amanda mcclements

Santosh Tiptur is the executive pastry chef of Penn Quarter chocolate haven CoCo Sala . Tiptur began his career in 1990 at the Taj Bengal Hotel. He worked as executive pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton San Juan Spa and Casino, and helped open Ritz-Carltons in South Beach and Grand Cayman. His menu at CoCo Sala offers chocolate tastings, but lots of savory items as well. (Don't miss the grilled cheese and tomato soup.) Here are his bites. 1. Garides me anitho (sauteed shrimp, dill, shallots, mustard and lemon juice) at Zaytinya 2. Lamb gucchi korma and garlic herb naan at Rasika 3. Spicy tuna tartare in sesame miso cones with shaved bonito and tobiko at The Source 4. Hamburger with tomato, cheese and Central mayonnaise at Central 5. Crepes filled with banana, Nutella, whipped cream and vanilla ice cream at Belga Café Previous Chef Five Bites: Cathal Armstrong , Dani Arana , David Guas , Josh Short , Michel Richard , Haidar Karoum , Ryan Morgan , Shannon Overmiller , Anthony Chittum ...

Metrocurean readers Kristen Variola and Wonton (the pup) send in a line-up of Asian bites. 1. White tuna nigiri at Kotobuki 2. Gaeran Jim (steamed egg) at Ara 3. Korean fried chicken at Bon Chon 4. Spicy Szechuan boiled beef at Hong Kong Palace 5. Bingsoo (shaved ice dessert) at Dolce Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers — and 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.com.

The lounge at Fyve in Pentagon City. A better-late-than-never deal posting for your Wednesday ... a way to dine at the Ritz on a sports bar budget. Fyve , the restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City , is offering a menu of $5 appetizers, daily from 2:30-11 p.m. The menu includes dishes like mini sandwiches (grilled cheese with bacon and tomato, short rib sliders, barbecued pulled pork), a plate of local cheeses, parmesan-parsley risotto balls, pizza, grilled chicken wings and desserts including mini cupcakes and cheesecake. A perfectly affordable way to refuel after holiday shopping.

Chef Robert Wiedmaier is selling game by the pound at the Butcher's Block in Alexandria. Photo: Polly Wiedmaier Cold, dreary weather have you jonesing for something that'll stick to your bones? How about wild boar, venison and other hearty game? Chef Robert Wiedmaier, who hunts with sons Marcel and Beck, is featuring a Hunter’s Plate of quail, rabbit or venison at Brabo on select nights for $38 per person. Or head over to the chef's neighboring market, the Butcher’s Block , where the fresh game featured at Brabo is also available for purchase by the pound. (Call 703.894.3440 to check on availability.) And at the market Nov. 4 from 7:30-9 p.m., Wiedmaier will demonstrate how to breakdown a venison saddle and prepare a marinade for it. Space is limited — call 703.894.5253 for reservations. Meanwhile on Nov. 13, chef Jon Mathieson of Inox Restaurant is planning a five-course game tasting dinner, featuring venison, rabbit, squab, hare and wild boar. "The heartiness of th...

Score a free room at the Sofitel when you buy a $299 bottle of Cuvée Louise 1998 bubbly. Beaucoup crepes, a chef resurfaces, coffee, wine and more. Here's all the juicy stuff you may have missed recently from the Twitterverse ... follow Metrocurean on Twitter here . RT @ timcarman : Well, look who has taken over the kitchen at Jackie's with the departure of Sam Adkins. http://bit.ly/374irl 2 minutes ago from TweetDeck Crepes on the Corner coming to 14th & S + Point Chaud , cafe & crepes, coming 2 old Circle Boutique on 14th. It's a crepe corner! Know deets? 10:23 AM Oct 24th from Tweed RT @ PoPville Weygandt Wines Grand Opening of Cleveland Park Store (formerly Blockbuster) Wed.! http://tinyurl.com/yg9ppyb 9:25 AM Oct 20th from web Now that's cool: Buy a $299 bottle of Cuvée Louise 1998 at Sofitel's Le Bar & get a free room for 1 night. Call 202.730.8800 for more info. 2:04 PM Oct 16th from web I am intrigued by this Bela Lugosi: RT @ timcarma...

