RJ Cooper

Pork Reuben = Goyishe Chef

Goy yes and an honorary jew as well!!!!!!! shalom my people

RJ, it may be a great sandwich (seems to get a lot of love around here so it probably is a great sandwich), but to me, it's just not a Reuben if it's not corned beef. But I grew up around Jewish delis, so maybe I'm just pickier than others.

As all you all may or may not know I grew up in detroit near one of the largest hasidic jewish communities in the country, my love for fatty corn beef helped develop this hybrid corned pork belly dish....so as a cook we have licenses to change ingredients but not use the proper names? ok lets start critiquing thomas keller "mac and cheese" he cant call it that because there is lobster and orzo? no no we cant do that he is like a god....its a sandwich people the name is identifiable to what it is. a reuben with corned pork belly!!!!!!!!!

I guess he can call a sandwich anything he wants, but pork on a reuben just doesn't seem right.

So McDonalds can call a Big Mac a burger, I can put pork belly on the same components as a classic reuben but cant call it that? hmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!

From Facebook: ""Pork & Pinot" at Vidalia! Come in between 530pm-930pm Friday night as Chef RJ Cooper creates a variety of small plates using heritage pig, while Sommelier Ed Jenks pairs them with fabulous Pinot Noir!" So it looks like its back on.

I asked on FB how they would work it in the lounge as the photos online showed Vidalia 24 taking most of the lounge/bar space up. They said "Come in tomorrow night and you shall see! It is sure to be a fun evening!" Might have to check this out....

The time that posted is incorrect!!!! Its from 5:30 to 8:00pm because Vidalia 24 takes up the end of the wine bar. There are no tables just our couches.

heritage pig

daeji bulgogi-pajeon korean bbq, scallion-kimchee cake 7.00

benton’s ossabaw bacon, apple, pecans, romaine 5.75

blood sausage, hen egg, béarnaise 6.75

posole, lime, hominy, cabbage, cracklings 7.75

carolina bbq, cornpone, dueling sausage 7.25

rj’s 18 month black foot ham, pickled vegetables 8.00

pain perdu, vidalia onion-bacon ice cream, candied bacon 6.00

Ed Mike and I are glad to start to do this promotion again......

Chef Cooper,

After a particularly tough week, Pork and Pinot sounded like a good idea. So I headed there tonight and, sadly, learned that it was not happpening. I could have cared less at that point. You and your staff treated me to some excellent German wine (for which I have a particular affinity -- a Riesling and a Rieslanar), and you have, possibly, the best bar snacks in the history of the genre. I have no complaints. I'll definitely be back. But people rely on your website, so please keep it up to date.

RWBooneJr.

Mr. Boone, I don't have any control over the web site, please become a fan of our facebook fan page. We stopped p&p for lent and will start it back up next Friday. I and the swine team will be practicing new recipes for Cochon 555 the month of April for the contest on May 5th.

See you soon.

samy k from 99.5 cbs news and metromix has done a video piece on 24 check it out at:

http://dc.metromix.com/restaurants/blog_post/the-scene-vidalia-24/1853342/content

Just saw pictures from the 1st 24. I could not bear to read or peruse that page in detail, but the food does look good. Can someone tell me how many beverages are served with this meal? I'm just wondering if we need a cab or a hotel room afterwards in the event we go.

Just to clarify - that's not my blog and I haven't the slightest idea who those people are. They sure luv photos though.

around 9 beverage pairings but Ed get creative as well and could be more. Some are non alcholoic.

The Countdown has begun…

Saturday March 13, debuts the 2010 mecca food experience of Vidalia “24”. Chef RJ Cooper and the Vidalia team create the first twenty-four course tasting (yes, that is 24) menu fusing delectable market ingredients with international flavors.

Seated on the communal table in Vidalia’s Wine Bar, six guests will experience Chef Cooper and Vidalia’s “24.” Not for the faint of heart, the mysterious courses are a surprise to the guest, produced and personally served by Chef Cooper and his agents.

Courses such as a crepe with hen egg and sterling caviar or foie gras with pistachio, orange and mole will be planned while others will be created spontaneously for an explosion of modern meets classic cuisine. Sommelier Ed Jenks will tantalize with creative cocktail, beverage and wine pairings to enhance this unique dining experience.

The communal seatings are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm. Reservations may be made for up to six people. Cost is $150.00 per person including beverage pairing. To make a reservation , call Vidalia at 202.659.1990. A credit card is required to guarantee the reservation. Cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance. Dietary restrictions should be discussed upon making the reservation.

March 13th tasting is sold out!!!!!!!!! Thank you all.

We are opening up reservations for friday the 12th we have 4 seats available.

Rocks you loose your left nut!!!

The Countdown has begun…

Saturday March 13, debuts the 2010 mecca food experience of Vidalia “24”. Chef RJ Cooper and the Vidalia team create the first twenty-four course tasting (yes, that is 24) menu fusing delectable market ingredients with international flavors.

