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Special for Alexandria Times
Jordan Wright
November 2010
 Andrew Long, Holly Twyford and Jeff McCarthy. Photo by Chris Mueller. If you’ve never hit a golf ball, picked up a club and have no plans to…this play’s for you. Whether your membership to a posh country club, where “A Fox on the Fairway” is set, has expired or you neglected to send in your application, you will love this crazy, frothy, throwback to early Hollywood comic cinema. In an everything-old-is-new-again vein, playwright Ken Ludwig has mined the funny bone in this screwball comedy reminiscent of the days of the Marx Brothers; Cary Grant and Claudette Colbert; and Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn all rolled into one.
When we meet Richard, the urbane manager of Quail Valley Country Club, the mood is dire. Quail Valley has never won the annual golf tournament against rival Crouching Squirrel Club. But the debonair Bingham, as expertly played by Jeff McCarthy, has plans for a reversal of fortune with the entry of a new member with an ace handicap. His counterpart and nemesis from Crouching Squirrel, Dickie, has a surprise of his own and the old archenemies bet the farm on the outcome.
 The Cast of Ken Ludwig's A Fox on the Fairway. Photo credit Scott Suchman. Andrew Long plays Dickie, a veritable Mr. Malaprop who sports appliquéd golf attire and mixes metaphors with aplomb. Holly Twyford as the champagne-swilling, “I would drink water but there’s so much fish in it.” much-married Pamela, slinks through her role so seamlessly and with such universal appeal that we feel we know her. She is sharp, witty and charmingly snide. In a swipe at her ex-husband, Dickie, she tells him, “Never use box tops to buy wearing apparel.”
Swirling around the breakneck action are our young romantics. The fragile, neurotic waitress Louise, played fetchingly by the adorable Meg Steedle, and her hapless (also neurotic) beau, Justin played with puppy dog pathos by Aubrey Deeker. Their on-again off-again engagement keeps them in a dither as their breakups mount and the club’s chances for the cup dwindle.
Enter Bingham’s wife Muriel, full of frustration and cool anger. Valerie Leonard has a firm grip on the character’s hot-and-cold personality. In fact the entire cast performs with such unanimity and slick precision it will take your breath away.
Signature Theatre is blessed to have the world premiere of “A Fox on the Fairway”. Here internationally-acclaimed playwright Ken Ludwig, in a production more in line with his long-running Broadway play “Lend Me a Tenor”, revives the art of the sophisticated farce full of high anxiety. It’s madcap mayhem replete with high jinks and snappy repartee.
Tony award-winning director John Rando, who worked with Ludwig on “Be My Baby”, carves up a dazzling choreography full of leaps and bounds and canoodling and cavorting worthy of a New Yorker cartoon.
Take this under advisement: Make sure your belt is buckled and your buttons are sewn on tight, this riotous romp will split your sides in two! And do not, I repeat, do not under any circumstances leave the theatre before the cast takes their bows. I will not play the spoiler, but believe me it is a delicious surprise full of theatrical brilliance.
For tickets and information visit www.signature-theatre.org or call 703 820-9771. The play runs until November 14th.
Special to the Washington Examiner
By: Jordan Wright
October 26, 2010
 Mixed Olives By all accounts the health benefits of the mono-unsaturated extra virgin olive oil are well documented. As the foundation of the much-lauded Mediterranean Diet, research has shown its high levels of anti-oxidants, good fats and phenols to be necessary to maintain a healthy diet. Okay, we are all in agreement with that.
But scientific testing at the University of California Davis has revealed that a number of the better-known olives oils, labeled “extra virgin” are anything but. Some are diluted and quite a few erroneously labeled as to country of origin. Not only are they compromised by the addition of seed or nut oils or even “pomace” the detritus from olives, but also they also come from countries other than those printed on their labels.
So how can you be sure you’re getting the health benefits from the extra virgin olive oil you purchase? Recently I’ve noticed that the olive oil I’ve purchased in my local market has not been up to snuff. Supermarket store brands labeled extra virgin olive oil have slight flavor variances but the overall quality is lackluster and I want more depth of flavor, more authenticity. I began to wonder why on trips abroad and to olive growing areas like California, the food was so superior to the same dishes that are often replicated and served in restaurants or homes. I began to think about it…perhaps obsess would describe the feeling better…and to seek out explanations.
It began at Agora earlier this summer, a new Dupont Circle Turkish restaurant in Washington, DC, where I found a world of flavor unfolding on my plate. The olive oil they used had a nutty pungent olive essence that was fruity and rich tasting and brightened the traditional mezes. Creamy spreads like htipiti made with roasted peppers, feta and thyme and labneh, a simple dish of Turkish yogurt they serve with diced apples and walnuts came alive with a more robust flavor. Both dishes were drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, but why was there such a dramatic difference in these oft-served Mediterranean dishes?
