June 2015 – Well Dined

30
Jun
2015

Launch Pad Finalist Breakfast

categories: Reviews

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a breakfast in order to meet the finalists of the Launch Pad Culinary Entrepreneur Competition. Before I tell you about that breakfast, I need to explain what it was for, and that may get a little convoluted – so stick with me! Launch Pad is a competition sponsored by Mess Hall, Ris, and Union Market.

Union Market is a revitalized indoor market area and collection of restaurants near Gallaudet University in DC. It opened in September 2012 and has about 40 shops. There are plans to add multiple levels and expand it greatly to include retail, restaurants, hotel, entertainment, and incubator space for new food concepts, as well as wholesale space.

Mess Hall is the aforementioned incubator space for new food concepts, which opened in October 2014. Their mission is to “support up-and-coming food entrepreneurs by providing commercial kitchens, combined with institutional knowledge and extraordinary opportunities.”

Ris is a restaurant in DC that also has a satellite location in Union Market, it is owned/operated by chef Ris Lacoste.

Are you still with me? Great!

Back to Launch Pad – it is a competition for food entrepreneurs to launch a concept in a quick service space in Union Market. The winner of the Grand Prize will receive (according to the Launch Pad website):

6 – 12 month opportunity to launch a dream concept using a built out space in a prime location at Union Market
Free Mess Hall membership
Full Service Restaurant Pop-up opportunity at Mess Hall’s event space
Mentorship from Ris Lacoste
Consultation on lease negotiations with master DC restaurateurs the Hilton Brothers
Business plan vetting and design services from EDENS
A luncheon organized with successful restaurant investors
And a growing list of unique prizes and opportunities courtesy of our event Sponsors.
PLUS – All finalists will have their knives sharpened by DC Sharp.

Pretty great, right?! This is the second year for the competition, and last year the winner was Mason Dixie Biscuit Company.

You know what else is great? The list of judges and advisers for the finalists:

THE JUDGES

Al Goldberg – Founder, Mess Hall
David Hall – Investor, Revolution
Ris Lacoste – Chef / Owner, RIS
Drew Nieporent – Restaurateur, Myriad Restaurant Group
Patrick O’Connell – Chef / Owner, The Inn at Little Washington
Aaron Silverman – Chef / Owner, Rose’s Luxury
Audience Vote – Each member of the live audience will receive a single vote. The Audience Vote will count as 5% of the overall vote.

THE ADVISORS

Richie Brandenburg – Directory of Culinary Strategy, EDENS
Terrell Danley – Chef, DC Central Kitchen
Eric and Ian Hilton– Restaurateurs
Kathy Hollinger– President and CEO, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington
Eric Kessler – Founder / Managing Director, Arabella Advisors
Mike Lenard – Owner, Takorean, Former Head of the Food Truck Association
Winston Lord – Co-Founder, Venga
Spike Mendelsohn – Good Stuff Eatery, DC Food Policy Council Chair
Nick Stefanelli– Chef / Owner, Masseria

Now, let’s talk about the finalists and the meet-and-greet breakfast event at Ris restaurant! There were lots of bloggers and media people there, but plenty of opportunity to speak with the finalists individually. (more…)

22
Jun
2015

Food ‘n Flix: Butter

categories: Recipes

I finally got my act together in time to post for Food ‘n Flix, ha! I really need to work on that! Anyway, this month’s movie is Butter – hosted by Cheap Ethnic Eats. This hilarious movie is about wealth, race, privilege, power, family, small town America, and (of course) butter. I’d seen it before, and enjoyed it so much that I didn’t mind renting it again just to look for food references. Which, by the way, are few and far between other than the ubiquitous butter.

So what was I going to make that would feature butter? I came up with a few ideas, but I kept circling back to these apple dumplings (even though I’d posted about them before). They really are perfect for this movie, though – a little bit redneck, totally unhealthy, and drenched in butter.

The dumplings are actually really easy to make. I like them best when they are fresh and the sugar on top is still crunchy, so I tend to make half a recipe one day and the other half the next day – which is why you will only see 4 dumplings in the photos. Start by peeling and coring an apple, then cutting into 8 slices. (more…)

18
Jun
2015

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

categories: Recipes

I give full credit to Melissa (Smells Like Brownies) for this idea. I’d heard of cauliflower pizza crust before and thought I should try it, but I never got around to it. So I was really glad when she brought it up and suggested we try it.

It turns out that cauliflower crust is really easy! It doesn’t taste or feel like traditional crust, but it is yummy and chewy – I liked it! I was surprised that I could actually pick up a slice and it held together. So whether you are gluten-free, looking for low-carb, or just like to try new things, I highly recommend this pizza crust!

The first step is to pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until very fine. Then place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave to steam. Carefully remove the plastic wrap and transfer to a cheesecloth lined colander to cool. Once it is cool enough to handle, twist the cloth and squeeze to release as much moisture as possible. Like really squeeze this thing to death, I’m not joking. You may need to take turns with a cooking buddy like we did.

When you’ve removed as much moisture as you can, add mozzarella, Parmesan, oregano, garlic powder, red pepper, salt, and an egg. Use your hands to combine into a dough. (more…)

11
Jun
2015

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Mayo and Coleslaw

categories: Recipes

You know what is very summery? Tacos. Especially fish tacos. Melissa and I were looking for something light and fresh, with a lot of flavor and texture. So we cobbled together a bunch of different ideas and came up with these gorgeous tacos!

We started out by marinating mahi-mahi with tequila, lime juice, garlic, red onion, and cumin. Yum, yum, yum! We chose mahi-mahi because it is a mild white fish that will take on a marinade and stand up to searing.

We wanted a good sear on the outside, so we sauteed it at high heat for a short time, let it rest, and then flaked it into big pieces with forks.

We also wanted to make our own condiments, and came up with a lime and crema (Mexican sour cream with tons of flavor) coleslaw and a chipotle mayo, along with avocado, pickled onions, cotija cheese, and cilantro (or parsley for me). (more…)

03
Jun
2015

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

categories: Recipes

Have you ever had squash blossoms? It’s kind of weird to eat flowers, right? But these delicate blooms (stuffed with ricotta cheese and herbs, battered, and fried) are so, so delicious. They are also extremely perishable and only last a few hours at home. So it is best to cook them right away.

I’ve only ever had squash blossoms in restaurants before, but as soon as I saw them at the farmers market, I knew that I had to try making them myself. I really wanted to go with a stuffed and fried recipe, which is what I’m used to eating. But I found a bunch of other cool recipes I’d like to try if they still have them at the market next week – soup, quesadilla, fritatta. (more…)

Month: June 2015

THE JUDGES

THE ADVISORS