WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2010
KLMNO
An artful Japanese newcomer in Northwest
TOM SIETSEMA
First Bite
TODAY
you. Let her know you’ve come to
A
the Japanese restaurant in Mount Vernon Square for raw fish, and you’re apt to be led to the sushi bar to the far left of the entrance. Hungry for something grilled? Then the robata grill counter, straight ahead, is your likely destination. The entire menu, and it’s an
extensive one, is available even if you choose one of the tables in the vast, 4,000-square-foot din- ing room. But that would mean forgoing some performance art with your meal. If you’re any- thing like me, you like to watch your sushi assembled before your eyes and catch your pork belly sizzling to doneness atop a charcoal fire within feet of your seat. Kushi is led by Darren Lee
Norris and his wife, Ari Kushi- moto Norris. He was a former executive chef at Ridgewells ca- terers and now heads a team of 14 cooks. She was an art director for AOL and the visionary be- hind Kushi’s design. The space is both spare and impressive, set off with giant paper lanterns, some antique wooden screens and music that can drift to reg- gae. The name of the newcomer, which was inspired by a yakitori restaurant in a train station in Tokyo’s Ginza district, is a dou-
t Kushi Izakaya & Sushi,
your appetite determines where the hostess seats
FILM SCREEING: “Food, Inc.”
looks at the corporate-controlled global food industry. Free. 6:30 p.m. Shirlington Branch Library, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. 703-228-6545 or www.
arlingtonva.us/library.
THURSDAY
PHOTOS BY JAMES M. THRESHER FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
The busy open kitchen at Kushi includes a sushi bar, in background at left, and a grill area, at right.
A serving of mirugai sushi, or geoduck clam.
ble-entendre: Kushi is Japanese for “skewer,” says Darren, and also part of his wife’s family name. An izakaya is a Japanese
pub that serves snacks. Despite its youth (Kushi opened in March in the CityVista building), the restaurant puts area Japanese purveyors on no- tice. Not only is there fatty tuna, there’s extra-fatty tuna available. A request for sake is met with a choice of wood, glass, lacquer or ceramic cups. Kimchi nestled in a bowl with fresh oysters might be among the many specials, and it’s a terrific combination: at once hot and cold, sea-sweet and spicy. From the grill come little skewers of super-juicy chicken in a light wash of tare (soy sauce
DISH
Get primed for Peking duck,
curry shrimp in banana leaf, sushi — and a major scene. The highly
anticipated Buddha Bar is
expected to open at 455 Massachusetts Ave. NW on May 3, according to Eran Gorev, a licensee of the famous Paris-based concept. Heading the pan-Asian kitchen
will be Chul Kee Ko, 38. He’s a Korean native who comes to
Washington from the modern Japanese Ten in Charlottesville and has cooked at the four-star Jean Georges in New York. In search of a “star,” says Gorev, he and his business partners in the Potomac-based Washington Restaurants “dined in, gosh, easily 30 or so different restaurants here and on the West Coast,” including San Francisco and Vancouver. When they encountered Ko in
Virginia, the chef impressed the group with his food and his story. As the son of parents who owned restaurants in Korea, Ko told Gorev and company, he “woke up smelling spices” and began cooking at age 14. In 1994, he moved to Vancouver to study English and hone his culinary skills. Washington’s 9,500-square foot Buddha Bar is the world’s ninth.
GOOD TO GO
A.M. Wine Shoppe in Adams Morgan
The next time you need a nice
bottle of wine and something tasty to go with it, head to 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan. The new wine store at the corner of Wyoming Avenue happens to be selling some seriously good food. A.M. Wine Shoppe opened on
Jan. 25 in the space below Sky- near & Co. It’s the brainchild of Justin Abad, who is also an owner at Cashion’s Eat Place, a few blocks away. He hired former Cashion’s employee Andrew Akre as general manager, and together the two are building a loyal fol- lowing. “People come in and say, ‘This is just what we need,’ ” says Akre.
