amanda mcclements

Are you a traditional bubbles-on-New Year's Eve kind of person, or will you concoct a signature drink? The trend of the moment seems to favor pink sparklers for toasting 2007, but if you're looking for some alternatives, check out this Washingtonian item I wrote with suggestions from local experts. Nadine Brown, sommelier at Charlie Palmer Steak , David Bueno, sommelier at Taberna del Alabardero , Matchbox co-owner Perry Smith, and Ralph Rosenberg, director of operations for Star Restaurant Group ( Zola and Indigo Landing ) weigh in with some fresh ideas. If you're sticking with bubbly, head to OYA to have "Sex" (pictured at right), a brut rosé sparkling wine made from chardonnay and pinot noir grapes. Andrew Stover, OYA's wine director and sommelier (aka Chief Wino ), discovered the wine on a trip to Michigan this past summer. (OYA is also offering two dinner seatings; find details here .) Check out a few more sparkling rosé suggestions from Bon Appetit...

The last Five Bites of 2006 comes from reader Leah Elizabeth, at right: 1. Lobster mac and cheese at Zola 2. Angus beef burgers on brioche with pickles and onion straws at Matchbox 3. Yefem tibs (charcoal broiled sliced prime tender beef marinated in white wine and rosemary) at Etete 4. Moules (mussels) and frites at Bistrot du Coin 5. Black bean hummus and pita at The Perfect Pita (And sneaking in a sixth for good measure...) 6. Lamb roganjosh (with tomatoes and caramelized onions) at Rasika Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for you to tell Metrocurean readers which dishes you're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a pic included to metrocurean@gmail.com.

This time of year, my inbox is flooded with New Year's Eve restaurant specials, often some number of courses for some inflated price with maybe a free glass of champagne. But every once in a while, a promotion jumps out from the crowd. Like this one: Smoking in restaurants and bars will go down in a haze of ... well, what else ... smoke at The Jefferson Hotel . The hotel's New Year's Eve celebration will fete the impending Jan. 2 ban of public smoking with a massive smoke-out, complete with free cigarettes, a Moroccan inspired hookah bar, and complimentary Courvoisier cigars and Maker's Mark cigars (with hand-rollers on hand for the evening) courtesy of Emprise Cigars. "The Jefferson Lounge has been coined a notorious cigar and smoking lounge throughout the years," said Franck Arnold, the hotel's general manager. "This New Year's Eve event is a great way to honor our nostalgic past while welcoming the new rules of 2007." The $200 ticket f...

Through a haze of protein digestion from down in North Carolina, I have lifted my heavy, well-fed and over-served fingers back to the keyboard to reconnect with the outside world (if only until the next meal) to find a few tidbits of interesting D.C. news. Sure, a soul legend and president have passed, but did you hear Le Pigalle in Dupont Circle has also kicked the bucket? The Post's Tom Sietsema fills us in on a quick turn-around for the 1527 17th St. NW space, reporting that the short-lived French restaurant that replaced Pepper's will now be replaced by Jack's Restaurant and Bar . Meanwhile, PS 7's recently introduced a "7 and 7" happy hour, weekdays from 5-7 p.m. Dishes like veal cheek chips with a tangy balsamic and cherry dipping sauce and tuna tartar sliders are $7 each, as are the bar's 14 cocktails (seven classics, seven creations). Wines by the glass are $4—a great deal especially if you blew your budget on holiday shopping. Stay tuned for...

This week's Five Bites comes from Brys, one half of the Cookthink blog , where recent discussions have included how to use a leek and the basics of preparing osso buco : 1. Sweetbreads at Cashion's 2. Rabbit meatloaf at Cashion's 3. Pappy Van Winkle whiskey at Bourbon 4. Black eye pea cassoulet at Firefly 5. Eggs benedict with salmon and sautéed spinach at Peacock Café Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for you to tell Metrocurean readers which dishes you're enjoying around town. Don't be shy! E-mail five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a pic included to metrocurean@gmail.com.

