RJ Cooper

From two Detroit boys here at Vidalia..............(Doug & RJ). One should not go to Detroit to get phu phu gourmet food. Take advatage of the ethnic groups that hibitate in the metro area.

• greek town-great flaming cheese and lamb......the best greek food in the midwest
  
• Laffayette Coney Island..........The only coney Doug and I would ever eat right Rocks!!!!!
  
• all kinds of middle eastern foods that are heads above the make shift we get here
  
• the best jewish delis are in oak park......come on now
  
• Hamtramick is the largest population of Polls oustide Warsaw (ahhhhhh sausages)
  • the greatest slider in the US is in Farmington.......... Greens Hamburgers......55 years of the best greece
    
  • Detroit is not about great chefs....its about great ethnic foods.........blue collar.......stick to your ribs food.
    
  • And Rocks Doug says stick up for the Dog
    

  No, you're right...even though it was never my intention to suggest that there are no adventurous palates there, the "bland midwestern palate" is a stereotype that adds no information to this discussion, and doesn't need to be perpetuated. One might draw the same conclusion about DC if you only ate at Tara Thai. I apologize, and have edited out that comment.

  My original assumption was that it was a compromise to local tastes, but the fact is that I don't have a counterexample of a more authentic Ethiopian restaurant there that's faring poorly. My guess would be that they might simply not have enough Ethiopians there to anchor against cultural fusion. The place was packed, but with nary a recognizable Ethiopian among the diners or wait staff, save for the one fellow I presume was the owner or GM. I didn't get a look in the kitchen to see who was cooking, unfortunately.

  Detroit is noted for its excellent middle-eastern cuisine (supported by a large and vibrant Arab community), something I had mentioned in an earlier draft of my posting but which I must have deleted. I've visited and loved the aforementioned local La Shish chain many times in the past (their uber-garlicky chicken shwarma is divine), but this past year they've fallen on hard times amid charges of their founder's tax evasion, and boycotts triggered by the discovery of his unflattering association with major Hezbollah figures.

Vidalia is seeking talented cooks to join the culinary team. Culinary school and/or 2 years fine dining experince helpful.

Please reply via email to rjcooper@vidalidc.com or fax 202.223.8571

OK, now I'm REALLY hungry. On Friday and Saturday only, chef?

dishes will change truffles will be here all month

This weekend at Vidalia we are shaving albas on 3 dishes:

Briar Hollow Farm Rabbit Sausage

with creamy risotto, chanterelles and truffle butter 17.50

with shaved alba truffles add 25.00

or with shaved burgundy truffles add 10.00

Hand Rolled Pumpkin Cavatelli

with crisp veal sweetbreads, chanterelle

mushrooms and sage butter fondue 13.00

with shaved alba truffles add 25.00

or with shaved burgundy truffles add 10.00

Creamy Anson Mills Polenta

with parmesan reggiano and alba white truffles 22.00

And the Menu for the dinner

Old Vines & New Wines of Spain

Friday, October 6th, 2006

Reception with Passed Hors d’Oeuvres

2002Gramona “Grand Cuvee”, Cava, Penedes

Amuse Bouche

Pinenut Risotto

with snail ragout and smoked bacon emulsion

First Course

Sea Urchin Panna Cotta

with cold poached chesapeake oyster, albino adriatic

caviar, sea beans annd albariño-meyer lemon emulsion

2004 Lusco Do Mino, Albariño, Rias Baixas

Second Course

Iberian Ham

with poached sekel pear, valdeon, honey

gastrique and almond-milk puree

2004 Naia “Naia Des”, Verdejo, Reuda

Third Course

Foie Gras

parfait with plum mustard, spiced pecan and blis sherry vinegar

beignet with blackberry-tellecherry peppercorn syrup

and white chocolate powder

2000 Costers Del Siurana “Dolc De L’ Obac, Priorat

Fourth Course

Squab Breast

with slate roasted chicken of the wood mushroom-gizzard brochette,

kennebeck potato dumplings and smoked chorizo consommé

1996 Muga “Prado Enea” Gran Reserva, Rioja

Fifth Course

Piedmontese Beef Strip Loin

with crispy chic pea cake, onion

glass and cocoa nib mole

2003 Clos Erasmus “Laurel” Priorat

Dessert

Giant White Chocolate-Honey Truffle

with vanilla yogurt, apricot sorbet and

macadamia nut crunch

2005 Casta Diva “Cosecha Miel”, Moscato, Alicante

Mignardises

RJ Cooper III-Chef de Cuisine

Jeff & Sallie Buben-Proprietors

Okay Rockheads!!!!!!!!

