amanda mcclements

Not following Metrocurean on Twitter ? Unimaginable! But, really, I understand. So here's a look at all the juicy bits you may have missed, in all their authentic Twitter-speak, weirdly abbreviated, 140-character glory: Baltimore's Dangerously Delicious Pies is setting up shop on H St. NE, says @ brightestyoung : http://bit.ly/13qEpa RT @pqliving Carmines of NYC coming to the Penn Quarter? Yes (in 2010)! http://pqliving.com/?p=6167 RT @timcarman No chef? No problem! Owner expects to open Birch & Barley in Sept, with showcase space for kegs, bottles. http://bit.ly/2PATeL Ran into Barton outside his new seafood spot, Diamond District Seafood Co . Space is gutted down to the old bones and deceptively large. Was that the best octopus ever in front of me at Proof last night? Brined, poached before finishing makes it tender as chicken. But better. Michelle Obama, girls, Michelle's mom ate at Majestic tonight. Chef Shannon Overmiller cooked dinner while Cathal expedited...

A native of Burgundy, France, Olivier Perret was named executive chef of Ici Urban Bistro in the Sofitel in May. Perret developed a passion for fresh produce while working at his family’s produce stands at farmers markets throughout Burgundy. After cooking school, he worked at the acclaimed Restaurant La Tassée in Lyon and later worked at French restaurants in Canada and the United States, including Restaurant Renoir at the Sofitel Montreal and Café des Architectes in Chicago. Here are his Five Bites. 1. Pâté en croûte from Café du Parc 2. Crispy dorade at Equinox 3. Lamb shank at Central 4. Asian station for brunch on Sunday morning at the Mandarin Oriental 5. Pork ribs at Art and Soul 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 Stefanel...

Satya Thallam, a member of DC-based band The Method (catch them tonight at the Rock and Roll Hotel !), serves up today's bites. In truly candid spirit, he writes: "The temptation is to appear selectively hipper than I really am, but I'll try to remain honest." 1. Bison burger with bleu cheese at Granville Moore's 2. Crispy spinach (palak chaat) at Rasika 3. Emperador Marinado at Taberna del Alabardero (pictured) 4. Yucca fries at Crisp & Juicy 5. Oatmeal-chocolate chip cookie at Potbelly 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. Stay tuned later today for Five Bites from chef Olivier Perret of Ici .

Come August, out goes 701's old look, above, and in comes a makeover and new chef Adam Longworth from NYC's Gotham Bar and Grill. You may have heard that 701 Restaurant , now in its 19th year, is poised for a major makeover. Owner Ashok Bajaj will close the doors Aug. 2 through Aug. 10 for a fast and furious revamp of the interior. And while I'm sure the new look and rejiggered floor plan will breath some fresh air into the space, I'm looking forward to tasting the cooking of newly appointed executive chef Adam Longworth. Longworth brings a strong culinary résumé to town, having worked for years with chef Alfred Portale of New York’s Gotham Bar and Grill , where he was named chef de cuisine in 2007. That's kind of like the culinary equivalent of graduating from an Ivy League school, considering that talents like Wylie Dufresne, Tom Colicchio and Bill Telepan all passed under Portale's watch at Gotham. Longworth's new seafood-focused menu debuts Aug. 10, ...

Today, LivingSocial Deals is offering an overnight stay and massage at Virginia's Lansdowne Resort for about half price. photo from Lansdowne Resort Whether or not you've ever been a coupon clipper or Costco shopper, a new class of web sites that harness collective buying power for big discounts may be worth a look — especially now that the "social buying" trend has migrated into the dining scene. The sites all work in basically the same way: They offer a deal, say a $50 restaurant gift card for $25, for a limited amount of time (a ticking clock has a way of calling people to action). Enough people have to buy in to make the deal work, and the offer can sell out. And then, of course, you need to read the fine print — the coupons are often only good for a limited amount of time, so you have to use them fast. Here's a look at some of the group buying sites offering restaurant deals that have sprung up in DC: • LivingSocial Deals : This DC-based newcomer just launch...

