
The announcement states, “We are looking for any chef, line cook, home cook, caterer or culinary enthusiast who is interested in becoming the host of his-or-her own cooking show on Food Network!” Auditions are tomorrow at the CBS building at 530 West 57th Street between 10am and 4pm. Just bring two recent photos, a copy of your resume and an application. Go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/nfns-6-casting-call-upload/package/index.html for further instructions.
Morou Ouattara, newly sprung from Farrah Olivia, has made a savvy decision for the Executive Chef position at his new outpost, Kora. His choice? Brother Amadou Ouattara, who spent years at I Ricchi and knows his way around la cucina Italiana will be at the helm of this latest endeavor in Crystal City.
Housed in Roberto Donna’s former Bebo Trattoria location (my tour revealed a fabulously designed kitchen with all the bells and whistles left in place), they plan to use the wood-fired hearth to crisp up pizzas, roast vegetables, bake breads and cruise the Amalfi Coast. Okay, I’m just daydreaming on that last one.
An extensive catering menu is planned for those who prefer their antipasti, seared halibut, saffron-hued risottos and pappardelle with porcini served to their guests at home or office. The choices seem endless and ambitious. To satisfy my palate I’m looking forward to the linguine alla vongole. But can they get it right? I’ll keep you posted. Kora plans to serve their first guest sometime in August. Looks promising. Viva Italia!
Let the Thai battles begin! A permit has gone up for a new restaurant at 100 King Street in Old Town to be named Red Curry. That’s around 100 feet from Mai Tai and a few blocks from Thai Old Town, Red Mei, Asian Bistro, Siam 815 and Chintana Thai. That’s some pretty stiff competition for this newcomer? Could this be the same restaurant on Lexington Avenue in New York City that had 23 violation points against them back in January of last year? Say it isn’t so!
 Andres at Bethesda Home dressing Pork sampler. Photo by Roy Wright Jose Andres, chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup and Jaleo, Oyamel, Jose Andres’ minibar and Zaytinya and DC’s premier butcher and caterer, Wagshal’s Market, have teamed up to promote one of Spain’s premier products, Iberico de Bellota. You know the highly prized cured ham that Andres spent years getting the license to bring into the States. This pig is of such high pedigree and heavenly flavor I’ll call it the “Chateaubriand of Pork”. These legendary pata negra pigs are lured to forage for acorns and wild herbs as they roam the mountains meadows of La Alberca, in Western Spain. The resulting meat becomes permeated with the nutty, herbose flavor. (n.b. I’m planning my next life as a Spanish pig.)
At a recent party at his Maryland home, the gracious Andres served us endless platters of this luscious pork, only available in the US at Wagshal’s.  Wagshal's chefs on the right / Jordan Wright on Left. Photo by Roy Wright Proud Wagshal’s owner/purveyor, Bill Fuchs was on hand to triumph Andres’s, hot-from-the-grill, melt-in-your-mouth slices of this unique meat. You will think you never ate pork before after trying this glorious specialty. For optimal flavor for at-home chefs, prepare to serve it medium rare with a nice rosy pink center. Not a cook, out of time, too hot to grill? Just bring your friends to Jaleo, the sole US restaurant where you can enjoy this sumptuous pork in dishes like Lomo Iberico de Bellota asado con manzanas (Apples. We sampled this divine dish too.), and a paella called Arroz con costillas de cerdo Iberico de Bellota, that uses the ribs of the pork.
For recipes and more information go to www.wagshals.com
 Spy Diner on location Stir Food Group (Zola, Potenza) has launched Spy Diner, a food cart on the corner of 9th and F Streets  Spy Diner Cart 9th & F Street Washington, DC in Penn Quarter. Working with DC Central Kitchen they have come up with a cool idea to help graduates with their culinary job training. DCCK’s program prepares the unemployed, underemployed, previously incarcerated and homeless adults for careers in the food service industry. What a brilliant concept! Let’s pepper the whole city with these carts that offer breakfast treats that include and fresh bagels, muffins and homemade coffee cake, egg sandwiches and Taylor pork roll (Jerseyites, your comfort food awaits!) served with ham or bacon. Lunch and dinner (for cheap pre-theatre fare or staying late-at-the-office workers, pay keen attention here) is a bit more sophisticated and features yummy sliders made with lamb meatballs with goat cheese aioli or roast beef melts with caramelized onions and Emmenthaler sauce on a horseradish bun. For the traditionalists there is real BBQ pork and coleslaw on a salt and pepper bun.
