Washington Post Food Section

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Is it just me or has shad/shad roe turned up EVERYWHERE lately? Is there some kind of shad lobbying/PR firm or something?

Shad and roe are seasonal and it's the season.

[Banco]

I never paid much attention to the Post's food section, not because I actively disliked it (though it did occasionally have articles that appeared to have been written by Captain Obvious) but simply because it never grabbed my interest. Now that the new editor is on board I've enjoyed reading it, and the new look is an improvement as well. Nice job.

[Heather]

Study finds food is top product advertised to kids. As suspected:

Half of all the ads shown during children's shows are for food. Of all the ads in the study, 34 percent marketed candy and snacks, 28 percent were for cereal and 10 percent promoted fast foods.

By comparison, none of the commercials in the study promoted fruit or vegetables. Only four percent advertised dairy products--a rich source of calcium, which most children fall short in consuming, according to the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

[qwertyy]

I was just over at the San Francisco Chronicle site and really like the way they handle their restaurant reviews online. When you search for a restaurant, you get a summary page that not only gives info on address, hours, and the like, but also a chronological list of links to every article published about that restaurant. I think that's a pretty cool idea that helps the reader know whether a restaurant has improved or declined, and how much general ink it gets.

By the way, I thought the WP food section this week was excellent--really improved article range and subject matter.

[DonRocks]

While I am a huge fan of Dorenberg and Page, until their recent book, "What to Drink with What you Eat", I do not recall them spending much time writing about any beverages let alone wine. I hope that they do as well with this column as they have with their books ("Culinary Artistry" has provided me with more cooking inspiration than any other book I own).

Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg are two fine food and wine writers from New York. When they recently took over the wine column from the Post I had two qualms, but they both turned out to be unfounded.

1) First and foremost, they have indeed been endorsed by Poivrot Farci.

2) Closer to home, they do appear to be working a "local angle" into their column.

He lets Steven Schram, a chiropractic acupuncturist with a University of Maryland PhD, [ ] stick needles into his legs, arms, face and head -- which Sohm insists enables him to relax his body and focus his mind.

Welcome Karen and Andrew!
Rocks.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I enjoyed Walter Nichols's piece in today's food section on Brasserie Beck and the trend towards more affordable upscale restaurant. I thought it was well researched, well written and informative. Although most of us here were aware of the trend, it's nice to see such exposure for some of the major chefs in town.

[jparrott]

All right, going to have to channel Rocks here for a second. Next to New York (and in some cases surpassing it), DC has as good a culture of local importers and availability of distinctive wines from all over the world as any place in the States. This is due to the cosmopolitan customer base and the relatively lax importation laws in DC itself. There's a real story there, from all over the world (particularly France, Italy, and Spain), about selection and discovery. And plenty of the wines are available in the kind of hundreds-of-cases quantities to ensure reasonably widespread availability while still making it a distinction for a stockist to carry the wine.

Instead, we get a very basic, syndicated article about Merlot and four recommendations of supermarket (or equivalently vapid, higher-priced Cali brand) merlot, whose chief recommendation point is that they're available nationally. So free advertising for wine shops for wines brands for which they don't need free advertising. Maybe that's appropriate for Cedar Rapids, but not DC.

Yes, I know I am not unbiased here. But anyone who's tasted Aurelio Cabestrero's unoaked mencia, Robert Kacher's Rhones and languedoc's, Ed Addiss's supple beaujolais, Didier Simonin's family's Pouilly-Fuisse or Brendan Downey's dynamite Campanian and Sardinian stuff would, I think, agree.

[DLB]

I enjoyed Walter Nichols's piece in today's food section on Brasserie Beck and the trend towards more affordable upscale restaurant. I thought it was well researched, well written and informative. Although most of us here were aware of the trend, it's nice to see such exposure for some of the major chefs in town.

It was a good piece. However, I would not call any of these places affordable for most people, unless you consider $100 for two affordable. I use to be able to get out of the Majestic for under a C-note, but not sure what the new prices will look like after the takeover. Central forget about, and rumor is the prices at Beck's will be close to or more expensive than Central.

[jparrott]

Ramon Narvaez of Marcel's told me prices will be cheaper at Beck than at Central.

