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By Jordan Wright
Published: The Georgetowner/Downtowner, October 2009
The St. Regis Hotel in Washington DC, designed to resemble an Italian Renaissance palace, is associated with the posh life of the international jet set and stratospherically successful business traveler. Its gilded portals, marbled floors and orchid-laden tables gently whisper the definition of luxe living.
Most recently the hotel and restaurant have experienced a metamorphosis with the arrival of uber-chef Alain Ducasse’s Adour Restaurant. Interior designer, David Rockwell’s sophisticated blend of Old World elegance and sleek modern cachet have translated the update into a very chic yet laid-back style, greatly enjoyed by the Washington glitterati since its opening last year.  Beef Tenderloin with petits farcis Nicois vegetables at Adour - photo credit Jordan Wright  Wine Director Ramon Navaez at Adour - Photo credit Jordan Wright While the lovely original dark wood beams (think Dumbarton Oaks Music Room), opulent rococo appointments and marbled floors remain intact in this stunning hotel they are partnered with edgier Euro-inspired décor in the dining room which features white leather and chrome dining chairs and Venetian starburst sconces in a striking setting. Linen-draped tables are positioned far enough apart for financiers to discuss oil futures and spacious dining alcoves cosset romantic diners with a perfect spot for a tete-a-tete. Continue reading Adour Restaurant in the St. Regis: A Peerless Marriage of Food, Wine and Luxury
An exciting new streaming video series, “A Day in the Life of a Chef”, is coming soon to the Whisk and Quill, LLC website, featuring food writer and chef, Jordan Wright, as host of this innovative culinary channel.
The program will spotlight some of our area’s most talented and creative chefs and feature local products within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Region of Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
By Jordan Wright
Published – LocalKicks.com
September 2, 2009
 Photo by Jordan Wright/Local Kicks Our first stop was Teddy’s Barbeque, where all the meats are hickory smoked. Pulled pork, pulled chicken and beef brisket sandwiches compete with “The Rough Rider Rib,” a monster beef short rib prepared in true Carolina style…brined for 12 hours and then slow-smoked for another 12 hours.
Today’s ballparks have become strike zones with batting and pitching cages, food destinations, Build-A-Bear Workshops, sports arenas, PlayStation pavilions and baseball venues all in one.
Did I mention baseball? Yes, they have that too.
If you haven’t been to a game lately I highly recommend it. Sports fan or not, you’ll be a convert by the time the game’s over. It’s great for a family (very unlike the rowdy and often R-rated crowds at a football game) or whiling away an evening with a date.
I had a chance to sample the food at Nationals Park last week and it was a real eye opener. Professional chefs are creating some wonderful and imaginative stadium food…so delicious that people are showing up at the ticket office and buying the cheap seats ($5), just to get into the park, for some of this mouth-wateringly smokin’ food.
 Photo by Jordan Wright/Local Kicks In earnest we approached the foot-long Crab Louie. At $18 a pop it may seem a little pricey until you realize that it’s all lump crabmeat. If you’re accustomed to the greasy $7 slices of pizza at FedEx Field, you are in for a complete overhaul of your sports venue mindset.
Unlike FedEx Field, which has private high-end ticket holder restaurants within the stadium for their club seat and sky-box patrons only, Nationals Park has fabulous choices for food all over the stadium. Most of these spots even have a direct view of the game with outdoor awning-covered seating or indoor and air-conditioned with a sight line enjoyed through sliding glass panels.
While FedEx offers in-seat service for their pricey club seat ticket holders, Nationals Park encourages all its guests to walk around and enjoy the game from a number of different viewing areas and to eat your way around the park. With so much to choose from it’s great fun to get there early and eat at your leisure.
Since it is necessary to have kid approval for ballpark food, my grandson, Jacob, a perpetually hungry 11 year-old, was recruited for the sake of this review.
Our first stop was Teddy’s Barbeque, where all the meats are hickory smoked. Pulled pork, pulled chicken and beef brisket sandwiches compete with “The Rough Rider Rib,” a monster beef short rib prepared in true Carolina style…brined for 12 hours and then slow-smoked for another 12 hours. I am challenging all readers to let me know if they have ever had better anywhere.
