amanda mcclements

Florence, Italy is a favorite food destination of Sticky Fingers' Doron Petersan. Photo by Ashlie Hughes Every New Year tempts with an endless array of travel possibilities, many ripe with indulgences for the food obsessed. To inspire your wanderlust, Metrocurean reached out to 14 local chefs to find out their favorite food destinations. From international food markets and local restaurant recommendations, to a McDonald’s in Taiwan, here’s what they had to say: Todd Gray, Equinox and Watershed Gray recommends La Boqueria Market in Barcelona , Spain as his #1 food destination. He adds: “The second would be to Irvington, Va. , to eat local oysters from the Rappahannock and blue crab from the local rivers and creeks of the Northern Neck of the Bay. Beautiful, tranquil and local flavors of my childhood. Honestly, New York City is third, so many, many places!!” Bryan Voltaggio, Volt and Lunchbox Voltaggio suggests India, specifically Mumbai , and says: “There is so much to learn in te...

A former furniture restoration shop will become a Mexican taqueria from the Masa 14 team next spring. Chefs Kaz Okochi and Richard Sandoval are planning to open a Mexican taqueria next spring at 1819 14th St. NW, just a few doors down from their first collaboration, the Latin-Asian Masa 14 . Okochi, who also runs Kaz Sushi Bistro , tells Metrocurean that the yet-to-be-named taqueria will have three levels, including a basement with a "surprise concept." (My money's on a speakeasy.) The main floor will offer carry-out tacos with some eat-in seating and an open kitchen. Early plans also include a rooftop level, possibly with a bar and seating for dining. Mexico-native Sandoval, whose restaurant empire stretches from Dubai to Las Vegas to DC's Zengo , will take the lead on developing the menu, says Okochi. They considered incorporating the Latin-Asian flavors of Masa 14, but decided to do a more straightforward, authentic Mexican concept. Okochi says the new restaura...

Today's chef-approved bites are from Maziar Farivar, chef and co-owner of Georgetown’s Peacock Café . The Iranian-born chef runs the nearly 20-year-old restaurant with his brother, Shahab. Here are his bites. 1. Braised pork cheeks at Montmartre 2. Seared scallops, tamarind glazed with saffron yogurt, at Agora 3. Beef tartare with roasted tomatoes at Westend Bistro 4. Lebanese tasting platter at Neyla 5. Sunday night plato grande at Guapo's with lots of top shelf margaritas to share with great friends Fuel your appetite with 5 Bites from more than 60 of DC's top chefs.

Restaurant Watch: We, The Pizza from Metrocurean on Vimeo . Hey, Metrocurean fans! I'm super excited to announce that Metrocurean will be relaunching very soon with a fresh look, more of the content you know and love, plus lots of exciting new features. In partnership with the talented Interface Media Group , Metrocurean will be rolling out regular video features, as well. Today, you get a little sneak peek of what's to come with a look at Capitol Hill's brand spanking new We, The Pizza . I sat down with chefs Spike Mendelsohn and Michael Colletti to talk toppings, "Capitol Hill-style pizza" and the perfect dough. Can't wait to unveil the new site to you, and as always, thanks for reading ... and watching.

Bethesda's new Mussel Bar metrocurean photos Chef Robert Wiedmaier's latest project, Mussel Bar , officially opened its doors tonight at 7262 Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda. As you may guess from the name, this casual Flemish gastro-pub specializes in mussels and frites, which Wiedmaier does so very well at his Brasserie Beck . The menu features nearly a dozen preparations of the bivalves, including green curry with lemon grass; Delirium fennel, lemon and Stilton cheese; tomato fondue, capers and garlic; and classic white wine with garlic and parsley. Also on the menu: döner kebabs, wood-fired tarts, sandwiches, oysters and a few entrees. Mussel Bar is serving around 40 Belgian beers, which are showcased in the dining room. Mussel pans, at the ready. Wiedmaier also runs Marcel's , Brabo and its neighboring Tasting Room , and The Butcher's Block .

Clockwise from top left: an iron chandelier and iron detailing, glass porrons, Spaniard hottie Penelope Cruz marks the women's restroom, Spanish tiles, staff tees. metrocurean photos Introducing Spanish pintxos , porrons and ice cold "slushitos" to 14th Street, Estadio will open its doors Tuesday evening. Translation? Pintxos : addictive little bites like skewered Manchego and chorizo. Porrons : the Spanish wine spouts that will have you pour wine down your shirt at least once, depending on your learning curve. Slushitos : frozen alcoholic concoctions I will be drinking the rest of summer. Estadio's opening comes almost exactly three years after owner Mark Kuller launched his first restaurant Proof in Penn Quarter. His second venture, this time with a Spanish accent, draws on the same talented team: chef Haidar Karoum, wine director Sebastian Zutant and bar manager Adam Bernbach, as well as a new addition, general manager Justin Guthrie (previously of Central and ...

