DC kicked-off the Bastille Day celebrations and French Restaurant Week at “RED, WHITE, & BRUT!” at The Washington Club
By Anna Jacoby
Patrick Orange, the chef/proprietor of Georgetown’s La Chaumière restaurant and Hugh Cossard, the owner of Food Expression. Photo by Jeff Lenorovitz
July is a time for summer and independence. Not long ago, people waved their American flags and celebrated the Fourth with spectacular fireworks displays across the country. On July 14th, people hoisted up the French flag in celebration of Bastille Day. The celebration started early in DC: members and guests of the French International Culinary Society (FICS) gathered at the historic Washington Club on July 8th for its annual “RED, WHITE, AND BRUT!” fête. French independence and the 1789 storming of the Bastille was honored by an evening of mouth-watering French cuisine prepared by DC French culinary professionals from the likes of Bastille Restaurant, Bistro la Bonne, Bistro Lepic, Central Michel Richard, Food Expression, La Chaumière, Lavandou, Patisserie Poupon, Petits Plats, and Robert Kacher Selections. Yann Henrotte, director at The Washington Club, discussed how the setting of The Washington Club reflected on the evening’s festivities: “[The Washington Club] is a beautiful and elegant setting that went very well with the superb food and wine served at the event. On a historical note, the building was designed by Stamford White, one of the greatest architects of the turn of the last century. He had studied at the Beaux Arts school in Paris and The Patterson House which now is home of The Washington Club, which is considered one of his greatest achievement as it is a Beaux Arts style building built at an angle.” Henrotte said dishes included pate Provencal from Lavandou, cheese gougeres from Michel Richard Central, corvina ceviche from La Chaumiere, salmon tartare with seaweed from Bistrot Lepic, and braised short ribs from Petits Plats. Bon Appétit!
A timbale corvina ceviche, provided by Chef Patrick Orange. Photo by Jeff Lenorovitz
Food Expressions’ Hugh Cossard displays a plate of traditional summer chipolata pork sausage. Photo by Jeff Lenorovitz
Chef Patrick Moulet of the Petits Plats restaurant serves braised short ribs. Photo by Jeff Lenorovitz