Did I mention the smoked corn on the husk, baked beans, slaw and potato salad sides? We are just getting started here.
In earnest we approached the foot-long Crab Louie. At $18 a pop it may seem a little pricey until you realize that it’s all lump crabmeat (Try making this at home. I priced a pound of lump at $33 today!), and four people could share this for a lovely lunch. Comes with extra crispy Old Bay seasoned french fries too.
Next we tried a Cuban sandwich that fit right into my “foodcation” concept. Skip the flight to Miami and cab to Calle Ocho, you can enjoy a “medianoche” right here.
We continued our street fair approach to dining with a stop at a recent addition, The Kosher Grill. Along with kosher hot dogs it features falafel, knishes and Middle Eastern shwarma. Are you still with me?
If you’re wistful for the annual summer Feast of San Gennaro, now in its 90th year, in New York City’s Little Italy (the sentiment always floods over me at this time of year), you couldn’t do better than to have the Italian Sausage sandwich here. It is one of my all-time favorites and they hit it out of the park…fennel-infused sausage, sautéed red peppers and onions, soft Italian roll and all.
 Photo by Jordan Wright/Local Kicks Did I mention the smoked corn on the husk, baked beans, slaw and potato salad sides? We are just getting started here.
In case you thought ballpark food was all hotdogs and peanuts, at this hip stadium they have healthy snack alternatives like veggie burgers, shrimp burgers, boxes of carrot and celery sticks, fresh fruit bowls, fruit smoothies and more. Makes a parent feel almost nutritionally religious taking the little ones to see a game.
Here you’ll find so many different locations to pause, eat, drink and watch the game you needn’t sit in your seat at all and some fans never do. At the Red Porch, a restaurant open to all ticket holders, they carry beer on tap from around the country…like Dogfish from Delaware, Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout from Michigan and Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber from Maryland to mention a few.
With different food from the rest of the park, this sit-down menu has everything from Bacon Blue Cheese Burgers and Quesadillas to Chinese Chicken Salad and Jerk Chicken Wings.
Not to miss dessert our adventure took us onward to two DC faves, Gifford’s Ice Cream and Edy’s Grand Ice Cream stands for a sweet treat. We both loved the park’s, made in Italy and shipped over fresh, Italian gelati. “One mocha chocolate chip, one strawberry, please.” Later we kept our cool with frozen lemonade. It just couldn’t get any better.
Kid verdict: a lot of lip-smacking, barbeque sauce finger licking, more than a few “Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!” responses, juicy-cool refreshing fruit snack smiles and a big thumbs up for all the food.
By the way, the Nats crushed their opponents that day…9-2.
Email the writer at [email protected]
Jordan Wright
Published: Georgetowner/Downtowner – Wright on Food
September 2009
With a wealth of museums housing the greatest concentration of art and artifacts in America, Washington, DC stands alone as a destination for those seeking culture and edification. Thousands of tourists, school children and families delighted to see their “taxpayers dollars at work”, take advantage of the (mostly free) museums every year and try to pack in as much as possible. But to what end? “Cultural overload” can be a serious side effect. It occurs when the overtired and over-edified visitor struggles to recall the provenance of something they have viewed that day. Was it a Matisse, Degas or Morissot? A highly intricate Native American beaded object, was it Navaho or Zuni? Perhaps an ancient Chinese scroll…was it Han Dynasty or Tang? Even one more magnificent painting, artifact or sculpture can prove one too many.
Without a stop along the way to decompress and review the wonders of the day over a meal in a pleasant spot, we can’t really process our experiences. After all it’s not just about ticking off a laundry list of must-sees if we can’t remember what we saw.
Always when touring, our family motto is as follows: ”Retreat!”…the part where you find a nice calm place to relax; “Regroup!”…the participants convene to review the day’s adventures, and partake in restorative food and drink; and “Attack!”…the point at which you head back out with renewed vigor or at least enough strength to go home. It’s a no-variation prescription for sightseeing I highly recommend.
