Thinking of Drinking: Champagne Cocktail

Sip on this Champagne Cocktail from Boss Shepherd's.

Cheers to Beer: Pumpkin Beers, Part II

By: Laurie Wallin

Capital Cooking Contributor

Ready to find out the winner of the blind pumpkin beer tasting? This post will reveal the winner by counting down the top 5 pumpkin beers as ranked by our tasters.

The Gibson: New Fall Cocktail Menu

By Claire Goldman/Photographs by Angeline Hsu Somerville

Do not be fooled by the closed shop gate store front, The Gibson is a cozy and dimly lit speakeasy on 14th Street NW (right next to Marvin). The mixologists over at The Gibson are humble about their prolific list of cocktails creations, but these guys have got skill and imagination for days.  Here's a few of our favorites from the new Fall/Winter menu:

First Taste: Medium Rare

I've been meaning to go to Medium Rare for years and I finally made it in last week.  They've got a great concept with bread, salad and steak frites for $19.75.  All of the food is well done and leaves everyone happy.  I loved the perfectly cooked steak and crispy fries.  Yum!

Cheers to Beer: Pumpkin Beers, Part I

By: Laurie Wallin

Capital Cooking Contributor

Thanksgiving is fast arriving, and pumpkin is everywhere – pies, pasta, and beers! Pumpkin beers have exploded onto the scene recently – but there are now so many, it’s hard to choose. Capital Cooking set out to rank pumpkin beers by holding a blind tasting. 10 beers were selected, including Aleworks Pumpkin Ale, Southern Tier Pumking, Dogfish Head Punkin’ Ale, Flying Dog The Fear, Heavy Seas The Greater Pumpkin, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Wild Wolf Brewing Company Howling Pumpkin, New Belgium Pumpkick, Devils Backbone Pumpkin Hunter and Ithaca Beer Company Country Pumpkin.  To keep the tasting fair, all chosen beers for this tasting were categorized as “Pumpkin Ale.”

Just Lunch: Pinea

The W Washington DC hotel recently opened a new restaurant with Chef Barry Koslow. 

A Thanksgiving Menu With Pairings

Thanksgiving is almost here. You can't beat the never ending supply of comfort food during the holidays. I'm thankful for that!

Upcoming Events

From Friday, November 14 through Sunday, November 16, Union Market - the vibrant district in Northeast DC – will host Fifth Street Folly, a weekend-long street party. The weekend will feature several signature fashion and food-oriented gatherings throughout the district; the market's free Thread series, Bluejacket’s first ever pop-up beer garden, the ticketed Gilt Sample Sale and the EmporiYUM food festival.

Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

härth Fires Up New Menu

 

By: Laurie Wallin

Capital Cooking Contributor

härth, in the McLean Hilton, recently appointed a new Executive Chef, Luc Dendievel, who recently released a new fall menu. I was pleased to see that the new Chef is taking härth’s commitment to sustainability seriously by sourcing ingredients from local purveyors and continuing to utilize fresh produce from härth’s organic garden and honey from the rooftop beehive. Walking into the restaurant, diners are greeted by a wine cellar across from the kitchen pass, which sits atop hundreds of pieces of firewood. The restaurant’s interior features creamy white walls, wood floors, and numerous fireplaces, providing a sleek, yet comforting atmosphere.

Re-Opening: Embassy Suites Friendship Heights & Willie's Bar

By Lauren Rosalanko

Last Tuesday the Embassy Suites in Friendship Heights hosted its grand reopening after extensive renovations. With the new hotel, they also opened a full-service bar on the 3rd floor in the open a trio space of the hotel. The open space offers an inviting atmosphere, filled with many comfortable seating options, including high communal tables with plenty of outlets for diners' to charge their devices. The bar also has a TV, making it a perfect place to sit back and watch your favorite sports game. The bar is named in honor of Wilfredo Benavides, who passed recently after a battle with ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease. 1% of all proceeds from the bar will be donated in his memory to the ALS Association.

Chilean Culinary Experience: 6 Chefs & 2 Mixologists

By Lauren Rosalanko

This Monday I was able to attend an amazing event at the National Restaurant Association in DC where 6 chefs created dishes to compete for the top spot among the tasters and judges. There were also 2 mixologists and a sommelier sampling some of the best Chilean dishes. Most of the Chilean dishes featured some type of seafood such as shrimp and octopus, while many also had a type of berry or olive oil. Everything was delicious and it was definitely tough to vote on what was my favorite!

Castle of Santa Catalina in Jaén, Spain

We enjoyed lunch at this beautiful castle in Spain 8 years ago during our honeymoon.

Thinking of Drinking: Swing Vote

Using the classic Brown Derby - a true American cocktail - as his inspiration, Adam Bernbach created Basil Hayden’s Swing Vote, a refreshing and contemporary drink that features sweet honey and dry grapefruit notes to highlight the trademark spicy finish of Basil Hayden’s Bourbon. With the addition of Madeira, this cocktail is a one-of-a-kind addition to enjoy while watching the results roll in. In fact, Madeira was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson himself! No matter which party you vote for this November 4th, Basil Hayden’s Swing Vote makes the perfect celebratory (or consoling) cocktail.