Seated on the communal table in Vidalia’s Wine Bar, six guests will experience Chef Cooper and Vidalia’s “24.” Not for the faint of heart, the mysterious courses are a surprise to the guest, produced and personally served by Chef Cooper and his agents.

Courses such as a crepe with hen egg and sterling caviar or foie gras with pistachio, orange and mole will be planned while others will be created spontaneously for an explosion of modern meets classic cuisine. Sommelier Ed Jenks will tantalize with creative cocktail, beverage and wine pairings to enhance this unique dining experience.

The communal seatings are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm. Reservations may be made for up to six people. Cost is $150.00 per person including beverage pairing. To make a reservation , call Vidalia at 202.659.1990. A credit card is required to guarantee the reservation. Cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance. Dietary restrictions should be discussed upon making the reservation.

Any word yet on having a Friday Savignon and Seafood? My 'rents are coming into town on March 5 and, being the good Catholic son that I am, want to get them some seafood.

We will be running a impromptu seafood and sauvignon tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We will kick it off next Friday.

RJ

Possibly because it was the first Friday of Lent? I still have not been and now it will have to wait until after Easter. The menu sounded damn good though.

My idea is this: Every other thursday will be pig and pinot................over other friday will be sauvignon and seafood cast your votes on vidalias or my facebook page all..

is pig and pinot continuing?

After a looonnnnggg hiatus, pig and pinot is back!!!! This Friday starting at 5:30 pm. My idea so it doesnt get boring (please add your comments) is to do the promotion every other Friday. The second Friday we will roast a piglet. I am going to use this promotion to us you all as my judges for the up coming cochon 555 which I need to defend my crown from last year.

This weeks menu:

daeji bulgogi-pajeon korean bbq, scallion-kimchee cake 7.00

benton’s ossabaw bacon, apple, pecans, frisée, ears 5.75

headcheese scrapple, 62˚ quail egg ravioli 8.75

clams casino, piquillo peppers, bentons bacon, hollandaise 7.00

carbonara, pancetta, garlic, parmesan 8.75

rj’s 18 month black foot ham, croque madame 8.50

benton’s bacon-chocolate chip cookies, pineapple sorbet 6.50

Swine and Dine All!!!!!!

RJ Cooper

Oh well the weather outside looks more like Anchorage when I left the beautiful stat of Alaska in 1999. The difference is that the gov. doesnt know how to deal with it.

Cant the mayor and governors call them and ask for freaking advise. Because no one can drive meaning we cant get product we are close again and will remain closed until thursday dinner.

We will not have a pig and pinot happy hour this friday as well. I will be in the shits!!!!!

Have fun in the show all.

Rockweillers,

A good friend is leaving town and we want to take her to an excellent meal. She's vegetarian. We're pretty flexible on price, but would love to keep it in DC. I was thinking we should all go veggie, but that's not an absolute imperative.

What I'd really love is to find a chef that would like to put a vegetarian tasting menu together for six or eight people. Any advice? I'd love to make this fun and memorable for my friend, but we're all flexible and we don't need a super high-end, service-intensive experience (but that would work, too).

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Alex

Vidalia, Cityzen, Eve all have vegetable tasting menus

Before this hits the public, wanted to let you all know that we are doing a dinner paired with the spirits of High West Whiskey from Utah. The dinner will be on the 25th of January the cost will be $110.00 per person all inclusive. The master distiller David Perkins will be here to speak about the process of his spirits. Menu will be written this week while I'm in the shits with restaurant week.

Booz is:

Vodka 7000-oats made

21 yr old Rye

rendezous

and a couple others dont know off the top.

Contact Mike or Ed to book, we will need a credit card guarantee. I will post a menu soon.

THE BUBENS, COOPER'S, NEVAREZ'S AND THE TEAM OF VIDALIA WISHES ALL OF THE SOCIETY OF DON ROCKWELL A GASTRONOMIC SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY

PEACE!!!!

And so you did. Are you a richer, wiser man for it?

As my momma says.......your only as rich as the cash you have in your pocket and only as wise as you spend it

This Friday come on come all the the last pigout of the year!!!!

babi panggang--indonesian bbq, coconut rice, cashews, pineapple 6.50

benton’s ossabaw bacon--apple, pecans, frisée 5.75

orejas—cripsy ear soft taco, adobo, avocado 6.00

waddle rillettes—cranberry mostarda, country bread 6.25

char siu bao—chinese bbq, steamed bun 4.00 per each

liver parfait, apple butter, pickled green tomatoes 4.75

cured bacon, johhny cakes, red pepper jelly 6.75

baeji bulgogi-pajeon korean bbq, scallion cake 7.00

posole, lime, cilantro, cabbage, cracklings 7.75

rj’s 18 month black foot ham, pickled vegetables 5.00

bacon chocolate chip cookies, sweet onion-bacon ice cream 4.50

peanut-bacon-chocolate bark 2.75

peanut butter-chocolate bacon fudge 3.00

PLEASE ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!! READ AND COME PARTY!!!!!