Many of our largest museums are massed on the Mall. Some museums have in-house dining options, some are lovely, some very crowded and others merely satisfy fast food choices…to wit there’s a McDonald’s and Boston Market in the National Air and Space Museum. Avoid at all costs. For our purposes we seek a charming respite, a pleasant destination that is too small or too high-end to service bus tours. I like to think that having a proper meal is both reward and celebration for the day’s adventure and, gastronomically speaking, part of your day’s artistic experience.
What follows is my short list of places to enjoy in and around the most visited museums and attractions. And unlike Boston, New York or Philadelphia whose museums charge up to $20.00 in entry fees, here in DC we have none or very minimal admission and we can put those savings into finer dining options.
 Cedar-planked Juniper Salmon over the fire pit at Mitsitam Café – (credit to the Café at National Museum of the American Indian)
Nearby to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the International Spy Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Newseum, the National Archives, the National Museum of Crime and Punishment and the National Museum for Women in the Arts are Acadiana, Café Mozart, Zola, Siroc, The Source, Teaism and Poste Moderne…each beckoning with a vastly different epicurean siren song.
Acadiana is helmed by Chef Jeff Tunks and shows off the spirit of Louisiana with dishes like a Trio of Pies featuring Natchitoches Meat Pie, Louisiana Crawfish Pie and Southern Vegetable Pie with Black Pepper Buttermilk Dipping Sauce, Seafood Gumbo or their signature Barbeque Shrimp and finish with French Market Beignets with Chicory Coffee Creme Anglaise.
901 New York Avenue, NW
Little Café Mozart revels in its Bavarian fare. Veal Schnitzels, German Potato Pancakes, Rouladen and Viennese Beef Goulash. Enjoy your “foodcation” with Black Forest Cake with Kirshwasser, Whipped Cream and Morello Cherries, Linzer Torts and Apple Strudel. All made in house.
1331 H Street, NW
Zola, under the culinary magic of Chef Bryan Moscatello, who also oversees neighboring Potenza, is a sleek yet intimate and sultry spot with sexy red velvet banquettes. Its menu ranges from local Green Hill Farms Lamb with Hazelnut and Sheep Ricotta Ravioli with Red Romaine and Sweet Shallot Puree to An American “Hot Pot” of Shrimp, Scallops, Clams, Mussels and Salmon poached in a Sweet Corn Tomato broth served with Quinoa and Grilled Chorizo. Pastry Chef Christopher Kujala makes a Mud Pie with espresso Kahlua freddo, Oreo Brownie and Bourbon Pecan Butterscotch. Yes, that’s all just one dessert! For fun he even makes throwback Whoopie Pies. This coming February they will co-host a special Spy event for kids with their next-door neighbors.
 The Spy Museum.Zola Restaurant - Photo by Jordan Wright 800 F Street, NW
Siroc ‘s intriguing Mediterranean allure and creative Italian influence reveal dishes like Baby Octopus Salami with oven-dried Cherry Tomatoes and Red Pepper and Arugula Pesto, a whole host of paninis, handmade pastas like gnocchi and pappardelle and Squid Ink Capellini with Baby Clams or Cappelacci filled with Lobster and Roasted Corn with a Sweet Pepper Beurre Blanc. Round off your meal with Bosc Pear poached in Red Wine and Ginger with Mascarpone Ice Cream and Ginger Cream. You can dine inside or outside on the patio.
915 15th Street, NW
Poste Moderne Brasserie in the Hotel Monaco has become a destination spot for diners. Its relaxed modern American cuisine by Chef Robert Weland focuses on ingredient-driven preparations. A pre-theatre menu, or as I like to call it après museum-going dinner, served from 5 to 6:30 pm, features such choices as Arugula Salad with Basil, Fresh Figs, Parmesan and Aged Sherry Vinaigrette, Pastured Chicken with Toasted Farro, Sweet Corn and Chanterelles and a lovely Peach Papillote with fresh Ricotta and Lavender Ice Cream. Or you could start off your weekend with a Saturday or Sunday Brunch here, indoor or outdoor. How lovely for the fall!
