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Jordan Wright
June 7, 2015
Special to The Alexandria Times
 Dan & Jeff – Photos courtesy of Potted Potter Harry Potter fans went wild last night at Potted Potter – The Unauthorized Harry Experience – A Parody by Dan and Jeff. Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, the two writers slash performers in the show, raced through seven Potter books in 75 minutes proving that sidelines and details hardly matter when action is what kids crave. All in all they roasted, toasted and pilloried dozens of characters out of the 300 in J. K. Rowling’s World of Harry Potter to the roars of kids and grownups captivated by the series and its subsequent films.
The production is all very bare bones with stuffed animals subbing for dragons including a plush snake, pressed into service to act as Professor Snape, Master of Potions. As Dan likes to remind the audience, “There is no CGI in this show.” And no animatronics either.
There is even less in the way of scenery. A fake coffin, a wardrobe and a tropical travel poster compose the set that frames this duo of comic madmen. A brief appearance by two stuffed animals on a skateboard and a wooden choo-choo train that takes the place of the Kings Cross Station underground train of the Hogwart’s Express, are a few of the makeshift props.
 Dumbledore – Photos courtesy of Potted Potte Wigs and sorcerers’ hats telegraph the rapid morphing of characters as Dan and Jeff attempt to cover all the critical action from Voldemort and Rubeus Hagrid to Dumbledore and Mad-Eye Moody. Potter pals, Ron Weasley, appears in an orange afro wig and is referred to as the “Ginger Ninja”; and Hermione, depicted by Dan in Teutonic-inspired blond braids, are mere bit players in this madcap spoof.
Jeff appears to be the more reasonable of the two, often asking the attention-challenged Dan to beef up the plot’s interpretations with more sophisticated dramatic effects – – to which Dan replies, “I think we can all agree. The victim is the theatre.” An inside joke that escapes the young audience, as do references to Putin, Miley Cyrus, Georgetown Cupcake and Washington politics, which the adults gleefully relish.
 Two fluffy Warthogs – Photos courtesy of Potted Potter As you can well imagine, props are central to ascertaining the various characters and Dan and Jeff switch them out with increasing mayhem while dashing behind the wardrobe and psyching up the crowd with hopes of playing quidditch. The broomstick game, well known to fans, eventually comes to pass, albeit without brooms, along with an audience participation game of catch the Golden Snitch, endearingly enacted by two child volunteers who are over the moon to have parts in the show.
More silly and outlandish portrayals and spoofs are cleverly employed as the players zip through all seven books, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
British Director Richard Hurst keeps the action in high gear as does Composer Phil Innes, who lends a touch of impending doom to the dramatic bits.
Recommended for all ages that value absurdity and ridiculousness.
Through June 21st at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Lansburgh Theatre 450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information contact the box office at 202 547-1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org.
Jordan Wright
June 2, 2015
Sushi School; Dine-N-Dash in Penn Quarter; Fabulous Animals Art Exhibition at iCi Bistro; Kaz Okuchi, Bonny Wolf and Yoko Isassi at the National Museum of American History
Back to Class with the Master
It’s been two years since I sat down with Tokyo-born Daisuke Utagawa, owner of Daikaya and Partner and Creative Director of Sushiko. Our last dinner was a lesson in izakaya a style of Japanese cooking that I wrote about then and that you’ll find at Daikaya.
 Daisuke Utagawa at Sushiko While we dined on many unique dishes there Daisuke spoke of the dozens of specifically descriptive Japanese phrases pertaining to the taste and mouth feel of every dish.
For my second lesson we met up at Sushiko, the posh and stylishly subdued Chevy Chase restaurant where Indonesian sushi chefs Piter Tjan and his brother Handry Tjan were ready to dazzle with the freshest fish to be found without my using a spear and scuba gear.
 Piter (left) and Handry Tjan of Sushiko Sushi and the long-tapered temaki afford an even more intense experience, as the seafood is raw. It is crucial, nay imperative, that the fish and crustaceans are of the highest quality and that the chef is highly trained in the ancient art of preparing and serving it. Though Daisuke trains new chefs from time to time, it is years before they are permitted to cut the fish. Usually they are relegated to making the vinegared rice and pickled vegetables, two decidedly different techniques that also must be perfected. “Rice grains should be independent,” Daisuke insists, impressing upon me the meticulous care in which it must be prepared.
