amanda mcclements

Today's Five Bites — with five sips — come from Kelly Magyarics , a wine and spirits freelance writer and wine educator. 1. Petite grilled cheese with Vermont cheddar, sourdough bread, shallot butter and bitter greens with the Scotland Yard cocktail (Noilly Prat dry vermouth, Tanqueray gin, whatever fresh herbs happen to be in their garden at the time, local cucumber and lime) at Vegetate 2. Roasted mushroom, sweet spinach and goat cheese hearth-fired pizza with a glass of the earthy, funky Demon Hunter beer from Italy's Piedmont region at Rustico 3. Chef's choice sashimi with a fizzy raspberry Ramune Japanese soda and Soju over ice at the Chevy Chase location of Sushi-Ko 4. Mussels steamed with fennel and chorizo and a Saison Dupont at Brasserie Beck 5. Charcuterie, cheese and olives and whatever wine director Sebastian Zutant recommends from the Champagne cart at Proof Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for Metrocurean readers to share the dishes and dr...

A super secret drinking den serving brilliantly blended cocktails has blossomed in our fair city, and Metrocurean has exclusive permission to fill you in and pass along how to snag a coveted seat. A few short weeks ago, a trio of top cocktail talents, Owen Thomson of Bourbon , Justin Guthrie of Central , and Derek Brown of Komi , launched Hummingbird to Mars . (The clever name is explained on the site.) The speakeasy-style operation opens infrequently, but generally takes place on Sunday and Monday nights. Hummingbird has no official home, and the location will likely change from time to time. It's reservation only, and guests are informed of the location after they make reservations. Once you're in, it's a candle-lit throwback to the Prohibition era — bartenders in old-school vests, 1920s jazz on the sound system and black-and-white movies projected on the wall. And, of course, some of the best cocktails being shaken, stirred and flambéed in DC. These guys are seriously ...

When chef Haidar Karoum found out Alain Ducasse would be dining at his restaurant Proof a few weeks ago — only three hours before the superstar French chef arrived — he ran home to get his favorite Ducasse cookbook, " Grande Livre de Cuisine ," in hopes of snagging an autograph. He told Ducasse, who will open Adour in the St. Regis in September, that meeting him was like meeting Pelé . For chefs and restaurant owners, having culinary legends pop in for dinner can be exciting and nerve-wracking. Here's a look at where some of the world's most famous chefs have dined recently in DC: • Thomas Keller dined at Vermilion during a July visit. He also checked in on his former French Laundry chef de cuisine Eric Ziebold at CityZen recently. • Emeril Lagasse stopped in 2941 earlier this summer. And in mid-August, he hit Dante Ristorante in Great Falls. Dante chef and owner Giuseppe Di Benigno, far right, posed for a photo with the new host of " Emeril Green ." ...

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

The winners of DC's hottest coffee table book, " Ben's Chili Bowl: 50 Years of a Washington, D.C., Landmark ," are: Dominic Tim S. Cornflakegirl Shaw Rez TasteDC Congrats! Send a mailing address to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com, and I'll get your copy to you post-haste. Thanks to everyone who left comments. And happy 50th birthday, Ben's!

Brasserie Beck's mussels in white wine, garlic and parsley This week's edition of Five Bites comes from Beth Gierer Pershing. 1. Baingan bhartha at Indique 2. Cod wich at Eamonn's 3. Mussels in white wine, garlic and parsley at Brasserie Beck 4. The "New Haven" pizza at Pete's Apizza 5. Poh pia at Straits of Malaya Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for Metrocurean readers to share the dishes and drinks they're enjoying around town. 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 Polly Wiedmaier

Only five more hours to enter to win " Ben's Chili Bowl: 50 Years of a Washington, D.C., Landmark " in honor of the big 5oth anniversary tomorrow! Post your comments here for a chance to win. I'll announce the five lucky winners tomorrow afternoon.

Taqueria Nacional fish taco A Metrocurean reader writes in search of the best fish tacos in town. DC being a long way from Baja, it seems the options are a little limited. But perhaps you can prove me wrong in the comments. I like Taqueria Nacional , whose fish taco is pictured above. Ceiba serves a Baja-style version at lunch and on its bar menu. Where else can you find good fish tacos?