[Waitman]

It was a good piece. However, I would not call any of these places affordable for most people, unless you consider $100 for two affordable. I use to be able to get out of the Majestic for under a C-note, but not sure what the new prices will look like after the takeover. Central forget about, and rumor is the prices at Beck's will be close to or more expensive than Central.

Ramon Narvaez of Marcel's told me prices will be cheaper at Beck than at Central.

I laughed ruefully to myself on reading in one or another of the pre-opening wet kisses Beck's is getting that it would be something of a bargain as there were "50 wines under $50."

Thanks, dude. Let me know when you have "25 under $25."

Not that I won't go to Beck's and not that I probably won't love it, but the definition of "bargain" in DC is laughable (except for that $14.95 lunch -- three courses and a glass of wine -- at Bistro Francais TS mentioned today).

PS Jake: good call on the wine column.

[jparrott]

Not that I won't go to Beck's and not that I probably won't love it, but the definition of "bargain" in America is laughable

Fixed your post, Languedoc boy.

[Waitman]

Fixed your post, Languedoc boy.

Just call me 'doc. And take me back to that place in Nimes....

They do know how to lay out a bargain spread down south.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

It was a good piece. However, I would not call any of these places affordable for most people, unless you consider $100 for two affordable. I use to be able to get out of the Majestic for under a C-note, but not sure what the new prices will look like after the takeover. Central forget about, and rumor is the prices at Beck's will be close to or more expensive than Central.

I didn't say they were "affordable," I said they were "more affordable." And when I say "more affordable" I mean they (the offshoot restaurants) are affordable to "more" people than the flagship estabishments from which they spring. And more to the point, I think Cathal Armstrong has produced offspring, Eamonn's, that is affordable to many yet is probably still too pricey for some. Affordable is in the eye of the beholder, and I think this is one of the points of the article.

[Heather]

Local Kentucky Derby Day. This caught my eye:

What Mardi Gras is to New Orleans the Derby is to Louisville: weeks of parties, parades, balloon races and other debauchery leading up to the run for the roses.

Weeks of debauchery? Bonny Wolf can be an interesting read, and I think I understand what she's trying to do in this piece, but reading the Wikipedia (admittedly not the most reliable source for information but relatively factual) entries for each

Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands

Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

leads me to believe that the comparison might be a touch overblown. Does everyone in Louisville really celebrate the Kentucky Derby the way Mardi Gras is celebrated in New Orleans (two weeks of parades, floats, marching with societies, music, parties, etc.)?

I guess it makes a good "first week in May" Food story, and they can run a turkey sandwich recipe along with the Mint Julep instructions.

[johnb]

Does everyone in Louisville really celebrate the Kentucky Derby the way Mardi Gras is celebrated in New Orleans (two weeks of parades, floats, marching with societies, music, parties, etc.)?

I guess it makes a good "first week in May" Food story, and they can run a turkey sandwich recipe along with the Mint Julep instructions.

It is true that not everyone in Louisville spends two weeks with parades and parties and so on as is done in NOLA, but the Derby is as much a defining annual event for Falls City as is Mardi Gras for the Crescent City, and is as eagerly awaited. The analogy is not such a bad one.

And to dismiss a hot brown as a "turkey sandwich" is akin to referring to a fine risotto as "rice pudding." I suspect anyone who would do that of 1. never having tried one and 2. a touch of (typical Eastern effete) food snobbery.

[Heather]

I've tried one. I've even made them at home. It's essentially a turkey sandwich with Mornay sauce.

Is there a class element to the Derby Celebrations? Or race? This stuck out:

"The drink symbolizes the charm of the Old South, when life was less strenuous than it is today -- when brave men and beautiful women loved and laughed and danced the hours away," wrote the late Eudora Welty, according to John T. Edge in his book "A Gracious Plenty."

Ms. Welty was writing in a different time, but there's a reason that life in the "Old South" was less strenuous for some. I'd like a little more education on this, and a little bit more about the food traditions, I guess.

[Waitman]

Thumbs up: Think I'll be heading down to Alexandria to visit Calhoun's -- that grits cake with mushrooms and country ham looks mighty tasty.

Thumbs down: I'll let Jake speak to the wine recommendations in the wine column.