THE LAST PIG AND PINOT OF 2009 IS THIS FRIDAY!!!!! YES IM WRITING IN CAP LOCK!!!!! I DONT KNOW WHY!!!

WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE LEGENDARY DON ROCKWELL THERE!!!! OTHERS PLEASE COME IT WILL BE A HELL OF A PIG OUT!!!

MENU WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW.

SWINE AND DINE ALL

CHEF RJ

pulled shoat, cornpone, our bbq 6.50

benton’s ossabaw bacon, ear, apple, pecans, frisée 5.75

brad’s berkshire skirt adobo, avocado, chimichurri 6.00

duroc hog jowl rillettes, radish, cranberry 5.50

liver parfait, cranberry jam 4.75

cured bacon, egg “crêpe”, red pepper jelly 6.75

smoked jowl, kimchi, pancake 6.00

hog’s head-soy bean stew, mustard, cracklings 7.75

rj’s 18 month black foot ham, pickled vegetables 5.00

bacon chocolate chip cookies, sweet onion-bacon ice cream 4.50

peanut-bacon-chocolate bark 2.75

peanut butter-chocolate bacon fudge 3.00

I have been at Vidalia for five plus years, Jeff, Mike from day one of course. We have all worked with great cooks, servers ect. that have made Vidalia the success it is and will be from years on end.

Vidalia has produce some exciting cooks that have gone on to be really successful.

I have had the pleasure of working with great cooks like Harper Mclure, John the bull Engle, Eddy the Pol now chef de cuisine of Ris.

I have a special place in my soul for Sara Siegal. My pastry chef will be leaving after two years thursday night. She came to Vidalia from Babo in NYC a hardcore chic who worked three years as a savory cook in that kitchen, worked savory for me, she then met her boyfriend Lucas Sousa who was the meat chef then sous chef. She took over pastry with no experince and kicked some serious ass. She is one of the most talented cooks I have ever met. She is the optitimy of dedication determination focus and finesse.

One day I hope I will have the pleasure of working with her again. Wherever she ends in the next couple months they are lucky to have her. Remeber her name she will be one of the top five pastry chefs in this country in the next couple years

Saturday night a group of us went to Vidalia for dinner prior to the Repeal Day Ball. We started with drinks at the bar and had a chance to talk to RJ who suggested a tasting menu.

I'm so happy to say that this was a fantastic meal. Everything was delicious and built to an amazing dessert course where we all had something different and the plates were passed around like a church collection. After about the third or fourth course I realized I forgot to write down any of the dishes or take photos, but the joy of the food and company made this a fleeting disappointment.

RJ, Ed and Mike were wonderful hosts and really got our night off on the right foot. Just wanted to give a public thanks and express how good everything was.

Cheers!

--sunchoke parfait, espelette oil

--leek truffle amish cheddar mornay gougeres

--dehydrated shiitake biscotti

--calotte beef tartare, quail egg, truffle, garlic crisp, syrah sorbet, brioche

--our clam chowder, razor clams, blue potatoes, celery, bacon, creamy clam broth

--wreckfish, cauliflower, matsutake mushrooms, red wine bearnaise

--shoat, linguisa, smoked sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, rye

--muscovy duck, emmer wheat stir fry of duck egg, confit leg, cranberries, scallions, bourbon bbq

***all i can remember sorry

All I ask is to be saved some jowl and tail. After seeing RJ's pig butchering demo a few weeks ago, I'm excited to try the results.

Do to selling the shit out of tails this week.....its not going to make the menu tonight.....but there are other cool pig dishes.....sara and i have done two other sweets peanut butter-bacon-66% chocolate fudge......peanuts-60% chocolate-bacon bark.

pig and pinot

a celebration of heritage pigs from head to tail and pinot noir

heritage pig

whole roasted shoat, cornpone, carolinas bbq 8.75

benton’s ossabaw bacon, apple, pecans, frisée 5.75

durac pig tail croquette, apple butter, quail egg 5.25

duroc hog jowl rillettes, radish, cranberry 5.50

berkshire belly, steamed buns, ginger-hoisin 5.00/ea

old spot jowl, kimchi, scallions, korean bbq 7.50

whipped mangalista lard, smoked salt, 6.00

our shaved pig rueben sandwich 8.00

pozole, cabbage, cilantro, cracklings 7.75

rj’s 18 month black foot ham, pickled vegetables 4.00

bacon chocolate chip cookies, sweet onion-bacon ice cream 4.50

Any chance you're also making the turkey tonight? I would love to have some good turkey before going home for some bad turkey

ask and you shall receive