Offering omakase, a nine-course chef’s tasting menu, is a new concept for this restaurant. One Daisuke hopes will catch on – – and for good reason. It is the optimal adventure in Japanese sushi dining and defers to the expertise of the sushi master who seeks out only the finest seafood available within each season. “Every fish has a different window of freshness,” my sushi sensei reveals. “Big bluefin tuna has a window of seven to ten days after it is caught before it is ready to serve.”
 Cured Flounder Three Ways Our tasting begins with kombu jime hirame, a beautifully cured flounder prepared three ways in aspic and using kombu, a spongy, kelp cultivated on ropes in the seas of Japan and Korea. The smoky fish is dressed with dashi gelée and adorned with shiso, a type of mint, and myoga, Japanese ginger. It is followed by a very delicate and creamy dish shiro ebi tartare with white sturgeon caviar, bonito flakes and shimmering gold (yes, real gold!) flakes. The servings are small, tantalizing, and easily eaten in one or two bites. A smoked Hama oyster quickly appears with ponzu gelée. “ As long as the food has your attention your palate is always being challenged,” Daisuke gently advises.
 Poached Monkfish Liver Up next is unagi sunomono, grilled freshwater eel salad with wakame (a woodsy tasting seaweed). It is tart and refreshing and leads us on to ankimo saba, poached monkfish liver dotted with tomato seeds, cured mackerel and a shower of black truffle shavings.
 Sea Bream with its roe in dashi broth For me, uni is the very essence of umami. Tonight its briny luxuriousness comes from Hokkaido and is prepared tempura style – lightly battered and fried and wrapped in seaweed, oozing with creaminess in a warm crackly crust and seasoned with green tea salt. Hard on its heels is madai suimono, sea bream with its roe, enoki mushrooms, myoga in dashi broth.
The restaurant can do omakase for four people every two hours. It is a pleasantly intense and focused experience with the sushi master in full view. Sake, Japanese beer, or as Daisuke would have it, wines from the Burgundy region of France, are the perfect complement.
 Bird’s Nest More uni arrives. This dish is called “bird’s nest” and it is paired with squid, fried leeks, a marinated, velvety egg yolk from jidori hens, and umeboshi, a salty, tart, fermented plum.
Then we digress for a thin slice of seriously marbled Miyazaki wagyu beef prepared by ourselves by laying it flat atop a hot stone for seconds per side. Pop in the mouth and it’s memorable.
 Nigiri board A glamorous plate of nigiri is proffered. Six single bites of scallop, golden eye snapper, masu (aka “cherry” salmon), spot prawn, flounder with uni (you cannot have too much of a good thing) and chopped toro, the fatty part of the blue fin tuna, wonderfully marbled, not oily, and looking like a precious jewel.
After travels with fish, we have come to dessert and it is a surprising bit of Francophilic decadence – – foie gras ice cream with huckleberry jam. We linger over a spot of tea while Daisuke shows me IPhone photos of his latest interest – – “snow cabbage” aka etto a cabbage that looks like any other yet it is buried in waist-deep snow and harvested in the middle of winter. The taste, he assures me, is delicious. He is utterly enamored by this highly prized, rare and very expensive vegetable. Another lesson. Another night of secrets from the master.
José Andrés Dine-N-Dash Event Slated for June 9th
A culinary tour of Penn Quarter restaurants and food trucks beckons the adventurous diners in this super cool World Central Kitchen fundraiser. Drawing on his mission to feed the world and train chefs in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and now Zambia, Andrés has designed the perfect evening for the socially conscious to drink, dine and have fun at 17 participating DC restaurants in one fabulous evening and with all proceeds benefitting World Central Kitchen. It truly describes our core philosophy of nibbles and sips.
A press preview at three of the participating restaurants gave us a tempting taste of what’s to come.
 Dine-N-Dash at Jaleo At Jaleo we sampled little bites of endive with orange bits, almonds and goat cheese, and a lavish paella. China Chilcano, Andrés’s new and exceptional Peruvian-Asian influenced restaurant, had more yummy tastes and delicious cocktails, finally ending our 7th Street jaunt at Oyamel.
 Dine-N-Dash at China Chilcano Here’s how it works. From 6 to 9pm an estimated 2,500 eventgoers will stroll through the city’s Penn Quarter district, enjoying specialty dishes, craft cocktails and live music at all participating restaurants including China Chilcano, Cuba Libre, Del Campo, Jaleo, OYA, Oyamel, Partisan, Ping Pong Dim Sum, Poste Brasserie, Proof, SEI, Zaytinya and more. Then from 9 to 11pm guests are invited to join Andrés at an after party at the Carnegie Library with desserts, live music and, you guessed it, more drinks.