If you're planning your next few weeks of dining out, be sure to take a look at the following: • Washingtonian has the fairly long list of restaurants that are extending Restaurant Week deals. • Zagat Buzz has rounded up the restaurants taking summer vacations .

I'm not sure what happened to M'Dawg Haute Dogs , but as I passed by the papered windows yesterday, I thought it might be nice to remember those restaurants that left us this summer. Cue the music: • Butterfield 9 • Colorado Kitchen • Curry Club • Gerard Pangaud Bistro • L'Oustalet • Meridian * • Merkado * • Montsouris • Restaurant K • San Marco * * Meridian is now Brightwood Bistro (5832 Georgia Ave. NW). Merkado will close Aug. 24 and is expected to reopen as Commissary , from the same owners, Sept. 9. More details here . The San Marco space at 2305 18th St. NW is slated to become Himalayan Heritage , serving Nepalese and Indian food. Did I miss one that you were sad to see go?

Ben's Chili Bowl will celebrate its 50th anniversary Aug. 22, and Metrocurean is giving away five copies of the new book " Ben's Chili Bowl: 50 Years of a Washington, D.C., Landmark ." From Dr. Dre flipping burgers behind the counter to portraits of the "ordinary folk" who are regulars, the book is full of great photos and history. To enter to win, leave a comment below — your favorite Ben's order, stories or just a hello — with your name anytime before Thursday at 9 p.m. Using the brilliance of random.org , I'll pick five lucky winners and announce them Friday afternoon. Thanks to Arcadia Publishing for providing the books, and check out all the Ben's anniversary festivities here .

Beer director Greg Engert, left, and chef Frank Morales of the forthcoming Birch & Barley and ChurchKey This fall, 14th Street will score a two-for-one beer-centric destination. Two distinct spaces — the 90-seat Birch & Barley restaurant on the ground floor and a beer lover's paradise, dubbed ChurchKey , upstairs — will replace Dakota Cowgirl at 1337 14th St. NW. A roof deck is also being added. The project is the first in DC for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, creators of Virginia's Rustico , Buzz Bakery , Tallula , EatBar , Vermilion and Evening Star Cafe . Chef Frank Morales of Rustico will head Birch & Barley, or B&B, as he calls it. On his modern American menu: wood-fired pizzas and dishes such as red brick Cornish hen with shaved Brussels sprouts and Golden Angel thistle honey butter; clay pot blue crab macaroni and cheese with fontina and herb bread crumbs; and duck confit and kabocha squash crepes with grilled Mandarin orange and roasted red peppe...

Meg Z. of Dekan DC provides this week's five bites. 1. Tater tots at Sticky Rice 2. Arugula pizza with fresh mozzarella and prosciutto at Sette 3. Fried green tomato BLT at Café Saint-Ex 4. Natural frozen yogurt with granola, strawberries and mango at Sweetgreen (pictured above) 5. Tuna sliders at PS 7's Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for Metrocurean readers to share the dishes and drinks they're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com. (Photo from sweetgreen.com .)

The space that was rumored to be a second Agraria will open as Founding Farmers in September at 1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The farm-to-table restaurant and Agraria sibling plans to offer breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch and Sunday supper in an 8,500-square-foot space with about 250 seats (rendering at right). The menu will be overseen by chef Graham Duncan and will feature "family farm favorites" (but not "kitschy country cooking") like fresh baked biscuits and breads, a variety of pot pies, roasted chicken and pot roasts, all utilizing sustainably farmed products and seasonal vegetables and fruits. Founding Farmers touts that it will be DC’s first LEED certified restaurant. CORE ( Brasserie Beck , Comet , Café du Parc ) is behind the design. Read the full press release here (via donrockwell.com ).