A soon-to-open Georgetown restaurant has lured former NYC chef Ed Witt to head the kitchen. Morso , which is slated to open at the corner of Potomac and M streets in September, will be a Mediterranean spot serving small plates with a modern Turkish influence. Last week, Metrocurean spoke to Witt, who recently returned from a trip to Turkey. He says the menu will feature some traditional Turkish dishes, as well as more modern takes on the flavors. Witt hopes to rely as much as possible on local farms and seasonal ingredients. He's already familiar with some local sources — he tells Metrocurean he was one of the first chefs to use Bev Eggleston 's heritage breed pigs years ago. With his new DC gig, the chef is coming full circle in a way. Before cooking school and working at various San Francisco and New York restaurants that included Jardinière , Daniel and Il Buco , Witt worked at DC's Occidental Grill . The chef, who grew up in Damascus, Md., also competed on Food Networ...

The sustainable seafood market and restaurant that chef Barton Seaver will open later this year at 1612 14th St. NW finally has a name: Diamond District Seafood Co. , according to Missy Frederick of the Washington Business Journal . Check out the story for more details on the space, including this interesting bit: Seaver "wants to honor food stamps and offer several species at prices ranging from $3 to $4 a pound so all residents of the transitional neighborhood can afford the market." Ever heard the nickname "Diamond District" for DC? (There's a hip hop group by that name.) I kinda like it. Photo from bartonseaver.org

Chef Rob Weland has helmed the kitchen at Poste Moderne Brasserie since May 2004 and in that time established the restaurant's reputation for sustainable, organic and local cuisine. (Be sure to check out the expansive patio garden on your next visit.) Prior to landing in DC, Weland was executive chef at Guastavino's in New York. Small world connection: Weland cooked under Philippe Reininger, executive chef at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's new J&G Steakhouse , in Philly at the Ritz-Carlton in 1991. 1. Pernod braised lamb shank and a side of kale at Cork 2. Anything John Wabeck is pouring at Inox 3. Soft poached hen egg at CityZen 4. The rabbit at Montmartre 5. Oysters at Hank's Oyster Bar (Bonus: Soft shell clams at the Crab Claw on the Eastern Shore) 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 ,...

Metrocurean reader Rebecca Yael Weissburg sends in today's recession-friendly list of bites. 1. Maui tacos at Surfside 2. The B.I.G. Poppa burger (topped with aged Danish bleu, Cognac and sherry sauteed mushrooms and grilled red onion) at Ray's Hell Burger 3. The Island Avenue (chicken cutlet sandwich with arugula, pesto and brie) at Taylor Gourmet , pictured at right 4. Spicy 1/4 chicken with mashed potatoes at Nando's 5. Black & White milkshake at Good Stuff Eatery 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. Stay tuned later today for Five Bites from chef Rob Weland of Poste .

Here's a boozy bit of news for you: Brothers and top cocktail talents Derek and Tom Brown are making plans to open a two-pronged drinking destination this winter. Specifics have not been nailed down, but if all goes as planned, the location will be north of Chinatown and the bar will open sometime around November. The joint the brothers are dreaming up includes a main bar dubbed The Passenger that will be Tom's domain, serving cocktails, inexpensive wine and off-the-beaten-path varietals (think a Riesling from the Midwest to Greek wine to Virginia bubbly). A second bar — 20 seats, only 30 reservations per night and most likely concealed behind a locked door — is where Derek will interact closely with guests to make custom cocktails. He describes it as primarily an educational lab and a place to develop recipes. "It's not the Gibson or PX ," he says. "I plan to take notes from small, Japanese bars in Tokyo but let people in on the process of making cocktails...

Earlier this month, Metrocurean brought you the news that Aman Ayoubi, owner of Local 16 , is partnering with Eric Gronning of Gronning Architects and Doug Whipple of Whipple Farms on two new restaurants, one at 1832 14th St. NW and another at 3418 11th St. NW . The two spots now have tentative names — Table 14 on 14th Street and Barrio — and both are slated to open by spring 2010. Eric McKamey, Local 16's executive chef, will also oversee the kitchens at the new restaurants. Plans for Table 14 include a farm-to-table restaurant serving modern American cuisine with an Italian influence on the main floor; a yakitori grill and bar on the second floor overlooking a green roof and garden space; and a space for events on the third floor with a small roof deck. Meanwhile, Barrio in Columbia Heights (slated to open by the end of this year) will feature Latin-influenced and American food.