Chefs Kyle Bailey and Tiffany MacIsaac are probably recovering this morning after a packed opening night at Birch & Barley and ChurchKey . The husband-and-wife team were tapped to helm the kitchen at this new Neighborhood Restaurant Group addition. Bailey is the executive chef, while MacIsaac oversees the sweets (a housemade Hostess cupcake!) and breads (don't miss the pretzel roll). Both chefs were previously at Allen & Delancey in NYC. Prior to that, MacIsaac was pastry chef at Cru . Bailey was at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Cru before that. MacIsaac says they always go "halfsies" when they dine out, eating half of the plate, then switching. "It is the best way for us to analyze and discuss what we are enjoying!" she says. 1. Coconut soup with braised rabbit at The Source 2. Classic new England pizza at Pete's Apizza 3. Burger at Firefly . "So simple, but often the burger is an afterthought. Chef Danny Bortnick's was perfect. So juic...

The fabulous Monica Bhide , a DC-based writer and author of the new cookbook " Modern Spice ," provides us with a delicious list of bites today. Her cookbook dispels myths about Indian cuisine being all about the curry and dishes up modern recipes like paneer and fig pizza and salmon with kumquat chutney. There's also a chapter on cocktails, including Guava Bellinis, a Tamarita, a tamarind spin on the margarita, and Rum and Roses, using Rooh Afza rose syrup. Find it here . 1. Palak chaat at Rasika 2. Hünkãr begendi at Zaytinya 3. Syrian lamb at Indique Heights 4. Chicken tikka makhni at Passage to India 5. Bombay sev puri at Bombay Club Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers — and 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.com.

The Spanish-flavored Estadio will open next year on 14th Street NW. I may never leave my neighborhood again. Next spring/summer, Proof owner Mark Kuller and his team plan to open Estadio , a Spanish restaurant, at 1520 14th St. NW, the space recently vacated by Garden District's indoor plant shop. Estadio will join the newly opened Birch & Barley and Masa 14 , as well as my current neighborhood favorites Bar Pilar , Cork and Posto . Add the planned Diamond District Seafood Co. , Table 14 , Cork Market and Cork and Fork , and I'm gonna go ahead and say 14th Street will be the hottest dining destination in town. WaPo's Tom Sietsema broke the news about Estadio yesterday, and Metrocurean got Kuller on the phone today for a few more details. First up, Proof bar man Adam Bernbach has a playful roster of libations planned. Slushies — yup, just like the ones at 7-Eleven — will be served. The frozen beverage is having its moment in some of New York's hot spots, inclu...

Boasting an impressive beer list of more than 500 choices, ChurchKey is located on the spacious second level. metrocurean photos Hallelujah, prost, cheers, mazel tov! Whatever your proclivity, the looong -awaited Birch & Barley and its massive upstairs beer haven ChurchKey are finally opening the doors for business Thursday at 1337 14th Street NW (barring unforeseen acts of God, of course). The husband-and-wife team of Kyle Bailey and Tiffany MacIsaac have the kitchen covered in this new Neighborhood Restaurant Group addition, the company's first in DC. Both chefs — he's exec chef, she's the pastry chef — were previously at Allen & Delancey in NYC. Prior to that, MacIsaac was pastry chef at Cru . Bailey was at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Cru before that. Metrocurean snagged some photos for your viewing pleasure ... Let's start our tour in Birch & Barley on the first floor. Behold, Birch & Barley's magnificent "beer organ" or so it...

I think it's safe to say bacon has moved from "trend" territory to kitchen keystone. And because chef Brian Robinson is a card-carrying member of the cult of bacon, Clarendon's Restaurant 3 is dedicating an entire week to cured pork, kicking off Wednesday, Oct. 21, and running through next Tuesday. The appropriately named Week o' Bacon will feature a daily happy hour from 4-8 p.m. at the bar with porcine snacks like bacon on a stick (similar to the dish pictured above) and bacon-wrapped shrimp, as well as $3 craft beer draft specials. Robinson, who cures his own bacon in-house, has also created a three-course bacon tasting menu for $30 ... bacon and egg salad, followed by bacon-crusted mahi with bacon potato hash, topped off with a bacon waffle with maple bacon ice cream.