In a call to Agora’s owner Latif Guler, I discovered the source of the aromatic and flavorful oil that he uses. “It comes from our family olive groves in Foca near Izmir on the west coast of Turkey. These are our own trees and I know the quality,” he informed me. “It was my goal to use this first press oil even before we opened. I told my father who owns a restaurant and hotel in our small village that I had to have it for my restaurant too!”
He explained that it is commonplace throughout the Mediterranean for families to cart olives from their small private groves to local mills, dividing the precious oil among close family members. This short hop from grower to miller insures the quality, origin and purity of the resulting product. And since olive oil is the only oil that can be consumed freshly pressed from the fruit without further processing, like wine, it has its own distinct characteristics.
But for those of us without our own personal olive groves, how can we know what we are buying and how fresh it is?
I started asking around and kicked up a lot of dust. I discovered every chef had a fierce loyalty to particular brands they swore by to enhance and complement the flavor profile of their dishes.
American Chef Marc Collins Shares His Favorite EVOO
Let’s begin in the South with American chef Marc Collins of Charleston, South Carolina’s Circa 1886 Restaurant, whose food is on the posh edgy side. Collins has a predilection for molecular gastronomy and plays with complex techniques to re-interpret regional favorites. He prefers West Coast Products’ brand of extra virgin olive oil, a California company that has been processing locally grown olives since 1937. Lately Collins’ is serving a heart-healthy whipped olive oil “butter” using this oil.
Executive Chef Marc Collins’ Recipe for Olive Oil Butter
65grams (or 2.29 ounces) of Texturas Glice
700ml (or 23.7 fluid ounces) of good EVOO
300ml (or 1.27 cups) of good canola oil
1 tsp sea salt.
Place the glice and all of the oil into a pot and heat to 140˚ F. Remove from the heat source and cool overnight.
The next day take half of the oil mixture and put it into a blender. Grind the salt to a powder and place half of it into the blender as well. Blend on high until creamy and pour into a container. Do this with the other half as well. Chill overnight. Place this mixture into a mixer fitted with a whip attachment and whip on high until double in volume. Check the seasoning. Place in a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe rosettes.
 Top grade olive oil from Spain - photo by Jordan Wright You can order Texturas Glice from: www.tienda.com/food/products
Collin’s favorite EVOO comes from: www.westcoastproducts.net
French Chef Eric Ripert On What Complements His Cuisine
French culinary giant Eric Ripert, the three Michelin-starred owner of New York’s Le Bernardin and star of the PBS series “Avec Eric”, likes to conduct blind tastings every few months along with his sous chefs. They put out the ones they have been cooking with alongside a few other high-end olive oils. He acknowledges that they keep returning to the same two brands, but he has noticed that the flavor can vary with the seasons and changes in the climate in the country of origin. “Even though we are always checking to see if there is a better olive oil for us, we find Sitia which is Greek and Frantoia which is Italian, are the most compatible with our cuisine.”
José Andrés Gives a Spanish Olive Oil Primer
Since Spain produces the most olive oil in the world, my inquiries took me to the most acclaimed Spanish chef in the country for his sage advice. José Andrés, who is currently lecturing at Harvard University told me, “People tend to think about olive oil in what you could almost say is a one dimensional way…as a medium for cooking or frying or for use in salads…but it is so much more. It adds flavor, body or silkiness to the texture of dishes. Beyond that people need to recognize that there is not just one olive oil…but many. There are so many varieties of olives suitable for making oil, each with unique characteristics.”
He further explained, “It helps to think of olive oil the way you think about wine. You would never expect a bottle of Barolo from Italy to taste like a California Chardonnay would you? Why then would you have the same expectation of olive oil? Just like when you are talking about wine, the region, the climate, the conditions, the soil, the topography, all these things impact the oil that winds up in the bottle. Olive oils from Andalucia will be different than an olive oil produced in Navarra.”
I was beginning to see the light when Andrés in full throttle expounded on the resultant differences in flavor from particular olives. “The most important factor is the variety of olive used. Some olives, like Picual from Andalucia, are robust and have a pleasant bitter and peppery edge that tickle in the back of the throat. That makes it preferred for salad or gazpacho, dishes where you want an assertive olive oil flavor. Another variety produced in Andalucia, the Hojiblanca, is slightly sweet and very smooth while still retaining a hint of bitterness. It’s good for desserts and salads. Others like Arbequina, produced in Catalunya, or Empeltre, from Aragon, are softer and more delicate with an almost almond flavor. In general the more golden oils tend to be softer and sweeter and the greener ones more fruity and peppery. Some like Lechin from Andalucia and Cornicabra from the region around Toledo and Ciudad Real are wonderful but a pain to harvest so the production is not as high. Or perhaps the yield is low. Still others have little flavor but have great body and thus are used to beef up blends of olive oil.”