[jparrott]

Noted without comment:

Kenwood Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: 35,900 cases made (2004 vintage)

Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon Jack London Vineyard: 9,000 cases made (2001 vintage)

Mumm Napa Blanc de Noirs: 25,000 cases made (2005 release)

Fossi Chianti Classico: unclear, but clearly not small

Da Vinci Chianti: 250,000 cases made

Antinori Chianti Classico: 16,665 cases made

Dievole Chianti Classico: 9,200 cases made

Felsina Chianti Classico: 12,000 cases made

Ruffino Chianti Classico: 16,500 cases made

Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc: 11,664 cases made (2002 vintage data)

Chateau Ste.-Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay: 225,000 cases made (2004 vintage data)

Barboursville Cabernet Franc Reserve: 2,311 cases made (2001 vintage data)

Chalk Hill Merlot: 4,700 cases made (2001 vintage data)

Source: winespectator.com (who get their data from whomever submits the wine for judging)

[Mark Slater]

Noted without comment:

Kenwood Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: 35,900 cases made (2004 vintage)

Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon Jack London Vineyard: 9,000 cases made (2001 vintage)

Mumm Napa Blanc de Noirs: 25,000 cases made (2005 release)

Fossi Chianti Classico: unclear, but clearly not small

Da Vinci Chianti: 250,000 cases made

Antinori Chianti Classico: 16,665 cases made

Dievoli Chianti Classico: 9,200 cases made

Felsina Chianti Classico: 12,000 cases made

Ruffino Chianti Classico: 16,500 cases made

Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc: 11,664 cases made (2002 vintage data)

Chateau Ste.-Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay: 225,000 cases made (2004 vintage data)

Barboursville Cabernet Franc Reserve: 2,311 cases made (2001 vintage data)

Chalk Hill Merlot: 4,700 cases made (2001 vintage data)

Source: winespectator.com (who get their data from whomever submits the wine for judging)

I have a comment, but I think I'd better keep it to myself.

[Waitman]

Re: the wine team (aka the biodynamic duo).

Interesting web page here. I wonder if their New York base and seeming reliance on "submitted" wine samples crimps their ability to to scour wines with limited distribution or which are imported by the local crew.

At any rate, Jake, now you know where to send a couple of bottles of South Africa's finest.

[jparrott]

"Please send no more than one bottle..." I assume this means they are only assessing wines closed with screwcap, then?

[johnb]

I've tried one. I've even made them at home. It's essentially a turkey sandwich with Mornay sauce.

And in that vein, one might say a Philly cheesesteak is "essentially a roast beef sandwich with cheese." I submit there is a huge divide between a roast beef sandwich with cheese and a properly made Philly cheesesteak, and similarly a hot brown, properly made, is utterly different from a "turkey sandwich with Mornay sauce," whatever that might be.

As to the class aspect of Derby Day, well, yes, horse culture certainly has an obvious class divide aspect which is greatly attenuated (though not absent) in the party culture of New Orleans. After all, QEII herself has made personal, non-state trips to Kentucky in search of stock, and if that's not indicative of a class divide I'm not sure what is. But that said I'm not aware there is any less interest in the Derby among differing groups in Louisville.

[Heather]

And in that vein, one might say a Philly cheesesteak is "essentially a roast beef sandwich with cheese." I submit there is a huge divide between a roast beef sandwich with cheese and a properly made Philly cheesesteak, and similarly a hot brown, properly made, is utterly different from a "turkey sandwich with Mornay sauce," whatever that might be.

Take out the regional pride and sometimes a sandwich is just a sandwich.

Edited to include little winky thing.

[Heather]

Interesting web page here. I wonder if their New York base and seeming reliance on "submitted" wine samples crimps their ability to to scour wines with limited distribution or which are imported by the local crew.

Also mentioned:

In the accompanying press materials, please indicate each wine's suggested retail price plus any food pairing recommendations. It is vital to include information confirming Washington, DC area distribution, so please list5-10+ area retailers that currently have each wine in stock. Otherwise, we may assume that the wine is not readily available.

Doesn't that requirement pretty much guarantee mass produced wine?

[jparrott]

5 isn't that high a bar. 10 is a bit higher. But it's not great.

[Mark Slater]

5 isn't that high a bar. 10 is a bit higher. But it's not great.

