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Another new pizza place coming to the old Balducci space next to Chef Geoff on New Mexico Ave. http://www.bizjourna...eal-signed.html

Introducing Roberto's 4 Challenge your palate with 12 or more of Chef's imaginative samplings "Roberto's 4" are four coveted seats at Al Dente Restaurant next to Chef Roberto Donna. He will create a 12+ course tasting menu for those with adventurous spirits in food and drink. It will be offered for $85 with a $45 Wine Pairing. This menu will be available to four guests on evenings designated by Chef, beginning February 20, 2013. There will be one seating at 7:00PM Reservation requests can be made through

I received this email today from the staff at Galileo:

Actually, from the email I just received, he's already there. "Roberto Donna Takes A Job in Arizona" by Tim Carman on washingtonpost.com ["Roberto Donna To Leave DC" by Amy McKeever on dc.eater.com ... Note: As of Mar 5, 2016, The original washingtonpost.com piece seems to be gone.] I wonder if it's possible for Tim Carman to write anything about Roberto without sounding like he hates the guy.

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News Release From the Farm to the Table: Gala Wine Dinner under the Stars With International Flavors and French and Local Wines Poolesville, MD (September 2, 2012) - The Olney Farmers and Artists Market will be holding its annual farm-to-table dinner fundraiser on Friday, September 14, 2012, from 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm at the 34-acre scenic Rocklands Farm, 14525 Montevideo Rd. Poolesville, MD 20837. A six-man team of local chefs will contribute their special talents by preparing the foods for the seated dinner, using local farm-fresh ingredients, carefully chosen to enliven the palate and to pair well with select local and French wines. Celebrity Chef Roberto Donna will provide his unforgettable gnocchi, which he shared recently with WUSA-TV viewers. Chef Donna who is best known for receiving the 1996 James Beard Award for his flagship restaurant Galileo is today executive chef at La Forchetta, Wesley Heights, where he oversees the kitchen operations and the preparation of some of his famous homemade pastas and risottos. Other chefs include: Ismar Reyez Cruz, El Nopalito Grill; Chef Kenny Louis, a renowned personal chef; Chef Freddy Turim, Eat A Little Something Catering; and Louis Yiallouros, Taste Mezze. Greg Phillips who is banquet manager for the Washington Convention Center will organize and supervise the food service. Julie Peterson, president of Marq Energie, will share the spotlight with the six chefs and introduce dinner guests to a tasting of some of France’s most celebrated rosé wines. Known as les vins de provence, the rosé wines of France have become a staple, all-occasion wine throughout the world pleasing wine lovers for centuries with its fresh, crisp, dry, and never sweet flavor. All food will be supplied by the Olney Farmers Market’s farmers and food vendors. For the occasion, Olney Market will partner with Growing Soul, Silver Spring, a non-profit that helps feed needy people in our area (donations are partially tax deductible). The Baltimore-based band, Smith Avenue, will play a selection of recognizable classic rock sounds from the seventies and eighties. Joe David, author of Gourmet Getaways, will spotlight the evening with his comments on the farm-to-table movement, sweeping across America. And the Plein Air Artists will be painting the scenes of the Rocklands that evening, which will be available for purchase. For more information or for removal from the mailing list, contact: Joe David 540-428-3175 jdavid@bfat.com Multi-course dinner with wine $95 Or two for $175 Non-refundable (rain or shine) Limited seating To purchase tickets, visit: www.olneyfarmersmarket.org Menu Hors d’oeuvres Provided by Olney Farmers market vendors Assorted hors d’oeuvres with farm fresh produce and meats, including mini knishes from Erick Gilbert (Kosher Buzz), Asian chicken skewers Salad Chef Eddie Ishaq Wildfire, Tysons Corner, Virginia The Wildfire House Specialty Chopped salad with a citrus lime vinaigrette dressing Tapas Taste Mezze Olney, Maryland Lamb Chop Tapas from Taste Mezze Soup Chef Freddy Turim Eat a Little Something Catering A homemade gazpacho made with farm-fresh vegetables, flavored lightly with spices Gnocchi Executive Chef Roberto Donna La Forchetta Potato dumplings in a homemade pork sausage Topped with a pecorino cheese ragù Entrée Chef Ismar Reyes El Nopalito Grilled chicken breast stuffed with cranberries, Raisins, Spinach, and Monterrey Jack cheese, Served with Peruvian purple mashed potato, grilled zucchini, yellow squash and hibiscus-merlot sauce. Desserts A taster buffet of desserts Featuring Gourmet Cupcakes Compliments of Georgetown Cupcake A spread of sweets compliments of the Olney Farmers Market vendors To be served with Fresh Lemonade, Spring Water, Tea, and Zeke’s coffee A Vegetarian Menu will be available if requested in advance Fixed price: $95 per person; $175 per couple (including gratuity and tax) Principals Chef Ismar Reyez Cruz has his roots in El Salvador and his heart in the kitchen. During his career in America, he has worked alongside chefs such as Jean Louis Paladin, Mark Miller of Coyote Café, Yannick Cam of LePavillon and Bistro Provence, Doug McNiel of the Four Seasons and many others. In 2001 he launched his own restaurant, El Nopalito Grill, to bring authentic Mexican cuisine with a twist to the D.C. metropolitan area. Chef Ismar has catered for the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, the