Rogue24 - a 2014 James Beard Award semifinalist


Rogue24 was the  final stop in the search for local  2014 James Beard semifinalists.

 I'd  heard how hard it was to obtain a reservation, and was glad to reserve a seat early on a Sunday evening.  Two days before I received call a call from Rogue24. The chef was going out of town  Sunday so restaurant would be closed. Would I come in on another evening?  Stuart, the restaurant manager rescheduled my reservation to two days later. Bonus: I was upgraded to premium wine option since the restaurant  cancelled the original dinner reservation.

I walked slowly to Rogue24's entrance. I'd read reviews about diners being admonished for taking photos at the restaurant and made a mental to ask if photos without flash was permissible.  Despite my slow paced walking I still arrived on a few minutes early.  Stuart greeted me and guided me  immediately to my table.


Rogue 24's open cooking area

Rogue24 is a converted warehouse space that still has exposed brick walls and a very high ceiling, but the decor encourages diners to relax and enjoy the space. Soft rock music plays in background.

My server confirmed I opted for the 24 courses and beverage pairing as well as the food allergies I had disclosed to Stuart. Rogue24 also offers 10 course and four course options.

Courses 1-7: kumo oyster, hackleback caviar, tapioca puff , smoked sable, duck blood lavash, beer yeast meringues, popcorn marshmallow. I enjoyed  all the small bites except the popcorn marshmallow. I think the texture of the marshmallow did not appeal to me.



Courses 1-7: small bites

First drink: vermouth, campari, grapefruit bitters, Ford's gin



The beverage pairing begins with a lovely cocktail

 Course 8:  Char roe, sauteed onions, foam served in egg shell with top removed. I loved the unique presentation and liked the combination of ingredients.



Char roe

 Second drink: Andre clouet  champagne

Course 9: swordfish belly , blood orange, fennel, truffle. Tender, delicious.


swordfish belly

Course 10: grilled foie gras, parsnip espuma, almond shortbread. Granny Smith apples are used. Delicious. Nice presentation. The parsnip and apples were added just a touch of sweetness to this savory dish.




grilled foie gras and almond macaron

Third drink: white Burgundy  Green notes, but has long, dry finish. I asked Stuart about the rationale behind selecting this wine (it is infrequently offered to diners).  I discovered that Stuart as well as the server for my table were  working on obtaining their sommelier certification.  The certification process can be long and not everyone completes the training. In addition, the number of female sommeliers has been low historically, but that is changing.




Nantucket bay scallops

Course 11:  Nantucket Bay scallops, lemon zest, microflowers , touch of coconut. Delicate looking, but  substantial and a surprising combination of flavors.









Course 12: Fluke, brown butter emulsion, spinach puree, fluke pudding. Served a proper fish knife!  I don't think I've eaten fluke before. I now see what I've been missing and made a note to try it again in the future.



Fluke

Course 13: Salisify with ice lettuce and ice seagrass. Good vegetarian dish.


salsify

Drink four: Belgian style ale from California. Pale orange color, caramel notes. Best served cold. At warmer temps is not impressive.


Course 14:  Pigtail donuts. Puff covered in 'sugar' from bacon fat, filled with tender meat mixture accompanied with fruit puree. Jerusalem artichoke, cippolini onions, artichoke puree. Okay dish.



pigtail donut

Drink five: merlot, cab franc '04 combination. It has a cinnamon nose. Dry with. Mild to medium tannins.  My server says it has a short shelf life.

Course 15: araucana cured yolk. Potato puree, egg yolk, garlic crisp on top. Garlic crisp is good. Overall dish is cute, looks like sunny side up.  It would be my first choice..

araucana cured yolk

Course 16:Buckwheat gnocchi, green onions, jam puree broth. Underwhelming. The gnocchi tastes like the dough has been kneeded too many times - tough and a bit chewy.


Buckwheat gnocchi

Course 17:  Shenandoalh lamb neck. Terrine of lamb neck , puree, pepper jelly, yogurt, pepper jelly. Jelly is sweet, lamb is warm, tender. I like the colorful display

Shenandoah lamb neck

Course 18:Black morel mushrooms. savory. Tender, meaty ground pistachio, almond. Another good vegetarian choice.

 Course 19: Squab leg, rutabaga, squab roux. Roux tastes a but like molasses and pairs well with the well seasoned squab. Very good. Some of the best squab I've ever eaten.  



Squab leg

Drink six:Vinzanto, 2002.  Strong raisin note.

Course 20: Black sesame cake, coconut snow,yuzu  The dense black sesame cake is satisfying, but not too sweet.



black sesame cake

Course 21:Orange cake with elements of honey, ginger and lavender. Light and luscious.