Poste's chef's table, handcrafted with local Virginia stone and sustainable teak wood, is the setting for the restaurant's new "Poste Roasts" in the courtyard garden. With the unseasonably gorgeous weather we've been enjoying, I've been looking for every excuse to dine al fresco. So when a food writer friend snagged a reservation for Poste 's new roast dinners, I was in faster than you can say spit-roasted pig. Dinner is served. At the restaurant's massive stone chef's table, nestled among herb beds and row upon row of shaggy tomato plants in Poste's courtyard, about 12 of us dug into a board piled high with chef Robert Weland's whole roasted suckling pig and juicy grilled peaches and plums, along with sides of macaroni and cheese and tart sauerkraut. As the sun set and a balmy 70-degree breeze kept us cool, one of the guests, Italian chef Stefano Frigerio , got his hands on a kitchen knife, cracked into the head, and dished out some o...

Daniel Bortnick, executive chef at the cozy Firefly in the Hotel Madera, has DC food roots that run deep. Get this: his grandparents owned a neighborhood grocery on the same block where Firefly sits today. His great uncle was also a DC restaurateur, known as "the Watermelon King" for handing out melon to local kids. Bortnick attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, before cooking in kitchens that included Mendocino Grille and Poste . 1. Menzaleh (baked layers of eggplant, ground beef, pine nuts and tomato) at Mama Ayesha’s 2. Pappardelle Aromatiche (housemade pappardelle with mushrooms and truffle oil) at Sorriso 3. Beef tartare at Poste 4. Rotisserie chicken and yucca fries at El Pollo Rico 5. Kaddo Barawni (roasted pumpkin with garlic yogurt) at The Helmand in Baltimore Previous Chef Five Bites: Cathal Armstrong , Dani Arana , David Guas , Josh Short , Michel Richard , Haidar Karoum , Ryan Morgan , Shannon Overmiller , Anthony Chittum , Jon...

Laura LoGerfo, at right enjoying mussels and oysters on Prince Edward Island, delivers this week's dose of bites. 1. Any soup at Breadline 2. Mussels with chorizo at Brasserie Beck 3. Cappuccino with strawberry cupcake or bee sting at Baked & Wired 4. Chocolate chip cookies at Good Stuff Eatery 5. Peach smoothie at Juice Joint 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. Stay tuned at noon for Five Bites from chef Danny Bortnick of Firefly .

Though progress has slowed on its Birch and Barley project in DC (it's coming, I promise), the Neighborhood Restaurant Group is preparing to open Columbia Firehouse in Alexandria. Fans of the recently shuttered Mark and Orlando's in Dupont will be pleased to hear that Orlando Hitzig is Columbia Firehouse's executive chef. Hitzig also cooked his way through the kitchens at 701 , Vidalia , 1789 and Charlie Palmer's Aureole . The space, which once housed Alexandria's local fire station and was most recently Bookbinder's restaurant, will be divided into two concepts: a classic chophouse upstairs and a more casual dining room downstairs featuring modern American comfort food, small plates and sandwiches. The downstairs opens Monday; the chophouse will follow in a few weeks. The chophouse meats, pasture raised without preservatives or hormones, will be sourced from primarily local farms and butchered by the restaurant group's Red Apron Butchery . Local oyster...

Clifton's new Trummer's on Main Earlier this week, Stefan and Victoria Trummer opened the doors to Trummer's on Main in Clifton, Va. The 210-seat restaurant is spread among three levels, including a bar and lounge and a wine tasting room with views of the wine cellar. The couple left New York City, after working their way through restaurants like Citarella , Bouley and Masa , to open a restaurant in Victoria's hometown. They hired chef Clayton Miller (formerly of Norman's in Orlando, The French Laundry and Daniel ) to craft the "creative American" menu, which includes dishes such as vanilla braised pork brisket with rhubarb and cherry leaf and pan-roasted rockfish with braised pole beans and tomato soffritto. The restaurant's pastry chef, Chris Ford, comes from ChikaLicious in New York, and his menu features sweets like a Virginia strawberry torchon with pound cake streusel and brown butter custard with lemonade sorbet. And considering Stefan Trum...