Food & Friends will be handing out free slices of pie Tuesday, Oct. 20, to kick off the third annual Slice of Life pie sale . Head to the JW Marriott at 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW or the Marriott at Metro Center at 755 12th St. NW from 11:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m. for your slice. To help Food & Friends reach the target of 6,000 pies sold — and to provide 3,500 Thanksgiving meals for children and adults facing HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-changing illnesses — be sure to buy a pie , too. Choose from five flavors: Picture Perfect Pumpkin, Oh So Sweet Potato and Harvest Apple Crumb Pie for $25, and Southern Pecan Pie and Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake for $35. The pie sale lasts until Thursday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m., and the pies are available for pick up Tuesday, Nov. 24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. at Food & Friends or one of 14 CVS locations in DC, Maryland or Virginia. For more information, click here .

Chef Will Artley of Evening Star Cafe offers an all-Alexandria selection of bites to entice you on this chilly Friday. The New Mexico native has done time behind the lines at Kinkead's , Colvin Run Tavern and IndeBleu . Artley also oversees the fantastic Farm Table at Evening Star's neighboring Planet Wine , a perfect spot if you're looking for an intimate private dining option for a group. The table seats 10 to 14 guests, and prices start at $45 per person for Sunday's fried chicken dinner and run to $85 per person for a customized farm-to-table menu. 1. Gyro and a side of spinach from Vaso's Kitchen 2. Spinach pie from Rustico 3. Papusas from Los Tios 4. Papa Joe's slice from Valentino's 5. Chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream from Dairy Godmother (We have the flavors of the month hanging from my desk.) Previous Chef Five Bites: Cathal Armstrong , Dani Arana , David Guas , Josh Short , Michel Richard , Haidar Karoum , Ryan Morgan , Shannon Overmiller ...

Fellow food blogger Incredible Crunchy Flavor writes: "As we seem to plunge headlong into winter, here are some tastes to give you a break from the cold and take you back to warmer summer days." 1. Specialty orange Rickey at Founding Farmers 2. Shrimp burrito at Surfside (Best when eaten on their roof deck. Don't worry — they have space heaters!) 3. Ceviche mixto at Costa Verde 4. Gazpacho and lump crab cakes at Chris' Marketplace (available at several Freshfarm Markets, including Foggy Bottom on Wednesdays) 5. Oreo chunk frozen custard at the Dairy Godmother Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers — and 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.com.

This Saturday, Oct. 17, join sushi expert Trevor Corson at CulinAerie for a hands-on sushi class. Corson, aka " the sushi concierge ," is the author of "The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice," a guest on Iron Chef America and a leading sushi expert. The class starts at 6:30 p.m. and will cover: • How to be a star at the sushi bar: Tips for participating in the culture of a sushi experience, just as a Japanese connoisseur would do, including how to get the sushi chef on your side, how to get him to serve you, and what to ask for. • Discussion of traditional and regional sushi: nigiri, maki, te-maki, battleship and inside out rolls; miso soup with dashi; nikiri sauce (the sauce that really goes with sushi) • Overview of sake and other beverages in the culture of Japanese cuisine • How to make sushi. The class will participate in a sushi-making exercise, then enjoy the fruits of their labors. The class is $145 per person and includes a signed copy...

J. Chocolatier's truffles are displayed on pretty glass pedestals. In the Georgetown rowhouse that formerly housed Chez Mama-San , Jane Morris recently opened her first J. Chocolatier retail store, after doing wholesale in the DC area for almost three years. Morris, who trained under renowned chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt before starting her own business, creates artisanal truffles, caramels and toffee. I recently picked up a box of four truffles, including a delicious fleur de sel caramel with an oozing center and a spicy clove truffle topped with cocoa nibs and a hint of ancho chili. The shop offers a rotating menu of 14 handmade truffles, some baked goods and Caffé Pronto coffee using a pour-over bar. Morris is adding Parisian-style drinking chocolate this weekend, and there are a handful of tables for hunkering down to enjoy the sweets. *Free food alert: Stop by the store on Friday, Oct. 16 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. for a free tasting featuring samples of the ...

