Chef Five Bites: RJ Cooper

Chef RJ Cooper joined Jeff Buben's Vidalia in 2004 and, by 2007, he had snagged the prestigious Best Chef Mid Atlantic award from the James Beard Foundation. The Detroit native's career before Vidalia included stints at New Heights and Toka Cafe in DC and Le Bernardin with chef Eric Ripert.

This weekend, Cooper is launching Vidalia "24," a new 24-course menu with drink pairings that will be available Fridays and Saturdays for up to six guests. The menu is $150 per person, which includes drinks. Call Vidalia at 202.659.1990 for reservations.

1. Meatloaf at The Majestic. Shannon Overmiller has changed my thinking of the staple.

2. Any duck at XO Taste, chef Joe Harran of Bistro Bis and my meeting spot to talk shop.

3. Cotton candy spring roll from José Andrés Catering with Ridgewells

4. Stuffed tagliatelle of foie gras and sweet onions at Vetri in Philadelphia. Marc Vetri is my favorite Italian cook in the country.

5. Any meal spent laughing and playing with food with my twin daughters.

Previous Chef Five Bites: Cathal Armstrong, Dani Arana, David Guas, Josh Short, Michel Richard, Haidar Karoum, Ryan Morgan, Shannon Overmiller, Anthony Chittum, Jonathan Krinn & Jon Mathieson, Victor Albisu, Vatche Benguian, John Snedden, Nicholas Stefanelli, Travis Olson, Brian Robinson, Cliff Wharton, Alex Bollinger, Massimo Fabbri, Daniel Bortnick, Rob Weland, Olivier Perret, Dennis Marron, Dean Gold, Mike Isabella, Bryan Voltaggio, Geoff Tracy, Bart Vandaele, Rodney Scruggs, Clayton Miller, Alex McCoy, Steve Mannino, Will Artley, Kyle Bailey & Tiffany MacIsaac, Santosh Tiptur, Barton Seaver, Glenn Babcock, Antonio Burrell, Claudio Pirollo and Mickael Cornu, Wesley Morton, Scott Drewno, Ellen and Todd Gray, Philippe Reininger, Tom Wellings, Adam Lippe, Allison Sosna, Barry Koslow, Polly Brown, Joe Palma

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ENTERTAIN } For The Love Of Salt

Image
I'm bidding a reluctant adieu to summer on this first day of fall and looking back with fond memories on one of the season's highlights — our Summer Salt Fest at the Gordy's Pickle Jar headquarters. Ever since opening Salt & Sundry three years ago, I've been dreaming of a down-home party that celebrates all things salty. With the perfect partners in crime, Sarah and Sheila of Gordy's, and my phenomenal team at Salt & Sundry, we hosted a gathering of good friends and toasted our shared love of salt. The feast included fried chicken, boiled peanuts ( made by my husband !), Rappahannock' s Olde Salt oysters, deviled eggs topped with Gordy's Sweet Pepper Relish, and probably the best fried pickles I've ever eaten (yes, I've eaten a lot) ... Gordy's Sweet Chips and Cajun Okra dipped in roasted garlic aioli. There was crisp Virginia rosé from Early Mountain Vineyards , local brews from 3 Stars and DC Brau , and a watermelon cooler tha
keep reading »

STYLE } Bar Styling Tips with Framebridge

Image
  I've always been noncommittal when it come to putting anything on my walls. Art? Photos? Prints? But what if I change my mind? Add the hassle of framing something and voila, a growing pile of unframed prints and photos gathers dust on a shelf. So I much appreciated a recent gentle nudge from friends at  Framebridge , a DC-based company that's making it easier and less expensive to get those pretty-if-neglected pieces framed and on display. We hung out at my place, whipped up some Green Hat gin and tonics, and I shared tips for stocking and styling your bar at home. (Any old table will do!) And yes, I actually put a nail in the wall and hung a print. Head this way for my full interview with Framebridge . Cheers! all photos by  Laura Metzler Photography  for Framebridge
keep reading »

Hello Cupcake Opens

Image
Cupcakes await the first customers at Hello Cupcake For a sweet spot in this final week of August, head to Hello Cupcake , which opens at 10 a.m. today at 1351 Connecticut Ave. NW. I had the chance to sample a few flavors with owner Penny Karas. The fluffy icing on the peanut butter blossom (above) is seriously addictive, and the seasonal root beer flavor is a delightful surprise with spicy root beer cake topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting. I'm going for a Velvet Elvis, banana cake with peanut butter frosting, next. There are gluten-free and vegan options on the menu, as well. Check out all the flavors here . Metrocurean photo
keep reading »