amanda mcclements

The Mandarin Oriental 's Asian-inflected Café MoZU will get a major overhaul this summer and relaunch as South by Southwest , reports Tom Sietsema for the GOG Blog. Give the post a read for details on the new restaurant's American concept, created by Eric Ziebold, chef of the Mandarin's flagship restaurant CityZen . At right: The view from Café MoZU

For day two of Chef Five Bites kick-off week, chef Dani Arana, who leads the kitchen at the venerable Taberna del Alabardero , let's us in on what he's eating when he's not behind the stove. The restaurant is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and check back here Wednesday for info about its fantastic anniversary wine deal. 1. Prosciutto with green lentil salad at 2 Amys 2. Chef Todd Gray’s crab cakes at Equinox 3. Cheese plate at Proof 4. Masitas de cerdo at Lauriol Plaza 5. Toro sushi at Sushi Taro Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers — and now DC's top chefs — to share all the delicious things they've been eating and drinking. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com. Photo by Fredde Lieberman

Chef Cathal Armstrong This week Metrocurean kicks off an exciting new feature — Chef Five Bites. You'll get the inside scoop on where DC's finest chefs eat in their off-hours, from fine dining to fast food. For this very special launch week only, I'll post a list from a chef each and every day. Then, every Friday for the next few months, you can look for Metrocurean's regularly scheduled reader Five Bites, followed by a chef's Five Bites posted at noon. Without further ado, Dublin-born chef Cathal Armstrong, of Restaurant Eve , Eamonn's A Dublin Chipper , PX and The Majestic , gets us started with some of his favorite bites. 1. Fried fish with hot chili sauce from Duangrat's 2. Fish, chips and a pint at Eamonn's 3. Sausage rigatoni and any bottle of Italian Barolo that Michael Nayeri recommends at A la Lucia 4. Gambas al ajillo with extra aioli at Jaleo 5. Bulgogi at Lotte (after visiting the Harley Store) Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers ...

click image to zoom This week Savory Style hits the street for a look at all the cool bags people were toting to the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market this morning. Savory Style is a new occasional weekend feature highlighting great style and cool products for your kitchen, tabletop and home.

Tori Paide, owner of The Still Point , a holistic wellness center and organic spa in Takoma Park, sends in this week's Five Bites. 1. Cashew cigars at Middle Eastern Cuisine 2. Panang chicken at Dusit Thai 3. Palak chaat (pictured) at Rasika 4. Steak au poivre at Mon Ami Gabi 5. Chicken Cardinale at Olazzo Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers to share all the delicious things they've been eating and drinking. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com. And get ready for Chef Five Bites , kicking off next week! Photo by Michael J. Colella

Next week, Metrocurean is pleased to kick off a very exciting new feature. Drumroll, please ... Chef Five Bites! For nearly three years, you wonderful readers have sent in lists each week of five fabulous dishes and drinks you've had around town. Starting next week, you'll also get the inside scoop on where top local chefs eat in their off-hours, from fine dining to fast food. Where does Michel Richard eat ramen? And which mussels make many chefs' lists? You'll find out. Check back next week when I'll post a list from a chef each and every day to help get things going. Then, every Friday for the next few months, you can look for Metrocurean's regularly scheduled reader Five Bites, followed by a chef's Five Bites posted at noon. Get excited, people. This is big.

Policy opens tonight at 1904 14th St. NW Photos courtesy Policy Two long-awaited restaurants on 14th Street have finally thrown open their doors. Any trace of the building that once housed leaky junk shops at 1904 14th St. NW has been literally demolished, and in its place is an impressive new space home to Policy . The restaurant and lounge officially opens to the public tonight at 5 p.m. On the first floor is the main dining room, designed to channel a modern diner with red vinyl booths and black pressed tin ceilings. A seasonal American menu — pappardelle with spring peas and morels, crispy pork belly with Virginia honey-ginger glaze — is crafted by chef Brian Murphy, formerly of L'Auberge Chez Francois . The second floor houses a lounge and bar, where walls are adorned with graffiti by artist Andrew Funk and DJs will spin tunes. Down the street a few blocks, Cafe Salsa has opened at 1712 14th St. NW. The second location for Alexandria's Cafe Salsa serves nuevo Latino food...

