“HalfSmoke announces new chef, and Get Social, a new Detroit-style pizza pop-up”

courtesy HalfSmoke

From a press release:

“Andre McCain, founder, and CEO of HalfSmoke, is pleased to announce the appointment of Bart Hosmer as corporate culinary director and partner of his landmark restaurant. HalfSmoke, located at 651 Florida Avenue, NW, 20001, is known for its gourmet, house-made sausages, and signature wood-grilled entrées. Hosmer brings 35 years of culinary experience to his new position. He formerly served as the senior director of culinary for Marriott International, and vice president of food + nutrition services for MedStar Health. In addition to overseeing the menu development at HalfSmoke, Hosmer will work closely with McCain to launch Get Social, a new virtual Detroit-style pizza pop-up launching this month. Get Social will operate out of the popular Shaw neighborhood restaurant and offer a rotating selection of Detroit-style pizzas.

The savory pies will incorporate fermented dough baked in blue steel rectangle pans, that are topped with a robust sauce of crushed jersey tomatoes, real cheese, as well as classic local and adventurous ingredients. Get Social is the second virtual concept McCain has launched during the pandemic. Customers who place an order during the pop-ups first week of service, December 14-18, will receive complimentary cinnamon sugar donuts with each pizza purchase. Additionally, as a special holiday incentive, Get Social is offering complimentary Dough Gods to the first 50 people who stop by the pop-up on Monday, December 14.

A native of Northern California, and graduate of San Francisco City College, Hosmer spent 17 years with Marriott International where he served as the senior director of food & beverage and corporate chef for the Americas. During his tenure, he also led food and beverage initiatives for the company’s full-service hotels. As director of culinary development, working with the food & beverage corporate team in Bethesda, Maryland, Hosmer played an integral role in the development of the 5-10-20 menu, served throughout the transitional lobby of Marriott’s new Marriott International (M.I.) Great Room. He also helped spearhead the creation of the new B&F strategy for the Renaissance brand. Hosmer also worked in leadership positions within the Walt Disney World Company, as well as for independent hotels and numerous restaurants throughout California.

Prior to joining HalfSmoke, Hosmer oversaw the transformation of the food and nutrition services department for MedStar Health, a 10-unit hospital organization serving Maryland and the District of Columbia. In this role, he introduced numerous initiatives to enhance the overall quality, service, and food nutrition for MedStar’s patients and visitors.

Additional culinary achievements throughout Hosmer’s career include being named a Discovery Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 1998. He was also awarded the first Michelin Recommendation for a Marriott-operated restaurant in the United States. Hosmer also received Marriott’s Award of Culinary Excellence in 2003. He holds a Certified Sommelier title from the Court of Master Sommeliers and lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife and their two children.

“Get Social plays to how socialization has fundamentally changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Andre McCain, founder, and CEO of HalfSmoke. “For me, pizza is the best product to facilitate social experiences. Customers used to patronize restaurants, but as social distance orders continue, more often socializing is taking place in the privacy and security of home. Get Social is a way for us to get the most out of our brick & mortar space and to leverage the restaurant in the most efficient way.”

Anticipated menu highlights from the new pizza pop-up include the Dough Gods appetizer: garlic butter “knots” with parmesan cheese and crispy basil, served with a choice of pepperoni, robust tomato, buttermilk ranch or basil pesto dipping sauce, along with pizza offerings such as the Young, Wild & Basic with triple cheese, robust tomato sauce and basil; Don’t Fake the Funk with roasted mushroom, gooey taleggio cheese and crispy rosemary; Char + Cupping’Roni with artisan pepperoni, whole milk mozzarella and basil; Sausage Party with Italian fennel seed sausage, pesto, fontina and oregano; Burning Garden with spicy cauliflower, roasted Anaheim peppers, poached eggs and smoked paprika aioli; Boujee Pig with small batch soppressa, black mission fig jam, arugula and spicy honey; Half Smoked Goat with halfsmoke sausage, caramelized onion, local goat cheese and arugula; Vampire Slayer with pancetta, broccoli rabe, chiles, roasted garlic and lemon and The Influencer with gochujang braised short rib, tamari roasted tomatoes, pickled onions and cilantro-lime slaw.  For a sweet ending, guests can opt for Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, served with strawberry and chocolate dipping sauce.  Appetizers and desserts are priced at $8, and pizzas are priced at $15 each.

Get Social is a virtual pop-up operating out of the HalfSmoke restaurant at 651 Florida Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001. Dishes are available for carryout and delivery seven days a week. For additional information or to place an order please visit @HalfSmokeDC on Instagram, call (202) 986-2079. Delivery options are also available through GrubHub: https://www.grubhub.com, Postmates: https://postmates.com, Seamless: https://www.seamless.com; UberEats: https://www.ubereats.com, Caviar: https://www.trycaviar.com; Ritual: https://ritual.co and DoorDash: https://www.doordash.com.”