Andrés maintains that there is nothing wrong with a blend of varieties. “In fact much of the olive oils that come from Spain are not single varieties. Play with them and see what works best for you,” he suggests.
At his well-known Washington, DC restaurant, Jaleo, he uses a product by Crismona, which is a blend of Andalusian varieties. At minibar by josé andrés they prefer monovarietals.
Here’s his expert primer on Spanish olive oils.
From the Arbequina olive:
Unio and Castillo de Canena both produce good delicate and fruity Arbequina oils.
From the Hojiblanca olive:
Columela
From the Picual olive:
Castillo de Canena also produces a peppery and robust Picual.
Blended Oils
Nunyez de Prado is a nice blend of Picual, Picudo and Hojiblanca, very Andalusian and from Baena near Cordoba. [Author’s note: I have to say that this is my everyday favorite EVOO]. Marquez de Valdueza is another nice blend that uses Arbequina as well as Picual and Hojiblanca and features the Morisca olive grown in Extremadura.
Italian Chef Bryan Moscatello Looks to the Italian Alps
At this point I needed to find out what an Italian chef would choose and I went to Washington, DC Executive Chef Bryan Moscatello of Potenza who sources his favorite olive oil from the Apennine Mountains of Umbria.
“I like Trevi olive oil,” he asserts. “It has fresh grass and citrus undertones with a nice sharp bite on the finish. It is a small producer and scarce. We have made some great olive oil emulsions lately… an olive oil “sponge” for our tomatoes that is delicious in our cantaloupe soup and wonderful in olive oil madeleines! At Potenza we use it to finish the orecchiette with spicy fennel sausage and broccoli rabe.”
No matter the cuisine, French, Italian, American, Turkish or Spanish, chefs are very particular about how the flavor and freshness of extra virgin olive oil can enhance or detract from the success of their dishes. No tasting panel or scientific testing can improve upon their highly developed and discriminating palates.
So what do we the consumers need to look for when buying olive oil?
Notes From a California Producer
Dan Vecere of West Coast Products, whose groves are located east of the Mendocino National Forest, sells the olive oil preferred by, and best suited to, Chef Collins’ cuisine. The EVOO they sell is produced from Arbequina olives all grown locally in Northern California. The olives are harvested and pressed within 24 hours producing a fresh tasting, high quality extra virgin olive oil. I’ve used this artisanal product, and found it has the perfect balance for American Modern cuisine.
The Scientific Revelations
Twenty years ago the FDA began to find problems with extra virgin olive oil. But it wasn’t until last year that the California State Senate passed a bill mandating the purity of state-produced olive oils, which are also under strict guidelines by the FDA and the California State authority.
Last month in a study by the University of California, Davis Olive Oil Chemistry Lab and the Australian Oils Research Lab, a third party analysis was conducted on olive oils labeled as extra virgin. Using international standards put these oils through eleven different chemical and sensory tests to evaluate everything from oleic acid values to peroxide value, UV absorption and fatty acid profile. These tests are indicators of oil quality, purity, oxidation and whether or not an oil has been adulterated or refined. Sensory evaluation by a “blind” taste panel confirmed that the failed samples had defective flavors, such as rancid, fusty and musty.
Certified tasters, using cobalt blue tasting glasses so as not to be influenced by the color of the oil, evaluated the positive attributes of fruitiness, bitterness and pungency as well as identified defective oils by their flavors.
They found that 69% of the imported oils and 10% of the California oils labeled extra virgin olive oil did not meet the International Olive Council (IOC) and US Department of Agriculture’s taste, smell and chemical makeup standards for extra virgin olive oil.
Dan Flynn, executive Director of UC Davis’s Olive Center, which is part of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, warns, “The market now has been flooded with olive oil that has been diluted, blended, and/or not stored properly.”
He acknowledges that California olive oil is more expensive but feels that the one million gallons of EVOO California produces each year is a superior product, “It is like the difference between Dom Perignon or sparkling wine.” He adds, “We feel the California olive oil industry is parallel to the early days of our wine industry here.
Here are some helpful terms he gave me to describe olive oil:
Positive descriptors can be grassy, floral, tropical, nutty buttery or minty with artichoke, green tea, peach, apple or banana notes. Negative descriptors can be earthy, fusty, moldy, rancid, grubby (from olive fly larvae), muddy, woody (from olives that have not been irrigated), or what they refer to as winey-vinegary.
Flynn also let me know that the term “cold pressed” is an archaic term. Preferable appellations are “cold extraction” or “first extraction”.
Here is his advice as to how to select the best olive oil.
1) Look for a dark bottle.
2) Look for a harvest date. Most olive oil should be consumed within a year to 18 months of harvest.