Delicious Deal meets good causes this week with Organic To Go 's 99 cent soups benefiting Martha’s Table . Weekdays through April 3, visit one of Organic To Go's area locations and order a small soup, including organic basil chicken chili, fire roasted tomato and vegan Thai vegetable soup. The full 99 cents goes to Martha's Table, which provides food, clothing and education to at-risk, children, youth and families in DC.

The nominees for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington 's annual restaurant awards, aka the RAMMYs, were announced tonight. Winners from the following categories will be chosen by a panel of judges: • New Restaurant: Adour, Art and Soul, CommonWealth, Cork, PassionFish • Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: 2941, Blue Duck Tavern, Michel Richard Citronelle, Restaurant Eve, Vermilion • Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: Bastille, The Majestic, Oyamel, Rasika, Zaytinya • Chef of the Year: Jamie Leeds, Hank's Oyster Bar and CommonWealth; Todd Gray, Equinox; Massimo Fabbri, Tosca and Posto; Vikram Sunderam, Rasika; Robert Wiedmaier, Marcel’s, Brasserie Beck and Brabo • Pastry Chef of the Year: Michelle Garbee-Poteaux, Bastille; Kate Jansen, Willow; Melanie Parker, Equinox; Josh Short, Neighborhood Restaurant Group; Travis Olson, 1789 • Wine and Beverage Program of the Year: CityZen, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Willard Room, Oya, Zola • Rising Culinary Star of the...

Cava Mezze's spicy hummus It's always nice to see a locally produced food hit the big time — or the big grocery stores. Cava Mezze , a Greek restaurant in Rockville and soon on Capitol Hill, recently launched a line of hummus and dips that you can find in eight area Whole Foods . The products, handcrafted in small batches, include harissa, white bean salad, eggplant and roasted red pepper dip, tzatziki, feta and hummus. I'm a big fan of the thick spicy hummus — the kick comes from the addition of harissa. Have a favorite local food? Let us all know.

The nominees for the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards were just announced. Representing the DC area are: • Rising Star: Johnny Monis of Komi • Best Chef Mid-Atlantic: Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve and Eamonn's A Dublin Chipper , Peter Pastan of Obelisk and Vikram Sunderam of Rasika • Outstanding Chef: José Andrés of Minibar , Cafe Atlantico , Jaleo , Zaytinya , Oyamel and, perhaps most noteworthy for this year's awards, The Bazaar in LA, also nominated for Best New Restaurant. The Washington Post scored a nod for Newspaper Food Section, and Post food critic Tom Sietsema is nominated for two awards, Newspaper Feature About Restaurants or Chefs and Restaurant Reviews. Check here soon for a full list, and congrats to the DC nominees!

click image to zoom It was a big week for the humble whoopie pie — The New York Times declared that the sweet treat is having its moment . Counter Intelligence was on the case a whole year ago, and its status seems to have only gained momentum. For this edition of Savory Style, I'm taking a color combo cue from the whoopie pie with a round-up of chic black and white items. 1. I just inherited an espresso machine, and these sharp-looking cups would make a graphic morning statement. Museo Mundo espresso cups , 4-piece set, Target.com, $9.99 2. This bone china tray from Vermont designer Laura Zindel is so very whimsical. Ladybug platter , Lille, $133 3. A stylish apron from the famed Finnish design company. Marimekko apron, Go Mama Go (1809 14th St. NW), $43 4. These funky ceramic cups would look great holding bright spring flowers. CAKE Octopi cups , Design Public, $18 apiece 5. Better than the bulky reusable bags from grocery chains, these lightweight sacks fold into a tiny bundl...