Looking at the wines listed, the "retailer" in this case includes Giant and Safeway. It certainly doesn't include Wide World of Wines. I doubt many people can even envision what 35,900 cases of wine looks like. That alone could fill a good sized warehouse.

[jparrott]

56 cases to a pallet. 641 pallets. Most warehouses stack 4 pallets high on racks.

Put another way, it's over 160 times the total production of Avondale rose.

[jparrott]

And 5 isn't much at all if you count the joke wine programs of Giant and Safeway and the useful-ish-to-very-useful programs at Harris Teeter, Wegmans, and Whole Foods.

[Mark Slater]

And 5 isn't much at all if you count the joke wine programs of Giant and Safeway and the useful-ish-to-very-useful programs at Harris Teeter, Wegmans, and Whole Foods.

Au contraire, Giant and Safeway are the proper conduit for the kind of wine that was recommended in the Post today.

[The Hersch]

Is having as wine columnists for the Washington Post two writers who live in New York a very good idea?

[Mark Slater]

Is having as wine columnists for the Washington Post two writers who live in New York a very good idea?

If interviewing former local residents who have moved to New York City as the hook for your story, yes I guess it is a good idea. Also, recommending cheap bulk wine is not location-specific.

[jparrott]

Is having as wine columnists for the Washington Post two writers who live in New York a very good idea?

Clickety.

[Mark Slater]

I laughed ruefully to myself on reading in one or another of the pre-opening wet kisses Beck's is getting that it would be something of a bargain as there were "50 wines under $50."

Want to take a wild guess what a $50 bottle in a restaurant cost at the source? Think single digits. Yeah, really.

[The Hersch]

Clickety.

I somehow managed to miss your scathing rant of two weeks ago. Well said.

[Waitman]

Is there a class element to the Derby Celebrations? Or race? This stuck out:Ms. Welty was writing in a different time, but there's a reason that life in the "Old South" was less strenuous for some. I'd like a little more education on this, and a little bit more about the food traditions, I guess.

According to one Louisville native, the only class difference on Derby Day is which part of the track in which you find yourself puking drunk.

Steadman wanted to see some Kentucky Colonels, but he wasn't sure what they looked like. I told him to go back to the clubhouse men's rooms and look for men in white linen suits vomitting in the urinals. "They'll usually have large brown whiskey stains on the front of their suits," I said. "But watch the shoes, that's the tip-off. Most of them manage to avoid vomitting on their own clothes, but they never miss their shoes...."

The Derby, the actual race, was scheduled for late afternoon, and as the magic hour approached I suggested to Steadman that we should probably spend some time in the infield, that boiling sea of people across the track from the clubhouse. He seemed a little nervous about it, but since none of the awful things I'd warned him about had happened so far--no race riots, firestorms or savage drunken attacks--he shrugged and said, "Right, let's do it."

To get there we had to pass through many gates, each one a step down in status, then through a tunnel under the track. Emerging from the tunnel was such a culture shock that it took us a while to adjust. "God almighty!" Steadman muttered. "This is a...Jesus!" He plunged ahead with his tiny camera, stepping over bodies, and I followed, trying to take notes.

-- Hunter S. Thompson "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved"

Those with a taste for Thompson's writing (or interested historically in what Wickipedia describes as the first true work of gonzo journalism) might google the title of the piece in conjunction with the word "Chrudat." The result, however, is not for linking here, reading in the office or viewing by the easily offended.

[lackadaisi]

I've tried one. I've even made them at home. It's essentially a turkey sandwich with Mornay sauce.

I would bet a lot, given this expressed opinion, that you have not had either the version from the Campbell House in Lexington or the Brown Hotel in Louisville. Those are NOT sandwiches. I dare you to try to pick one up.

And, I have had many experiences of debauchery at both the derby and Mardi Gras (having a brother from New Orleans and a husband from Kentucky), and they are much different, but equally fun, events. Mardi Gras is, of course, much longer. The derby is usually celebrated for the weekend - there is the Oaks on Friday night, the Derby on Saturday, and then brunch on Sunday. Mardi Gras, on the other hand, lasts weeks. Neither is classless, at least not to the locals. Mardi Gras probably less so than than the derby actually. It's all about what balls and parties you go to. With the derby, there is a huge difference between the stands and the infield, and there are different parties to attend, but they are not of the grand scale of those of Mardi Gras (but, that is not to say that the most lavish do not equal the lavishness of those at Mardi Gras).