I'll let you all in on a great new tradition at Vidalia. We have brought back or Friday night wine dinners.

They will start on October the 6th with the first dinner theme being "Old Vines, New Wines" taste of Spain.

A sparkling wine reception with canapes follwed by six courses to match the wine the Doug has chosen (see below) is a great way to spend a Friday night.

Our second dinner will be on the 20th of October and will be theme Parker's 90pt. Value meal, more details to come.

Cheers

2002 Gramona "Grand Cuvee", Cava, Penedes

2004 Lusco Do Mino, Albarino, Rias Baixas

2004 Naia "Naia Des", Verdejo, Reuda

2000 Costers Del Siurana "Dolc De L' Obac", Priorat

1996 Muga "Prado Enea" Gran Reserva, Rioja

2003 Clos Erasmus "Laurel", Priorat

The chill of fall is in the air and we at Vidalia are busy coming up with our fall menu.

Posted is the new dinner menu do out Saturday night.

We will also be posting about our wine dinners. Stay tuned and check our web site. www.vidalidc.com

Happy Eatting.

RJ Cooper

Chef-Vidalia

Appetizers

Five Onion Soup

cabbage stuffed with duck sausage,

sweet garlic soubise and sweet onion

glass in a rich onion duck broth 12.00

Truffled Heirloom Potatoes

roasted with crispy pork belly,

garlic cream, shaved truffles and

juniper infused sea salt 14.50

Sweet and Spicy Cured Hamachi

molasses cured and seared raw with pear

almond kuri squash relish, date espresso

purée and ginger-olive oil sorbet 13.50

Hand Rolled Pumpkin Cavatelli

with crisp veal sweetbreads, chanterelle

mushrooms and sage butter fondue 13.00

Ducks in a Row

foie gras parfait, smithfield style

duck ham and duck rillettes 13.75

Steak & Egg Tartare

prime raw beef tartare with poached quail egg,

frisée bacon salad and toasted brioche 13.25

Chesapeake Oyster Toast

with globe artichokes, country ham, swiss chard, black

pepper brioche and champagne-chive emulsion 12.75

Whipple Farm Salad

organic lettuces with crisp market vegetables,

capers, fines herbs, applewood bacon, sheep’s milk

cheese, egg and mustard-verjus vinaigrette 12.00

Diver Scallops

chorizo crusted with cauliflower purée, roasted

cauliflower, olive leaf arugula and curry oil 13.50

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake

with chow chow relish, sweet potato chips,

spiced butternut squash and spicy crab aïoli 13.00

Flight of American Caviar

three selections of caviar with cured

salmon pavé, smoked trout parfait,

cornmeal blinis and crème fraîche 44.00

Notice: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may

increase your risk of food related illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions.