555 8th Street, NW
In the Newseum Wolfgang Puck’s The Source has taken this town by storm with its stunning décor, spectacular views of the city and a highly acclaimed menu. Opening to rave reviews this very pricey restaurant offers an eclectic upscale Asian menu as inspiring and beautiful as the art in our museums. Lacquered Chinese Duckling with Lo Mein Noodles and Bing Cherry Compote or Grilled Lamb Chops, Hunan Eggplant, Pea Tendrils and Chili-Mint Vinaigrette titillate the palate. Kobe Short Ribs with Indian Spices and Raita prove irresistible. The restaurant offers sake pairings to enlighten the seeker.
575 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Among the marble columns in the National Museum for Women in the Arts is a small café that serves sweet crepes, think Nutella and Strawberries, and savory crepes, quiches, sandwiches and salads. They have a special brunch on the first Sunday of each month.
1250 New York Avenue, NW
Just off the Mall, charming Teaism serves exotic teas, Asian–inspired cuisine and plenty of vegan options in a setting replete with koi pond. I love this very affordable restaurant with their delicious Bento Boxes, Seaweed Salad and Udon Noodle bowls. Don’t miss their Salty Oat Cookies. To die for!
400 8th Street, NW, 800 Connecticut Avenue, NW and 2009 R Street, NW
In and around the Renwick Gallery, the Corcoran and The White House on the West End of the Mall you can find the Willard Hotel, the Old Ebbitt Grill and the Occidental Grill.
The beautiful Old Ebbitt Grill is a Washington favorite whose famous raw bar continues to draw aficionados to their freshly shucked oysters and clams. In addition to their divine Saturday and Sunday Brunch offerings they feature “From the Farm” with a variety of locally-sourced farm vegetables tossed with Roasted Garlic, Feta Cheese and Fettucine or small plates for sharing such as Jonah Crab Cocktail, Columbian Empanadas and Beef Carnitas.
675 15th Street, NW
Café du Parc in the Willard hotel has a very tiny restaurant but beautiful outdoor dining. I especially like it after dark. So chic, so French! Their Charcuterie Bar showcases house-made pates…Pate de Campagne with Armagnac and Prunes, Pate en Croute and Alsatian Presskopf, five kinds of pickles and cornichons and a large variety of cheeses. Four different platter choices also offer Iberican Prosciutto and Serrano Ham. Top it off with their macaroons, éclairs and seasonal fruit tarts.
 Charcuterie platter from Cafe du Parc at the Willard Hotel - credit to Jordan Wright 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
The Occidental Grill and Seafood Restaurant is a classic Washington institution with its history of hosting most US Presidents, famous movie stars and diplomats. Beginning September 16th each Wednesday they will be grilling on their new posh outdoor lounge. With live music and cocktails handcrafted by Lawrence von Weigel and Lamont Proffit this promises to be a lively scene. Great for people-watching.
1475 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
If you’re pressed for time On the Fly, the cute as a bug’s ear around-the-town food carts provide the food at the cafes in the Corcoran and Phillips with sandwiches, salads and desserts. At the Corcoran Museum they do late-day tapas.
Near The Phillips and the Anderson House is the recently renovated Jockey Club, their red checked tablecloths intact and beloved Maitre d’ Martin Garbisu back at his post. Chef Richard McCreadie, who cooked for a time at the Georgetown Club, is preparing Yellow Tomato Gazpacho with Tempura Shiso Leaf and Red Sorrel Pesto, and their classic Pan-fried Rainbow Trout with English Peas and Parsleyed Potatoes has been restored to the menu. How I love to see this wonderful, memory-laden place back on its uppers again!