 Nibbles for Dine-N-Dash from China Chilcano “I am so excited to be hosting the third annual Dine-N-Dash!” said Uber Chef José Andrés, “What’s better than enjoying the amazing Penn Quarter restaurants, all in one night, while helping the many around the world who need our support. This is one of our biggest fundraisers to support the work of World Central Kitchen, which finds solutions for hunger and poverty worldwide. I believe that food has the power to change the world, and I’m thrilled the people of DC continue to support this unbelievable event!”
 Dine-N-Dash at China Chilcano General Admission tickets are $129 and include food and drinks at all participating restaurants plus access to the after party with José Andrés. VIP tickets are $299 and include food and drinks at participating restaurants, including VIP-only areas and dishes, pedicab rides, and access to select VIP-only areas and premium desserts and cocktails at the after party.
Tickets are available through Living Social. For more information about the event, visit www.dinendash.info.
World Central Kitchen is an action-based, non-profit organization finding smart solutions to hunger and poverty. “Today WCK is hard at work in Haiti, Dominican Republic and Zambia, empowering the people to be part of the solution – with a focus on smart school kitchens, clean cook stoves, job training, and job creation.” Visit www.worldcentralkitchen.org to learn more.
French Artist Hervé Maury’s Animals Delight at iCi Urban Bistro
 At the Hervé Maury opening reception Fantasy animals ruled the roost at iCi Urban Bistro at the Sofitel Hotel and artist Hervé Maury was at the opening reception for the show that will run through June 14th. So dépêchez-vous if you want to catch this whimsical exhibit. More than 20 pieces are displayed throughout the restaurant and by evening’s end a few of these had been purchased.
 One of Hervé Maury’s Polar Bears Opening night proved to be one of the hippest gatherings in town. Guests were issued selfie sticks at the door to photo-record the experience and Pernod pastises were offered along with endless flutes of champagne and a dizzying array of delicacies.
 Food art at iCi Urban Bistro Maury, a cheerful, bespectacled artist with no actual pets of his own, is a self-taught artist who resides in Marseille. Nonetheless he has a sincere passion for polar bears, cats, dogs, fish and elephants that he renders in both adorable and comical poses. His paintings are reminiscent of the sun-washed colors of the French Mediterranean, reflecting a sense of tenderness and texture in his use of marble powder, sands and ochers. Most of the work is painted on linen, though he has sometimes incorporated recycled marine sails.
 Maury Butterflies at iCi Urban Bistro Featured in exhibits around the world, including the South of France, Paris, London, Barcelona, Rabat and Hong Kong, his “Polar Bear” series once adorned the windows of Hermés boutiques worldwide.
 Executive Chef Franck Loquet puts his artistic imprint on raw fish Inspired by Maury’s paintings, Executive Chef Franck Loquet has created his own epicurean artwork and offers several specially designed dishes throughout the length of the exhibition. “I love to create artistic dishes for our guests to enjoy, and Hervé Maury’s artwork was a great inspiration for me,” said Chef Loquet. The 3-course prix-fixe menu is available in iCi Urban Bistro for lunch and dinner from May 14th through June 14th for $45 per person.
Director of Sales and Marketing Alexandra Byrne says, “We are so excited to offer this unique exhibit this summer. We strive to offer guest experiences that enhance our Sofitel pillars: design, culture and gastronomy. This will bring all of those pillars together in one place to satisfy all five senses of our guests.”
For reservations call 202 730.8700 or visit www.iciurbanbistro.com.
Kaz Okochi and Bonny Wolf Star at America After Hours: Sushi for Sale
In the last of their “Food After Hours” series, the National Museum of American History invited three culinary icons to speak on sushi – – Kaz Okochi, award-winning Chef/Proprietor of KAZ Sushi Bistro and Chef/Partner with Richard Sandoval in Masa 14, and NPR Commentator Bonny Wolf of American Food Roots, whose riffs on American food are well known to fans of Weekend Edition Sunday and her Web-only weekly food column, Kitchen Window.
 The evening’s panel. Bonny Wolf (l), Kaz Okochi (center), Yoko Isassi (right) They were joined by FoodStory founder, Yoko Isassi in a conversation about the rise in popularity of sushi in America. Afterwards, guests were treated to an inspired Japanese buffet supper and classes in sushi making by Okochi, sake tastings by Christian Choi, San-J soy sauce samplings, Japanese snacks from Bourbon, and beer from Sapporo.