Entrees

Shrimp and Grits

sautéed “head on” gulf shrimp with creamy

grits, davon crest farm chard, sweet onions,

scallions and crayfish-tasso emulsion 29.75

Hereford Beef Sirloin

pan roasted with yukon potato purée

and root beer braised short ribs layered with

cipollini onions and wild mushrooms 32.00

Trout in a Blanket

tasmanian sea trout wrapped in phyllo with herb

butter, crisp pork belly, honey cap mushrooms,

beluga lentils and pinot noir essence 29.00

Red Tail Venison Loin

with black pepper-brioche crust, heirloom

onions, huckleberry-horseradish purée,

chestnuts and venison-red wine reduction 33.00

Atlantic Black Bass

pan roasted with black-eyed peas, fennel,

oven roasted tomato-cuttlefish ragout and

roasted garlic fines herbes emulsion 29.50

Tuscarora Rabbit Loin

wrapped with applewood bacon, heirloom

pumpkin purée, crispy grits cake, chicory,

acorn marmalade and birch beer rabbit jus 32.00

Carolina Mountain Trout

deviled crab stuffing with fingerling sweet

potato-smoked surry sausage hash, arrow leaf

spinach purée and brown butter pecan emulsion 27.00

Suckling Pig

with amish braised red cabbage, peanut potato confit, pearl

onions, rye-cider gastrique and red wine apple butter 31.00

Vidalia's Vegetable Blue Plate

chef's daily selection of four composed

vegetable plates featuring local

and seasonal market produce 26.00

Farmer’s Farm Quail

with chestnut wild rice and apple

stuffing, boudin blanc, brussel sprouts,

blue plum mustard and rosemary 34.00

Sides

Baked Macaroni with Brad’s Goat Cheese and Shaved Truffles 14.50

Fall Mushrooms with Creamy Grits 6.50

Oyster and Applewood Bacon Hush Puppies 7.00

Sweet Potato Custard Soufflé with Glazed Pecans 6.25

9/23/06 Dinner

I finished up Restaurant Week on 8/20 at Vidalia with a party of six, and while all of the dishes were either good or very good, the vichyssoise (which is not listed in the chef's post above or on the online menu) was excellent: cool, creamy, sweet, and full of chunks of apple and vegetables. If I hadn't been with my girlfriend's parents, I might have ordered it again for dessert.

As it was, I was more than satisfied with my lemon chess tart with sweet cream. The dessert cannot be compared on a one-for-one basis with Morrison-Clark's stop-the-presses lemon chess pie, because Vidalia's version is a tart, and thus has a higher pastry dough-to-lemon filling ratio than Morrison-Clark's pie. But Vidalia's lemon chess tart is still top-shelf.

We do the lemon chess tart only for restaurant week.......On our regular pastry menu we have our traditional lemon chess pie. Come in and try this pie its the best I have ever had.

PLEDGE DRIVE RIDE

August 2-12, 2006

DISTRICT HOGS and Share Our Strength

are raising additional funds for the NATIONAL KATRINA RELIEF EFFORT being held August 29--“Restaurants for Relief 2”

Minimum pledge is 10 cents and we encourage up to $1.00 pledge per mile.

The distance from D.C. to Sturgis is 1,600 miles. Each chef and other bikers will have sign up sheets at the restaurants or businesses for anyone to pledge funds.

BIKERS: Mike Barch, healthcare programs executive; RJ Cooper, Chef de Cuisine of Vidalia Restaurant; Steve Greenwald, President, D.C. Chapter of La Chaîne des Rotisseurs; David Guas, Executive Pastry Chef of Acadiana, DC Coast, Ceiba, TenPenh; Fred Knight, Entrex, Inc.- advisor in assessing capital; Robert McGowin- Executive Chef at the Old Ebbitt Grill; Maurice Moorgat, Network engineer/ mechanic of the group; Cliff Wharton, Chef de Cuisine of TenPenh; and Robert Wiedmaier, Executive Chef and owner of Marcel's restaurant.

Pledge Drive is available these participating restaurants:

Acadiana- 901 New York Avenue

Ceiba- 701 14th Street NW

DC Coast- 1401 K Street NW

Marcel’s- 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Old Ebbit Grill- 675 15th Street NW

TenPenh Restaurant- 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Vidalia and Bistro Bis Restaurant- 1990 M Street NW

Ask at the host or hostess how you can pledge TODAY

All proceeds will go to Share Our Strength, Restaurants for Relief 2.

(Restaurants across the nation will join together to raise money for the recovery of the Gulf Coast region, for more details www.strength.org )

Simone Rathle

simoneink, llc

po box 25723

washington, dc 20007

703.534.8100 phone

703.534.8101 fax

simonepr@aol.com

www.simonesez.com

703.534.8102 associates' phone

for overnight packages only:

6011 Chesterbrook Road

McLean, VA 22101

The Point - Lake Placid Lodge - Restaurant August

International House - -Seeger's

DC Coast - Ceiba -TenPenh - Acadiana

The Inn of The Five Graces - Cal-a-Vie, The Spa Havens

If you havent heard (or have) a small group of chefs from washington dc who love bikes and cruising through the country side making their first trip to Sturgis SD for the annual bike rally.