In the Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel at 2100 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Two of my favorite spots on the Mall are the pretty indoor/outdoor Pavilion Café beside the Sculpture Garden which serves sandwiches, soups, gourmet pizzas and desserts and where, in the summer, you can watch the dancing fountains and Friday evening Jazz concerts or the ice skaters in winter; and Native American cuisine at Mitsitam Native Foods Café inside the National Museum of the American Indian. Although the Mitsitam is cafeteria-style and bustling the food is so authentic and so much a part of the museum’s experience I do recommend it. Based on the varied Native culinary traditions of the Americas it offers dishes like Maple-brined Turkey with Cranberry Relish, Chicken Tamale in a Corn Husk with Peanut Sauce, Cedar-planked fire-roasted Juniper Salmon and smaller dishes such as Bison Chili on top of Fry Bread. The fun is watching your meal prepared in a large fire pit in the Café’s kitchen.
If you chose to remain on the Mall, The Cascades Café, on the lower level in the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art, is a convenient place to stop and meet up with your crew to choose from a wide array of choices in this quick-serve cafeteria. You’ll find roast chicken and other homey dishes, make-your-own salads, pizzas and, most importantly, a terrific assortment of gelati, Italian sodas and espressos.
A memorable luncheon can be had in the Garden Café in the West Wing, Situated around a large stone fountain the cafe changes its menus to coordinate with the museum’s special exhibitions. Until November 1st it highlights Spain with an exquisite, authentic menu created by top chef Jose Andres. After that it will change to a French-themed menu.
Alors! Bon appétit to all and while you’re enjoying your art adventures let me know what fabulous restaurants you’ve discovered by writing me at [email protected].
By Jordan Wright
Published – Local Kicks [dot] com – Nibbles & Sips
August 17th, 2009
In American Express’s new ad featuring American entrepreneurs, sexy savvy Warren Brown of CakeLove gets all the attention. In this sleek 60-second spot he tallies six individual shots while talking on the phone, overseeing the frosting of one of his yummy cakes and hanging with his staff.
I caught up with Brown this morning in the midst of a shoot for his website. When I congratulated him on the Amex ad he said it had brought in a lot of new business.
“We’re creating a “welcome” video for newcomers to our website. We want to spread the gospel of CakeLove,” he cheerily offered. But the gospel he had most on his mind was that he and wife, Pam, are expecting their first child in January.
Now that Restaurant Eve is serving Gadino Cellars wines we won’t have to drive all the way out to the Inn at Little Washington for a glass with our supper. And speaking of Eve, Chef Cathal Armstrong will be the American Horticultural Society’s Honorary Chair for their September gala at River Farm along the Potomac. That’s the kind of favor you can call up if one of the restaurant partner’s wives steers the gala event committee. So very helpful…
Today’s ballparks have become strike zones with batting and pitching cages, food destinations, Build-A-Bear Workshops, sports arenas, PlayStation pavilions and baseball venues all in one. Did I mention baseball? Yes, they have that too. If you haven’t been to a game lately I highly recommend it. Sports fan or not, you’ll be a convert by the time the game’s over. It’s great for a family (very unlike the rowdy and often R-rated crowds at a football game) or whiling away an evening with a date.
I had a chance to sample the food at Nationals Park last week and it was a real eye opener. Professional chefs are creating some wonderful and imaginative stadium food…so delicious that people are showing up at the ticket office and buying the cheap seats ($5.00), just to get into the park, for some of this mouth-wateringly smokin’ food.
If you’re accustomed to the greasy $7 slices of Domino’s pizza at FedEx Field you are in for a complete overhaul of your sports venue mind-set. Unlike FedEx Field, which has private high-end ticket holder restaurants within the stadium for their club seat and sky-box patrons only, Nationals Park has fabulous choices for food all over the stadium. Most of these spots even have a direct view of the game with outdoor awning-covered seating or indoor and air-conditioned with a sight line enjoyed through sliding glass panels. While FedEx offers in-seat service for their pricey club seat ticket holders, Nationals Park encourages all its guests to walk around and enjoy the game from a number of different viewing areas and to eat your way around the park. With so much to choose from it’s great fun to get there early and eat at your leisure.