Abad is responsible for select- ing the 60 or so largely European wines. He’s the kind of guy who listens to your expectations and then finds a bottle that exceeds them. Most cost between $10 and $20; Saturday tasting events are coming soon. A long farmer’s table anchors the center of the shop, displaying containers of house-made grano- la ($3) and, if you’re lucky, small sample cups of charcuterie or cheese. A.M. carries an impres- sive collection of cured meats that come from high-end domes- tic salumerias. Our current favor- ites are the beautifully smoky speck and the finocchiona, a fen- nel seed-studded salami (both $27.99 per pound). Italian boc- concini ($15.99 per pound) and peppercorn pecorino Romano cheese marinated in olive oil ($20.99 per pound) are among a long list of cheeses. Orders are prepared with great care, which allows time for exploring the store. Any day of the week, choose from among three sandwich op- tions, all $7.50 on baguettes from local Lyon Bakery. We loved the Admorghese or “Ad Mo,” which includes finocchiona, mortadella, picante provolone, spicy diced marinated vegetables and a healthy dousing of good olive oil. Antipasti and hors d’oeuvres se- lections include pork rillettes
FOOD
Editor: Joe Yonan
Deputy Editor:
Bonnie S. Benwick • Art Director: Marty Barrick • Staff Writer: Jane Black • Editorial Assistant: Leigh
Lambert • To contact us E-mail:
food@washpost.com Telephone:
202-334-7575 Mail: Food Section, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071
Similar to the others, the 170-seat dining room will feature a giant Buddha and a lofty ceiling (22 feet high, in this case). The tab is impressive, too.
Gorev estimates that his restaurant company, which operates nearly 30 restaurants in Europe, will end up spending $10million to complete this Buddha Bar.
— Tom Sietsema
plus mirin, sake and sugar) as well as pork belly that melts on the tongue. A glassed-in fish room is a cool pantry for oysters, clams, live scallops and even live sea urchins.
All around me at dinner, peo- ple are smiling. Some are speak- ing Japanese. I’m making a men- tal note: The next time someone tells me Washington isn’t an in- teresting place to dine, I’m send- ing him straight to Kushi.
465 K St. NW. 202-682-3123. eatkushi.com. Sushi, $4-$14; grilled items, $3-$15.
COOKING CLASS: Chef Tania
Mercer teaches three Thai recipes. Organized by U.S. Botanic Garden. $10 nonmembers. Registration required. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. 100 Maryland Ave. SW. www.usbg.gov/
education/events.
ECO-HAPPY HOUR: FoodArts,
an eco-caterer, provides food and beverage for happy hour at the Phillips Collection. $1 of every drink purchase will be donated to Earth Day Network. 5-8 p.m. This event will also happen on April 15 and 22. 1600 21st St. NW. 202-544-9046 or www.
foodartsdc.com.
SUNDAY
FOOD DISCUSSION: A panel of area farmers and naturalists discuss simple ways to make food safer and seasonal. Free. 3 p.m. Shirlington Branch Library, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. 703-228-6545 or www.
arlingtonva.us/library.
FARM MARKET OPENING:
Bethesda Central Farm Market opens the season with a day of special events including a chef demonstration by Lebanese Taverna. Free. 11 a.m. Parking lot on Elm Street between Woodmont and Wisconsin
avenues. www.bethesdacentral
farmmarket.com.
MONDAY
FOOD LECTURE: Washington
Post Food/Travel editor Joe Yonan interviews Ruth Reichl, former editor in chief of Gourmet magazine. Organized by Smithsonian Associates. $25 nonmembers. Baird Auditorium, Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-3030 or www.
residentassociates.org.
