Chinatown

480 7th Street, NW

From a press release:

“José Andrés and his team at Jaleo, led byRamón Martínez, Jaleo’s Executive Chef, will debut a reimagined brunch menu of classic Spanish dishes along with innovative creations beginning Saturday, February 1st. The new tempting items, priced from $8 to $22, range from enticing savory choices such as crispy ethereal bread brushed with tomato and topped with José Andrés canned Spanish sardines, to sweet endings of hot chocolate with churros. The new brunch additions will be available at all three Washington-area Jaleo locations: in DC at 480 7th Street, NW; in Bethesda at 7271 Woodmont Avenue; and in Crystal City at 2250 A Crystal Drive.

Jaleo’s brunch newcomers include Pan de Cristal con Tomate y Sardinas José Andrés, toasted slices of crispy ethereal bread with fresh tomato and José Andrés canned Spanish sardines in olive oil; Pan de Cristal con Salmón Ahumado Tomate y Huevo Duro, smoked salmon on slices of crispy ethereal bread with hardboiled egg, goat cheese and capers; Huevos Estrellados, traditional mix of organic fried eggs and fried potatoes– add jamón ibérico for $5 or sea urchin for $15; Lomo de Buey con Huevo Frito y Patatas al Valdeón, grilled hanger steak with fried egg, potatoes and Valdeón cheese sauce; Camarones de Cádiz con Huevo Frito, fried baby shrimp with an organic fried egg; Huevos a la ‘Angel Muro’, eggs with toasted bread ‘Angel Muro style’ with piquillo confit and acorn-fed ham; Tortitas de Aceite de Oliva, pancakes made with Spanish extra virgin olive oil; and Huevos a la Cubana, sautéed rice served with tomato, fried egg and Ibérico pork belly. For dessert, guests will want to savor the ultimate Spanish dunking treat: Chocolate con Churros, authentic Spanish churros, a fried dough pastry for dipping into a cup of frothy hot chocolate.”

777 6th Street, NW

From a press release:

“Flight, a wine bar owned and operated by husband and wife team, Swati Bose and Kabir Amir, will open at 777 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC on January 18, 2014. Bose, general manager and beverage director, together with Amir, has selected an approachable wine list featuring over 70 selections with 30 by the glass options. The extensive list of wines offers familiar varietals from boutique producers as well as labels from lesser-known regions around the world. The 60-seat wine bar will also serve shareable plates influenced by Executive Chef Bradley Curtis’ New England upbringing and love for Mediterranean flavors. Edit Lab at Streetsense, designers of Daikaya and Red Hen, among others, designed the space.

Flight’s wine list, organized by body and style versus region, offers mini tastes at 2.5 oz. pours, 5 ounce full-glass pours and by the bottle offerings. A restaurant-grade Coravin wine system allows for guests to taste more expensive bottles by the glass. While familiar wine regions are well-represented on the list, Bose and Amir have personally selected varietals from up and coming areas with long traditions of winemaking, like Greece, Hungary, Lebanon, Serbia, Slovenia and Virginia, to name a few. Tasting notes accompany each selection, along with interesting facts about the wine, varietal, winemaker or region.

A rotating flight of the week, priced at $18, will offer three tastes of a specific region, style or varietal of wine. The opening flight will feature a red, white and sparkling wine from the Jura region in France. A Moschito, made with crushed mint leaves and grappa, will be the first rendition of a weekly wine cocktail, which will be available for $9. Additional beverage options include domestic and international craft beers, aperitifs, digestifs, cider and spirits. Harney & Sons tea, La Colombe Coffee, and sodas from Q and Belvoir Fruit Farms are available under the ‘zero proof’ section of the menu. Happy hour at Flight will soon be offered Monday through Friday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., and on the weekends from 10:00 p.m. to close.

Executive Chef Bradley Curtis, formerly of DGS Delicatessen, Zaytinya and Graffiato has designed a menu of wine-friendly dishes. Highlights from Curtis’ opening menu include dishes like Lobster Bisque ($14) with Maine lobster, kombu, rockweed and spiked with sake; a “Fish” and Chip Basket ($11) with anchovies, fried clams, arbol chile tartar sauce and fermented potatoes, similar in taste to a salt and vinegar potato chip, and Beef with Moxie ($10) Moxie-braised short rib, with prunes, carrots and white pearl onions. Moxie is a gentian-based bitter soda popular in New England, which Curtis has shipped in from Maine.

Vegetarian options are varied and include Squash Dolmades with pepitas, raisins and orange yogurt; Stuffed Acorn Squash with white beans, swiss chard, roasted cherry tomatoes, cotija, and chili-lime dressing; Kale Salad with raw and blanched kale, pickled cranberries, Idiazibal, and bacon candied pecans. Desserts feature a dish inspired by a 100-year old recipe from Curtis’ grandmother, Tomato Soup Cake, made with a spicy rum raisin compote, toasted pecans and cream cheese frosting.

Low hanging clay lights, light ash wood accents, and a curving bar featuring backlit wine shelves create an intimate ambience reminiscent of a European neighborhood bar. The warm materials among the space reflect the winemaking process, from the clay of soils to the glass of bottles to the corks.

Flight is committed to sustainability and will use bio-based products, a grease filtration company, composting, and excess food donations at the end of service. In keeping with the theme of wine and sustainability, the flooring is made of cork, ensuring minimal heat loss and insulation. Flight is also an official cork recycling drop-off site for ReCork by Amorim. All wine corks will be recycled into shoes, flooring tiles, building insulation or automotive gaskets, instead of a landfill.”

A look at the menus:

Flight Food Menu (PDF)

Flight Wine & Beer Menu (PFF)

More photos after the jump. (more…)

410 7th Street, NW

From Hill Country:

“Long has it been debated if there’s a right or a wrong way to make chili. Hill Country Barbecue Market is putting the debate to the test in its inaugural Hill Country Chili Cook-off on Saturday, February 1st from 1 to 3 pm downstairs in the Boot Bar.

Local amateur teams will present their original chili recipes to a panel of judges who then will score each chili on its taste/flavor, creativity and presentation. Guests attending the event will also have the chance to vote for Fan Favorite after tasting their way around the room.

The Hill Country Chili Cook-off is open to the public. Tickets will be available at the door the day of the event for $10 (cash only), which comes with 10 tasting tickets. All proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit Cohn’s Kitchen + One City Eats.

Teams interested in entering their original recipe for the competition must register by 4:00 pm on January 17, 2014. Full details, including contest rules and the application, are available online.”

740 6th Street, NW 2nd floor

“Dear PoPville,

I wanted to spread the word that today is Burma Restaurant’s last day. Dinner is from 6 pm-10 pm tonight, first come first serve. Burma was the first restaurant I went to when I moved to DC more than 6 years ago, and I’m sad to see it leave.”

Burma’s website says:

“We are the premier Burmese restaurant in the metro DC area. This restaurant introduced Burmese food to the nation’s capital. The Burma serves authentic, regional cuisines from the Southeast Asian country. Delicious noodles and curries, salads and appetizers, vegetarian and meat dishes. Since opening it has been the winner of Washington Best Bargain Award, winner of Washington Cheap Eats 10 years in a row and reviewed by area’s top publications. Popular gathering place for scholars interested in the country. Monthly meeting place for Chinatown business networking.

Owing to the geographic location of Myanmar, Burmese cuisine has been influenced by China, India and Thailand. The diversity of Myanmar’s cuisine has also been contributed to by the myriad of local ethnic minorities. Burmese cuisine is characterized by extensive use of fish products like fish sauce and ngapi. These salads have always been popular as fast foods in Burmese cities.”

You can see their menu here.