Bethany Nichols, a law student and self-proclaimed serious foodie who admittedly "spends much more of my time and money than I should eating and drinking delicious things," sends in today's bites. 1. Spicy tuna tartare at The Source 2. Gnome's Water at EatBar 3. Bacon mac and cheese with chocolate-covered bacon at Co Co. Sala 4. Spike's 5 Napkin burger and marshmallow milkshake at Good Stuff Eatery 5. Black currant whiskey sour at Jackson 20 Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers to share all the delicious things they've been eating and drinking. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.

Join Metrocurean this weekend for Chicks with Chips, a charitable women’s poker tournament and cocktail competition on Sunday, March 22, at Restaurant 3 in Clarendon from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $65 per player and proceeds will benefit New Endeavors by Women , a charity that helps women transition from homelessness and take control of their lives. Ladies will get a Texas Hold 'Em poker tutorial by none other than my husband Peter Martin, Cointreau-based cocktails created by four of the DC area’s finest female mixologists and hors d’oeuvres from chef Brian Robinson of Restaurant 3. For the menfolk, there'll be scotch tastings and cigar rolling. Shaking cocktails will be Mia Baila of Adour , Gina Chersevani of PS 7’s , Ria Freydberg of Restaurant 3 and Chantal Tseng of the Tabard Inn . A panel of judges including Nycci Nellis of The List Are You On It , Julia Beizer of the Washington Post’s Going Out Gurus , Natalie Bovis-Nelsen, aka the Liquid Muse , and yours truly will cho...

Bombay Bistro is toasting 18 years with nightly deals Rockville's Bombay Bistro is celebrating its 18th birthday with a whole series of deals throughout the week. Mondays bring half-priced wine, while Tuesdays diners can get a free appetizer, Wednesdays a free side order, Thursdays a free soup or salad, and Sundays a free dessert, all with the purchase of an entree. And Monday through Thursday, Bombay Bistro is offering a three-course menu with a glass of wine for $18.95. Look for the deals to run through April.

Westend Bistro recently launched a Sunday supper While good ol' fashioned Sunday suppers may not be so common in American homes anymore, a growing number of restaurants are keeping nostalgia alive with their own spins on the traditional family meal. Westend Bistro is the latest restaurant to get in on the trend with its weekly Sunday supper, a family-style meal featuring an appetizer, entree and sides for $28 per person. The menu will change monthly — this month it's Cornish game hens with spoonbread, a vegetable casserole and salmon rillette. "The informality of this menu allows us to change our offerings as new produce floods area farmers markets throughout the spring," says Westend chef Joe Palma. CommonWealth 's Sunday roast follows the British tradition and kicks off at 1 p.m. Guests are served platters of roasted meats along with sides of seasonal vegetables for around $20 per person. In Alexandria, the Majestic serves Nana's Sunday dinner each week fr...

Metrocurean doesn't dabble too much in politics, but right on the heels of my post about the wonderful Ecofriendly Foods and their happy pigs came two alarming columns last week about not-so-happy pigs, antibiotics and those creepy "superbugs." The New York Times ' Nicholas Kristof wrote about the issue in " Pathogens in Our Pork " and " Our Pigs, Our Food, Our Health ." The columns disturbed enough people, and today, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation that would curtail the overuse of antibiotics in food animal production, according to release from the Union of Concerned Scientists. More than 350 groups have endorsed the legislation, including the American Medical Association. Such legislation has been blocked in the past by agribusiness interests, according to Kristof. "Animal producers cannot continue to feed their hogs and chickens the very same penicillin and tetracycline that doctors prescribe for their patients,...