We are teaming up with share our strength to raise money for the second annual relief fund.

How?, your asking?!!!!!!!

You can sponsore you of us chefs (the list will be below) on a milage basis. We are looking for sponsors to donate to SOS between $.10 and $1.00 per mile no minnimum or maximum

milage (hoping people will donate $1.00 with a minimum of 50 miles).

The trip to sturgis from dc is approximently 1600 miles.

I will post press release in the morning. Pledge packets are avalible at the restaurant/chefs below.

Okay now the Chef's:

David Guas-Pastry Chef, Ceiba, Acadiana, DC Coast, tenpenh and our organizer and rding a deuce

Cliff Wharton-Chef de Cuisine Tenpenh, riding a night train

Robert McGowan-Executive Chef-Old Ebbit Grill, riding a road king

Robert Wiedmair-Chef/Owner-Marcel's/Beck, riding a herratige classic

RJ Cooper-Chef de Cuisine-Vidalia/Bistro Bis, riding someting new suprise

The Great Ramone-Somelier-Marcel's/Beck

And others associated with us that are not in the bizzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!

We leave wed. from dc!!!!!!!!!!! Help us help with katrina relife

The District Hogs

Washington, DC

Heck Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!

You can do it either way. Plan ahead and let us know when making a reservation, how many courses, dietary restrictions ect. or We can do it spontaneously. It is a minimum of 5 courses for $70.00 and an average of 12 bucks a course when adding on (depending on ingredients of course).

You can also put Doug and Mike to work pairing wines.

Lots of cool food in house now!!!!!!!!!!

Rocks I cant do that sea trout again. Only 1 time for your palate only.

We just fine tuned our summer menu that debuted on Saturday night.

Lunch has a $19.90 3 course tasting menu.

Dinner still offers $70.00 5 course.

Appetizers

Chesapeake Buster Crab Chowder

with whipple farm new potatoes,

applewood smoked bacon,

sweet corn and chives 14.75

Hummingbird Farm Cherry Tomatoes

with milk poached buffalo mozzarella,

country ham, jalapeño, purple

basil and tomato water 14.00

Chilled Cucumber and Yogurt Soup

with beet and fennel pollen cured sea

trout, vidalia onions, smoked steelhead

roe and rye brioche croutons 13.50

Marinated Jumbo Lump Crab Meat

with horseradish, coriander,

tomato, seaweed salad and

ginger vinaigrette 15.00

Pork ‘n’ Beans

with slow roasted berkshire pork

belly, braised broad beans and

lexington barbecue glaze 12.00

Smoked Diver Scallops

with summer corn prepared three ways,

wild rice, madagascar vanilla-infused

sea salt and cipollini onions 13.50

Crispy Veal Sweetbreads

with fleur de lys crayfish and

a modern sauce nantua 13.75

Whipple Farm Salad

organic lettuces with crisp market vegetables,

capers, fines herbs, applewood bacon, sheep’s milk

cheese, egg and mustard-verjus vinaigrette 12.00

Wild New Zealand King Fish

citrus cured with avocado, heirloom

beets, baby mizuna, black olive vinaigrette

and grapefruit-olive oil sorbet 13.50

Onion Sampler

roasted vidalia onion stuffed with wild

mushrooms, market onions and saba 12.75

Notice: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may

increase your risk of food related illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions.