Orange cake

Course 22:chocolate: cherry pistachios, sage. The chocolate is smooth,



chocolate covered cherry

Course  23- 24:Box of chocolates - small bites to end the evening.  All chocolates made in house. I really liked the raspberry square

 

 

The bathroom is clean and tidy. Guests are provided cloth hand towels to dry their hands - a very nice touch.

I felt sated when I left, but not uncomfortably full. However, I could see how someone bigger than me might still be hungry because the courses are tastings, not a full meal.

The entire staff works as team to  ensure dishes are delivered and removed in a timely manner. The team encourages questions and is happy to educate diners.

An evening at Rogue24 can be expensive. I think Rogue24's dining format is best suited for adults. Reservations are recommended and can be made through Open Table

Rogue24 is located is located on an Blagden Alley in the Shaw section of DC. The Alley can be accessed from M or N streets.  The closest metro stop is Convention Center. Street parking (zoned, permit and metered) is available.

I look forward to visiting Rogue24 again in the future!

.
Technicolor girl


eating implement for a course







Le Diplomate - a 2014 James Beard Semifinalst

Reservations at Le Diplomate are  hard to get. When I was able to secure a reservation for 9:15pm I accepted it.  Then the National Weather Service forecasted  a winter storm would pass through the area,  I called to  the restaurant to see if there was any earlier availability. I  spoke to Jess who suggested arriving  between 6pm and 6:30pm to get seat in terrace section.  I arrived just before 6:30pm and walked into a what appeared be a disorganized waiting area. The hostess advised me that the wait was approximately 20 minutes and that she would take my phone number to call me when the table was ready and that I was free to look for a seat at the bar to eat dinner. I provided my phone number and then slid through the crowd of hungry diners to see if there was an empty seat at the bar. I secured a seat between two diners.  When I returned to the hostess station and reported that I had secured a seat there the response was a bit  short, but I dismissed it as annoyance from  trying to manage the crowd of would be diners.

I sat down and waited for a menu, cancelled my 9:15pm reservation, and took in the scene around me. LeDiplomate has a well stocked bar. The servers on the dining floor move about a brisk pace. The diner on my left was enjoying a sandwich and had acknowledged my presence when I  inquired about the empty seat and again when I actually sat in the seat. The diner on my right was fully engrossed in  writing a message on PDA.   A bartender arrived; I ordered Kronenbourg beer (it was on tap, something I don't see often).  When the bartender returned he asked if I would staying for dinner- I replied was and would be eating at the bar. I asked for suggestions and them selected my meal choices.

Appetizer: steak tartare. Dijon mustard, capers herbs in steak. Topped with quail egg. Served with sliced bread and greens.  It was my first time trying steak tartare. I'm glad I tried it, but it was okay. I asked a passing sever to box the remaining steak tartare to go.

At this point  I suspected  that the diner on my right may be intoxicated. Food falls from the diner's fork a little too close to my shoes. I move my feet quickly. The diner stares at the floor and then glances at me, but does not say award. A bartender appears with a second plate of food for the diner and begins to chat with her.

Entree: scallops with red wine salsify, truffle sabayon.  Lots of color. Good, but not amazing.  I ordered brussel sprouts to accompany the scallop dish  because I'm aware that I need to eat a substantial green vegetable. The brussel sprouts are cooked with onions, seemingly with no other ingredients. The dish tastes a bit greasy .

My water and beer have run low. Bartnder #2 has returned to to chat with the diner on the right and offers her another drink, The bar keep standing in front of me looks at my glasses but doesn't say anything. After a few minutes of chatting the bartender glanced and asking if I need anything. I asked him to box the remaining food to go. He looked at the plate and then at me before walking away.

The glasses have not been refilled and offer to refill them to has not been proffered. Bartender #3 appeared and asked if I needed to anything. I asked for the dessert menu.

Dessert: dark chocolate Napoleon, almond dacquoise, bitter chocolate ice cream and caramel jam. Probably best part of the meal.

The bartender who first my order has stopped by to see that I'm having dessert and  notices the to go bag adjacent to me. After eating the lovely bitter chocolate ice cream bartender #2 asked how my dessert was. I told him it was good and asked to have the rest boxed to go.

dark chocolate Napoleeon

 

I didn't check  the bathroom at Le Diplomate.

The inconsistent and uneven service experience surprised me. In the future my money time will be better spent at another restaurant in the Logan Circle area: Birch and Barley, Eatonville, ThaiTantic or Kapnos.  If  I want to retain the French theme I will consider Bistrot du Coin in Dupont Circle.

Le Diplomate is located in the Logan Circle area of DC. The closest metro is U Street/Cardozo. Metered parking and zoned parking can be hard to secure in this area, so allow plenty of time to find a parking space.