As much as I love oysters, they can empty your wallet pretty quickly at the average $2 a pop they run around town. Thankfully my favorite place to slurp down a tray, Hank's Oyster Bar , recently launched a $1 oyster happy hour. From 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday, chef Jamie Leeds (above) is serving oysters for $1 apiece. The deal will run through February. Wash back a dozen with a pint of Allagash White, new to the taps at Hank’s, or one of the bar's wintry cocktails, like a Spiced Pear Hot Toddy, made with Poire Williams, fresh ginger-infused Gosling’s, five spice simple maple syrup, a splash of fresh lemon sour and hot water ($11). Hank's Oyster Bar 1624 Q St. NW 202.462.4265

I wanted to direct your attention to the Frozen Tropics blog, which provides an overview of Sidamo , a new coffee shop just west of the happening stretch of H Street NE . The blogger's always beautiful photography makes the space look great — there's even a little patio — and the post reports that the shop plans to start selling its freshly roasted beans by the pound soon. Frozen Tropics also points out that beverages (excluding to-go orders) come in glassware (yay!), a disappearing tradition I've lamented on Metrocurean before. Sidamo Coffee and Tea 417 H St. NE 202.548.0081

John, a Metrocurean reader who clearly lives in my neighborhood, offers this week's Five Bites: 1. Pea agnolotti with lobster and chorizo from Urbana 2. Chicken olive and basil from Rice 3. Calamari and popcorn shrimp (at right) from Hank's Oyster Bar 4. Pizza with pancetta and red onion from Coppi's 5. Shrimp and grits from Creme Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for you to tell Metrocurean readers which dishes you're enjoying around town. Don't be shy! E-mail five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a pic included (blog plugs also welcome) to metrocurean@gmail.com.

Be the most popular kid at your holiday party with these adorable cupcakes from Alexandria's new Buzz bakery and dessert lounge. The holiday-themed confections come in chocolate or vanilla; call and order ahead to request a flavor and design, or just stop by to see what's available. The cupcakes are $2 a piece. Buzz also recently started serving alcohol, including an extensive selection of dessert wines by the glass and dessert-worthy martinis in flavors like toasted almond, made with amaretto, Kahlua and cream, and lemon cake, with sour lemon, Frangelico and Stoli Vanil. Seasonally appropriate hot drinks include a hot apple pie (Tuaca, steamed apple cider and whipped cream) and a peppermint mocha (Peppermint Schnapps, Godiva Dark and Illy coffee). Also check out Washingtonian 's Best Bites blog, where the woman behind the sweets at Buzz, pastry chef Lisa Scruggs, shares her favorite holiday treat (with recipe!). Buzz 901 Slaters Lane, Alexandria 703.600.2899 (Photos by ...

The owners of Mendocino Grille and Sonoma Restaurant plan to introduce a new concept to 14th Street this spring: a Spanish gastropub. Elias Hengst and Jared Rager have announced plans to open La Pata Negra at 1612 14th St. NW (pictured above). The two-story gastropub takes its name from the black-hoofed Iberico pig, prized in Spain for the rich quality of its meat. (Products from the pigs became available in the U.S. for the first time earlier this year, thanks in part to chef José Andrés.) "We knew that chefs and foodies would get the insider's reference," Rager says. "And we also thought 'The Black Hoof' [the English translation] is a great gastropub name, as well as a kind of tip-of-the-hat to New York gastropub pioneer The Spotted Pig ." La Pata Negra's small menu will feature authentic Spanish tapas, cured meats and a handful of "media raciones" and "raciones" (larger dishes). Executive chef Drew Trautmann plans to head ...

After 15 years in business, Red Sage will close its doors Dec. 22, reports Tom Sietsema of The Washington Post . Partner Dan Mesches cites escalating rent as the reason for the closure, which begs the question, who could afford to move in? Red Sage, which launched the career of chef Morou Ouattara, will leave a huge space behind at 605 14th St. NW. Keep your eyes on that corner. Reopening around the same time (Dec. 15 is the target) is the Occidental (pictured below), which closed in July for renovations. The restaurant is planning a yearlong celebration of its 100th birthday. Chef Rodney Scruggs has a new menu (and a shiny new kitchen), with dishes such as a winter "fowl" terrine, made from organic chicken, quail, duck, squab, pheasant and foie gras and served with currant jelly, and roasted moulard duck breast with an aged balsamic glaze, smoked black pepper spaetzle, braised radicchio and a blood orange reduction. Also look for promotions like a weekly "Roll Bac...

The Adams Morgan offshoot of Glover Park's popular Bourbon will celebrate its first anniversary on Monday from 7-10 p.m. To thank its patrons for their support, the bar and restaurant will offer complimentary tastings of its beer, wine and bourbon selections. A complimentary cigar sampling and specialty hors d'oeuvres will also be on hand. The owners of the late Blue Room opened the original Bourbon on Wisconsin Avenue in 2003. A year ago, they transformed the Blue Room's first floor into the new Bourbon outpost, bringing along the popular comfort food menu and extensive selection of bourbon. The two locations now boast a collective selection of more than 200 bourbons, and the Adams Morgan spot serves 80 domestic microbrews at its second floor bar. Stop by Monday to wish them happy birthday.