TUESDAY
BOOK SIGNING: Author Kay
Shaw Nelson signs copies of her book “The Cloak & Dagger Cook.” $75 includes a copy of the book, samplings of featured recipes from the book prepared by chef Bryan Moscatello and two glasses of wine. 6-8 p.m. Zola Wine & Kitchen, 505 Ninth St. NW. 202-654-2855 or www.
zolawinekitchen.com.
RESERVE NOW
APRIL 14 WINE DINNER: Chrissy
Wittmann, winemaker from Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards presents a dinner with chef Bernard Henry of Open Kitchen. $95 excludes tax and tip. 6:15 p.m. reception, 6:45 p.m. dinner. Open Kitchen, 7115 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church. 703-334-1504 or www.openkitchen-dcmetro.com.
— Leigh Lambert
food@washpost.com, 14 days in advance.
MG PG VA
Restaurants
TO DO
E3
All we can eat
6voices.washingtonpost.com/allwecaneat
and loved its juicy meat and crisp, rosemary-perfumed skin. Only 15 to 20 orders are available, so call early in the week to re- serve yours and be prepared to pay by phone: A.M.’s liquor li- cense does not permit the sale of alcohol on Sunday, so it is neces- sary to make the purchase in ad- vance.
JAMES M. THRESHER FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Store manager Andrew Akre shows off A.M.’s hefty Admorghese sandwich, nicknamed the Ad Mo, thick with meat, cheese and marinated vegetables.
scented with cinnamon and nut- meg ($6), taramasalata ($7), mar- inated roasted beets and mustar- dy potato salad (between $4 and $7, depending on weight). All pre- pared foods are made at Cash- ion’s and brought down to the shop daily. On weekends, the food options
expand. Saturdays mean yeasty cinnamon-sugar doughnuts in
the morning ($3 each, or four for $10), and Sunday customers can expect filled-to-order cannolis ($2.50 each, or four for $8). The main Sunday event is Cashion’s roast chicken, which comes by the half with a modest portion of roasted vegetables, plus potato salad, bread pudding and a bottle of wine (all for $28). We reheated our bird in the oven
Abad says his inspiration for all of this is Rome, where he spent time through the study-abroad program at George Washington University. “I gained a newfound appreciation for the simplicity of a nice bottle of wine, high-quality cured meat, cheese and a ba- guette,” he says. If the two customers we over- heard conversing in Italian the other night are any indication, he’s right on target.
— Catherine Barker
A.M. Wine Shoppe 2122 18th St.
NW, 202-506-2248;
www.amwineshoppe.com. Hours:
Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m; Fridays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
SINCE 1875
COOL CRAFTS EVP
Meet 250 Artisans in Person
40 oz.
Heinz
Ketchup Ssips
10 Pk./6.75 oz.•Select Variety
Fruit Drinks
6 Pk.•Fat Free Butter
Pop•Secret Microwave Popcorn
7.9–8.7 oz.•Select Variety•90 Calorie
Quaker Chewy Snack Bars
12.6 oz.
Quaker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal To Go
To his long list of cocktail accolades, Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve can now add a new one: world champion. Thrasher — along with Team USA mates Sean Hoard of PDT in New York and Mark Stoddard of Happy/The Bitter Bar in Boulder, Colo. — took first place at the 42Below Vodka Cocktail World Cup in New Zealand on March 22. Twenty-four bartenders on eight teams from around the world squared off in a five-part competition over several days. Team France finished second, while the home team of New Zealand came in third. The winning drink was
Thrasher’s concoction of vodka, Cynar, a lime-thyme syrup and homemade apple bitters, which bore the unwieldy name of I Have Too Much Thyme on My Hands Right Now at This Point in My Life.