Columbia Room

I had not heard of the Columbia Room before conducting my search of local James Beard semifinalists - even more reason to learn about Columbia Room

I received an email late the night before my rseervation asking me to confirm my reservation and inquiring as to whether I had alergies or dietary restrictions. I replied that I would keep my reservation and that I am allergic to strawberries and orange juice (yes, it's true).

I let directly from work and headed to Columbia Room. I passed the building twice before I saw the small sign at the bottom of the Passenger's window: Passenger DC and Columbia Room. I opened the door of Passenger DC  and pushed my way through the dense crowd of young happy hour enthusiasts.  As I approached the bar I asked one of the server where the Columbia Room was located . She pointed and said 'go thru the double doors, it's the door on the left. I continued to forge my way thru the dense crowd to the door.

I opened the door and walked in. The first thing I noticed was that the music was softer and the lighting dimmer. The lighting was so dim it was hard to take photos (I try not to take photos with a flash). Matt Ficke,bartnder (he really is  cocktail designer), at Columbia Room confirmed resservation and asked if I had any allergies (it would appear my email was not received or possibly read). I restated my two allergies . Matt asked me if I knew that this was tasting and that small bites would be served. I replied affirmatively ( I really did know it).  I was asked to wait a few minutes and then was brought in to the 10 seat room. 


Columbia Room's ice tea

I sat between a couple and a group of four men. Chelsea, another member of the team poured cucumber infused water into  a glass and then placed  a bottle of Cruzan black strap rum in front of me.This was the liquor that would be featured in the first drink. Chelsea encouraged me to remove the bottle cap and smell the rum. I noticed that the rum was dark like molasses and had a floral nose  ( it smelled like flowers when I sniffed it).  The 'ice tea' cocktail they prepared with the Cruzan dark rum also contained soghum syrup, apple cider and Meyer lemon juice. It was served in an rnate glass tea cup with a substantially sized piece of ice. The ice tea was paired with house made "fruit leather-  puree of fruit pressed onto a sheet, rolled, then cut.


It becomes quickly apparent that Matt is bit of Mr. Science, apothecary, alchemist and certified sommelier. Shaker, jigger cups, tongs, and stirring spoons are neatly assembled to facilitate proper prodction of the beverages. Bowls of oranges and grapefruit sit ready to be used as needed.

The second cocktail is in honor of the upcoming spring. It is a mix of brandied sour cherry, Bulleit rye bourbon, bsinthe, and a it bit of kirschwasser (a cherry liqueur).  This lovely cocktail was paired with  an Italian style pork pâté


Columbia Room's alchemy at work: a cocktail ode to Spring

(Italian style), toasted sourdough slices, and caperberry garnish. The pairing  highlights a peppery note in the cocktail.


Pork pate Italian style on sourdough garnished with caperberries

While I munching on the caperberries I asked Matt if Columbia Room was excited to be a Jamed Beard semifinalist. He said the y are excited and that the were on the short list a couple of years ago,.

Laird's apple brandy was  used in the last cocktail. The couple seated next to me and I  opted for a tart version of the cocktail. Matt a asked if we liked  yellow chartreuse and scotch (  in this cockatil: Pig's nose from Scotland). I noticed that the label stated  the scotch was 'bottled in bond'.  When I asked Matt what the statement meant Matt explained bottled in bond today means 100 proof. Historically it  meant stored in a bonded warehouse to avoid taxes.Olives were offered with last cocktail.  In addition to the olives and small board listing additonal items available for an additonal fee:  goat cheese, marcona almonds, Serrano ham.. I selected ham and almonds.



Olives, marcona almonds, serrano hamo

Matt and I chatted about  s and he asked if I had a bar at home. I replied that I did. Matt introduced me to Los nahuales mezcal. The mezcal had a smoky, earthy taste. I was also introduced to cynar, an artichoke liquor. It was used to create a daiquiri with Cruzan dark rum that Columbia Room crafts.

I finished eating my small bites and met Chelsea in the bar's waiting area. Chelsea explains that the bill includes gratuity.  After exchanging plesantries I  put my coat and hat on and turn the door knob to re-enter Passenger. I closed the door behind me,  walked thru Passenger DC into the cold winter night.

Seats in Columbia Room are available by reservation only via City Eats.Columbia Room's speciality is designing cocktails featuring alcohol. This is not a setting for children. 

Columbia Room's clean bathroom is a bit small, but then again Columbia Room is a converted house.

Columbia Room wants you to know it's a fun place and that they love designing cocktails. And I agree, it is. Prepare to enjoy the ride. I think Columbia Room would appeal most to those who like mixed drinks or at least trying creative cocktails.

