Restaurants

Learn How to Make Cheese

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo of Cowgirl Creamery by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

As an admitted cheese fanatic – This could be very cool. From a press release:

Fresh Cheese Making Class with Urbana Chef John Critchley
Guests will make their own cheeses, sample wine, cheese and charcuterie

What: Executive Chef John Critchley, who has created his own in-house cheeses at Urbana, will lead a class on how to make fresh fromage blanc, mozzarella and haloumi. The class will be held at the pizza bar and will include an interactive lesson during which guests will make their own fromage blanc, mozzarella and haloumi cheeses from scratch. Chef Critchley will engage participants in a discussion on cheese making while guests nibble on cheese and charcuterie and enjoy samples of wine. Guests will also be able to take home recipe cards so they can prepare fresh cheeses at home, as well as honey and marmalades to pair with their cheese. This is the first in a series of classes by Chef Critchley that will highlight the various techniques he employs at the restaurant. Forthcoming classes will include a lamb cooking demo in partnership with Border Springs Lamb (April 21) and a demo on chef’s favorite cocktails in partnership with lead bartender Obi Emenyonu (June 9th). In the fall, classes will continue with a knife skills demonstration, and oyster selection, shucking and cooking class in the winter.

When: Saturday, March 10th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Please call or email Lindsey Walker at 202-956-6650 or [email protected] to make reservations.

Where: Urbana is located at 2121 P Street, NW

La Forchetta, Coming to 3201 New Mexico Avenue, NW, hires Chef Roberto Donna

By Prince Of Petworth

In late Jan. 2012 a reader told us that La Forchetta, formerly Al Forno Pizza coming to 3201 New Mexico Avenue, NW near American University hoped to open in March. More details about the space were revealed yesterday.

The Washington Post reports:

Hakan Ilhan, the owner of the local Pizza Autentica chain, has signed a one-year contract with the James Beard Award-winning Italian chef to head up the kitchen of a 116-seat restaurant called La Forchetta (formerly Balducci’s) at 3201 New Mexico Ave. NW. The restaurant, which will feature a wood-burning pizza oven and two open kitchens, is expected to serve fresh fish and house-made pasta and sausage – “Italian country, family-style,” says Donna — as early as the end of March.

PORC: Purveyors Of Rolling Cuisine Opening Brick and Mortar Restaurant in Columbia Heights

By Prince Of Petworth


3412 11th St, NW

Thanks to a PoPville twitter follower for passing on a tweet from the folks at PORC:

“IT’S OFFICIAL: we’ve signed a purchase agreement for a restaurant in Columbia Heights. PORC is going brick and mortar! Details to follow…”

I hear that they will be moving into Acuario located at 3412 11th St, NW between Meridian Pint and Columbia Heights Coffee. Awesome news for Columbia Heights. For those not familiar with PORC, their Facebook page says:

“PORC: Purveyors Of Rolling Cuisine offers the finest in vehicular-based foods. Everything from BBQ to gourmet sausages, to local specialties will be on the menu. Our aim is to serve the best food, period.”

I’m not 100% sure that they’ll be moving into Acuario at 3412 11th St, NW but I’d say it’s very likely. As they tweeted: “Details to follow…”

UPDATE: Confirmed!!!

Purveyors of PORC to Open Brick and Mortar Restaurant in Columbia Heights

Set to open sometime between early spring and fall 2016 (you just never know with these things), the new neighborhood bar and restaurant will offer brick-and-mortar versions of popular PORC offerings and other unique selections.

The restaurant will be located at 3412 11th St. NW in Columbia Heights in the space formerly occupied by Acuario. Details on name and menu offerings will be available in the coming weeks.

The restaurant will be brought to you by the founders of popular food truck, PORC, Josh Saltzman and Trent Allen; and food service veterans, fellow U of Michigan alum Chris Powers and DC-native Peyton Sherwood.

Fans of PORC can breathe a sigh of relief, as the new non-wheeled restaurant will not be sending PORC into retirement. The truck will continue to operate daily around DC.