3) Look for the company’s reputation. The US has not had standards in the past. All that will change Oct. 25th when the USDA’s new standards go into effect, though they will be voluntary standards.
4) Typically green oil denotes an early harvest and is more aggressive in flavor. A more golden hue was made later in the season and should taste nutty or buttery.
5) One way is to look for the CA Olive Oil Council’s seal. They are more stringent even than the international standard.
6) The best way is to taste different oils to see which one appeals to you.
That final snippet echoes the advice from our top chefs. And as for buying guidance you can do no better than to follow the wise words of Turkish-born Latif Guler. For pairing olive oil with the cuisine of the country he says, “What grows together goes together.”
Special for Alexandria Times
Jordan Wright
Monday, October 25th 2010
 Lloyd Bittinger (Conductor, background), Erik Harrison (Husband), Margaret Bush (Claire), Bernard Engel (Mayor, behind Margaret), James Ginther (Priest), Robert King (Teacher) Photography: Doug Olmsted “The Visit” opens on a scene remarkable for its drabness. The decaying town of Gullen, German for “manure”, is awash in Dickensian poverty. Buildings are crumbling and its coffers are empty. The entire town is on the dole…its starving citizenry collectively points the finger of blame at everything from communism to a freemason’s plot.
Yet they soon unite around an impending visit from a beautiful yet imperious billionairess known for her largesse. Enter Claire Zachanassian, commandingly played with stunning vitriol by Margaret Bush, who continues to endear local audiences with her stellar performances. As the story unfolds Claire is returning to her childhood home on a quite different mission…to seek revenge. And it is a dish best served cold…very, very cold.
The village, with the mayor at its helm, appoints her childhood sweetheart, Anton Schill, to coax the grande dame into parting with some of her loot. Bernard Engel plays the manipulative mayor with great aplomb, corralling its townsfolk with promises of a prosperous life through Claire’s generosity. Conversely, Anton, slated to become the town’s next mayor, is an altruistic gentleman who runs the local general store. His popularity among his customers is notable and enhanced by allowing them their purchases on credit.
 Left to Right (Balcony) Megan Murphy (Announcer), Erik Harrison (Announcer), Kristi Faye (Reporter) Left to Right; Back to Front (stage) Bernard Engel (Mayor), Rebecca Fischler (Doctor), Lori Brooks (Person of Gullen), Bret Alexander (Person of Gullen), Kea Allis (Person of Gullen), Robert King (Teacher) Photography: Doug Olmsted The maudlin and very married Anton is portrayed by Steve Lada, who serves as the perfect foil for Claire’s chilling vixen. He regales Claire with hazy remembrances of their youthful romancing, but she sets him straight and the bizarre plot twists and turns with a collection of characters that would give Charles Addams a run for his money. But Director William Parker keeps the interactions on track in this complex play riddled with the ghosts of the past.
Teddy Gron in the role of Claire’s butler Boby, is remarkable for his ability to exhude Sturm und Drang and arched eyebrow at all the salient moments.
Erik Harrison, a veritable newcomer to the local theatre scene, plays Claire’s three latest husbands and segues seamlessly into his different identities.
And look for Robert King, playing it very close to the vest as the Teacher, who emerges from the morass of injustice by Gullen’s citizens to erupt in a sea of rectitude and emotion near the play’s end.
Written in 1956 playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s “The Visit” was initially adapted for American audiences by Maurice Valency. It had its first Broadway incarnation in 1958 and was directed at that time by Peter Brook starring Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. The cautionary tale continues to enjoy popularity both in Germany and in the States.
At the Little Theatre of Alexandria from October 23rd till November 13th. For tickets and information call 703 683-0496 or go to www.LittleTheatre.com
Special to Washington Examiner
Up Close With Jordan Wright of Whisk and Quill
October 2010
 Eric Ripert - photo credit Angie Mosier Based on his popular eponymous PBS TV program “Avec Eric”, the book follows culinary superstar and top toque, Eric Ripert, as he explores the culture and tradition of select regions of Italy, the Cayman Islands, New York and California. In his quest to celebrate the bounty of the regions to he loves so well, “AVEC ERIC: A Culinary Journey with Eric Ripert, Featuring Over 100 Simple Recipes “(Wiley), mirrors the show’s sense of adventure and Ripert’s deep appreciation for local and seasonal ingredients.
Part travelogue, part cookbook compendium, it contains over 100 new recipes drawn from Ripert’s most recent journeys. It is filled with snapshots from the fields and waters he traversed, and the hunters and watermen he met and cooked with. Handwritten notes and hand-drawn illustrations give the book a uniquely personal feel reflecting his convivial spirit and the inspiration behind his approach to each dish.
His outpost in Washington, DC is West End Bistro by Eric Ripert.