— Jason Wilson
Trader Joe’s has announced
that it will sell only sustainably sourced seafood by the end of 2012. In a statement posted on its
Web site, the grocery chain said it would stop selling species condemned by environmental groups, establish a transparent sourcing policy, and leverage its buying power to change the seafood industry. The phaseout applies to all fresh, frozen and canned seafood. The move comes after months of pressure from environmental groups. In July 2009, the company agreed to stop selling orange roughy. Last
6 Pk./16.9 oz. Btls.
Aquarius Natural Spring Water
Everyday Value Pricing – Reduced Prices For
3 Months On The Items You Need Most!
SEE STORE FOR DETAILS
$
$ 199$249 $ 199$299
10.9–16.25 oz.•Select Variety
Instant Oatmeal
$
Quaker
199
• Jazzy Jewelry • Luscious Leather • Cool Clothes • Gourmet Goodies • Family Fun
ƒ
APR 9, 10, 11, 2010
Montgomery Co. Fairgrounds
Gaithersburg, MD (I-270 AT EXIT 11)
Fri. & Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5
DISCOUNT TICKETS, show info, exhibitor lists, directions and more at:
SugarloafCrafts.com
SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN WORKS, INC. • 800-210-9900
16 oz. Pkg.•Select Variety
Gwaltney Great Dogs or Bologna
16 oz. Pkg.•Mild•Hot
Gwaltney Sausage
16 oz. Pkg.•Select Variety
Gwaltney Bacon
$ 179 $149
249
24 oz.•15 Grain•100% Whole Wheat
Pepperidge Farm Bread
6 Ct.•Regular•Whole Grain•Honey Wheat
Thomas’ White English Muffins
18–20 oz.•Select Variety
Thomas’ New York Bagels
24 oz.•Select Variety 20–22 oz.
Stroehmann Butter Top Wheat or Family White Bread
20–22 oz.
Schmidt’s Split Top Wheat Old Tyme Double Fiber Bread
22 oz.
Sunbeam Buttermilk Bread
16 oz. Pkg.•Select Variety
Oscar Mayer Beef Bologna
249 Perdue
VIRGINIA STORES ONLY
12 Pk./12 oz. Bottles/Cans •Extra•Light
12 Pack 12 oz. Bottles
Corona Beer $1398
•Amber Lager•Black & Tan•Light $
Yuengling Beer
750 mL
999
Esser Zinfandel or Crossings Sauvignon Blanc
Just In Time For The Master’s 750 mL Pink Magnolia
Duplin Wine
$ $
699 •Select Variety 499 •Select Variety
750 mL 1.5 Ltr.
24 oz. •Select Variety
Perfect Portions
12 Pack 12 oz. Bottles •Amber Lager•Black & Tan•Light
12 Pack 12 oz. Bottles •Original•Dark
$
2/$349 $ 3
$
Arnold Country Classics & Grains ‘N More Bread
$2/$199$249
3
$249 199
PACKAGED MEAT SAVINGS!
$
19.76 oz. Pkg.•Select Variety
Farm Fresh Bratwurst or Italian Sausage
$299 $379
699
BEER & WINE SHOPPE
GAITHERSBURG STORE ONLY
Yuengling Beer $899
$
St. Pauli Girl Beer 1099
$
Cupcake Central Coast Wine 999
$
Little Penguin Wine 1099
16 oz.
Hodgson Mill Pancake Mix
16 oz.
Hodgson Mill Muesli Mix
12 oz.
Hodgson Mill Milled Flax Seed
5.1–10 oz.•Select Variety
Near East Grains, Pilaf or Couscous
75 oz.•Select Variety•20 Ct. Action Packs
Cascade Dishwashing Powder or Gel
SAVE
$
2
99¢
$
$ 199 $299
SAVE
$
150
50 oz.•Select Variety
Laundry Detergent
$
Tide 2X
SNACK SAVINGS!