WHAT: Fluffy root beer marshmallows made from scratch. WHERE: Alexandria's Buzz Bakery . A package of 12 is $1.95. WHY EAT THIS: If you love root beer (like me), these whimsical treats pack in surprising sassafras flavor. Pastry chef Josh Short adds root beer extract to his vanilla marshmallows to create them. And if they don't disappear straight outta the bag, drop the marshmallows in a root beer float, or pick up some of Short's homemade graham crackers for a twist on the summer s'more. Or how about a sweet garnish for a Root liqueur cocktail?

It wasn't a very well-kept secret, but the cat's outta the bag: City Paper 's Tim Carman breaks the news that Top Chef alum Mike Isabella is leaving his post as Zaytinya 's top toque to open his own place. So what kind of restaurant will Isabella be cooking up and where might it be? Read the details over at Young and Hungry .

Brabo's patio at Alexandria's Lorien Hotel: now serving a deal on mussels, frites and wine nightly. The restaurant: Brabo by Robert Wiedmaier The deal: $15 buys you steamed mussels, frites and a glass of white wine during happy hour from 5 - 6:30 p.m. on the patio and in the bar, daily. The deets: Brabo’s new happy hour, available daily from 5 - 6:30 p.m., offers a great deal on one of chef Robert Wiedmaier's specialties: classic white wine and garlic steamed mussels, paired with frites and a glass of white wine for $15. Also discounted: bar food like veal meatballs, hamachi crudo and fried oysters is half off and glasses of wine go for $5.

Georgetown's Tackle Box. Photo: tackleboxrestaurant.com There's lots of delicious restaurant news floating around out there ... for those keeping track: • Tom Sietsema reports that an old McDonald's that has sat vacant for years at 3407 Connecticut Ave. will be revived as a new location of Georgetown's popular seafood spot Tackle Box . The end of the year is the target opening. The historic building that will house Virtue Feed and Grain. • Work on Virtue Feed & Grain , the next project from restaurateurs Meshelle and Cathal Armstrong (pictured) and mixologist Todd Thrasher ( Restaurant Eve , The Majestic , PX and Eamonn’s ), is set to start in the next few weeks inside a historic feed building at 106 South Union St. on Old Town's waterfront. The Irish-American pub menu will feature dishes like pigs in a blanket with housemade pastry, cockles and mussels, and toasties (grilled cheese sandwiches with fillings). Thrasher will be assembling a selection of specialt...

Hosts Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio welcome the chefs on the roof of the Newseum. So, what did y'all think of last night's Top Chef DC premiere? Did you spot me (hot pink scarf, seemingly chewing in every shot) at the cherry blossom party? There are way too many good round-ups already on the interwebs for me to add my two cents, so chew on these: • WaPo 's food editor Joe Yonan dishes on what it was like to be part of the crowd at the "cherry blossom party ." (Thanks for the shout-out, Joe!) • BrightestYoungThings feels no love at first sight for any of the contestants. • Carol Blymire gives a humorous play-by-play on Washingtonian.com . • Tim Carman over at the City Paper finds the premiere as fascinating as peeling potatoes .

Bibiana's bar. Photo: Greg Powers The restaurant: Bibiana The deal: Score a featured pasta dish, a glass of wine or Italian soda, and a sorbet for $15 at the bar during lunch. The deets: Chef Nicholas Stefanelli (pictured), who just won the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Rising Star award, is offering a helluva a deal at Bibiana's bar through September. Guests seated at the 12-seat bar can order a featured pasta dish along with a glass of wine or Italian soda, and a sorbet for $15 (tax and gratuity not included). Among the five featured pastas are bucatini with guanciale, red onion, chili, pecorino, tomato; spaghettini al Pomodoro; and large rigatoni with cauliflower, pine nuts and golden raisins. Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Check out the sweet house the cheftestants will be living in as they compete in Bravo's Top Chef DC , premiering Wednesday night at 9 p.m.