Since it is necessary to have kid approval for ballpark food, my grandson, Jacob, a perpetually hungry 11 year-old, was recruited for the sake of this review.
Our first stop was Teddy’s Barbeque, where all the meats are hickory smoked. Pulled pork, pulled chicken and beef brisket sandwiches compete with “The Rough Rider Rib”, a monster beef short rib prepared in true Carolina style…brined for 12 hours and then slow-smoked for another 12 hours. I am challenging all readers to let me know if they have ever had better anywhere. Did I mention the smoked corn on the husk, baked beans, slaw and potato salad sides? We are just getting started here.
In earnest we approached the foot-long Crab Louie. At $18 a pop it may seem a little pricey until you realize that it’s all lump crabmeat (Try making this at home. I priced a pound of lump at $33 today!), and four people could share this for a lovely lunch. Comes with extra crispy Old Bay seasoned french fries too.
Next we tried a Cuban sandwich that fit right into my “foodcation” concept. Skip the flight to Miami and cab to Calle Ocho, you can enjoy a “medianoche” right here.
We continued our street fair approach to dining with a stop at a recent addition, The Kosher Grill. Along with kosher hot dogs it features falafel, knishes and Middle Eastern shwarma. Are you still with me?
If you’re wistful for the annual summer Feast of San Gennaro, now in its 90th year, in New York City’s Little Italy (the sentiment always floods over me at this time of year), you couldn’t do better than to have the Italian Sausage sandwich here. It is one of my all-time favorites and they hit it out of the park…fennel-infused sausage, sautéed red peppers and onions, soft Italian roll and all.
In case you thought ballpark food was all hotdogs and peanuts, at this hip stadium they have healthy snack alternatives like veggie burgers, shrimp burgers, boxes of carrot and celery sticks, fresh fruit bowls, fruit smoothies and more. Makes a parent feel almost nutritionally religious taking the little ones to see a game.
Here you’ll find so many different locations to pause, eat, drink and watch the game you needn’t sit in your seat at all and some fans never do. At the Red Porch, a restaurant open to all ticket holders, they carry beer on tap from around the country…like Dogfish from Delaware, Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout from Michigan and Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber from Maryland to mention a few. With different food from the rest of the park, this sit-down menu has everything from Bacon Blue Cheese Burgers and Quesadillas to Chinese Chicken Salad and Jerk Chicken Wings.
Not to miss dessert our adventure took us onward to two DC faves, Gifford’s Ice Cream and Edy’s Grand Ice Cream stands for a sweet treat. We both loved the park’s, made in Italy and shipped over fresh, Italian gelati. “One mocha chocolate chip, one strawberry, please.” Later we kept our cool with frozen lemonade. It just couldn’t get any better.
Kid verdict: a lot of lip-smacking, barbeque sauce finger licking, more than a few “Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!” responses, juicy-cool refreshing fruit snack smiles and a big thumbs up for all the food. By the way, the Nats crushed their opponents that day…9-2.
A big gear change, later in the week, had me dining at Raw Silk, a new King Street Indian restaurant, which I have mentioned here before, but not with a review of the food. Although I wouldn’t describe this as cutting-edge Indian cuisine it has all the requisite dishes plus a few surprises done very nicely and I do recommend you try it.
We were off to a rousing start with the best Samosas I have ever had and a simple Paneer Pakora, a rennet-free cheese that is dipped in chickpea batter and fried. Perfect with cocktails. Papri Chat, a sort of bread salad made with chick peas, potatoes, tomatoes and Indian spices and laced with a homemade chutney was crunchy, lemony, spicy and very refreshing. You can get the starters in a threesome combination and that way you can try out a few different ones.
I asked for chutneys to be served with our dinner and they brought a lovely selection but reluctantly. I have never worked out why Indian restaurants don’t promote their chutneys more. They are the most intriguing and complex condiments whose ingredients and preparations vary greatly, in a nice way, from place to place. This evening featured a Cilantro Chutney, cool, tart and refreshing and a spicy Tamarind Chutney that was sweet, slightly smoky tasting and well balanced. A bit of refreshing cucumber, mint and cilantro Raita was offered too.