3.75–4 oz.•Select Variety
599
Utz Potato Chips
5/$
•Scoops •Rounds •Restaurant Style
4 oz.•Original
5
Almondina Cookies
$
9–13 oz.•Select Variety
249
Tostitos Chips
$
Voortman Cookies
$
14.1 oz.•Select Var. 8–9 oz.•Select Variety•100 Calorie
199
Snyder’s Of Hanover Pretzel Sandwich Packs
$349 299
UP
See Store For Details
99¢
month, red snapper disappeared from seafood cases. “This is a big deal,” said Casson Trenor, senior markets campaigner for Greenpeace. “What we’re seeing here is the transformation of what was the U.S. seafood industry’s worst nationwide laggard into a company that will likely become an industry leader within the next year or two.”
— Jane Black
Two local brew pubs are
celebrating cherry blossom season by offering ruddy amber ales, flavored with cherry puree from Oregon, that should remain on tap for the duration of the pink blooms. Cherry Blossom Fest, from the District ChopHouse, is the stronger of the two, at 7.7 percent alcohol by volume. The fruity flavor is restrained, probably as a result of the yeast chewing up the sugar molecules. The addition of wheat gives the ale a crisp, slightly bready finish. The Capitol City Brewing Co.
chain ferments its Cherry Blossom Ale with a Belgian yeast strain (albeit a very clean-fermenting variety). It has an ordinary 5.2 percent alcohol by volume, with a sweet, fruity finish and just a hint of bitterness. (Perhaps a few pits or stems made it into the puree?) Cherry is a much subtler fruit than raspberry or peaches, and neither of these beers has a strongly fruity fragrance or taste.
— Greg Kitsock
DOUBLE COUPONS
TO
APR.
7
WED. THURS.
APR.
8
9.5–11.25 oz.•Garlic•Five Cheese
Pepperidge Farm Texas Toast
4 Ct.•Select Variety
Nestlé
$ 199$249 399
Drumsticks
Gallon
Turkey Hill Iced Tea or Lemonade
6 oz.•Original•Light•4.5 oz. Mini Babybell
Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge
26–28 oz. •Select Variety
McCain French Fries
$ $249
FRI.
APR.
9
SAT.
APR.
SUN.
10 11
Sunny Delight Fruit Punch
APR. APR.
12
Gallon•Tangy Original•Smooth Citrus
SAVE
$
1
2/$249 Crystal Farms Cabot
$249 Axelrod
$249
4
10 oz. Box
Chopped Spinach
88¢
•Sprite•Diet Coke•Caffeine Free•Classic
•Sprite•Diet Coke•Diet Caffeine Free•Coke Zero
Coca-Cola
4/$
6 Pack 500 mL Btls.
•Select Variety
Nestea Teas Fuze 18.5 oz. Btls.
Coca-Cola 2 Liter Btl.
3/$
$
12 Pack 500 mL Btls.
•Select Variety
510 4/$499
5
Birds Eye
15 oz.•Whole Milk•Part Skim
Ricotta Cheese
8 oz.•Select Variety
12 oz.•Select Variety
American Cheese Singles
16 oz.•Regular
Sour Cream Richfood
Half Gallon•Skim•Whole
Lactose Free Milk
MON. TUES.
APR.
13
SOME ADVERTISED ITEMS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN ALL STORES. QUANTITY RIGHTS RESERVED.
DAIRY & FROZEN SAVINGS!
$
Crystal Farms Shredded or Chunk Cheese
$ 199$199$249 $ 149 $249
7.5 oz.•Select Variety
88¢
288
Budget Gourmet Dinners
SODA SAVINGS!
Pepsi Cola
Pepsi Cola 6 Pack 24 oz. Btls.
•Select Variety
Sobe Life Water 20 oz. Btls.
Volvic Water 1 Liter Bottles
•Select Variety
Gold Peak Teas 16.9 oz. Btls.
•Mt. Dew•Dr Pepper•Sierra Mist•Lipton
12 Pack 12 oz. Cans
•Mt. Dew•Dr Pepper•Sierra Mist
Aquafina Water 24 Pack 500 mL Btls.
2/$99¢499$3/$3/$ 4/$
11 11
3 5
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60