Jordan Wright – I loved your latest book. Reading it I felt as though I had been on a wonderful trip.
Eric Ripert – It is like going on vacation but staying home. It’s a good reflection of what we have done in the last season.
JW – Your Zen approach to food, approaching it by its origin and terroir and visiting its source, heralds the next generation of chefs. How have your recent journeys informed what you do in the kitchen today?
ER – If you consider cooking an art, inspiration has to come from somewhere, from your surroundings as a chef. I am inspired by the products, the seasons and the people I interact with. It’s kind of a strange process but I digest the information and then, when I create, it comes out in a dish. It always works for me and it’s the same for a lot of chefs. I teach my cooks how to be aware and how to be inspired by where they are.
JW – Your previous book, “On The Line”, was an energetic minute-by-minute account of the running of Le Bernardin and its kitchens…a detailed primer for any high-end restaurant, owner or server. With your newest book, you take the reader with you on your culinary journey to share in your travels. What would you like to say about your latest book?
ER – Well, I loved it! I wanted to do a documentary on the life of our restaurant but in book form instead of filming with a camera. I wanted to pay homage to my team at Le Bernardin. The idea was to be inspirational to young people in our industry and to demonstrate what goes on behind-the-scenes.
JW – I understand you began your career at La Tour d’Argent in Paris. Was that under owner Claude Terrail? I knew his nephew, Patrick, in New York when he ran L’Etoile and in Beverly Hills when he owned Ma Maison.
ER – Yes, and Patrick is back in Paris now managing La Tour D’Argent.
JW – What unique products did you discover while writing this book that you now use?
ER – We discovered a lot of products during our experience – especially conch and black fin tuna in the Cayman Islands. [Ripert’s restaurant, Blue, is located on Grand Cayman Island in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel].
JW – Your remarks as a guest judge on “Bravo’s Top Chef” have been informative and useful to the contestants. What sage advice do you have for up and coming chefs? And would you hire any of the cooks from the show?
ER – Sure, if they are looking for a job and we have some openings! My advice is if you are coming into our industry you need to make sure you have the passion for cooking, and not for becoming famous. You have to work hard, be humble and be open-minded.
JW – I saw you in May at the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC with your cohort, Anthony Bourdain, who wrote the forward to this book. It was a fabulous evening – totally sold out. The audience couldn’t get enough of the live Q and A. I learned that night that you have been waiting to get drunk with The Rolling Stones! Has that happened yet?
ER – Not yet. One can only hope.
JW – What international cuisine would you next like to experience in your travels?
ER – I love Japanese cuisine and would love to spend more time in Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.
JW – In what direction do you think in-home cooking is going?
ER – I think it has been lost a little bit in the past decade, but is coming back strongly because of the recession. People are more inclined to cook at home now because of the influence of cooking shows and celebrity chefs. Today we see more and more people looking for sustainable ingredients, good quality ingredients, and being more concerned about their source.
JW – What can we expect in Season 2 of Avec Eric?
ER – You’ll see more inspiration, more cooking and more fun. We shot in the Caribbean, in Virginia and Upstate New York and Italy too. In Virginia we went to Urbanna to see the soft-shell crabs and visited Wallace Edwards and Sons in Surry for the hams. Later we shot an episode with Patrick O’Connell at The Inn at Little Washington.
JW – What would you prepare to seduce a beautiful woman?
ER – First of all I would try to find out if she has allergies! Then I would prepare something savory, flavorful, light and refined, of course.
JW – What historical person would you most like to dine with? And why?
ER – The Dalai Lama.
JW – Didn’t you just cook for him on his recent visit to New York?
ER – Yes, but I didn’t eat with him!
JW – What did you serve?
ER – I gave him wild salmon served in a light broth infused with a lot of herbs and spices and with summer vegetables. And he ate it all!
JW – You had a bit of a mishap during one of your visits in Italy. What are your new and improved plans the next time you run into a wild boar?
ER – To have a gun with me! Though, no, no, no, maybe not, I’m not a hunter. But I’d like to be close to a big tree that I could climb up in.
This interview was conducted, edited and condensed by Jordan Wright.
Recipe for Spice-Crusted Duck Breast by Eric Ripert for “Avec Eric”
SPICE-CRUSTED DUCK BREAST WITH ORANGE-HONEY GLAZE AND CUMIN-SCENTED CARROTS
 Spice-Crusted Duck Breast with Orange-Honey Glaze and Cumin-Scented Carrots My visit to a bee sanctuary in Sonoma, California inspired me to start cooking more with honey. It is a versatile ingredient that adds a nice, fl oral sweetness.