Feeling out of the loop? No bailout expected? No worries. If you’re dying to try the restaurant all your friends have been bragging on ad infinitum, or that perfect dish you had when you were feeling flush and bought lunch for the whole office, but now your wallet has been squished flatter than a Belgian crepe due to the downturn, then you’re in for a treat.
The long-awaited Washington DC Summer Restaurant Week has returned. From August 24th through August 30th some of the city’s top dining spots are offering true bargains. Aren’t you glad you passed on that 7-day Alaskan holiday?
With three-course fixed price lunches at $20.09 and three-course fixed price dinners at $35.09 at nearly 200 restaurants, you can dine in splendor at some of the area’s finest destinations. Go to www.washington.org/restaurantwk for a comprehensive list of all the participating restaurants. Here are just a few of the too-numerous-to-mention hot spots: Potenza, Coco Sala, 2941, Acadiana, The Prime Rib, Occidental Grill, The Jockey Club, Poste Brasserie in the Hotel Monaco, Indique and Georgia Brown’s. After this culinary junket you and your peeps can pen your own restaurant guide.
Pass the biscuits. Bookbinder’s Restaurant investors, who squandered the chance to get to know their neighbors in Old Town Alexandria, have changed gears and come up with a different restaurant concept. The new eatery will be located in the former beloved and sorely missed Olsen’s bookstore at 100 South Union Street. For this go-round they’ll be serving Southern fare and getting in the groove with rooftop jazz. No date on the opening yet.
For questions or comments contact [email protected]
 Well-organized by lists, The Fearless Critic divides the categories into “Most Delicious,” “Good Vibes,” “By Genre,” “By Location,” “By Special Feature,” “Vegetarian Friendly,” “Late Night Dining” and “Top Tastes,” offering the diner a wealth of information on restaurant options including a ranking of 100 Best for “Vibes” and separately for “Food.”
Recently the new DC Area dining guide “The Fearless Critic” arrived on my desk for review. It promises secret dining reviews and is not ad-sponsored in any way…that’s novel and desperately needed…and all the restaurants are listed alphabetically for quick reference.
Well-organized by lists, it divides the categories into “Most Delicious,” “Good Vibes,” “By Genre,” “By Location,” “By Special Feature,” “Vegetarian Friendly,” “Late Night Dining” and “Top Tastes,” offering the diner a wealth of information on restaurant options including a ranking of 100 Best for “Vibes” and separately for “Food.”
 Robin Goldstein, author of the Fearless Critic. It begins at around 2 points for California Tortilla (why bother), and goes up to a 9.7 for Komi. Well, naturally. It also warns of “bad” restaurants. Now that’s quite useful.
That said, there are numerous questionable critiques.
For example, they give Teatro Goldoni in the sixes in “Food” and “Feel” categories. But wait!
This is a stunning and romantic restaurant, steaming with DC newsmakers and Hollywood royalty and a private chef’s table that will knock your Italian leather booties off, while Ben’s Chili Bowl ranks 8.1 in “Food” and 9.2 in “Feel.”
How does one compare veal carpaccio surrounded by coronets of chanterelles, poached cardoons, microgreens and a 30 month-old Parmesan, with chili-dogs in a greasy neon-lit luncheonette? Even if it is an Obama and Cosby-approved neighborhood fave, how can one justify such “apples and oranges” comparisons?
Consider that Georgetown’s Café Milano receives 6.5 in “Feel”… and is one the cities gloriously chic celeb hot spots…while Austin Grill rates 7.4 in the same category. Go figure. I couldn’t help but note that every laudatory review quoted in the guide was from out-of-towners.
There is no mention at all of the venerable and historic Occidental Grill, an absolute “must dine” for anyone visiting Washington, DC. But trendy, 2 Amys, the pizza parlor, is rated 9.6 for “Food” and 8.8 for “Feel” and is on a par with Eamonn’s, the fish-and-chips joint in Old Town, rated a close 8.7 and 8.0.