Go.Learn.explore.


delicious pitted green olives

Mintwood Place - second stop on James Beard Award Semifinalist Trail

A foodie pal agreed to check out Mintwood Place with me. I had planned to take  public transportation to Mintwood Place primarily because parking in  the Adams Morgan section of DC can be hard to find, especially on weekend nights. This was an unseasonably warm winter Sunday and the traffic was similar to a busy Saturday.  My pal drove and we found a parking lot around the corner from Mintwood Place.

The people at the reception desk gave us a hearty welcome. When I asked what they liked each person had several recommendations. As Justin walked us to our table my pal mentioned that I wrote a blog. Justin immediately suggested we try the country salad  because it featured collard greens and calf heart. I made a mental note of Justin's recommendation and sat at the table.

Mintwood Place's eclectic menu offers creative twists on dishes.

We tried the maple pork cracklin', wood-grilled confit calf's heart & baby collard greens country salad, Beef Bourguignon, and the wood-grilled, dry-aged bacon cheese burger. While we didn't eat all the food - every dish was good! I didn't know what to expect with country salad and was pleasantly surprised that I liked the dish.  The salad, burger, and half of the beef bourguignon were packed up for leftovers.

maple pork cracklin'

wood-grilled confit calf's heart & baby collard greens country salad

beef bourgougnion

mashed potato side

dry-aged bacon cheese burger

Dessert? Not on this visit - we were full from the entrees. Perhaps on the next visit.

Yes, I checked - Mintwood Places' bathroom is clean and tidy.

Mintwood Place seems family friendly, but the busy pace and moderate to energetic noise level might overwhelm some children.


Mintwood Place is located in the Adams Morgan section of DC. The closest metro stop is Woodley Park. from there catch a bus or shuttle to a stop near the restaurant. Metered parking is available as well as parking lots.

The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm - good for all the senses

 Reservations can be through Open Table. Single diners take note: you may have to call the restaurant directly to reservea a table because Open Table will show tha there are no seats available no matter which date and time you select.

As I perused the list of local nominees for the 2014 James Beard Awards. I noted restaurants I had not visited. I had never heard of The  Restaurant at Patowmack Farm located in Lovettsville, Virginia. Lovettsville is near the Virginia /Maryland border off of Route 15.

The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm's 40 acres of land is nestled on a hillside overlooking the Potomac Valley in Lovettsville. Eleven of the 40 acres are used to grow ingredient used by the restaurant in its dishes.

I visited on a quiet Thursday evening; the menu was a la carte. I tried the tempura dilly beans, parsnip soup, dogfish entrée, Sophie's select cheddar cheese, and Sitting by the campfire - a restaurant specialty beverage featuring blended scotch. Everything was artfully presented and delicious, but the parsnip soup was amazing!

tempura dilly beans with yogurt sauce

 

parsnip soup with lapsang souchong marshamallow

dogfish, rice crips, labne, cress, and pink grapefruit

Sophie's select cheddar cheese with chia seed crackers and honey

Sitting by the campfire

I left feeling sated, but not uncomfortably full. The printed menu with my name printed at the top was a lovely touch. The staff is unobtrusive, but very attentive.

The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm also offers cooking classes. Look for an upcoming entry from me about my cooking class adventure at The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm!

The search for local James Beard 2014 semifinalists

When I read that The James Beard Foundation had announced its much-anticipated list of Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists for 2014. I wondered if I would recognize any of the  19 Washington, DC area nominations.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Rose’s Luxury
OUTSTANDING BAR PROGRAM
The Columbia Room
Rogue 24
OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF
Tiffany MacIsaac, Birch & Barley

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT
Jaleo
Vidalia
OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR
Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group (The Bombay Club, Oval Room, and others)
Stephen Starr (not entirely local, but a Washington presence with Le Diplomate)
OUTSTANDING SERVICE
Komi
Marcel’s
OUTSTANDING WINE PROGRAM
CityZen
Marcel’s
RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR
Marjorie Meek-Bradley, Ripple
BEST CHEF: MID-ATLANTIC
Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve
Anthony Chittum, Iron Gate
Haidar Karoum, Proof
Tarver King, the Restaurant at Patowmack Farm
Cedric Maupillier, Mintwood Place
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika

19 nominations out of more than 38,000 entries is impressive. The five final nominees for each category will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced on March 18; the winners will be revealed in May.

As I scanned the list I noted the restaurants I had not visited before and decided I would try to visit the restaurant before the final nominees were announced. My list:

• The Columbia Room
• Rogue 24
• Birch and Barleys
• Le Diplomate
• Iron Gate
• The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm
• Mintwood Place

Where to begin? Follow me as I seek out  this list of 2014 James Beard Award semi-finalists.