Foodie and the Beast – July 30, 2017
This week, we are afloat in world-class potables and awash in equally as inspiring edibles. Guests include top sommelier Brent Kroll, newly minted partner in the newly opened Maxwell Park, a 33-seat gem of a wine bar in the sexy Shaw District. In with Brent are his partners (more somms!) Niki Land and Daniel Runnerstrom.
We all scream for ice cream in the summer, but this guy’s ice cream makes for screams heard ’round the world! RAMMY award-winning, “Pastry Chef of the Year” pastry chef Fabrice Bendano, he of Steven Starr’s Le Diplomate in DC, has launched a summer ice cream cart for guests on the restaurant’s sidewalk featuring homemade glaces that are blowing up taste buds (in a good way!). Paris-born Fabrice joins us for tastes and talk of his amazing, sweet treats.
DC’s storied Watergate Hotel – home of the Watergate break-in that toppled Richard Nixon’s presidency – turns 50 this year, and topping the celebration is a one-of-a-kind commemorative dinner at Kingbird, the hotel’s signature restaurant. An homage to the late Jean-Louis Palladin, the legendary, James Beard Award-winning chef whose innovations and feats of culinary magic at the hotel started in DC’s dining revolution and launched the careers of many of today’s current, top chefs. Joining us on the show is the hotel’s executive chef, Michael Santoro, and GM, Jeff David, to discuss the anniversary, event and provide deets on the other, famous chefs joining Chef Michael to prepare the $250/plate, five-course dinner: Michael Laiskonis, Paul Liebrandt, Brian McBride and Robert Wiedmaier.
District Distilling’s Chef Justin Bittner is justifiably known for the crazy-good fried chicken biscuits he created (along with versions thereof). Now all are enshrined in the chef’s Backroom Biscuit Happy Hour.
Listen in as we discuss and devour tonnage biscuits.
And, our new friend, Nick Farrell, bartender at NRG’s Iron Gate restaurant, is known for creating some of the craftiest cocktails in DC – He’s in with secret recipes and ingredients (not so secret anymore) and lotsa sips for us to try.