The St. Regis bar There's a particularly hot hotel bar snagging the spotlight right now, but one of my other favorites is the plush purple and black bar in the St. Regis . An affordable way to try it out? Head to the bar on Mondays from 4 to 11 p.m., when for $19 per person you can score a charcuterie and cheese board with a glass of red or white wine. The board features mature cheeses, three types of charcuterie from Fra' Mani in California, and a glass of red or white wine selected by Adour wine director Ramon Narvaez. Click here for more deals , and always call to confirm continuing availability.

Cork & Fork is planning a third location at the corner of 14th and Church streets. Ok, folks. Hold onto your wine glasses because this may get a little confusing. Metrocurean broke the news back in May that the owners of Cork Wine Bar will open Cork Market this fall just up 14th Street from their restaurant. But there's more cork to go around on 14th Street (maybe it'll become an oenophile destination?) with the latest development: the owners of Cork & Fork , a wine shop with locations in Gainesville, Va., and Bethesda, are planning to open a third store at 14th and Church streets, just a few blocks south of Cork Wine Bar. Owner Anna Landragin tells Metrocurean that they hope to open in December. "The difference between us and the other stores is that we are winemakers," she says. "We come from generations of winemakers." Her husband, Dominique, was a Champagne maker, and the pair founded Yellowglen in Australia, producing sparkling wine in the me...

My mother-in-law tells a story about a good friend and avid cook who lugged pie weights in his suitcase down to a rented Caribbean house for a vacation. (He also instituted a no talking til 11 a.m. rule — a man after my own heart — but that's a topic for another post.) Now that we're in the thick of the summer travel season, I'm wondering how far food loving cooks will go to make sure they don't go without in the kitchen on vacation. The house we rented at the beach last month (and for many years before that) comes with a spacious but horridly equipped kitchen. The mouth of the plastic blender is so warped it looks like singing lips. The serrated bread knife barely cuts butter, and the hard plastic cutting board sounds like glass when a blade whacks down. One coil burner on the stove resembles a popped jack-in-the-box spring. To ease the pain of cooking in a poorly stocked kitchen, my dad typically packs knives (since we drive), one good frying pan, a microplane, a few ...

Massimo Fabbri, executive chef at both Posto and its elegant older sibling Ristorante Tosca , grew up in Monsummano Terme, just 30 miles northwest of Florence, Italy, and landed in DC by way of cooking gigs in Italy and London. This year, he was nominated for Chef of the Year in the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington 's annual awards. Here are his Five Bites. 1. Roasted chicken at Westend Bistro 2. Wonton soup at Full Kee 3. Pupusas and tamales to go from El Rinconcito Cafe 4. Le Steak Maison (grilled steak with french fries and Béarnaise sauce) with a cold Stella Artois at Bistrot du Coin 5. Rare burger on a sesame bun with housemade pickles at the cafe at Palena 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 ...

To get your stomach rumbling this gorgeous Friday morning, Ellen Fort, who blogs about food and recipes at EllenFork , provides her list o' bites. 1. Green beans and Marcona almonds at Bar Pilar 2. Waffle sandwich with bacon, egg and cheese at Marvin 3. Escarole hearts with hard boiled eggs and anchovy dressing at 2 Amys 4. Dulce de leche gelato at Dolcezza 5. Bone cocktail at Founding Farmers 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. Stay tuned at noon for Five Bites from chef Massimo Fabbri of Posto and Tosca .

Bravo just released the names of the chefs set to compete on the sixth season of " Top Chef ," and the line-up boasts two of the DC area's very own talents. Bryan Voltaggio of Volt in Frederick, Md., and Mike Isabella of Zaytinya will both compete in the show, which plays out in Las Vegas this season. For a little sibling rivalry, Voltaggio's brother Michael, chef de cuisine at the Bazaar by José Andrés in LA, is also in the cast. "Top Chef" premieres Aug. 26.

Hook's lingonberry linzertorte with taleggio ice cream. Georgetown seafood spot Hook is now offering a two-course lunch for $19 or a three-course lunch for $24 during the week. Guests can choose any two or three courses from chef Jonathan Seningen’s entire lunch menu and Heather Chittum’s dessert menu, including the fabulous linzertorte pictured above. The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday 11:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m.