You may have missed the sprinkling of tiny snow flurries that swept through Washington last night, but snowmen have already popped up at Citronelle . Chef Michel Richard is once again making his adorable meringue snowman kits, available to take home or give as a gift. The $12 snowman package ($4 is donated to St Jude Children's Research Hospital) includes the snowman meringue, a chocolate hat and red marzipan scarf, a rosemary stalk staff, raspberry sauce and crystal sugar. Add ice cream and whipped cream to fill the little guys at home. A card with assembly instructions is also included. Call 202.625.2150 to place an order for pick-up. And check out this link from the Post's Going Out Gurus for details on Sweet Hope, an event coming up this Saturday hosted by Citronelle to collect toys for St Jude.

This week's Five Bites come from Metrocurean reader Kristina: 1. Rabbit loins with rabbit liver flan and green beans at Cashion's Eat Place (pictured) 2. Pad kee mao at 1 Gen Thai 3. Ripieno extra stuffed pizze at 2 Amys 4. Sautéed calamari at Idylwood Grill 5. Tacos al carbon at El Paso Cafe Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for you to tell Metrocurean readers which dishes you're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a pic included (blog plugs also welcome) to metrocurean@gmail.com.

D'Acqua , the new restaurant from chefs Francesco Ricchi and Enzo Febbraro, is slated to open by mid-December, possibly as early as next week. The modern Italian seafood restaurant will fill the void at 801 Pennsylvania Ave. NW left by the sudden closure of Signatures a year ago. On the menu: housemade pork and lamb sausages served with broccoli rabe, Neapolitan style; ravioli filled with seafood and porcini mushrooms in a lemon and marjoram sauce; slow cooked lamb shank "osso buco" style; and grilled cornish hen served with citrus sauce. Ricchi brings Northern Italian influences to the cuisine, while Febbraro adds a Southern Italian flavor. A display in the restaurant will showcase daily seafood offerings, priced per pound, from which diners can choose their meal. The seafood will be available oven roasted, grilled or salt crusted. Ricchi opened iRicchi in 1989 and now owns Cesco in Bethesda, which he launched with chef Roberto Donna. Febbraro was previously executiv...

Considering it's dark by like 5 p.m. these days, it seems perfectly appropriate to start drinking as early as your job allows. The newest addition to D.C.'s healthy happy hour scene is Mandu , which just started its specials today. The new Korean restaurant is offering $3 orders of mandu (six pieces, regularly $4.95) and half price sojutinis in flavors like peach and pineapple at the bar from 4-7 p.m. During dinner this weekend, I went for the aloe (potential ingredient trend alert!) sojutini, which was sweet and refreshing. We also put away an order of pan-fried beef and pork mandu (the dumplings the restaurant is named for), the kalbi (grilled short ribs with vegetables and rice) and the bibim bap in a hot stone bowl, which pleasingly sizzled for the duration of the meal. The latter comprises a base of rice topped with mushrooms and other vegetables, beef and a fried egg that was still cooking when it arrived. A spicy sauce served alongside adds a little punch. After his firs...

I'm a big fan of ginger, so when I noticed a two-pack of Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew at Whole Foods, I had to bite. Produced by the nearly two-centuries-old Kiuchi Brewery in Japan, the ginger brew delivers a pleasing spicy bite. On first sip, it reminded me of the way beer tastes when you're eating sushi — bite of ginger, sip of beer, hit of soy. At 7 percent alcohol, this is a very real beer, not a ginger ale. According to the label, the flavor comes from fresh ginger root, which is added to the brew kettle. Its spiciness and full malt flavor also make it a perfect drink for the holiday season. That wide-eyed red owl peeping out from the label has established quite a following. Melissa of Counter Intelligence first introduced me to the White Ale, which she wrote about back in September. And The New York Times Style Magazine recently covered the brewery's Red Rice Ale. (Both are mighty nice, as well.) Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew Spotted at P Street Whole Foods

Your Five Bites e-mails have been great, so keep 'em coming. Metrocurean reader and friend Colleen Clark, at right, chimes in with this week's list: 1. Palak chaat at Rasika 2. Pumpkin empanadas at Rice 3. Duck fat fries at Blue Duck Tavern 4. A tie between the pork-leek dumplings and the beef lai mein (stretched noodles) soup at Chinatown Express 5. Goat cheese and roasted red pepper Belgian waffles at Belga Café Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for you to tell Metrocurean readers which dishes you're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorite dishes or drinks and whether you'd like your name and a pic included (shameless blog plugs also welcome) to metrocurean@gmail.com.