Liquid olives at your next cocktail party? Why not, thanks to a new partnership between José Andrés and Ridgewells. Photos: Powers and Crewe Nothing says party quite like an eight-foot paella. Last Wednesday, chef José Andrés unveiled his new catering partnership with Ridgewells during a swanky shindig at a stunning home in Chevy Chase. Right in front of the home's pool, a massive paella sent garlic scented steam into the air, while a nearby machine spun wisps of fluffy pink cotton candy to wrap around skewered squares of foie gras. Servers passed trays of liquid olives that delivered bursts of briny juice, and when time came for dessert, there were saffron gumdrops, flan and Greek yogurt cups with apricots. The idea behind the new catering union is to take the food that makes Andrés' restaurants so popular — the avant garde bites from minibar , baby pig tacos from Oyamel , and that giant version of Jaleo 's paella — and make it available for parties. Andrés' version ...

Spike Mendelsohn's Prez Obama burger schooled the New York competition. Photo: NYC Food and Wine Festival On Friday, chef Spike Mendelsohn of DC's Good Stuff Eatery bested the burger competition at the New York City Food and Wine Festival . His Prez Obama burger — applewood smoked bacon, crumbled blue cheese, red onion marmalade and horseradish mayonnaise on a potato roll — beat out Bobby Flay, Shake Shack , DuMont Burger and Minetta Tavern , among others during the Blue Moon Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray. Mendelsohn was the only non-New York chef invited to the burger competition, and he says he was "so happy to represent DC.” Meanwhile back in the nation's capital, the W Hotel held its grand opening party Thursday night. Metrocurean spotted award-winning Aquavit chef Marcus Samuelsson getting his groove on in POV , the hotel's rooftop bar.

Chef Steve Mannino was tapped in July to head the kitchen at Rustico , as well as the forthcoming second location, slated to open next summer at 4075 Wilson Blvd. Timely tip: This Saturday, Oct. 10, from noon to 6 p.m., hit Rustico for Oktobeerfest . There will be lots of food, beer, live music and a raffle for a Harley. Oh, yeah. Find all the deets here . Mannino's résumé includes the Park Avenue Café in New York and Chicago, Les Nomades in Chicago, and eight years with Todd English, during which he opened and served as executive chef at both the Olives in Las Vegas and DC. He later worked with Steven Starr to open Buddakan and the Continental in Atlantic City. Of his family friendly Five Bites, he writes: "My wife and I are firm believers that if we make eating fun for our children (which can mean dipping, handling or, to some, playing) then not only will they be willing to try new things and flavors, but they will enjoy them and in turn develop a lifelong love of eatin...

Burger and fries at Good Stuff. L.A. Quillen of the blog Q's Eats sends in our weekly dose of deliciousness. 1. Almond croissants from Buzz Bakery 2. The Mack burger (American cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickles, red onion and Heck sauce) at Ray's Hell-Burger 3. Spike's village fries with Sriracha mayo at Good Stuff Eatery 4. Peach sorbet at The Dairy Godmother 5. Falafel from Amsterdam Falafelshop Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers — and 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.com.

This Saturday, I'll be faced with the gluttonous task (for the fifth time) of tasting nearly 60 dishes as I hunker at the judge's table at the Taste of Georgetown . You, of course, can come and eat a more reasonable amount. The food festival will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature dishes from around 30 of the neighborhood's restaurants, including newcomer Bourbon Steak , as well as 1789 , Agraria Farmers and Fishers , Baked and Wired , Hook and Mie n Yu . Each tasting ticket is $5, or buy five tickets for $20. Beer and wine tastings will also be available. Look for the party on Wisconsin Avenue, between M Street and South Street, and on the lawn of the Grace Episcopal Church at 1041 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Stop by the judge's table, where you'll also find Nycci Nellis from The List and Marc Silverstein , host of Food Network's "The Best Of," to say hello!

Photo: enologydc.com Cocktail fans, take note. This Thursday at 8 p.m., Enology 's resident mixologist Chris Cunningham is launching Macomb Mixology , a weekly cocktail night at the bar where he'll feature five to six special concoctions. Dubbed M2, the "bar within a bar" is planned for Thursdays nights. Cunningham, who previously manned the bar at Dino , will offer seasonal creations using Enology's exclusively U.S.-sourced spirits. "I think a good cocktail is always a bit sweet and a bit sour," he said in a release. "I am going to stick with that philosophy each week.”