Mid-City Cafe will open over Miss Pixie's Since Sparky's served its last espresso nearly two years ago , I've been hurting for some good coffee in my neighborhood. Thankfully, that's about to change. Mid City Caffe is slated to open in April, just above Miss Pixie's at 1626 14th St. NW. The shop will serve Counter Culture Coffee (hooray!), and Mick Mier, one of the owners, promises there won't be any stale drip coffee sitting around. Coffee will be made fresh by either french press or pour over method. There will also be espresso, cappuccinos and pastries. You may recognize Mier's name — he's one of 1905 's owners and the designer responsible for its funky turn-of-the-century look. He's designing the space for Mid City Caffe, so expect a cool vibe to go with your cup of coffee.

click image to zoom Metrocurean's getting a little infusion of style. Savory Style is a new occasional weekend feature highlighting cool products for your kitchen, tabletop and home. (I was going to call it "Stuff I Like" but it sounded a little self-serving.) This inaugural Savory Style post rounds up some chic green items to get you thinking spring. 1. Buttercup wine glass in green, Anthropologie, $16 2. Steel wire picnic basket , Crate and Barrel, $19.95 3. Jadite cake stand (similar to shown), Reincarnations , starting at $49 4. OXO salad spinner , Williams-Sonoma, $30 5. Grass vase , Clio, starting at $39

Hard at work at Common Good City Farm Photo from Common Good Join Common Good City Farm and Vegetate on Monday, March 16, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. for a fundraiser to support local food and community farmers. Common Good (formerly known as the 7th Street Garden) promotes access to fresh, local and healthy food through urban agriculture projects in D.C. A $10 donation is requested, and there will be happy hour specials on Vegetate's fantastic drinks and food and music by Vegetate owner DJ Dredd. Proceeds will go directly to Common Good City Farm. To rsvp and donate, click here .

Today's Five Bites are from Kelly Fredrick, at right, who runs the site CityShopGirl.com , an e-mail newsletter alerting shoppers to discounts and specials from boutiques, department stores, restaurants, spas and specialty stores . 1. Salmon maki with a mango sauce at Sushi Ko 2. Vegetarian chili three ways (cheese and noodles) at Hard Times Cafe 3. Cuban sandwich at the Bean Counter 4. Cheeseburger and village french fries at Good Stuff Eatery 5. Pizza or any homemade pastas at Vace Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers to share all the delicious things they've been eating and drinking. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.

1905's Spanish tortilla, debuting at brunch this Sunday Photo by Dakota Fine Earlier this week, Metrocurean got a little preview of 1905 's new brunch menu, which debuts this Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Ninth Street restaurant hosted a gathering of food writers and bloggers for tastes of Creole benedict with crawfish hollandaise over fried rice cakes and slices of egg and potato Spanish tortilla, drizzled with a zesty garlic parsley aioli. Also on the brunch menu: smoked trout hash, brioche french toast, shrimp and grits, and huevos rancheros. Check out Brightest Young Things for more photos.

The always deal-friendly Dino continues serving up a menu della sera — three courses for $25 when ordered by 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Diners can choose from around eight antipasti, like Venetian-style meatballs, at least eight pasta and secondi, and gelato, sorbetto or espresso panna cotta to finish. On Sunday and Mondays, Dino runs its "wine madness" deal — 33 percent off wines priced $50 and more. Previously featured deals (please call to check continuing availability): • Redwood • 2941 • Perry's • Urbana • Art and Soul • Vermilion • Restaurant 3 • Proof • Mio • Vidalia

"One chicken, two Bevs," yelled a cook at Momofuku , as I sat devouring my own "Bev" at the noodle bar on a snowy Manhattan day a few weeks back. The dish I was hunkered over — Momofuku's divine pork belly ramen — is (parenthetically) named after Bev Eggleston, the convivial face of Virginia-based EcoFriendly Foods . His company is the source of the tender and deliciously fatty roll of pork belly that was perched in my ramen. But Momofuku is just one of a growing number of restaurants touting EcoFriendly's pork on their menus. When I chatted with Eggleston last year at his stand at the Dupont FreshFarm Market, I mentioned I'd eaten "Bev's sausage breakfast" at Café Saint-Ex just that morning. He marveled that chefs like Fabio Trabocchi at the now-shuttered Fiamma and David Chang at Momofuku were giving him shout-outs by name on their menus — a flattering if unexpected result of his tireless push to spread the gospel of pastured meats up ...

