brendanc

DC Coast is looking for a new Sous Chef to join our team. Competitive pay and benefits. Email resume etc to

brendancox@msn.com

Due to popular demand, Circle Bistro and Notti Bianchi are extending restaurant week for an additional week.

Bear Creek isn't too far from 2 other SoMD classics - Scheibels and Courtneys (local dive places that reportedly have good food but lack a bit in atmosphere down the road in Ridge). Friends swear by Courtneys. Plus Evans just reopened (after Isabel rennovations) and has been getting good reports.

Evan's Seafood (16680 Piney Point Rd., Piney Point, 301-994-9944

Scheible's Crabpot Restaurant, 48342 Wynne Rd., Ridge, 301-872-5185; http://scheibles.homestead.com/ScheiblesRestaurant.html

Courtney's Seafood Restaurant, 48290 Wynne Rd., Ridge, 301-872-4403

both reviewed here sometime ago (some places are long gone, RIP Lighthouse): http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A...anguage=printer

My first job as a cook was at Spinnakers @ Pt. Lookout Marina, Courtney's and Scheibles were our neighboors. A typical day began at Scheible's for the dirt cheap fisherman's breakfast, a morning fishing, then to Courtney's for a brilliant Fried Rockfish Sandwich and 10oz Budweiser, followed by dinner service at Spins. I can't believe someone else remembers these two gems. Often heard at the marina was the, "By God, I'ma gonna go down to Cohrtneez and get myself a fried rawckfish sandwich". Classic.

*added for definition

**Awaiting details in the appropriate threads...but please expound on this one first!

Pan roasted black grouper filet, braised summercrisp lettuce, a faux pho brodo of duck and country ham stock, aromatics and thai basil/cilantro. I think i out a duck skin cracker on this one. the 69 was a less than subtle reference that was meant to elicit laughter for don and koji.

Circle Bistro is interviewing for two line cook positions. Good pay flexible schedule, great product to work with, dynamic environment, and i rarely yell. 12-16 bucks an hour email me at brendancox@msn.com or pm me through the board.

Line cook needed. PM shift flexible hours, good pay. Excellent taste in music required experience beneficial, but will train if necessary. Chronically late need not apply.

Word was he's not in CB very often but our meal was fine.

Interested to know what "the word" is, because he's at Circle every time I go, six days a week.

Circle Bistro is interviewing candidates for line cook. Experience a plus, good pay, flexible schedule and great working environment.

Notti Bianche is also interviewing for Line Cook positions. Good salary and a chance to help shape the next years in the evolution of the restaurant. Experience a plus but will train motivated individual.

call Brendan at 703-859-6254 or pm me. Any referrals from the dr board=free dinner

What are all of the ingredients that go into this, if you don't mind me asking? It sounds a bit odd, but something that might just be great if executed well.

lump crab, scallop mousse, fines herbs, salt

New Year's

New Year’s Eve at Circle Bistro

Caramelized Maine Diver Scallop, Crab Sausage, Celery Root Mousseline, Truffle Vinaigrette

Long Island Duck Boudin, Sweet and Sour Cabbage, Natural Duck Jus

Wild Striped Bass, Satur Farms Chiogga Beets, Tangerine, Ginger

Grass Fed Natural Shenandoah Beef, Horseradish, Yukon Potato “Presse”, Young Spinach

Chocolate and Blood Orange Baked Alaska, Grand Marnier Sabayon, Orange Confiture

65.

85. with wine pairing

Circle Bistro is interviewing candidates for line cook. Experience a plus, good pay, flexible schedule and great working environment.

Notti Bianche is also interviewing for Line Cook positions. Good salary and a chance to help shape the next years in the evolution of the restaurant. Experience a plus but will train motivated individual.

call Brendan at 703-859-6254 or pm me. Any referrals from the dr board=free dinner

Circle Bistro and Notti Bianche arte interviewing candidates for line cooks. Experience a plus, good pay, flexible schedule and great working environment.

Notti Bianche is also interviewing for an open Sous Chef/Chef de Cuisine position. Good salary and benefits, a chance to help shape the next years in the evolution of the restaurant. Experience as a Sous Chef or chef required.

call Brendan at 703-859-6254 or pm me. Any referrals from the dr board=free dinner

Thank you for the insight into this event. I wasn't even aware that there is a participation fee. I'm sure this is news to alot of us.

My husband and I have been very lucky, in that except for one instance in the 3 years we have been attending RW (both summer and winter) we have never been rushed through our meal. This is probably not the norm. I was curious as to how you are able to plan your reservations during this time, considering guests who like leisurely meals. I suppose this isn't the time to do it? Normally we are those diners who may take up to 3 hrs or more at your table.

we allot the same amount of time for RW as any other time.

Chef,

I can't see you offering a gazpacho that would be anything but ordinary. Why do restaurants participate in this event? Is there any kind of pressure to participate? I would imagine most places barely break even as far as the RW goes or even take a loss. Good restaurants such as yours probably don't need the additional headache. Is it all over publicity? What benefits do you get out of this? I am just curious, though I am glad you are participating because I have a reservation.