Sweetgreen is planning a new location at 15th and P Streets NW. Photo: Sweetgreen blog Openings, expansions and more! Here's all the juicy stuff you may have missed recently from the Twitterverse ... follow Metrocurean on Twitter here . Sweetgreen just inked a deal for a new location @ 15th and P next to Lululemon. Early 2010 opening planned. Post workout salad for me, plz! RT @ timcarman If all goes according to plan, Palena will expand into the adjacent Magruder's. 60 more seats +. http://bit.ly/3lREPR Scott Conant shelves DC Scarpetta ... for now. RT @ goingoutgurus : NY Chef Scratches Plans to open in vacant Olive.. http://bit.ly/5GMbS RT @ bestbitesblog Georgetown Cupcake is moving to a roomier, more central Gtown location at 33/M Sts. + opening in Bethesda. Copper Pot does fall: pumpkin pappardelle, pheasant ragu, goose confit ravioli, butternut squash & maple tortellini -> http://bit.ly/37MpAN Historic Foggy Bottom Grocery will relaunch soon as FoBoGro thnx...

It's a wine shop/wine bar explosion! In Adams Morgan, Cashion's chef and owner John Manolatos and general manager Justin Abad plan to open AM Wine Shoppe in the old Skynear space at 2122 18th St. NW, Prince of Petworth reports . According to the sign, the store will offer gourmet foods and wine, and the team hopes to open the shop before the holidays. Meanwhile, a Metrocurean reader spotted a sign for Twisted Vines Bottleshop & Bistro at 2803 Columbia Pike in Arlington. According to the web site, owners Sybil and Josh Robinson plan to open in November. The bistro will offer 20 wines by the glass, more than 100 bottles, and a menu of cheese, charcuterie, salads and small plates. The wines will be available at retail prices in the shop. In case you're keeping track, these two new spots are part of a dominating trend in the DC area. Metrocurean told you about Screwtop , a combo retail/wine bar coming to Clarendon, as well as Cork Market from the owners of Cork Wine Ba...

It's bad news Monday in the foodie-verse. The New York Times Media Decoder reports that Condé Nast will stop publishing Gourmet magazine after 68 years. Boooo! Gawker has the internal memo about the Condé closures, which also hit Modern Bride and Cookie , including this regarding Gourmet : Gourmet magazine will cease monthly publication, but we will remain committed to the brand, retaining Gourmet's book publishing and television programming, and Gourmet recipes on Epicurious.com. We will concentrate our publishing activities in the epicurean category on Bon Appétit. Gourmet was the first magazine I subscribed to when I left home, long before I knew I wanted to be a food writer. A sad day indeed.

I think it's safe to say that the pumpkin whoopie pies from Pecan Meadow Farms, available at the 14th and U farmers market , now have a cult following. And for good reason. The sweets start with pumpkins grown on the farm — no canned stuff here. They're made with Pecan Meadow's free-range eggs (also delicious on their own) and are filled with fluffy sweet cream cheese icing. Mentions of the pies regularly show up on my Twitter feed, and I've even overheard people talking about them over brunch at Saint-Ex . Get to the market each Saturday early to get 'em before they're gone. Lucky for me, I have some wonderful friends who make sure that if I miss the market, I don't miss the whoopie pies. In fact, two just showed up at my door. Pardon me, I have a whoopie pie to eat...

Born and raised in Montgomery County, Kitchen head chef Alex McCoy competed this spring alongside his brother on NBC's “Chopping Block,” overseen by England’s Marco Pierre White. He got his start in restaurant kitchens in 2003 at Café Gelato in Bethesda, where he was head chef. In 2007, he became chef and manager of Rugby Café, and in May of this year, he was tapped as head chef of the Southern-inspired Kitchen. 1. Every local knows roasted whole flounder with garlic and herbs at Pines of Rome is the best around, and save room for their famous homemade rhum cake. 2. Duck a l'Orange with a great glass of Bordeaux on the patio at Café La Ruche 3. Cold pint of Guinness and Tristan's burger from Rugby Café 4. Crispy fried chicken with gravy and collard greens at Art and Soul 5. Pizza Movers big cheesey pizza ... always a treat on my way home after work late at night. Previous Chef Five Bites: Cathal Armstrong , Dani Arana , David Guas , Josh Short , Michel Richard , Haid...