Entrees

Shrimp and Grits

sautéed “head on” gulf shrimp with

creamy grits, crayfish, tasso, scallions

and warm cherry tomato vinaigrette 29.75

One Two Hereford Beef

strip loin poached in butter and roasted with sea salt,

short ribs stuffed in cremini mushrooms with potato

boulangère, spinach purée and foie gras hollandaise 36.00

Tasmanian Sea Trout

braised in smoked butter with cucumbers,

fiery potatoes, chorizo, smoked steelhead

roe and matelote vinaigrette 29.00

Shenandoah Lamb

with strip loin, kidney, tortoloni

of braised breast, artichokes prepared

three ways and lemon compote 34.50

Roasted Eastern Shore Flounder

with sweet & sour heirloom radishes,

shallots, grapes, pursalane and

navarro verjus-verbena emulsion 28.50

Tuscarora Rabbit Saddle

stuffed with sweetbreads,

borlotti beans, candied baby

fennel and licorice powder 32.00

Roasted Wild Halibut

with lima bean ragout, honey

mushrooms, onion “glass” and

smoked ham hock emulsion 31.00

Smothered Chicken Sous Vide

bantam chicken braised in black pepper gravy

with summer root vegetables, hen o’ woods

mushrooms and rosemary cream biscuits 27.50

Vidalia's Vegetable Blue Plate

chef's daily selection of four composed

vegetable plates featuring local

and seasonal market produce 26.00

Farmers’ Quail

cornbread and pecan stuffed breast,

leg confit, sweet corn pudding and

chanterelle mushrooms 34.00

Sides

Baked Macaroni with Brad’s Goat Cheese and Summer Truffle 12.50

Sweet Corn Pudding with Herb-Garlic Popcorn 6.50

Braised Broad Beans with Smoked Pork Collar 5.50

Vidalia Onion Casserole with Smoked Bacon and Pecorino 6.75

7-8-06 Dinner

Chocolate, Chocolate

Warm Chocolate Souffle Cake

with coffee cocoa-nib ice cream, espresso

reduction and white chocolate foam 9.75

Silvano Garcia Dulce, Mourvedre, Jumilla, Spain 03’ 16.75

Chocolate Napoleon

layers of rich chocolate and caramel mousses with

tempered chocolate disks and caramel sauce 10.25

Cockburns 10 Year Tawny Port NV 16.25

From Orchards and Patches

Local Bing Cherries

with nancy’s camembert cheesecake,

pistachio biscotti and port reduction 9.75

Jonesy Old Tawny Port, Australia NV 13.25

Toigo Orchard White Peach

mille feuille with lavender sorbet, peach

wine gelée and crisp butter pastry 10.00

Mas de Bellevue, Muscat, Muscat de Lunel, France 04’ 14.00

Seasonal Fresh Berries

with chantilly cream or baked with sabayon 11.50

Flare Sparkling, Moscatel, Spain NV 15.00

From the Farms

Sweet Corn Chiboust

with bourbon glace and cracker jacks 9.50

Chamber’s Tokay, Muscadelle, Rutherglen, Australia NV 15.50

Sheep’s Milk Yogurt Panna Cotta

with watermelon soup and mint-cucumber granite 9.75

Vriesenhof Melelo, Red Muscat, Stellenbosch, S. Africa 05’ 15.75

Classics

Vidalia's Lemon Chess Pie

buttery crust filled with rich lemon custard

garnished with raspberries and sweet cream 9.25

Baumard, Chenin Blanc, Coteau du Layon, Loire, France 03’ 13.25

Georgia Pecan Pie

served warm with bourbon butterscotch,

praline ice cream and cocoa nib 9.75

Chamber’s Tokay, Muscadelle, Rutherglen, Australia NV 15.75

Triple Scoop

house made sorbets or ice cream

with crisp vanilla cookies 9.00

Flare Sparkling, Moscatel, Spain NV 12.50

Hope to see ya'll!!!!!!!!!!

The gracious staff of Vidalia

To all y'all "rockers" out there!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have started our series of Friday night wine dinnners.

Our first dinner was in April, Sin Qua Non wines were Doug Mohrs choice with 7 course of food to match.

On Friday the 26th of May is our next installment................"Pinot Camp" featuring wine centered around that famous get away that I and others here about "Just got back from Pinot Camp..........Wow did we have fun".

No we can have a taste of what is like in our wine room that friday night. Including the wines we will be doing a seven course food paring to match these extrrodunary wines that Doug has picked for the event. match.