 Sushi rolling class Notes from the Notables
Quote of the day.
Japanese Prime Minister during his recent visit to the US. “America got sushi and we got House of Cards.”
On the invention of sushi.
Isassi. Fields flood in the rainy season and they get a lot of fish in the rice fields. That’s how sushi started – – the fish and the rice – – and then pickling with salt to preserve it.
On how early sushi was introduced to the US.
Isassi: The first sushi restaurant in the US was opened in San Francisco in the early 1800’s.
On the proper way to eat sushi.
Isassi: You can use your hands or chopsticks, but dip the fish side into the soy sauce.
On sustainability.
Okochi: I just change the subject.
On keeping the fish fresh.
Isassi: My grandmother packs sushi in magnolia leaves and keeps it for a few days.
On wasabi.
Isassi: Wasabi is more like an antibiotic and bamboo leaves kill the germs.
Okochi: The vinegar protects it from bacteria.
Arigato, everyone!
 At the Food After Hours Sushi night — Baby bok choy At the Food After Hours Sushi night Food After Hours programs will start up again in August. To learn more about these diverse offerings that feature food demonstrations and discussions on the nation’s food systems, visit www.AmericanHistory.si.edu.
All photo credit – Jordan Wright
Jordan Wright
May 22, 2015
Special to The Alexandria Times
 Alex Mills as Jerry and Vato Tsikurishvili as Dorian. Photo by Koko Lanham. An eclectic jumble of flea market collectibles informs Luciana Stecconi’s clever set for Jerry’s one-room flat, in what reads as New York’s East Village. Vintage Ronald Coleman movie posters adorn the walls and point to the inspiration for playwright Everett Quinton’s steroidal version of A Tale of Two Cities. Jerry (Alex Mills), stage name Betty May, is an aspiring drag queen. But don’t let that throw you off, we’re just scratching the surface. He’s also a literate, thoughtful kid whose artistic proclivities fall a tad outside the realm of everyday culture.
As he prepares to premiere his long-awaited drag debut he discovers a baby abandoned on his doorstep, “What in the gay hell?” he shrieks. Jerry is ill prepared to deal with a child, and especially not the oddly precocious Baby Dorian (Vato Tsikurishvili) who has adult sensibilities and puerile needs.
Somehow the two communicate, Jerry speaks to him as a peer, while Dorian makes hilariously expressive baby responses also readable to the audience. This crazy buy-in is the magical moment when both Jerry (and the audience) travel down the rabbit hole together in an absurdist fantasy anchored by a tender story of hope and determination. After all, Dorian, who has the head of a grownup with the body of a toddler, is just the beginning of your compact with the playwright.
 Alex Mills as Jerry. Photo by Koko Lanham. To keep his date at the theatre, Jerry strikes a deal with Dorian to nap while he goes out. But Dorian, oddly advanced far beyond his binky-sucking years, demands a bedtime story. After some negotiation – – The Three Bears and Little Red Riding Hood are nixed by Dorian as being too scary – – Jerry settles on “A Tale of Two Cities”, the telling of which requires him to assume each character’s role from Dickens’s classic story. Be sure to brush up on the story ahead of time. The Playbill affords no descriptions of the book’s characters, and it can get somewhat complicated if you’re trying to keep track of who’s who.
Through countless back-and-forth costume changes (wigs, hats and costumes worthy of a diva’s wardrobe), dozens of props are imaginatively employed – – an old school bell serves to sound the Bastille’s call to arms.
 Alex Mills as his character Jerry’s Drag persona, Betty-May. Photo by Koko Lanham Mills, who in a herculean effort to keep Dorian (and us!) amused, never leaves the set, keeping the dialogue and quick changes at warp speed. N. B. Madame LaFarge didn’t knit as fast as this!
In this ultra demanding topsy-turvy role, Mills gives us the performance of a lifetime. His various characters are sharply executed and his brisk segues, physicality, and change of accents are astounding. The words ‘bravery’ and ‘fabulous’ come to mind. Do not leave your seat until the denouément. I promise it will blow your mind. Of course, that’s exactly why we love Synetic!
Highly recommended.
Through June 21st at Synetic Theater, 1800 South Bell Street, Arlington in Crystal City. For tickets and information call 866 811-4111 or visit www.synetictheater.org.