Spirits connoisseurs, mark your calendars. Here are two great tasting events coming up: What: Celebrate Ernest Hemingway's 110th birthday by enjoying some of the drinks he and his characters imbibed during To Have and Have Another - The Hemingway Bartender's Companion. Phil Greene, one of the founders of the Museum of the American Cocktail, will serve and teach you how to make the Jack Rose (from "The Sun Also Rises"), the Green Isaac's Special ("Islands in the Stream"), the Montgomery Martini ("Across the River and Into the Trees") and more. When: July 15, from 6:45 to 8:45 pm. Where: Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian Cost: For members of Smithsonian Associates, the cost is $45. General admission is $65. For tickets and more info, click here . What: Ceiba will host a rum tasting served with a Caribbean lunch. Scott Clime, wine and beverage director for Passion Food Hospitality, will lead the class through a flight of 10 rum...

Metrocurean turned 4 this weekend, and I'd like to say thanks for all your comments and tips over the years, and most of all, thanks for reading.

Chef Alex Bollinger grew up cooking for his family, and after two years in college, he decided to pursue his passion full time and headed to the Culinary Institute of America in 2003. After stints at Aureole and Charlie Palmer Steak , Bollinger was tapped to be executive chef at Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar in the Hotel Palomar . Here are his bites. 1. Chicken liver mousse at Palena 2. Charcuterie board at New Heights 3. Green curry pork at Thai Tanic 4. Any kind of oyster at Hank’s Oyster Bar 5. Foie gras at Charlie Palmer Steak 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

Today's holiday weekend bites are from Chris Holben, the taller person on the right. 1. Arugala pie (Santa Brigida) at 2 Amys 2. Fish tacos at General Store and Post Office Tavern 3. Jerk chicken (dark meat) at Sweet Mango Cafe 4. Gougere at Central 5. Steamed crabs at Cantler's in Annapolis 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. Stay tuned at noon for Five Bites from chef Alex Bollinger of Urbana.

Metrocurean has received confirmation that Aman Ayoubi, owner of Local 16 , is partnering with Eric Gronning of Gronning Architects and Doug Whipple of Whipple Farms on two new restaurants, one at 1832 14th St. NW and another at 3418 11th St. NW . Though the liquor license applications list Local 14 and Local 11 as trade names, a representative for the restaurants says they have not been officially named. Prince of Petworth has photos of the buildings here and here . Local 16 is already using organic, heirloom produce from Whipple Farms, and with Doug Whipple's involvement in the new spots, I'd expect a strong farm-to-table connection. Stay tuned for more details next week!

The W Hotel's intimate wine bar is just down a flight of stairs from Jean-Georges Vongerichten's J&G Steakhouse, both opening next week. rendering courtesy W Hotels Loyal readers know how invaluable Metrocurean's Coming Soon list is, but if you haven't checked it out in a while, there are a bunch of new additions to the list. Give it a read and impress your friends with your immense knowledge of restaurants to watch. A sneak peek: • Eola 2020 P St. NW, 202.466.4441 In the former Mark and Orlando's space, Dan Singhofen will open Eola, reports donrockwell.com . A preliminary menu online lists dishes such as Carolina rockfish with creamy corn, crispy wild rice and heirloom tomato and pan-roasted Hereford beef with potato confit, porcini and rapini. ETA: September • Hill Country 410 Seventh St. NW Tom Sietsema reports that Manhattan barbecue joint Hill Country is headed to DC next year. On the NY menu: brisket, beer can game hen, ribs, baked beans, chipotle devi...

Goods from the Butcher's Block. photo by Polly Wiedmaier Looking for someone else to pack your picnic basket July 4th? Here are two good options for you. First up, Robert Wiedmaier's Butcher's Block market in the Lorien Hotel will be preparing two picnic options for July 4th festivities, as well as Alexandria's bday party on July 11. The Fourth of July Sandwich Pack ($45) includes two gourmet sandwiches, chips, fresh Lucques olives and cornichons, housemade brownies or cookies, bottled water, and a choice of a bottle of wine or a pint bottle of beer. The Fourth of July Cheese and Charcuterie Pack ($60) includes a choice of two cheeses, Columbus Crespone dry salami, fresh Lucques olives and cornichons, a freshly baked baguette, bottled water, and a choice of one bottle of wine or one pint bottle of beer. If you want one for Saturday, get on the horn. Picnic packs must be reserved by 7 p.m. today for the 4th. For the July 11 celebration, order by 7 p.m. on Wednesday July...