Checking in on Chez Billy Bistro and Bar Coming to 3815-17 Georgia Ave, NW in Petworth

By Prince Of Petworth

I have to warn you straight away, this is gonna be one of those posts where I can’t really contain my enthusiasm. But cut me some slack, it is the enthusiasm of someone who has been waiting nine years for something like this. Holy freaking awesome, you’re gonna have to trust me a bit too because the photos are obviously rough and don’t do the space justice. But here goes! Holy freaking awesome. Alright I’m calm now.

For those who are not familiar with the project – it is from the Hilton brothers Eric and Ian – the guys behind Marvin, Gibson, Blackbyrd, soon to be Brixton etc. We took a peek (and some lucky ones a taste) at some preview menus here and here. While, I’m guessing it’s still 4 weeks or so from opening now it’s time to take a peek inside 3815 and 3817 Georgia Ave, NW. Not shown is the outdoor space. This is just a taste:


Booths on the first floor


Sweet ceiling


Upstairs looking downstairs

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Progress at Park Tavern Restaurant Coming to Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard

By Prince Of Petworth

Park Tavern Restaurant is going to be another restaurant by Xavier Cervera. JD Land adds:

“Cervera also has another Near Southeast eatery in the works, with Willie’s Brew and Que planned for the Boilermaker Shops at the Yards. He is also the man behind Lola’s, the Chesapeake Room, Senart’s, and the under-renovation Hawk ‘N’ Dove.”

Canal Park DC says Park Tavern should open this summer. It is located at at 2nd and M st, SE. More on the Canal Park from JD Land here. I can’t wait to see how this turns out!

Fiola to offer Mixology Classes

By Prince Of Petworth

From a press release:

Starting this March, Fiola will begin offering monthly mixology classes led by Bar Manager Jeff Faile. Priced at $85 per class or $200 for all three, not including tax and gratuity, each class will include a three-course menu specially created by Chef Fabio Trabocchi to complement Faile’s cocktails. The two-hour classes will begin at 6PM and will be held at Fiola’s bar.

Instead of pairing the cocktails with the courses, each class is spirit-driven, with Chef Trabocchi designing his tastes to work with the tipples Faile creates. March’s theme being Whiskey Madness, as a hat-tip to the college basketball tournament, while April will allow Faile’s passion and preference for gin over vodka to emerge. The April class will focus on the history of gin, and the creation of cocktails that illustrate the complex flavors found in different styles of gin. The final class in May, “Amaro, Amaro, I Love Ya Amaro” will be a primer on the Italian herbal liqueur – a spirit used quite frequently in Faile’s Italian-inspired bar program at Fiola.

Faile will lead class participants through the history of each spirit as well as demonstrate three distinct cocktails. Students will have the opportunity to taste each cocktail while paired with their meal, and receive recipes for all the drinks demonstrated.

Fiola Mixology Classes

Whiskey Madness – Wednesday, March 14, 2012
You Say Potato, I Say Juniper – Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Amaro, Amaro, I Love Ya, Amaro – Wednesday May 9, 2012

We recently judged Fiola located at 601 Pennsylvania Ave, NW.

New Restaurant by Bryan Voltaggio, Range, Coming to Friendship Heights

By Prince Of Petworth

Washington Business Journal shares the goods:

The restaurant from Bryan Voltaggio at Chevy Chase Pavilion will be called Range and will open in late fall.

Range will occupy 14,000 square feet at the location. It will have an open kitchen and feature an extensive cocktail program with an emphasis on local ingredients. It will house a bakery and retail shop as well.

Bryan Voltaggio “is co-owner and executive chef of Volt Restaurant in Frederick, Maryland, which received a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant in 2009.” Chevy Chase Pavilion is located at 5335 Wisconsin Ave, NW.

Piratz Tavern Becomes ‘Corporate Bar and Grill’

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo via Piratz Tavern facebook

Thanks to a few people for sending this update from the Washington Post:

Piratz Tavern in Silver Spring headed to Davy Jones’s locker, as they say, this week after the Spike TV reality show “Bar Rescue” chose the bar for one of its Season Two episodes.

The bar reopened the night of Feb. 18 as Corporate Bar and Grill with a menu serving gourmet burgers, tuna steaks and shrimp ceviche.


Photo via Piratz Tavern facebook

Piratz tavern was located at 8402 Georgia Avenue.

Corporate Bar and Grill is, uh, not the most creative name… I’m sure many people would hope that Piratz tavern, like their Website says, was still open!

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