Washington City Paper Beerspotter columnist Orr Shtuhl is putting Twitter to good use with a new feed that promises to keep local beer aficionados updated on where to find rare and seasonal brews. It's gonna be a group effort, so read more here about how to get involved.

Rocklands ribs They had me at whole barbecued pig. Rocklands will host a multi-course barbecue and microbrews dinner on Wednesday, March 11, from 7 to 9 p.m. at its Arlington location (3471 Washington Blvd.). Priced at $65 per person, the dinner features baby back ribs, locally raised whole barbecued pig, Texas corn pudding and a whole lot more, all paired with microbrews. View the complete menu here . For reservations, email anne@rocklands.com or call 202.337.1925.

Today's bites are from Lauren Jacobs, at right, who once worked as a copywriter for a major restaurant guide in London. 1. Chicken cheese steak and a latte at Open City 2. Trio of "pies" (Natchitoches meat pie, Louisiana crawfish pie, Southern vegetable pie) at Acadiana 3. Capricciosa pizza at Cleveland Park Bar & Grill 4. Caipirinhas and guacamole at Ceiba for happy hour on Tuesdays 5. Mango salad at Cafe Tu-o-Tu in Georgetown Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers to share all the delicious things they've been eating and drinking. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.

Calling all DIY parents: chef Ryan Morgan wants to teach you how to make homemade baby food. When I first met the Art and Soul executive chef back in November, he was taking his culinary training into new territory — learning to make baby food for his infant daughter. “As a father, I know firsthand how important it is to give your baby proper nutrients, and to be aware of all the ingredients that are found in what we feed them,” Morgan says. On Saturday, March 21 at 11 a.m., the chef will teach participants about the benefits of making homemade baby food, from health and economic factors to which ingredients are most beneficial to babies. Who'd of thought lavender and cayenne are on that list? The hour-long class is $35 per parent, and you're welcome to bring baby along. For every seat purchased, $10 will go to DC Safe Kitchen, a partnership between chef Art Smith , The Liaison Capitol Hill and the DC Fire and Rescue Squad that will teach DC youth about kitchen safety skills...

A Chantilly restaurant gets a moment in the national spotlight tonight at 9 p.m. when Nongkran Daks (at left), the chef of Thai Basil , takes on Bobby Flay on Food Network's " Throwdown with Bobby Flay ." The two will face off over pad thai. You can find Daks recipe here , or watch her make the whole dish in her audition video below.

Fans of Matchbox know what "3.6.9" refers to — the addictive and juicy mini burgers, served in orders of three, six and nine. The numbers adorn Matchbox t-shirts and even the company truck, pictured above. And because this Friday is 3/6/09, Matchbox is honoring the numerically significant day by slashing prices on their mini burger batches from $8/$14/$18 to ... $3/$6/$9. That's a buck apiece if you're keeping track. Friday only ... Previously featured deals (please call to check continuing availability): • Redwood • 2941 • Perry's • Urbana • Art and Soul • Vermilion • Restaurant 3 • Proof • Mio • Vidalia

Posto is donating 100 percent of Thursday night proceeds to Food and Friends Photo from postodc.com This Thursday, March 5, is the annual Dining Out for Life event. Around 150 area restaurants will donate 25 percent or more of sales to Food and Friends , which provides daily home-delivered meals, groceries and nutrition counseling to individuals in the community who are battling HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses. Restaurants donating a noteworthy 100 percent of sales include Posto , Ristorante Tosca and Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant . Check out the complete list here .

Two food events to benefit the arts: • Artini To benefit the Corcoran College of Art + Design’s scholarship fund, some of the city's best bartenders are competing throughout March to create the most artistic martini — “artinis” — inspired by Corcoran students' works. Click here for full details on where to sip artinis, how to vote for your favorite and how to purchase tickets to the Artini gala March 28. • Dinner With An Artist To benefit arts education in DC public schools, the Fillmore Arts Center will host an evening of intimate dinners with area artists on March 12. Chef Todd Gray of Equinox is one of the featured artists. To snag a seat at dinner with Gray, click here for complete details.