Please check our web site or contact us by phone or email for other details.

Here is our press release for this event:

Please join us for an extraordinary evening featuring the wines of some of Oregon's top small producers and Robert MacFarlane or Roanoake Valley Wines

The first Oregon "Pinot Camp" was held in 2000. Over 40 Oregon wineries grouped together and invited selected retailers and sommeliers from across the U.S. to experience Oregon vineyards, wines, winemakers and hospitality first hand. It has since become an annual event held each June in the Northern Willamette Valley and now consists of over 50 wineries. The camp is built around a series of seminars, tastings and dinners designed to increase knowledge of and to instill a passion for, Oregon wines. This, the last dinner in our series of Friday night May wine dinners, is a "mini" pinot camp!. We hope to expose you to some wines you may not had the opportunity to taste as well as a little information about these producers and the Oregon wine scene in general.

To help provide us with some Oregon insight we've invited Robert MacFarlane, who after working with noted importer Bobby Kacher, left to help Roanoake Valley….a small family owned import wholesale company in Virginia, specializing in the wines of the Pacific Northwest. Robert has traveled to the Willamette Valley twice a year for the last several years to keep his finger on the pulse of the Oregon wine industry. Not only visiting and barrel tasting at blue-chip producers (Ken Wright, Brickhouse, Patricia Green, Evesham Wood and Domaine Serene) but also to seek out the new generation of "smaller" producers. (Sam Tannahill, John Grochau, David Autrey, etc.)

Executive Chef R.J. Cooper has created an exemplary menu to pair with each wine. The dinner is $175.00 per person excluding tax and gratuity. Seating is limited. Please call a Manager at 202.659.1990 for reservations. This evening promises to be a great culinary event of wine and food. We hope you will join us for our last May wine dinner and become one of our "happy pinot campers".

Camp Wines

1999 Argyle Brut

2004 Evesham Wood "Blanc de Puit Sec"

2002 Hammacher "Cuvée Forêt Diverses" Chardonnay

2002 Belle Pente "Murto Vineyard" Pinot Noir

2004 GC(Grochau Cellars) "Cuvee des Amis" Pinot Noir

2004 Ken Wright Cellars "Savoya Vineyard" Pinot Noir

2004 Ken Wright Cellars "Canary Hills Vineyard" Pinot Noir

Clear Creek Grappa of Pinot Noir

Menu

Reception

Passed Hors d'Oeuvres

Amuse Bouche

Dungeness Crab in Three Forms

First Course

Black Bass Ceviche Mille Feuille

with brioche melba toast, seaweed salad and razor clam-meyer lemon vinaigrette

Second Course

Smoked Maine Diver Scallop

with grilled white asparagus, blue foot mushroom and truffle emulsion

Third Course

Salmon in a Blanket

wild alasakan salmon wrapped in phlylo with crisp pork belly and pinot noir-lentil emulsion

Fourth Course

Turlock Farm Squab

with foie gras stuffed morel mushrooms, wild cress and confit leg mignonette

Fifth Course

Calotte of Long Grass Fed Beef

with semolina cake, wild ramp tops, tellecherry pepper-huckleberry gastrique

Dessert

Lingonberry-Grappa Terrine en Gelee

with pink peppercorn crème brulee and pinot noir syrup

Mignardises

Hope to see some of you there.

Chef RJ

Spring is here!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Mid Atlantic farms and coastal seaports are starting to produce.

Our team of culinarians have just transitioned the menu to spring foods.

We implamented the spring menu this weekend, with passover and easter falling in the same week, we were a little lighter then usual so the transition was smoother.

Some highlights:

"Pig in a Blanket", crisp tete de cochon with cheddar-rosemary bisuit, quail egg and red eye gravy.

Citrus cured hamachi with compressed charentais mellon and lychee puree, verjus sorbet

Foie gras terrine with rhubarb

The ever popular southern Cassoulet

Eastern Shore Black Bass

In May we will be starting our Friday night wine dinners in the Cellar.

Check out our web site for details.

www.vidaliadc.com