Virginia native Rick Cook was tapped by Black Restaurant Group owners Jeff and Barbara Black to head the kitchen at their seafood hot spot BlackSalt last August. Cook worked his way up to executive chef from line cook. Prior to joining BlackSalt, he spent two years at Gottlieb’s Restaurant & Dessert Bar in Savannah, Ga. And without further ado ... his Five Bites! 1. Any terrine or charcuterie at Palena 2. Uni with flounder fin and shiso at SushiKo 3. Masitas de puerco at Guajillo 4. Burrata with capicola at 2 Amys 5. Chicken with kimchi and soju at BonChon Chicken in Annandale Feed your appetite with 5 Bites from more than 50 of DC's top chefs.

Derek Brown wants to prove that cocktails can hold their own in the culinary world. To do that, he's invited some of the city's top chefs to cook at his serene omakase-style cocktail den, the Columbia Room , for a series of cocktail-food pairing evenings. Guest chefs Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana , Brendan Cox of DC Coast , Joe Palma of Westend Bistro , RJ Cooper (formerly of Vidalia ), and Columbia Room's Javier Duran will each take a turn on different Thursday nights. The chefs will create two dishes that Brown will pair with cocktails. Then chefs become bartenders to craft a cocktail to pair with a dish Brown will create. The cost is $74 per person, including tax and gratuity. For the chef schedule and reservations, visit Columbia Room's site .

James Beard award winning chef RJ Cooper has parted ways with chef Jeff Buben's Vidalia , Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema tweeted Wednesday. Cooper has set his sights on opening a neighborhood restaurant called Pigtails . And in the meantime, he tells Sietsema that he plans to serve the 24-course menu he launched this spring at Vidalia in an "underground" spot.

Back in May, Metrocurean told you that the new Neapolitan pizza restaurant from the 2941 team (fresh off some big Rammy wins ) would open soon. And today's the day, NoVa! Pizzeria Orso has opened its doors at 400 South Maple St. in Falls Church. I took a look around last week and managed to sneak a bite of the killer eponymous Orso pizza with ricotta, mozzarella, grana, fontina, pecorino, garlic and prosciutto. Pizzaiolo Edan MacQuaid (above) has cooked at DC's pizza standard-bearers, including 2Amys , Pizzeria Paradiso and Red Rocks . The handmade volcanic brick oven cooks pies in 90 seconds. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Monday from 5 to 10 p.m.

DC's annual Rammy awards were announced last night during a 1940s themed shindig packed with more than 1,500 people at the Marriott Wardman Park. The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington awards went to: • Best New Restaurant: Birch & Barley • Chef of the Year: Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgang Puck • Rising Culinary Star: Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana • Fine Dining Restaurant: 2941 • Upscale Casual Restaurant : Vermilion • Power Spot: BLT Steak • Neighborhood Gathering Place: Cork Wine Bar • Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene: Birch & Barley/ChurchKey • Pastry Chef: Anthony Chavez of 2941 • Beverage/Mixology Program: PS 7’s • Wine Program: Proof • Restaurant Employee: Adolfo Cajchon of Seasons • Restaurant Manager: Mark Politzer of Bourbon Steak • Your Favorite Restaurant (voted by online/newspaper ballot): CoCo. Sala

Majestic chef Shannon Overmiller cooks with a Brainfood student at last year's Grill-Off. WHAT: The fourth annual Brainfood Grill-Off , with food, drinks and great auction items WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, June 10, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Decatur House Museum DETAILS: Brainfood does an amazing job teaching life skills to DC high school students through cooking and food, and the annual Grill-Off raises important funds for the group. Teams of Brainfood students, local chefs and community members compete in an Iron Chef-style competition. Tickets are $75. Get 'em before they sell out here! Participating chefs are Daniel Giusti of 1789 , Kevin Villalovos of Cure , Teddy Folkman of Granville Moore's , Glenn Babcock of Nage, Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley, Dean Gold of Dino , Shannon Overmiller of The Majestic , and Bryan Moscatello of Zola and Potenza . Leon Harris of ABC 7 will MC the event, and Metrocurean will return as a judge. Event-goers will enjoy food, drink...

Chef Dan Singhofen (who wowed Metrocurean with a delicious pig showing at Cochon 555) opened the modern American restaurant Eola last fall. Before coming to the DC area, the Culinary Institute of America graduate worked at Gigi Trattoria , The Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Fla., and K Restaurant & Wine Bar in Orlando. These are his bites. 1. Crispy potatoes with malt aioli at Bar Pilar 2. Burger and a beer at Café Saint-Ex 3. Mushrooms, polenta and liver sauce at Cashion's Eat Place 4. Just about anything at Palena 5. Sardines and a good chat with owner Regine Palladin and/or Verveine (her daughter) at Pesce Browse 5 Bites from more than 50 of DC's top chefs here.