Jordan Wright
May 20, 2015
Special to The Alexandria Times
 Wesley Taylor (Emcee), Rachel Schur, Jamie Eacker, Colleen Hayes, Maria Rizzo, Jessica Thorne in Cabaret at Signature Theatre. Photo by Margot Schulman. Willkommen into The MAX for Signature Theatre’s production of Cabaret and you’ll be transported to post World War I Berlin in Set Designer Misha Kachman’s replica of the Kit Kat Klub where half the audience is seated on bentwood chairs at café tables lit with silk shaded lamps and set with vintage telephones – – all the better to see the slinky chorus girls in their red and black lingerie and gender-bending men in leather and lederhosen. Close too, is a rotating stage rimmed in bare lightbulbs and backdropped by a Mylar curtain. Kachman adds reflective industrial metal panels along the theatre walls and a two-story catwalk with a winding staircase for the show-within-a-show. Off to one side two strapping bare-chested servers staff a wooden bar where patrons can belly up to German beer and Riesling at intermission.
As both Director and Choreographer, Matthew Gardiner doesn’t miss his cue when it comes to razzle-dazzle and flat-out sensationalism in this John Kander/Fred Ebb collaboration based on stories from Christopher Isherwood, that darling of Virginia Woolf’s Bloomsbury Group. There are high kicks and undulating spines, reminiscent of Bob Fosse, and plenty of titillating duets and risqué ménages. This may be the Kit Kat Klub, but there’s nothing kittenish about it.
 Wesley Taylor (Emcee) in Cabaret at Signature Theatre. Photo by Margot Schulman Wesley Taylor plays the Emcee, a role that calls for major attitude. His character is meant to be both alluring and dominating, and Taylor pulls it off with aplomb managing to affect a character of sadistic amorality and razor-sharp charm in an atmosphere so sexually charged a single match could set the whole theatre ablaze.
 Barrett Wilbert Weed (Sally) in Cabaret at Signature Theatre. Photo by Margot Schulman. Sally Bowles is played by the darling, doe-eyed Barrett Wilbert Weed – – a dizzyingly, captivating charmer with exquisite pipes that seems to have been recently sprung from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s imagination. Her Sally is softer than most, more vulnerable and madly in love with Cliff, a Midwestern English teacher who has chosen a rather inopportune place and time, during the rise of the Nazi regime, to write a novel. “I like this city,” he quips. “It’s both tacky and terrible.” Gregory Wooddell is masterful (and swoon-worthy) as Cliff – – managing to be both subtle and forceful in his interpretation of the lovesick innocent abroad.
 Rick Foucheux (Herr Schultz) and Naomi Jacobson (Fraulein Schneider) in Cabaret at Signature Theatre. Photo by Margot Schulman. But it’s grim times for the couple and their new friends, landlady Fraulein Schneider (Naomi Jacobson), Ernst the smuggler and Nazi sympathizer (Bobby Smith), Fraulein Kost, the prostitute (Maria Rizzo), and Herr Schultz (Rick Foucheux), the fruit seller. Jackboots and turncoats keep encroaching on their merry life. For Sally, it’s her last chance for a life outside the cruel reality of a seedy nightclub in a rapidly changing world. But she is afraid to take it. “One must keep mobile,” she gaily tells Cliff before launching into a goosebump-worthy version of the ballad “Maybe This Time”.
 Wesley Taylor (Emcee) and the Kit Kat Boys and Girls in Cabaret at Signature Theatre. Photo by Margot Schulman. Look for all your favorite numbers – – “The Money Song”, “Perfectly Marvelous”, “Cabaret” and “Willkommen” to thrill as expected, especially as backed by a fabulous 9-piece orchestra led by Conductor and Pianist, Jon Kalbfleisch. Costumes by award-winning designer, Frank Labovitz run the gamut from sexy lingerie, beaded flapper dresses and 1930’s hausfrau frocks, to the sinister uniforms of the Third Reich.
Through June 28th at Signature Theatre (Shirlington Village), 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206. For tickets and information call 703 820-9771 or visit www.signature-theatre.org.
Jordan Wright
May 17, 2015
Special to The Alexandria Times
 Michael Russotto, Susan Lynskey
Photo credit Chris Banks In 1930’s Russia, privacy was a luxury afforded to no one. Suspicion and accusation were the business of the ‘The State’ and its bureaucracy was vast and unyielding. In The Letters, playwright John W. Lowell thrusts us headlong into the underbelly of the Soviet political machine in a two-person drama that focuses on the machinations of that pursuit.