SERVES 4
CUMIN-SCENTED CARROTS
1 ½ pounds baby carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon honey
1/3 cup water, approx.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ lemon
SPICED DUCK BREAST
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground star anise
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless duck breast halves, trimmed
fine sea salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Place the carrots in a large skillet with the butter, honey, and about cup of water. Heat over medium-high heat and season the carrots with cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are lightly caramelized and tender, about 20 minutes. Finish the carrots with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Stir together the coriander, cumin, star anise, white pepper and cayenne pepper in a small bowl to blend. Season the duck breasts on both sides with salt, then coat the skin side of the duck breasts with the spice mixture, forming a crust.
Divide the canola oil between 2 sauté pans and heat over medium heat. When the pans are hot, gently place 2 duck breasts, skin sides down, in each pan. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the skin is golden brown and crispy, 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the duck breasts over and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the duck breasts to a cutting board to rest. Return the pans to the stove.
Divide the shallots between the pans and cook over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the orange juice, lemon juice and honey, dividing equally. Simmer to reduce by half, about 8 minutes. Finish the pan sauce by whisking in the butter and seasoning to taste with salt. Combine the sauce into one pan.
Thinly slice the duck breasts crosswise and place the duck slices on 4 plates. Spoon some of the sauce over the duck and serve with the roasted carrots.
Special to the Georgetowner and Downtowner
Jordan Wright
October 2010
Tapas Menu Introduced at Taberna
 Cheese platter with honeycomb at Taberna Del Alaberdero - photo by Jordan Wright Taberna del Alaberdero is shedding its stuffy image as an Old World Spanish restaurant and appealing to a younger crowd with the addition of an extensive tapas menu and a Sunday brunch that features a different region of Spain each month. November explores the foods of the Northern sea coast of Cantabria, a region known for its seafood.
 White Sangria at Taberna Del Alaberdero - photo by Jordan Wright New chef, Javier Romero, comes to Washington by way of several Michelin-starred restaurants and brings with him his success as the Numero Uno chef in Madrid in 2005, topped only by securing fourth place in 2006 for all of Spain. He employs his classical training to create tapas, infusing bold flavors in tiny bites.
I particularly liked his Arroz Cremoso de Rabo de Toro y Judiones (braised oxtail and fava beans) with its slow-cooked meat and creamy beans served over rice and Brick de Morcilla con Manzana y Parmesano, which is anything but brick-like and features blood sausage cradled in a pastry crisp, and served with apple slices and parmesan cheese. Typical tapas like Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp with garlic) and the traditional potato and egg omelet are well executed and there are over a dozen other tasty morsels to nibble on before polishing it all off with Spanish cheeses served with an aromatic honey still in its comb.
Though summer has past, make sure to try either the white or red sangria. It is never out of season for sneaking luscious fresh fruit into your meal even if it is saturated with wine. These are the best sangrias in town.
The Jockey Club Gets a New Chef – Again
 Steak Tartare with Quail Egg at The Jockey Club - photo by Jordan Wright Speaking of new chefs in town The Jockey Club at The Fairfax at Embassy Row has snagged Ralf Hofmann, with his classic American style and light approach to fish and vegetables. His signature dishes like Lobster “Bratwurst” and Root Vegetable Gnocchi continue to draw the posh and political as evidenced by the appearance of Hilary Clinton on the evening I dined there. I am told she ordered her favorite, Dover Sole Lemon Meuniére. I went for the Steak Tartare, I often do, and this version was spot on.
The hotel will host the 2011 Capital Wine Festival on January 20th with a very affordable weekly dinner series limited to only 60 guests. It will pair Chef Hofmann’s cuisine with wines from around the world.
Rivers at the Watergate Gives Foggy Bottom a New Power Dining Spot
The darling of the legendary Prime Rib, Billy Carter, has moved on to open Rivers at the Watergate, where he is the proprietor. I don’t usually follow the vicissitudes of restaurant managers except that so many of us know and love Billy from his 34 years at the Prime Rib that it was a stunner when he announced his move to open this new venture featuring Contemporary American Cuisine with a twist – Asian and Southern thrown in for good measure.
“I was surprised at the changing and sophisticated palates of our clientele,” Carter told me. “Dishes we put on the menu, like Whole Rockfish with ginger black bean sauce and rice vermicelli stir-fry, and Ginger Steamed Cod with sesame rice balls, were things that Mike and I liked and that have really taken off.” Mike is Mike Smithson, former chef at The Prime Rib in Philadelphia, who also did stints at Morton’s and Ruth Chris. Yes, he knows beef, and yes, they have fabulous steaks and zinfandel-braised short ribs too.
It’s not the same K Street crowd that Carter has welcomed in the past, though many of the swank regulars have caught on to the new location. Now you might find the cast of “Hair” popping in after the show from nearby Kennedy Center, along with prima ballerina Suzanne Farrell, and uber-composer Marvin Hamlisch, soon to perform with the National Symphony Orchestra, who was taking lunch between rehearsals as we spoke. Note to Marvin: There is a piano at the bar just itching for a little ragtime. Text me!