In Old Town, they list 20 restaurants and one supermarket, Whole Foods, but in this economy two of the restaurant have already closed and seven of the twenty are chain restaurants. In the rest of the city four are chain restaurants and one is the grocery store, Trader Joe’s.
 “The Fearless Critic” promises secret dining reviews and is not ad-sponsored in any way…that’s novel and desperately needed…and all the restaurants are listed alphabetically for quick reference. Mostly, however, these previously unknown and untested critics nail it. Let’s face it, it’s well-nigh impossible to draw a bead on so many dining spots. And, yes, they are “brutally honest,” as they claim.
But to what end? With nearly 500 pages it is not for the visiting backpacker. It’s your dining dime. You be the judge.
For questions and comments, or to weigh in on your favorite restaurants and why, contact [email protected]
 Jasmine and Tarun were born and raised in New Delhi and met online in a chat room. Their new restaurant Raw Silk is the newest addition to Old Town cullinary scene.
By Jordan Wright – Food Writer
Georgetowner/Downtowner
July 2009
Old Town’s latest addition to Indian food, Raw Silk, is hosting four-course Chilean and South African wine-paired Indian dinner on Monday, July 27, at 719 King Street in Alexandria.
Little known is that Chile was among the countries that saved the French wine industry, back in the late 19th Century when nine-tenths of all European vineyards were destroyed during a devastating blight. No wonder those wines are so divine, they’re actually French!
 Photo by Flickr One of our special recipes is Chaat Papri - a typical street food in Delhi
During a recent wine tasting with notable oenophile, Bartholomew Broadbent, I had a chance to sample some surprising South African wines. For the dessert course Raw Silk will be serving a South African Robertson Almond Grove Late Harvest Noble Riesling with your choice of mango kulfi or kheer.
Here’s a clever way to save on your trip to Greece this summer. Dupont Circle’s Mourayo is offering a hot deal for $40 worth of food for $20. If your palate says, “Feed me Greek!” drop by this spot and fake it. Go here to get your coupon…
Inox Restaurant in Tysons Corner will be celebrating the soon-to-be released Nora Ephron-directed, “Julie and Julia”, with a three-course tasting menu featuring some of Julia Childs’ favorite dishes. Executive Chef Jon Mathieson’s connection was as one of the chefs at Julia’s 90th birthday party celebration dinner. He’ll be paying tribute with vichyssoise, tarragon chicken or beef brisket, salad and her famous cherry clafouti.
 Raw Silk management team I met her on an escalator at the Fancy Food Show in Manhattan too many years ago to count. She was gracious, as always, and looked at me as though she were surprised but delighted to have encountered me in such a way. Come to think of it, that’s how she’d look at a juicy chicken she was just about to carve up…
As one of Slow Food USA’s pioneers since 2000, Alice Waters continues to influence policy in DC. Its inaugural Slow Food Nation 2008 event with over 50,000 people in San Francisco was the largest celebration of American food in history. Continue reading NIBBLES & SIPS/Raw Silk Hosts a Wine-Paired Dinner
 Photo by Shariff elSheikh/Local Kicks Morou is back! He's left Old Town and is now ensconsced in Crystal City with Kora. Here a trip down memory lane with a picture of a Local Kicks-sponsored dinner benefitting the Alexandria Seaport Foundation at his Old Town digs, Farrah Olivia
KOI is coming. The restaurant, whose other outposts are in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Bangkok bumps up DC’s profile as the hot city to be in. Raspberry mojitos, sake cosmos and sushi, it’s already a celeb magnet. With Buddha Bar slated to open soon…we’ll be Hollywood East.
 Photo by Flickr/travfotos
KOI is coming, with its raspberry mojitos, sake cosmos and sushi, itâs already a celeb magnet. Robert Wiedmaier’s BRABO is opening an outdoor patio in the pretty courtyard of his popular Old Town restaurant. Should be fun for Sunday brunch with the build-your-own Bloody Mary bar to go along with their signature Belgian waffles.
Do New Yorkers know porkers?
