‘Bite of D.C.’ brings pop-up culinary cred to Washington’s Capitol Riverfront.
By Anne Kim-Dannibale
Yards Park, the backdrop for Bite of D.C. (Photo ElvertBarnes via Wikimedia Commons)
Food fests are nothing new, but come May 18, some of Washington’s culinary heavyweights will be setting up shop in Yards Park for a one-day gastronomical pop-up. The line-up? No less than José Andrés for Jaleo, R.J. Cooper, Laurent Lhuillier, Luke Holden and Aaron McCloud. The concept? Each chef making one dish, accompanied by a wine or beer pairing with a lily-gilding limitless beer and wine on top of that.
The kicker? Tickets are only $49 bucks.
“I’ve always felt that dining should be aspirational, yet attainable, and I believe that this event achieves that ideal,” said Steuart Martens, the man behind the concept. “When you look at the caliber of culinary talent we’ve assembled for Bite of D.
C., it’s going to be a treat for everyone who attends.
Martens is no stranger to out-of-the-box thinking.
After his run as a contestant on NBC’s “The Apprentice,” the 30-year-old Washington native returned to his hometown to take over the then-struggling Taste of D.C., a long-running street festival featuring area restaurants and live entertainment along Pennsylvania Avenue.
But Martens has aspirations of his own with Bite D.
C., which he plans to expand into a series with elite chefs and generous drink options, setting the event apart from other food festivals with its fine-dining touch.
“It’s great to be included in these sorts of events and cook along a couple of James Beard Award-winning chefs,” said Aaron McCloud. “It’s important for Cedar to be involved in the community and this is just another piece of that puzzle.
It’s a large event for sure, but one of the nice things is it targets folks who might not necessarily have been to Cedar and the other restaurants involved. Through this event, they will be introduced to those places and hopefully we’ll develop a relationship with them.”
The Menu:
RJ Cooper — Rogue 24
Cucumber, yogurt, smoked trout and roe
José Andrés — Jaleo
Croquetas de pollo (traditional Spanish chicken fritters)
Aaron McCloud — Cedar
Grilled rabbit sausage, English pea cream, pickled asparagus
Luke Holden — Luke’s Lobster
Maine-style lobster roll with buttered/toasted bun with melted butter and spices
Laurent Lhuillier — Windows
Lemoncello creme with blueberry confit, ladyfinger and chocolate garnish
Bite of D.C. takes place on May 18 at Yards Park in Washington’s Southeast Waterfront. Tickets are available for three dining sessions: 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 3 p.m.-6 p.m., and 7 p.m.-10 p.m. For more information, click here. To purchase tickets, click here.