Anna is an editor in a department investigating famed Soviet composer Tchaikovsky for his homosexual lifestyle, a crime against the State. His personal cache of letters to an unnamed man, have been confiscated, and her department of three has been tasked with investigating and censoring them for homophonous references. In this Orwellian world of interrogator-and-accused all perceived ‘illegal’ activities threaten the business of the State and those who breached these anti-intellectual statutes were tortured into confession or sentenced to a life in a remote gulag or death. It is a cautionary tale, one which calls to mind the evil regimes of the Spanish Inquisition and Nazi era.
The Director is the apparatchik on whose stringent edicts all investigations turn. When Anna is summoned into his office, a single room in which the play is set, it is to frighten her into implicating her fellow editors by accusing them of concealing copies of the letters. The explanation as to why she would defend their honor, is left to the audience’s imagination.
Anna Borisovna, a widow whose late husband, a cellist, was also in the Arts. Because of that she is seen to be sympathetic to Tchaikovsky’s fate, and in turn the fate of her two colleagues, the young Josef and the elder Pavel. Offering her an advancement, the Director alternately flatters, “No person likes their efforts to be ignored,” and threatens, “You are already a dupe,” he insinuates, suggesting she is covering for her fellow editors. “Are you also a traitor?”
As his seemingly innocent conversation of feigned familiarity unfolds we soon realize he is bent on entrapping her into revealing the location of the letters and admitting a conspiracy among her associates. But Anna catches on to the cat-and-mouse game and turns the tables on the Director. “In this office Truth is an annoyance, an embarrassment,” she asserts, hoping to dissuade his diabolical methods.
 Susan Lynskey –
Photo credit: Chris Banks Susan Lynsky, whom we adored most recently in MetroStage’s production of “Ghost-Writer” in a role that earned her a Helen Hayes Awards nomination, is the consummate actor. Her ability to inhabit the spirit and gravitas of Anna is a master class in character divination and the reason she is so highly regarded in her craft. To watch her is to appreciate her finely tuned technique of actualizing her character by slow turns. Here we see her ability to turn on a dime from shrinking violet to pouncing cat, and make it believable – – in spades.
 Michael Russotto
Photo credit: Chris Banks Michael Russotto plays the pugnacious and arrogant Ministry Director. He is the perfect counterpoint to Lynsky’s controlled unfolding of Anna. He struts and poses, gesticulates wildly, and terrifies convincingly, taking full use of the whole stage to inform and establish his character. A skill few actors ever do well.
Giorgos Tsappas present us with a spare set – – a desk and a smattering of chairs – – all the better to focus on the performers. Stage lighting, reminiscent of a 1930’s movie, is masterfully designed by Alexander Keen.
Taut, crisp and politically charged, it is highly recommended.
At MetroStage through June 14th – 1201 North Royal Street, Alexandria, 22314. For tickets and information visit www.metrostage.org.
Jordan Wright
May 18, 2015
Robert Wiedmaier Opens Villain & Saint (You wish you had this bar in your neighborhood!); Lupo Verde Springs to Life with New Seasonal Menu; AC Hotel Brings Euro Vibe to National Harbor; Mastro’s Steakhouse Stakes Its Claim on 13th Street; Blue Duck Tavern Reveals Its Roots
Villain & Saint
Have you ever dreamt of a bar with lava lamps and tintype portraits of deceased rock stars gracing the walls? How about nightly live bands fired by a killer AV system? You’re almost there. Add to that a crop of fiercely talented (and greatly tattooed) bartenders plus food designed by one of the city’s finest chefs. Ready?
At Villain & Saint well-known restaurateur Robert Wiedmaier along with Frank Shull, Chef Brian McBride and Joe Lively have created a hipster Valhalla by channeling the glory days of Haight-Ashbury. Adjacent to the Bethesda Farm Women’s Market and smack dab in the heart of Bethesda, it’s the perfect place for Wiedmaier to hang with biker pals David Guas, chef/owner of Bayou Bakery and author of the new book Grill Nation; and R.J. Cooper of Rogue 24 and Gypsy Soul. Expect bands to kick it in the best Blues, Rock, Indie Jazz and Heavy Metal tradition. At last month’s opening Wiedmaier had booked his favorite local band The Lloyd Dobler Effect and a soul singer named Katrina.
