|
|
|
Articles
|
| The restaurant scene on and near Capitol Hill is hopping. |
VOICE writes, "By Celeste McCall
-
Barracks Row’s Cafe 8 Mediterranean Eatery is set to open later this month at 424 8th St. SE, site of the recently departed Ellington’s on Eighth. Among the mirrored and rose-hued stucco walls and refurbished patio, Turkish-born proprietor Turan Tombal plans to serve Mediterranean dishes “with Turkish flair.” Since the departure of Mehane (now Locanda), we’ve missed that vibrant cuisine on the Hill. For Cafe 8 updates, call 202-547-1555. "
|
And...
Look for an upscale burger shop early next year at 303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE in the spot formerly occupied by Pulp. The creation of Catherine and Harvey Mendelsohn, Good Stuff Eatery will dispense burgers, milkshakes (made with homemade ice cream) and sides crafted from farm-fresh ingredients. A beer-and-winelicense is in the works. Originally from Montreal, the Mendelsohns have operated restaurants worldwide, and came out of retirement to bring Good Stuff to the Hill. Watch for details.
In the news, continued
Last column, I mentioned the debut of the first Washington offspring of maestro Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant group. Aptly named The Source by Wolfgang Puck, the three-level, 11,000-square-foot restaurant is situated in the ground floor of the Newseum. (The museum is due to open next year.) I recently sampled the culinary magic of executive chef Scott Drewno, a protégé of the Austrian-born Puck, who specializes in contemporary American cuisine with Asian influences.
My husband, Peter, and I were dazzled by Drewno’s cooking. On a busy Monday evening, we were seated upstairs with glitzy, cutting-edge décor. Unique pendant lights dangled over the white-napped tables. Servers offered us black napkins (instead of white) in order to avoid getting lint on our dark fall clothing.
Chef Drewno presented tantalizing tidbits -- a tiny square of roast sucking pig perched atop a puddle of plum puree. It took two days to prepare, we learned. After sharing the melt-in-your-mouth pork-and-ginger dumplings, we sampled a small portion of roasted arctic char.
For the main event, Peter chose velvet-smooth scallops escorted by pad Thai noodles topped with a dollop of peanut sauce, while I tasted perhaps the best roast duck I have ever tasted: glistening, lacquered Chinese fowl served with wild huckleberries and glass noodles. We barely found room for coconut gelato flanked by two scoops of tart passion fruit sorbet.
The Source is definitely a special-occasion restaurant. Dinner for two, with two glasses of wine apiece and a shared glass of Fonseca tawny port, came to almost $200, including tax and tip.
Geared to museum visitors, the downstairs lounge is literally and figuratively closer to earth, with a comfy bar to watch sports while imbibing and noshing on tapas, burgers and Puck’s signature wood-burning pizzas.
The Source is located at 575 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. For exact hours and reservations, call 202-637-6100. It is closed Sundays.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Literary Feast
If you happened to spot Henry VIII and his paramour Mary Boleyn strolling down East Capitol Street on Oct. 27, the couple was en route to dinner. Hosted by Jennifer Newton, the 16th-century repast was one of 25 meals prepared for the Capitol Hill Community Foundation’s third annual Literary Feast. Each supper was designed around a book, and Henry and Mary were headed for The Other Boleyn Girl (by Philippa Gregory). Other featured works included the Bible’s Old Testament, Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen), and Prince of Darkness (by columnist Robert Novak, a surprise dinner guest). That menu, by the way, featured favorites from a local “power” restaurant, The Palm.
Afterward, satiated diners (a few in costume) trekked to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for dancing and dessert, including generous scoops of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream donated by Literary Feast co-chair Karen Reed, owner of the ice cream franchise at Union Station. Among Hill notables enjoying the festivities were State Board of Education member Lisa Raymond, city administrator Dan Tanghlerini (at the Novak dinner), Stephanie Deutsch (who hosted a dinner), Ken Jarboe and Ellen Opper-Weiner, and real estate agent Phyllis Young.
This year’s feast raised about $30,000, which benefitedthe School Libraries Project, an initiative of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation to renovate the neighborhood’s school libraries.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Park upgrade
Capitol Hill dog walkers and others who frequent Lincoln Park (on East Capitol Street between 11th and 13th streets) are dismayed to see much of their green space surrounded by an unsightly chain-link fence. The historic park -- which once housed a Civil War hospital and honors Abraham Lincoln and educator Mary McLeod Bethune -- is being upgraded. Work began Oct. 22 to replace deteriorating sidewalks. But some of the park, including the playground, is still open. According to National Park Service spokesperson Frank Young, the job is scheduled to take 90 days, but work will hopefully wrap up earlier, he said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Countdown
Fans of reality TV show “The Bachelor” might have recognized a familiar face among the three finalists vying for Brad’s affections -- Bettina Bell, Washington native and daughter of prominent Washington architect Robert Bell.
Bettina, 27, recently returned from Hermosa Beach, Calif., where she settled after earning a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Colorado. She is currently a broker with Shorewood Realty. Alas, Bettina did not make the cut -- she was eliminated on Monday’s show.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a tidbit you’d like to share? Drop us a line at hillchatter@voiceofthehill.com.
|
Posted on Dec 13, 2007 04:35am.
(Return)
|
|
|
|
|
Categories
|
|
|
