All We Can Eat

Kiddie cocktails and highchairs: Did they send Quench’s beverage director packing?

Tim Carman — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:30:00 EST

You can take the craft-cocktail movement to the suburbs, but you can’t take the suburbs out of the craft-cocktail movement. That, essentially, was the lesson Stephen Oshana learned when putting together a bar program at Quench.

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Chat Leftovers: Medicinal marshmallows?

Jane Touzalin — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:00:00 EST

Top of the morning to you. Here’s a plan: Begin your day on a hopeful note by reading Tim Carman’s story about the move away from gestation crates for pregnant pigs. Stroll with David Hagedorn into a modern restaurant’s kitchen to see what tools — new and old -- the chefs are using. Then start lining up your summer reading with some of the 10 new cookbooks we read and liked.

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Boxwood Estate Winery goes public

Dave McIntyre — Wed, 30 May 2012 06:00:00 EST

On Friday, June 8, Boxwood Estate Winery in Middleburg will open to the public for the first time, offering visitors a glimpse of one of Virginia’s prettiest wineries.

Since its opening six years ago, Boxwood — owned by John Kent Cooke, son of former Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke — has been very visible in its marketing, operating Tasting Room stores in Middleburg, Reston, Friendship Heights and National Harbor. Executive vice president Rachel Martin has promoted Boxwood and Virginia wines as far afield as New York City and London. But until now, Boxwood fans could visit the winery by appointment only.

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Ripken Gourmet Burgers are a cut above

Tim Carman — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:30:00 EST

The idea that Roseda Beef would partner with Cal Ripken is a no-brainer, given the Iron Man’s legacy in this region is (perhaps) second only to Francis Scott Key’s. That the Baltimore-based company would use the Hall of Famer’s name to market ground beef, however, invites an almost endless search for analogies (and bad puns) between Ripken and the gourmet, dry-aged product. Consider:

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New ‘BBQ Pitmasters’ may smoke previous seasons

Jim Shahin — Tue, 29 May 2012 08:30:00 EST

The more things stay the same, the more they change. Or so it seems with the launch of the third season of “BBQ Pitmasters.”

Like the first season, teams travel to barbecue competitions around the country. Like last season, the teams compete against one another to win over a panel of judges; the overall winner takes home $50,000 and earns a spot in the inaugural Kingsford Invitational.

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Alexandria brewery to finally give locals a taste

Greg Kitsock — Mon, 28 May 2012 07:00:00 EST

It’s frustrating.

A few miles away, in Alexandria, we have a self-styled “urban farmhouse brewery” that employs barrel-aging and wild fermentations for its funky, uncategorical beers.

But we can’t buy them here in the metro area. Terry Hawbaker, brewer at the Cabinet Artisanal Brewery, sends his entire output up north to a pair of restaurants in Philadelphia: The Farmers’ Cabinet and the Boilermaker.

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Jeff Black plans to open his Empire in December

Tim Carman — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:30:00 EST

Jeff Black, the restaurateur who has given us such places at BlackSalt in the Palisades and Addie’s in Rockville, really hates it when journalists and bloggers refer to his expanding restaurant “empire.” It’s kind of hard to blame him: Just Google “Jeff Black” and “restaurant empire,” and check out those results.

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Turnip side down: Nose-to-tail cooking for veggies

Edward Schneider — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:00:00 EST

The first turnips of the season arrived a few weeks ago, little white (or purple-streaked) roots and abundant greens. Most years, I serve the two separately, the turnips lightly butter-glazed and the greens cooked in an Italianate way and served with pasta or on grilled bread.

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Animal scientist Temple Grandin supports ‘pink slime’

Tim Carman — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:00:00 EST

Temple Grandin — the famed animal scientist, author and inspiration behind the HBO film about her struggle with autism — says she didn’t know much about “lean finely textured beef” this spring when the controversy broke over the so-called “pink slime.” So she remained mum on the subject that grossed out a nation.

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Market Roundup: May 24-30

Becky Krystal — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:00:00 EST

Many markets have started to welcome shoppers this season, but a few more will open this week (additional details are available through the map link below):

• Thursday’s Workhouse Farmers Market

• Saturday’s Smart Markets at Springfield

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Chat Leftovers: That sinking feeling

Jane Touzalin — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:37:00 EST

Happy almost-June, everyone. You can tell summer’s on the way because this week we announce the results of our second annual Smoke Signals Barbecue Sauce Contest. I must say, it’s one of our favorite judging events; our panel got to taste some dynamite sauces this year. Whether you’re a fan of red sauce, mustard-based sauce or some other sauce, you’re bound to like one of the winning recipes.

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IRS files lien against Sushiko for $840,000 in back taxes

Tim Carman — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:30:00 EST

Late last month, the Internal Revenue Service filed a federal tax lien against Sushiko in Glover Park for more than $840,000 in back taxes, according to Washington Recorder of Deeds documents.

Sushiko co-owner Daisuke Utagawa confirms that the lien was for failing to pay federal business income taxes, but he declined to comment further. “It’s actually a long, long story,” he says. “At the moment, I’d really rather not talk about it.”

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Featured Advertiser

Tue, 22 May 2012 14:30:00 EST

Food & Wine’s dumb ‘Best BBQ’ list

Jim Shahin — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:00:00 EST

Magazines love lists. Greatest guitarists. Best pizza. Hottest cars. They’re easy to read. They’re cheap to produce. And they get people talking.

Every list of the “Best Of” and “Greatest” variety (as opposed to the “10 Suntan Lotions You Need for Summer” variety) are intended to provoke debate. Their whole point is to generate controversy, which creates buzz, which attracts readers.

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Americans eat more fresh foods than they did five years ago

Tim Carman — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:00:00 EST

As Congress debates whether to trim the food stamps budget as part of the massive Farm Bill reauthorization, lawmakers might want to consider this striking statistic from a new W.K. Kellogg Foundation survey: Three-quarters of Americans say they support a national program that would double Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or food stamp) benefits at farmers markets.

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Twitter sounds off on Fojol Bros. controversy

Tim Carman — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:00:00 EST

Like Sunday morning talk shows, office lunchrooms and sports talk radio, Twitter loves controversy, and the Twitterati sunk their teeth into Saturday’s Style story about the racism charges leveled at the Fojol Bros. food trucks.

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Gluten-free Omission beer to go nationwide

Greg Kitsock — Mon, 21 May 2012 06:00:00 EST

An update on my column on gluten-free beers: The Craft Brew Alliance in Portland, Ore., has announced that it’s going national with its Omission Gluten Free Lager and Pale Ale.

Unlike most gluten-free beers, which are made from sorghum, rice, buckwheat or other alternative fermentables, the Omission brews are crafted from barley that’s been deglutenized through a proprietary process involving an enzyme called Brewer’s Clarex. The aim is to make a product indistinguishable in flavor from a normal beer.

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