 The Lloyd Dobler Effect / Soul singer, Katrina, at Villain & Saint Chef Tom Meyer helms the kitchen, which offers healthful choices on the ‘Saint’ side of the menu and heartier fare on the ‘Villain’ side. We tried the Farmhouse Deviled Eggs and a bowl of Clams with Sherry Vinegar listed under ‘Hand and Bar Food’; Zucchini Pancakes with smoked salmon, grilled Granny Smith apples and chive crème fraiche; and the Burrata with Heirloom Tomatoes, which were deemed saint-worthy. But just to prove we weren’t being too all-fired reverential, we washed it down with a ‘Fillmore East’ cocktail of Altos Tequila, Honey-Ginger, Grapefruit and Club Soda and ‘Bye-Bye Miss American Pie’ made with Fireball, Calvados and lemon.
 Deviled Eggs / Clams with Sherry Vinegar There’s no way to cover the extensive cocktail, wine and beer menu to do it justice, but I took note of some of the more unusual selections like Ole Smoky Peach Moonshine from Tennessee, Tito’s Vodka from Texas, and Big Swell IPA from Maui Brewing. This place has hip, hot and happening written all over it.
For nightly music schedules visit www.VillainandSaint.com
Lupo Verde Redux
 The upstairs bar at Lupo Verde You’ve already heard me rave about Lupo Verde. I’ll go any chance I get. In fact I wish I lived around the corner. It’s cozy (brick walls, high ceilings and high brownstone windows). The food is great and the service attentive. There’s always an insider crowd and lots of friendly chatter. On a recent visit I tried out their new spring menu. Do I need an excuse?
 Squid Ink Scialatielli / Roasted Pork Short Ribs with polenta cream and apricots The menu is crammed with classics executed with a modern twist. There are so many delicioso dishes listed, I struggled to decide. Gratefully our waiter guided us, because everything on the menu was calling out to me.
Usually we go back to a favorite restaurant with a certain dish in mind. We crave it. Our food memory says, “I want that thing, and only that thing, again!” We race out the door pursuing it like Jason after the Golden Fleece. For me, Lupo Verde is one of those places. Though here my quest is for the next craveable thing.
 Beef Carpaccio / Seared Scallops in artichoke cream with fried baby artichokes One of those must-haves is Chef Domenico Apollaro’s sheer-as-a-windowpane Beef Carpaccio with Arugula Pesto. Like a Siren, it sings to me.
But a new dish this spring captured my heart and palate. Capesante Scottate – – a little antipasto with plancha-seared scallops, a lemony artichoke cream and delicately fried artichokes. Here baby artichokes, rarely seen in our markets, are so tender they are fried whole.
 An assortment of salumi at Lupo Verde A dish I love on the ‘Primi’ section of the menu is the Scialatielli al Nero – – squid ink infused pasta with ‘nduja salame and garlicky prawns. For my carnivorous-leaning plus one, there was the delectable Costine di Maiale – – fork-tender roasted pork short ribs with polenta cream and apricots. Sumptuous!
Forewarning: If you start out with a small selection of salumi and formaggio with berries, handmade breadsticks and addictive walnut bread, which we most assuredly did, you can barely squeeze in a dessert. But if you come with the thought of indulging in salumi and cheeses you cannot go wrong. There are over 100 different varieties of cheeses and charcuterie items to choose from. Ricotta and mozzarella are made in-house while the rest are from local farmers or imported from Italy. There are also several house-cured meats including pancetta, lardo, testa, paté and porchetta.
www.LupoVerdeDC.com
New AC Hotel in National Harbor
 AC Lounge Last week National Harbor’s new AC Hotel held a preview party to introduce local press to their new property. The AC is a Marriott life-style hotel brand geared towards millenials who will appreciate the contemporary styling, scads of modern technology and complimentary Wi-Fi.
 Capital Wheel at National Harbor Entering from Waterfront Street we took the ground floor elevator up one flight to find an expansive lobby with a bar, lounge and concierge station. Although it was a warm evening, a double-sided fireplace in the center of the large room begged to be cozied up to. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor terrace lay a fantastic view of the Potomac River and the giant Capital Wheel.
 Blue Logan captures the scene Leather ottomans, cocktail tables and lounges dot the room, and a courtyard off the lobby has more lounges and fire pits for chilly evenings. New York artist, Blue Logan, captured the scene and the hordes of guests with a mural to be hung in the lobby.
Reflecting the European style, the event was catered by Fabio and Maria Trabocchi’s DC restaurant, Casa Luca. ‘Tea-Tinis’ were by Capital Teas and wine cocktails were by Vino Teano. A ‘Moonshine Bar’, presented by Belle Isle Craft Spirits, was out in the courtyard along with beers by DC Brau. The bar features some nice local craft beers, on-tap wines, handcrafted cocktails and tapas.