I'm not on the iPhone bandwagon yet, preferring my cell phone to be as small as possible and do little more than, well, make phone calls. But luckily, plenty of people around me are all too eager to show off their new iPhone apps. And when it comes to finding a restaurant, let's just say I kinda wish I had an iPhone. I love UrbanSpoon's slot machine-esque restaurant application, above. Give the phone a shake, and using GPS, the app finds restaurants nearby. You can lock in neighborhoods, price points and cuisine types. Click here for a demo. Download here or from your phone. Washingtonpost.com also recently launched an iPhone app, at right, that puts the site's City Guide contents at your fingertips. You can pull up Tom Sietsema's reviews, phone numbers, addresses, directions and more. Very handy. Get it here . Not as handy would be my husband's favorite: the virtual pint of Carling beer. Have a favorite iPhone food app? (Images from urbanspoon.com and wash...

Prince of Petworth has a few details on the new bistro replacing the short-lived Meridian .

During a recent week of eating vegetarian, I went to Vegetate with friends for a meat-less meal and stumbled on one of the most surprising dishes I've had in a while: a rich and hearty risotto that was completely vegan. I was completely mystified. I could've sworn a stick of butter and a cup of cheese had gone into the bowl, so I stopped owner Dominic Redd (aka DJ Dredd ) on our way out to ask how they make the risotto so damn good. Redd said they worked on the recipe for a while to get it just right. The secrets behind the deceptively decadent flavor are a stock fortified with miso that's been clarified and cashew cream. The dish features seasonal vegetables — cauliflower and peas when I had it — and is embellished with truffle oil. To note, Vegetate is offering an unofficial Restaurant Week menu: three courses for $25 through Saturday.

Because this is what I could snag from their enormous garden every week.

Today's list of bites is from Lori of the DC photo blog Juxtaexposed . 1. Grilled beef salad appetizer at Thaiphoon 2. Kadu buranee (sauteed pumpkin) at Afghan Grill 3. Pizza kerkyra at Zorba's Cafe 4. Chocolate cheesecake at Utopia 5. Shrimp tostada and margarita at El Tamarindo Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for Metrocurean readers to share the dishes and drinks they're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.

Head over to Washingtonian 's web site today to check out my interview for the weekly Blogger Beat.

Chef Jamie Leeds and operating partner Sandy Lewis plan to open their Brit-inspired gastropub CommonWealth tomorrow in the Highland Park building at 1400 Irving St. NW. They'll start with dinner and add lunch and brunch later in the month. I'm looking forward to the weekly “Sunday Roast” — an afternoon supper, featuring a selection of roasted meats like lamb and rabbit, purchased locally when possible, with accompanying sides served family style. The meal will range in price from $17 to $23 per person for the entire table and will be offered from 1 p.m. until closing on Sundays. Read more details from this earlier Metrocurean report here . Washingtonian has the photos .

I picked up four squash blossoms ($2) at the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market last week, stuffed them with mozzarella from Blue Ridge Dairy, dredged them in egg, flour and a little cornmeal, and fried 'em. I've also spotted some at the 14th and U market . What's your favorite way to prepare squash blossoms?

What: Rickey Month Party with the DC Craft Bartenders Guild When: Monday, Aug. 4, 6 p.m. Where: Bourbon in Adams Morgan Why: Because the new guard of DC mixologist's has reinvented the Rickey , a cocktail born in the late 1800s at Shoomaker's Bar on E Street NW and named for lobbyist "Colonel Joe" Rickey. Details: Admission is free and rickeys will be sold at a cash bar. Eight mixologists — Adam Bernbach ( Bar Pilar ), Gina Chersevani ( EatBar ), Justin Guthrie ( Central ), Chantal Tseng ( Tabard Inn ), Kat Bangs (Tabard Inn), Owen Thomson (Bourbon), Dan Searing ( Looking Glass Lounge ) and Kevin Rogers ( Urbana ) — added their own touches to the classic recipe and the guild sponsored a vote during July. The Rickey recipe that receives the most votes will be revealed Monday, along with a judges award decided at Bourbon by a panel of special guest judges. (Photo: worldwidecocktailclub.com )

To usher in August, Tami Sawyer of District Elite offers up her list of bites. 1. Maryland crab soup at Matchbox 2. Cheese grits and chicken sausage at B. Smith's 3. Smoked gouda and red pepper pizza at Ugly Mug 4. Chili con queso at Alero 5. Pete's Original pizza and blackberry gelato at Pete's Apizza Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for Metrocurean readers to share the dishes and drinks they're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.