We’ll find out when Hill Country, NY’s highly acclaimed BBQ joint, gives the competition a “cue” throwdown next year from their new location on 7th Street.
Founder and CEO, Mark Glosserman, a Bethesda native is excited to return to the area where his family still lives. Think Texas-style barbeque smoked low and slow over Texas post oak. Note to Texas State Society…they’ll show Texas college football on large screens and kick it with an ongoing roster of Austin-style roots music with country, rock and blues bands.
Love Greek food? Crazy for seafood? Kellari Seafood Taverna, another NY export will be taking over the old Jimmy’s on K Street. They’re known as one of the top Greek restaurants in NYC.
Local Chef Ryan Morgan has left Art and Soul. Will someone please tell me where this ultra-talented chef is?
Former Iron Chef, Mourou Ouattara, will be in his new Crystal City digs, Restaurant Kora, later this month. He’ll be cooking, con amore, with an Italian menu. I’ll keep you posted when I catch up with him next week before the soft opening.
Getting too hot and steamy for you to cook out?
Let Chef Michael Soper handle it. Union Street Public House hosts a Great Grill Out on July 30th. Roasted corn and summer veggies, steak, quail, lobster tails, wild halibut, scallops and in-house baked bread straight from the grill plus wine and beer pairings. Dessert is grilled pound cake with whipped cream and berries. Yum! All for $49 tax and tip included.
 Photo by John Arundel/Local Kicks
Union Street Public House is hosting a Great Grill Out on July 30, with roasted corn and summer veggies, steak, quail, lobster tails, wild halibut, scallops and in-house baked bread straight from the grill plus wine and beer pairings. Bookbinder’s short-lived restaurant in Old Town is toast. Burnt toast. That’s what no advertising can do. Only a few locals even knew they were there. Columbia Firehouse will be the latest occupant in the S. Saint Asaph Street location. The walnut paneled upstairs will be an elegant chophouse-style menu, downstairs an American brasserie. Look for their opening next week.
Dishing it up with [email protected].
JORDAN WRIGHT – Food Editor
Published -LocalKicks.COM – NIBBLES AND SIPS
MAY 2009
 Southern-style baker Anita Benton of Desserts, Etc. Photo by Jordan Wright Anita Benton, of Desserts, Etc., exudes a certain unmistakable Southern style. She’s Hattiesburg, Mississippi, born and bred, and although the drawl is nearly gone you’ll know you’re down-home with her steal-the-show Southern-inspired cakes and cookies. I had a chance to meet Anita and her delectable desserts this Saturday at National Harbor’s local-centric Farmers Market. This lady cooks with love and you can taste it in every bite.
We tried tender and moist Sweet Potato Brownies, Kentucky Butter Cake, Snickerdoodle cookies and Mocha Madness Cake. They were sumptuous and mouth-wateringly memorable. She does Strawberry Red Velvet Cakes, Orange Dream Cakes layered with orange mousse, and my personal favorite Coconut Cake, which she fills with lemon curd pineapple curd or coconut cream. How divinely decadent! Another specialty is called Felicia’s Favorite Cake. It’s a white vanilla bean cake made with chunks of brownies and pecans, layered with caramel pastry cream and topped with chocolate sauce. Heaven can wait!
A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland Anita is also a personal chef and creates dinner parties with classics like Shrimp and Grits.  Spring radishes and kohlrabi at National Harbor's Farmers Market. Photo by Jordan Wright To order online visit her site at www.desserts-etc.com or taste her wares at National Harbor’s Farmers Market, Saturday mornings from 10AM till 3PM.
I met farmers like Monica Medina  Sampling her mother's wares at Valle Produce Photo by Jordan Wright of Valle Produce who grow all their produce in Westmoreland County. Her French Breakfast radishes, tiny strawberries and kohlrabi were particularly beautiful and delicious.
David Thorne of Zekiah Farms raises Roseda Black Angus beef on his farm in Bryantown, MD. Free range grazed in his pastures without hormones or antibiotics, the beef is sold to some of our top local restaurants. Each animal has its own “biography” and they can even trace the meat back to the farm.
With over 16 cuts to choose from you can surely find your preference. He also raises pork, lamb, goat and poultry with the same high standards.
E-mail to writer [email protected]
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