 Cream of Artichoke Soup by Casa Luca / Seafood Paella from Casa Luca at the AC Hotel Though there is not a restaurant on-site in this 192-room hotel, the kitchen serves a European-influenced daily breakfast including sweet and savory tarts, freshly baked croissants and a selection of artisan-cured meats and cheeses to nibble on. Be sure to check out the Library, fitness center, 3,700-square-feet of meeting space. In a nod to the river’s proximity and its many boats at dock, modern nautical accents are found throughout the hotel.
Here’s a recipe for one of the handcrafted cocktails from AC Lounge.
 Cherry Blossom Sour Cherry Blossom Sour
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounces Sloop Betty Vodka (handcrafted in Maryland)
- ¼ ounce St. Germain
- ¼ ounce Simple Syrup
- ¼ ounce Cherry Brandy
- ¼ ounce Oloroso Sherry
- 1 ounce Lemon Juice
- 1 Mint sprig to garnish
- Glass Rim with vanilla sugar
Method
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake 10-20 times. Double strain into a vanilla sugar rimmed cocktail glass and garnish with mint sprig.
To Make Vanilla Sugar
Split one vanilla bean in half, remove seeds and whisk in a bowl with ½ cup of sugar.
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Mastro’s Dazzles in Penn Quarter
If you thought Mastro Steakhouse only serves steak, you can put that idea to rest. At their opening party blowout, meat was almost an afterthought. A massive iced seafood display, spilling over with giant tiger shrimp, Alaskan King crab legs and Blue Point oysters was the size of a 73’ Cadillac Fleetwood.
Everything is done up to the nines in this 14,000 foot space. The entry features a custom-designed glass chandelier 8-foot in diameter. A bar is covered in Italian marble and black granite with walls sheathed in cork overlaid with a golden finish. Dark stained floors inlaid with marble spell glamor and an elaborate metal staircase leads to a lower level with leather banquettes and wood-topped tables. The sophisticated space plans live entertainment at the upstairs bar seven nights a week.
 The seafood display at Mastro’s preview party The glamorous restaurant is renowned for indulgent, signature dishes such as a two-foot-tall seafood tower, lobster mashed potatoes, and Warm Butter Cake. On this night we sampled a little of everything, especially at the champagne bar dedicated to Veuve Cliquot and Moet Chandon.
To celebrate the 13th outpost of the Mastro’s chain a step and repeat wall let partygoers capture the memory.
Menu and Chef Changes at Blue Duck Tavern
The arrival of Executive Chef Ryan LaRoche to head up The Blue Duck Tavern kitchen has brought about some eagerly anticipated changes. All for the better. LaRoche, who has been trumpeted by Esquire as one of their “Top Five Chefs to Watch”, has his sights set on proving exactly that.
 Chef Brad Deboy serving up slow roasted porcetta He is joined by Chef de Cuisine Brad Deboy, formerly of the beloved Vidalia; and Pastry Chef, Naomi Gallego, formerly of the three-star Le Diplomate, who has soared to prominence as “Pastry Chef of the Year” and 2008 James Beard Foundation nominee for “Outstanding Pastry Chef”.
 Chocolate Cheesecake Bars by Naomi Gallego The evening’s reception was held on the terrace, where herbs and lettuces share space with river birch trees, and a gentle fountain screens out street noise.
 Rabbit Mousse with gooseberry compote and peanut brittle – Blue Duck Tavern’s canning efforts Separate stations were arranged for the individual chefs to show off their impressive creations and tasty hors d’oeuvres were passed along with ‘District Snap’, a cocktail made with Mt. Gay rum, snap pea juice, mint, lime brown sugar and soda; and a lush libation called ‘Mellomaro’, made with George Dickel White Whiskey, Aperol, orange, mint and sparkling wine.
 Ryan LaRoche’s Spring Pea Salad with farm cheese, lavender honey, preserved lemon and spiced peanuts Here’s how Chef LaRoche likes to prepare spring peas.
Garden to Table Peas with Mint
Ingredients
- 1 oz unsalted butter
- 4 oz picked fresh peas
- 1 tsp lemon
- pinch of chopped mint
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a sauté pan, melt the butter until it starts to bubble. Add in the peas and sauté until they become soft (one minute). Drizzle lemon juice and add mint to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Photo credit – Jordan Wright
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