[johnb]

Take out the regional pride and sometimes a sandwich is just a sandwich.

Edited to include little winky thing.

So you're saying a sliced beef and cheese sandwich served in, say, Kansas City is the equal of a Philly cheesesteak, the only difference being Philadelphia pride?

[jparrott]

Remy Pannier Sancerre: No production level given, but WTF?

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc: 65,000 cases imported

Sacred Hill Sauvignon Blanc: 15,000 cases made

Segura Viudas Brut Cava 'Aria': 14,862 cases imported

Torbreck Woodcutter's Semillon: 2,500 cases made (woo hoo!)

Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc: 34,000 cases made

Moet & Chandon Brut Rose Imperial: No production level given, but WTF?

Source: Winespectator.com, accessed May 2, 2007

[ol_ironstomach]

Forget the production numbers; they're still secondary to matters of taste. However, I'm wondering how trustworthy the seafood pairings are when we don't even know the origins or locality of the seafood. The trouble begins with the opening paragraph, a hook written from the perspective of authors for whom seafood implies open ocean and sea salt. But here in DC, ocean seafood often plays second-fiddle to estuarine seafood from the Chesapeake, which doesn't play off the same levels of salt...in fact, the article revolves primarily on oysters and soft-shell crabs, both foods which have a particular resonance with locals.

There is an implicit association with the area by interspersing quotes from Kinkead's Flynn, but how many of those oysters were actually eaten at Kinkead's? What's the point of talking about a soft-shell tasting at home, when home is in NYC? I'm sorry, but this Marylander is getting tired of slapping the snooze bar on his subterfuge alarm.

[jparrott]

Forget the production numbers; they're still secondary to matters of taste.

You know what I'm trying to get at here, so we can just agree to disagree on this point.

[Mark Slater]

You know what I'm trying to get at here, so we can just agree to disagree on this point.

Right, it's the Washington Post, not the Wine Advocate.

[The Hersch]

From the "Free Range on Food" chat on the Washington Post website earlier today:

Clifton, Va.: Bring back Ben. Your new wine reviewers are awful. Or get some reviewers who know hat they are talking about and are not condescending. The Post now has two of the worst wine reviwers of any major paper in the. The guy who does the wine reviews for my local paper published monthly the Southeast Fairfax something does a better job. And obviuosly your wine reviewers are not local and have a bias against VA wines.

Not beautifully written, but still.

[Spiral Stairs]

If I'm ever invited to a dinner party at any of your houses, I'm bringing beer.

[ol_ironstomach]

You know what I'm trying to get at here, so we can just agree to disagree on this point.

Well, I think I know what you're trying to get at, and completely agree that it's a shame that the current Dornenburg/Page approach seems to be to completely ignore the local wine market in the name of syndication-friendly copy, even if the only licensee Google can find appears to be the North Jersey Record. (Current odds of them reporting on a hidden gem from local wine lists or shops) < (Odds of winning Powerball jackpot) My point is that familiarity breeds contempt, but not necessarily poor quality.

Or are you suggesting that production volumes aren't less important than taste?

[jparrott]

My point is that familiarity breeds contempt, but not necessarily poor quality.

Familiarity breeds boredom.

And Remy Pannier Sancerre (from one of the Loire's largest and lowest-quality negociants) is way beyond the pale.

[Mark Slater]

Or are you suggesting that production volumes aren't less important than taste?

Would you rather have a Ferrari or a Fiat?

[Pete]

Virginia wine finally getting some love.

Virginia Vintages That Can Hold Their Own

[bilrus]

Would you rather have a Ferrari or a Fiat?

No, but I'd rather have a Ferrari than a DeLorean.

[Heather]

More, please, of articles like the one about "family meals." What Your Waiter Had For Dinner. This part made me curious:

The family meal at Ceiba is for the back of the house only. The servers order from among the same choices as the customers. "We try to promote that, so they know what's on the menu," Albisu says.

Is that unusual?

[jparrott]

I see not a single grower Champagne made the cut this week. Oh well, guess that trend's over.