Hosted by Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

·

Mary Ann Mohanraj, clinical associate professor of fiction and literature at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She recently published the
first vegan Sri Lankan American cookbook, “Vegan Serendib;”

·

JJ Digeronimo, a two-time award-winning author who helps women raise their frequencies and empower their future impact through tried-and-tested strategies, mindfulness, and energetic practices;

·

David Hunter of Blugenics, which has harnessed a form of algae for human consumption in the form of supplements and other ingestible products;

The leadership team from Casa Kantuta,the first Bolivian cocktail bar in the nation.

The post Foodie and the Beast – Jan. 8, 2023 first appeared on Federal News Network.

On today’s show:

• Jon Krinn, CEO of WineLAIR in the West End, the U.S. outpost of the European WineBANK network, a gathering place that offers members access to climate-controlled wine lockers and other personalized benefits;

• Executive Chef Bader Ali and Chef Kelly Suarez from the Gerrard Street Kitchen at The Darcy Hotel downtown, where a really eclectic and exciting mix of complex flavors of Japan, Morocco, and Korea sits side by side with British, Italian, and Indian classics;

• Rebecca Halpern, the director of “Love, Charlie,”, the award-winning documentary about the life and work of acclaimed chef Charlie Trotter. He earned rave reviews, Michelin stars, legions of fans and imitators, and he was the center of lots and lots of juicy culinary controversies. Rebecca’s in to give us the 411 on her stirring documentary;

• Worried that the holidays are going to blow out your muffin tops and mess with your ticker? Gerard “Coach G” Burley is here to help with timely tips for getting and staying in shape for the new year.

The post Foodie and the Beast – Dec. 18, 2022 first appeared on Federal News Network.

On today’s show:

• Phil Greene is back with us. He is an author, cocktail historian, one of the founders of the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans and the winner of the 13th Annual Spirited Award for Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History or Spirits. He joins us to celebrate the release of his newest book, “Cheers! Cocktails and Toasts to Celebrate Every Day of the Year;”
• Lieven DeGeyndt, owner/founder of Sparkle-ist, tells us about a monthly subscription box that contains three bottles of mixed origin and type, hand selected and tasted by him personally;

• The restaurant Joselito Casa de Comidas brings a piece of Spain to Capitol Hill. Executive chef and culinary director David Sierra runs the kitchen of this intimate, family-owned eatery and he’s in with tastes and talk of what we can expect there.

The post Here’s to telling the tale of the ‘tails first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:
• Julie Greenstein and Debbie Sonnenreich are co-founders of URBNmarket, an upscale, curated handmade and vintage pop-up market at the Hotel Washington for three weekends and at Mosaic for two. They have great gifty stuff ranging from jewelry, home décor and bath and beauty products to pet accessories;

• When the District Winery opened in The Yards along the Anacostia, it quickly was recognized as a pillar of the revitalized waterfront restaurant scene. Today it still produces great wines and great meals in the restaurant there. Last year winemaker Phil Arras joined the team at the District Winery from the Finger Lakes of New York, where he spent 13 years as a winemaker for the Damiani Wine Cellars on Seneca Lake. Phil Arras and Emily Herbig, District Wines’ Director of Operations, join us today to pour some of the District Winery’s best;

• Susanna Bae is the executive pastry chef at Kevin Tien’s Moon Rabbit at the Intercontinental Hotel at The Wharf. The plain and simple is that she is to pastry as Kevin is to mastery in the world of savories. Susanna joins us with tastes and talk of the Moon Rabbit’s holiday season dessert offering;

• Dara Lyubinsky is chef and owner of Nourish Culinary and Well Fed by Nourish, providing custom personal chef services. They offer gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan and kosher-style options;

• Talented local musician and artist Adrian Loving joins us to chat about the exciting changes to the D.C. music landscape and some of his newest projects.

The post Holiday shopping Whac-a-Mole first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

• If we say “French desserts,” you probably think “fancy.” And if we say “baking French cakes,” you probably say, “I can’t pull that off.” Not true. Aleksandra Crapanzano is the James Beard–winning writer and dessert columnist for The Wall Street Journal and she has a cookbook out, “Gateau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes,” that’s going to help you make gateau Breton and lots of other French specialties with the greatest of ease;

• In Spanish, “el cielo” means “heaven” – and El Cielo at La Cosecha in the Union Market District is pretty close to that. Its central offering is “The Experience” – a tasting menu featuring Colombian cuisine. It also has a kick-ass cocktail program headed by lead bartender Andres Carrasco and bar manager Orlando Galleguillos;

• IT’S BAAAACK!!! D.C. Cocktail Week, presented by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, returns as a week-long celebration of the area’s mixology culture from Monday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 4. Julia Fletcher, co-owner of Bo & Ivy Distillers, is in to talk about the distilled spirits she’s producing in D.C.’s Ivy City;

• Chef Norbert Roesch is assistant director of dining at The Seneca, a vibrant assisted living and memory care community in Rockville with a salon and spa, a wellness center, billiards, educational programming, and more. It also has four restaurants — and a bar! Sounds more like a cruise ship experience. Chef Norbert is in to tell us how it all works.