The restaurant’s name celebrates the rivers of the world and plans are to feature one river each season to reflect that cuisine. Italy looks to be the first.
Arena Stage Hits the Heights
 E. Faye Butler at Arena Stage's Opening Day - photo by Jordan Wright On Saturday we witnessed the opening of the new glittering, glimmering, glass-walled Arena Stage where three main stages will seat 1400 audience members.
Former Artistic Director, Doug Wager, who came to the struggling theatre in 1974 recounted founder Zelda Fichandler’s words, “”Maybe you can’t pass the torch,” she once told him. “Maybe you just pass the fire.”
“We’ve raised the roof and what a home it is!” heralded current Artistic Director Molly Smith, who noted the “Zen-like aura about the place.”
 Arena Stage - Photo by Jordan Wright Performers and playwrights from the theatre’s upcoming calendar were showcased throughout the venue. We saw alumni artist, E. Faye Butler, who is appearing in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma” till December 26th and former Tony award-nominee, Brad Oscar. The Manzari Brothers, who I interviewed earlier in the year when they were blowing audiences out of their seats with their tapping talents in “Sophisticated Ladies”, and the Voices of Now, Arena Stages’ creative DC youth group were only a few of the full day’s indoor/outdoor performances.
 Jose Andres oversees his operation at Arena Stage - photo by Jordan Wright There is so much to look forward to in this shining new venue…a vivid contribution to the revitalization of its Southwest neighborhood, world-class theatre, and José Andrés brilliant cuisine where many of the dishes are influenced by the season’s productions. Look for an inspired and eclectic menu served in a sleek café, that make it a pre-theatre dinner destination. Sipping champagne on the outdoor terrace overlooking the Potomac is optional but recommended.
Cuba Libre Opens DC Outpost
 Organic Salmon Ceviche with orange salad, orange-passion fruit sauce and salmon caviar - photo by Jordan Wright At long last and after many false starts Cuba Libre opened its puertas in Penn Quarter and I found both good and bad to report. First the expected: It is a fun, super-lively, noisy hot spot. Second the management team has gotten it right with informed servers, gracious door host and fast and efficient service. The freshly made mojitos are crazy fabulous, especially the pineapple, but not forgetting the beet and basil rendition. Dear Lord, there are 15 to choose from!
Over 75 premium and flavored rums from Brazil, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Tortola will keep you experimenting for a good long while. The restaurant itself has six of their own branded rums, anejos aged up to 21 years, and made in Guayana.
 Lump Crab Ceviche with Smoked Cheddar Cheese, tomatillos and candied peanut salsa from Cuba Libre - photo by Jordan Wright Ceviches are memorable especially the scallop with blackened tomatillo-truffle sauce and goat cheese confetti. I opted for the flight of five, great for sharing.
Now for the disappointing part. The Nuevo Cubano cuisine didn’t always match the mouth-watering dishes described on the menu. Arepas are better eaten off local street trucks, ditto for the tostones. Somewhere along the line the baby octopus had the life taken out of it by overcooking and “whole roasted fillet of Australian sea bass” was a meager half inch by four inch slice and way overcooked. My charming server steered us away from the Gaucho platter, which I was eager to try, and put us on to the pork, which was dull and tough. Still I’ll go back to see if they make a good Cuban sandwich and to sample the four varieties of empanadas.
Stick to the bebidas and piqueos . Calle Ocho and South Beach still beckon.
Special to the Georgetowner and Downtowner
Jordan Wright
October 2010
On a leisurely two-hour drive from Washington DC through Piedmont wine country, past farms and orchards, we stopped for lunch in the one-light historic town of Madison at Susie’s Madison Inn. This cheery and charming restaurant with country French decor, served us a delicious lunch of wild mushroom soup, mountain trout, calves liver and bacon, and a mozzarella salad with heirloom tomatoes from nearby Shady Grove Gardens.
Owner Susie Reilly is a former Georgetown grad who has augmented her cuisine with local chef, Cheryl Goldsborough’s, adorable cupcakes, hummingbird cake and rum-infused Jamaican coconut cake sold from glass cases in the restaurant’s front bar area. Expect to find wines from nearby Sweely Estate Winery and Barboursville Vineyards to accompany your meal, which we topped off with their signature bread pudding and mixed berries, before we headed down the road to our destination.
 The Boar's Head Inn - Charlottesville, VA If like myself you haven’t visited the Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville in a dog’s age you will be stunned to see its transformation from an aging resort in the late ‘80’s to a luxury property. Shortly after my last visit the University of Virginia took over ownership of the resort establishing it as a foundation, and recently poured in over 14 million dollars in the past five years in extensive renovations and redecoration with the addition of the state-of-the-art sports center, conference center and spa.