 Belly Dancer Mina at Raw Silk Curries arrived along with belly dancer, Mina, who performed her traditional gyrations intoxicatingly up and down the aisles while swathed in red silk and jingling seductively. We enjoyed a brilliant Lamb Korma (we nearly came to blows over sharing this one…so fabulous was it), Chicken Tikka Masala with its haunting garam masala, and Shahi Paneer, the smooth cheese in a cream and tomato curry sauce. All were served in charming copper pails with brass handles and with rice on the side.
Shrimp Biryani, however, was very disappointing. As my favorite Indian entrée I have had this dish prepared all over the Washington Metro area, yet never in this fashion. In a dish where the rice is traditionally cooked separately from the other ingredients, I was unprepared for what was an uninteresting and thoughtless mash of rice, cooked with tomato sauce or paste, with some vegetables thrown in and a few small un-spiced flavorless shrimp. Where were the cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, saffron, black cardamom seeds and other bright, lively flavors this dish is noted for? Why was the rice stuck together, soft and mushy, instead of individual grains separated by what should have been a pre-saute with ghee and finished with a golden crackling crust of rice to top it off? I hope they better this dish soon.
I always order Onion Kulcha but here, this too, was a disappointment as it lacked the smoky flame-cooked finish of the fiery clay oven and seemed merely warmed, the onions tasting nearly raw.
The desserts are typical teeth-shattering Indian sweets. The Gulab Jamun is a shock to the system. Diabetics stay away. This is an ambulance call. Mango Kulfi, I was assured is made from fresh mangoes. Nonetheless it did not in any way taste as though it had met a fresh fruit and came off like a bad Creamsicle. The Rice Pudding, “kheer” as you may know it, was tasty enough, but with a soupy consistency, a new style of preparation for me, and I sorely missed the creamy version with a rosewater infusion and chopped pistachio nut topping I am more familiar with.
There is, however, much else to commend in this exotic setting with its entertainment, cozy lounge area, late night service and pretty décor. If a few small changes could be made and a bit more confidence and creativity come out of the kitchen, this restaurant would be better rounded. But in its first few months of operation it is still a welcome addition to the King Street scene.
For question and comments contact [email protected].
By Jordan Wright
The Georgetowner/Downtowner
August 20, 2009
 Photo by Jordan Wright - Chef David Varley beside his herb garden at the Four Seasons Georgetown Witnessing the enthusiasm of Chef David Varley talking about his herb and vegetable garden at the Four Seasons is like hearing a proud father wax adoringly about his perfect child. Varley is the Executive Chef at Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak, the recently launched stylish restaurant in the Four Seasons, Georgetown location. He grew up on a small farm in New Jersey, came to DC via Las Vegas, and is one of our true champions of local, organic and sustainably harvested foods.
Standing in the 500 square-foot garden he designed with Mina, Varley is most inspired. While perched above the canal’s towpath, with runners streaming by and strollers listening in to his demonstration, he plucks, twists and thumbpresses herbs under your nose as you imagine into what gastronomic wonder this plant will be incorporated. With a highly creative ingredient-driven menu that revolves with the seasons, Varley is establishing Bourbon Steak as much more than a steakhouse. In fact that’s a misnomer. His approach is more in line with Michelin-starred French chef, Edouard Loubet who sources all his food seasonally from the fields around his native Provence and who has come to represent the Slow Food movement’s praise of the local farmer.
JW – Recently plans have been approved for a large rooftop garden at the hotel.
What will you plant in it?
DV – All the things that are fragile like green and yellow wax filet beans, Romano beans, eggplants, tomatoes, fennel, peppers, beets, Swiss chard, tender lettuces and squashes. Maybe cardoons.
We’ll keep the small garden for annual herbs that we now grow like lemon basil and thyme, lemongrass, hyssop, lavender, dill, chervil, cilantro, lovage and five kinds of mint…pineapple mint, peppermint, spearmint, “Best” mint and orange mint.