Embassy of El Salvador, and for private corporate events. He was recently featured on One on One with J.C. Hayward (WUSA-TV), and in 2010 he was awarded Chef of the Year by the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. www.nopalitogrill.com Joe David has traveled the globe in search of the perfect meal. To support his food habit, he has taught school; worked in public relations, marketing, and magazine advertising; authored countless articles (many on food and international cooking schools) and written five books. His articles have appeared in such publications as Christian Science Monitor, Chile Pepper, Family, Hemispheres, and Go magazines. He currently is the author of Gourmet Getaways, 50 Top Spots to Learn and Cook. www.gourmetgetaways.us Chef Roberto Donna who heads the kitchen at a new Italian restaurant, La Forchetta, during the height of his career ran about 11 restaurants with a broad range of food service style in the Washington, DC area. In 1996 he received the coveted James Beard Award for the Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic. He is best known for two of his restaurants the Galileo and Bebo Trattoria, where he specialized in foods with authentic Italian flavors and textures. www.laforchettadc.com Georgetown Cupcake was founded by Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne who traded careers in fashion and private equity to pursue something a little sweeter – their passion for artful cupcakes. They cater for special events of all sizes in the Washington, DC area. Both are lifelong bakers, inspired by their grandmothers. In February 2008, they left their former careers and opened DC’s first and only cupcakery. Katherine and Sophie will finish off the multi-course meal with some all-American gourmet cupcakes, which will be served with a pastry buffet prepared by the farmers’ market vendors. www.georgetowncupcake.com The Olney Farmers and Artists Market is the brainchild of Olney resident Janet Terry who was inspired to form the market after visiting the Farmers Market in Charleston, South Carolina. Her vision to bring quality farm foods directly to the Olney market was presented to the Greater Olney Civic Association in July 2007, and it quickly accepted. She has been operating the market ever since. www.olneyfarmersmarket.org Julie Peterson is president of Marq Energie, her new firm, a DC-based US company specializing in international business services for non-US organizations. She directs the development and implementation of trade-related foreign direct investment strategies for several European and Asian clients. One of her clients is Vins de Provence, a region of France that produces some of the France's most outstanding rosés. For centuries rosé wines have been a staple in the south of France, where it has been enjoyed as an all-occasion wine. www.WinesofProvence.com. Greg Phillips will organize and supervise the food service. Greg is employed by a five-star restaurant in Washington, DC, and the Washington Convention Center, where he is the banquet captain. He is the founder of the Five Star Culinary Foundation, a volunteer organization that teaches people who can’t afford to attend culinary schools how to cook. Working with Phillips at the foundation is Chef Ismar Reyez Cruz. betterworldpsa@yahoo.com Rocklands Farm is a 34-acre farm, near the C&O in Montgomery County, committed to “holistic agriculture,” a farming strategy in which economic, social and environmental elements all contribute together to the farm’s agricultural sustainability and its success. It uses all the sensible farm techniques needed to obtain a superlative product, such as free-range, grass-fed, cage-free, and humanely raised animals, which are NOT fed antibiotic or animal bi-products. The farms goal is to provide day-fresh and immediate-local food, raised well (holistically, organically and naturally). www.rocklandsfarmmd.com Smith Avenue, the Baltimore-based band, will provide the entertainment for the evening. Guitarist Rick Sambuco, bass player John Lancaster, percussionist Bob Schatz, and keyboard player and vocalist Paula Diamond will play a selection of classic sounds from the seventies and eighties. The talented musicians have been playing professionally in various Baltimore-based bands for over 30 years. ccaomcnt@comcast.net Chef Freddy Turim heads Olney BBQ and Catering and in Eat A Little Something Catering in Montgomery County. His catering business provides the area with quality food and service at affordable prices. With the help of his wife Janet and their children, his business has grown into a full-service catering company. Prior to settling in Maryland, he operated Bethlehem House of Bread in Manhattan with his two brothers, and he opened up 11 locations of Big 4 Restaurants in Phoenix and one in Rockville for the restaurant chain. www.eatalittlesomething.com Wildfire Restaurant, Tyson’s Corner, Virginia, is a chain of eight steak and chophouse restaurants, which were originally founded in Chicago. From the décor to the jazz music, Wildfire has the style and warmth that makes dining out special. It offer an exceptional selection of steaks, chops and seafood, along with a variety of fresh salads and sandwiches in a modern-day 1940s dinner club. www.wildfirerestaurant.com Louis Yiallouros owns Taste Mezze in Olney, Maryland, where he proudly serves with a modern flair the same recipes his father, George Yiallouros, offered to diners in 1970 at his Greek Boy Restaurant in Rockville, Maryland. Each of these recipes is a family favorite brought to America when his father left the Old Country. www.tastemezze.com