The inn, which takes its name from Elizabethan England when it was a symbol of hospitality, is situated on 573 acres of natural beauty. A winding driveway takes you around the grounds past rolling lawns before delivering you to the porte-cochere and into the lobby and public rooms which are exquisitely furnished in English antiques. Our room, like others in this 170-room inn, had a balcony overlooking a serene lake graced by a pair of resident swans. I strolled down to the water’s edge before dinner and sat on a swing beside a stand of native cardinal flowers, where I watched the sun’s sparkling reflection off the lake before it faded behind the Blue Ridge Mountains.
 The Old Mill Room - photo by Jordan Wright We met up in the cozy Tavern for drinks before our dinner in The Old Mill Restaurant. The warm and elegant dining room was originally reconstructed from an old water gristmill built on the Hardware River in 1834. Dismantled and transferred from Albemarle County to its present site, it was reassembled using fieldstones from the foundation for the Tavern’s fireplace and the archway in the Ordinary Room where guests sip cocktails and take tea in the afternoons. Original pine planks from the mill are incorporated throughout the inn and the old millstones are imbedded in the inn’s courtyard. It is an enchanting setting for a restaurant that still maintains its 23-year running AAA Four-Diamond distinction.
 Dover sole Stuffed with Lobster and served with Pea Risotto and Bok Choy - photo by Jordan Wright In a room romantically lit by wrought iron chandeliers, a toasty fireplace and candlelight we took our dinner. Executive Chef Bill Justus, suggested Vanilla Bean-infused Duck Breast and Charred Sea Scallops on Polenta with Virginia ham and grilled corn succotash. For our second courses we enjoyed Dover Sole stuffed with Lobster and Bok Choy and served with pea risotto and a very large bone-in Veal Chop finished with brandy cream. The elegant service (I particularly appreciated the offer to decant our bottle of 2007 Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir) and first-rate cuisine was exquisite. We gilded the lily with desserts of Cashew Banana Caramel with cinnamon ice cream and Chocolate Pave with a chocolate tuile. How perfectly they paired with our flutes of Blanc de Blanc from nearby Kluge Estate Winery!
 Cashew Banana Caramel in Phyllo with Cinnamon Ice Cream - photo by Jordan Wright Dawn broke on our first full day to a myriad of options. The Charlottesville area alone has 23 of some of the finest vineyards in Virginia and is part of the Monticello Wine Trail. We could visit the wineries, or spend a leisurely day antiquing in town, drop in at James Monroe’s historic manor Ashlawn-Highland, or tour James Madison’s recently restored Montpelier. We could always dodge the heat and hoist a tankard at the 1784 Mitchie Tavern or travel through time at Thomas Jefferson’s magnificent home, Monticello. It is worth noting that Monticello and the University of Virginia campus, are architectural treasures included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and worth a visit.
My husband pressed for a tour of his alma mater and we were delighted to discover the streets filled with hundreds of the cutest, preppiest, fresh-faced students laughing and chatting excitedly on their way to the university’s auditorium for UVA’s “Orientation Day”. We trotted off to the downtown pedestrian mall with its over 120 shops and more than 30 restaurants and had a bite at Orzo, a lively Mediterranean bistro filled with an international clientele of exchange students.
Back at the hotel there was bicycling, swimming or lounging beside one of three pools, fly fishing clinics, tennis (12 indoor and 14 outdoor world-class courts), golf on the 300-acre Birdwood championship course, a rock climbing wall to scamper up, or perhaps a trip to the sports center to join one of over 50 weekly classes from Power Yoga and Zumba to High Intensity Training sessions or Boot Camp with a personal trainer. All offered to guests of the hotel during their stay.
 The Boar's Head Christmas - Gingerbread house After a lavish breakfast featuring a smoked salmon bar, eggs of every variety, Virginia ham and sausage and an array of baked goods (we loved the pecan cinnamon rolls) I took the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate at the Spa. Housed in a darling cottage the serene full-service spa offers nine different types of therapeutic massages from the traditional to Thai Bodywork and the Raindrop Treatment that uses key essential oils dropped like rain along the spine and massaged into the tissue. There are also a number of detoxifying wraps. Try the Mud Wrap or Body Glow using sea salt, herbs and essential oils or just enjoy the beauty services. They use Astara, Dermalogica and Get Fresh products and my facial was one of the best I have ever had anywhere.
If you’re planning now for the holidays the inn has a great array of family activities and gently priced packages. Horse and carriage rides, breakfast with Santa, Christmas dinner in the Old Mill and gingerbread workshops. Go online to get the latest details and enjoy making your own beautiful memories in Virginia’s beautiful Piedmont.
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