JW – Explain the LEED certification the hotel received and how it applies to the kitchen.
DV – Mainly we have been really proactive with our recycling and composting. We work with a company called EnviRelation that picks up all our “wet waste” including bones from the stocks, coffee grinds and leftover rice, tissue and paper products and transforms it into top soil for our garden. Guests are really responsive to the program too. There are notes around the hotel asking them to turn lights off. They love it. They really like to pitch in.
JW – I have a theory that if your mother or grandmother gardened eventually you’ll come around to it. Who was your biggest influence in the garden?
DV – My mother! I call her the Alice Waters of the East Coast. We grew up in New Jersey. My mother was an old hippie and lived on farms all her life. We had three acres with chickens and a large herb garden and supplied all the local restaurants around Sussex with herbs. She grew everything from beets and Swiss chard, to beans and squash and had ten different kinds of fruit trees. She was big into food production. She taught me about where food comes from. Kids that don’t grow up with that don’t know what a beet’s supposed to taste like when it just comes out of the ground.
JW – Do you ask your growers to grow certain things for you?
DV – Well, when I was in Las Vegas there was a woman who was also a dealer at the casino and she supplied me with my herbs. I told her, Paula, this is fantastic can you grow this and that for me. And before you know it she had 50 different herbs and we set her up with a business license and by the time I left for the East Coast she was supplying all the restaurants and casinos on the strip. We became great friends and the whole experience was really rewarding.
JW – Some chefs are literally foraging in the woods for herbs to use in dishes like wood sorrel for salads, nasturtium for pesto, hyssop infused into syrups, and even catnip in sauces. Do you forage around here?
DV – We do harvest a lot of things like wood ear mushrooms and wild Buckler’s sorrel makes an appearance too. We made carrot pollen with Queen Anne’s lace flowers.
In California I used to harvest wild fennel flowers around Santa Monica. We’d pickle them or dry out the pollen for sauces.
JW – What is the philosophy of Bourbon Steak?
DV – Michael’s (Mina) vision was to create a restaurant that is accessible and interesting, but not so far out that it would alienate our guests. It wouldn’t be pretentious or fancy, but a place to do fun things, like our truffled French fries. I have always wanted to make the most interesting and intricate food possible.
But I also wanted to put the best food on the plate no matter what the critics say. There’s nothing wrong with putting green beans on a plate if they’re the best green beans. I felt that I would have the freedom to do what I wanted to do here.  Photo by Jordan Wright - Passion fruit Panna Cotta at Bourbon Steak In New Jersey I grew up next door to Polish immigrants who also had a great garden. They used to make pierogi for everyone in the neighborhood. Now I can do them here too.
JW – Can you tell me what ingredients excite you now?
DV – I just got in 80 pounds worth of Balaton cherries from Michigan and jarred some in bourbon to use in our manhattans. And last night I did a Cherry in Foie Gras dish for a VIP guest who was drinking a beautiful Gevrey-Chambertin wine that is a perfect pairing with cherries.
And now, here comes my esteemed mixologist, Dwayne, dropping off his experiment of Bourbon and Cherry Cola. Okay, this is a virtual tasting. High five, Dwayne! We’ve got a winner!
JW – Who would you most like to cook for?
DV – My mom, and I wish Julia Childs were around so I could cook for her too. I like to cook for anyone who gets it. Every day I try to hit it out of the park for the real foodies who come in that might be drinking a special bottle of wine or who are having an anniversary or birthday. I’ll send over something special and I feel like Santa Claus whenever I can do that!
JW – What is the sauce that is poured over the top of the magnificent Passion Fruit Panna Cotta you serve at the restaurant?
DV – That was Chef Lincoln Carson’s signature dessert [Mina Group’s Corporate Pastry Chef]. He is one of the great, unsung heroes in the pastry world. He uses a lemongrass consommé. It’s a distilled essence of lemongrass.
This interview was conducted, condensed and edited by Jordan Wright.
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