By the way, have you decided what you will be offering yet?

The idea that restaurants take a loss during restaurant week is a fallacy for the most part, the difference between regular service and RW is the margin that the restaurant maintains, when offering a discount the margin becomes smaller and affects the net line of income, however the business brought in in a successful RW creates a positive entry to the gross. the offset being that many fixed costs of operating benefit from RW in the leaner times of august by having a higher income, but fluctuating costs(food,labor) are negatively impacted as a percentage of income. thirty dollars is a good deal of money for many people, myself included, and the ability to offer a good meal at that price is a good judge of a resataurant. RW is not a headache, merely a busier than average time as many operators will seek to maximize income by booking more guests than the norm. When a restaurant offers a limited menu in the original format of restaurant week it streamlines production and can turn tables faster, when a restaurant offers it full menu it cannot do the same, so the repetitiveness of RW for staff is greater with a limited menu, but the overall business does better because of the greater number of guests. The decision to participate in RW is made when we consider what the restaurant will be like in a "normal" mode of service for the time period versus the increase in business from RW. Many restaurants are busy every night, every week all the time and have the ability to forgo RW b/c they will not be adversely affected, or they choose not to participate because it doesn't make sense in where they are postioned in the market(think Cityzen, Citronell) most other restaurants in DC need the influx of business in August. Besides the income benefits to being busy in a traditionally slow period is the opportunity to cook for people who haven't been here and hopefully will return. The impact that a RW meal has on the individual is prety significant in that 30 is not far off our average hguest check of 36 or so, so we can move forward believing that poeple who come for RW will return. I don't have any stats, but the retention rates for RW guests is probably all over the board, some poeple love us some may not and in the end its probably the same percentages as any other night, because the quality of the experience is the same, because we don't skimp on our efforts whether there is a full menu offered or a limited one. In short, the headache is only there if we make it a headache for ourselves, we want to have people eat here, we want them to have a good time and the more people we can impact the better. Tangentally, I don't like the 500 dollar participation fee I think it excessive and would rather it go to a charity rather than a trade association.

ps we're doing the majority of the mernu in an attempt to split the difference

I speak for snobs. You have to ferret out the places that offer a mere two or three choices and steer you into a bowl of gazpacho, probably whomped up in a common kitchen. Some of the better restaurants are guilty of this -- Bistro Bis, Taberna, for example. We snobs say, "If you're going to do Restaurant Week, then by god do it! Take a loss if need be for the added exposure. But don't say you're doing it and then chisel the people who want to try you out. Better not to do it at all."

If I offer gazpacho, does that make me common? i'd also rather not take a loss, its bad for the business you know. futhermore if i offer a few choices, and they are strong dishes, how am i chiseling anyone?

travelling to baton rouge next week. are there restaurants to hit? planning on one night sans children to hit herbsaint or August in NOLA

Duke's is readily available at the Giant in Old Town.

And to stay on-topic, is the patio back open at Circle Bistro? A few weeks ago it was closed for renovations.

the renovation of the hotel exterior is slated for comp[letion in the middle of July. The patio will probably not reopen this season for service.

Circle Bistro has them at lunhc and dinner now.

Large, uniformly sized mussels scream farm-raised, despite being labeled "Prince Edward Island" or what-have-you. I haven't done the wild-versus-farmed mussel analysis en completio, at least not yetio, but I suspect it's only at the highest heights where wild mussels would be a better product in Washington, DC. (Can anyone with proper knowledge make a comment?)

Cheers,

Rocks.

Most of the landings in Maine are from wild mussel beds; cultured mussels, at the peak of production during the eighties, accounted for about 18% of the total landings. Wild mussels can be harvested all year, but most fishing is in the winter when the quality of the meat is best. They are taken by hand with a rake or from a boat with a drag.

Wild can be applied to mussels that are grown in maintained seed beds in Maine and not rope cultured. Most beds are found on the MWL or Mean Water Line as determinied by high and ebb tides. There are some products form "wild" producers available in the area including Johnny's Blue Mussels. These are labeled "wild", but not to be confused with hand picked mussles from tidal shores that are often not commercially available.

southside 815 on washington street in Alexandria.

current risotto at Notti Bianche is a spring garlic risotto with yellowfoot chanerelles. It can be done with veggie stock instead of the normal chicken stock.

-brendan

NB still needs a strong member for the kitchen staff and Circle Bistro is looking to add staff as we move through spring. Good Pay, great working environment.

cheers,

brendan

Notti Bianche is looking to hire linecooks for evenings, flexible schedule, good pay and a good working environment. Modern Italian-in-America cuisine. Will train the right person who has the desire. Also, lucrative floor shifts available for evenings, will train the right individuals. Contact Brendan Cox at 202.298.8085 or 202.293.5390

still looking...

Circle Bistro is currently looking for a lead line cook with management potential. Candidate must have passion and a positive attitude. Good taste in music a plus. Chronically late, lazy, disaffected need not apply. Good Pay, Flexible schedule

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