The post The day pound cake married shortbread first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

• Founded in 1927 as a nine-stool root beer stand in Washington, D.C., Marriott International is the world’s largest hospitality company. Brad Nelson, vice president for the company’s global culinary portfolio, joins us with news about Marriott’s global headquarters in Bethesda, especially about its new
innovation lab and test kitchen, where chefs and mixologists look at the latest trends in food and beverage and develop concepts for Marriott properties globally;
• We call her the Wellness Chef – she’s Dalia David, the first South Asian Wellness Chef to appear on the Food Network’s “Chopped” and become a finalist. A food and lifestyle educator, Chef Dalia helps people have better relationships with food;
• We’ve known this guy for 20 years! Longtime D.C. chef and restaurateur Frederik De Pue has a chic contemporary European bistro. It’s Henri, it’s downtown, it serves an extensive seasonal menu in two distinctive dining concepts and you’ll hear all about it;

And pouring drinks today is Darlin Kulla, beverage director, KNEAD Hospitality + Design. She tells us how she works with the chef to create cocktails at The Grill on D.C.’s Wharf.

The post A hundred bottles of booze on the wall first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

• Bill Jensen is co-owner and beverage director of the Tail Up Goat and the Reveler’s Hour in Adams Morgan. Among many awards of note, he was honored with Michelin’s 2021 Washington, D.C. Sommelier Award. He’s in to treat us to some tastes and talk of his wine favorites from the Finger Lakes for your Thanksgiving table;
• Lane Levine owns A Friendly Bread, launched four years ago as a fresh sourdough bread business. He has mastered that which previously seemed impossible – producing a preassembled, frozen, single-serve, heat-and-eat sourdough grilled cheese sandwich that heats to a crispy, gooey meal in under 10 minutes. We get to try some in studio;
• Hungry yet? Get ready for more when James Wozniuk, owner and executive chef of the Makan Malaysian restaurant in Columbia Heights joins us. Makan is an immersion in the complexities and simple pleasures of Malaysian dining. And, by the way, Makan was included on the Michelin Bib Gourmand List in 2021 and 2022;
• Chef Stefano Marzano is president, founder and culinary director of Mighty Meals, providing a convenient, healthy meal delivery service made with locally sourced ingredients by professional chefs, all from a menu that changes weekly.

The post We can put a Finger on it first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

• Think Nobu and you might think world-class sake. And that would be true – but Nobu DC has an amazing cocktail program, featuring not only great sakes but other world-class distilled spirits. Filipe Bertrand, the beverage and events manager at Nobu DC, is mixing up some cocktails that we are panting to try;
• Ice Cream Jubilee specializes in creative flavors of hand-made ice cream. It has some fun new fall creations and some especially for Halloween, including a ghost pepper ice cream that may very well leave you in R.I.P.-land. We are joined by Victoria Lai, the founder Ice Cream Jubilee;

• Dr. Jeanine Prime owns two Caribbean restaurants in D.C. In addition to Cane, a dining staple along the H Street corridor, she opened St. James last May on 14th Street. It’s a modern Caribbean restaurant reflecting that region’s melting pot of cultures, highlighting African, East Indian, Chinese, Portuguese and French influences. Jeanine joins us with tastes and talk of the St. James;

• Every time you turn around, it seems, Marriott is up to something new. Like, something really new. Nycci recently had a majorly entertaining dining experience at the JW Marriott in downtown D.C., starring a new and very engaging guy in town, Le Petit Chef. You’ll hear more when we’re joined by Tony Hull, executive chef at the JW Marriott, and Jake Bickel from TableMation Studios.

The post Death by ice cream first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

• The Middle Atlantic’s Prestige-Ledroit Distributing Co. offers a huge selection of artisanal and authentic wine and spirits from around the world, which includes the products of the Bardstown Bourbon Co in Kentucky. We are joined by Bardstown’s Nicholas Lewis;
• He’s an all-around good guy, a James Beard Award recipient and one of America’s most influential and respected restaurateurs. He’s Michael Schlow and his property on 14th Street, formerly Tico, has been magically transformed into Nama Ko, a Japanese-inspired restaurant and craft cocktail bar that we can tell you from first-hand experience kicks butt and takes names. Michael joins us along with his colleague, award-winning pastry chef Alex Levin, who serves as Michael’s director of strategic business and pastry programs, to chat with us about the wonder that is Nama Ko;
• Candice Mensah is a D.C. native. Her parents emigrated from Ghana, and she stayed connected to her cultural roots by learning to cook Ghanaian food. Her restaurant, Hedzole, will open in D.C. soon and she’s in to tell us all about it;
• Up for some oysters? Our advice is to “shuck it!” Yup, the ninth annual Georgetown Shuck It! Beer and Oyster Festival is back at the Georgetown harbor at Tony and Joe’s Saturday, Oct. 22. Enjoy grilled and freshly shucked oysters from local suppliers, local beer and wine, barbecue and live music. And who better to tell us about it than that continental man about town, Greg Casten, CEO of The Tavern at the Ivy City Smokehouse, Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place, Nick’s Riverside Grill and The Point D.C. Greg’s here with Dwayne “Gator” Thompson, the world’s greatest shucker, with all the details.

The post Another perfect pairing first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:
• Bodegas Tempore Wines is an independent brand of four organic and vegan wines produced in Spain’s Aragon region. Alejandra Sarmiento of Bodegas Tempore joins us long-distance and Eric Platt, president of Artisans and Vines, the Bodegas distributor, is in studio to fill our cups with Bodegas Tempore wine;
• Has it been five years already? Yep – and so, the fifth annual DMV Black Restaurant Week starts Nov. 6. Dr. Erinn Tucker-Oluwole, the event’s cofounder, and Chef Jeffeary (Jeff) Miskiri, the founder and chief executive officer of the Miskiri Hospitality Group, an inspiring collective of Black, family- and woman-owned products and restaurants in and around D.C., are here with all the details;

• Next is a story of starting small and making it big – very big. Dario Wolos is the founder of Tacombi, a food and beverage taqueria and consumer products company that started as a makeshift food stand on a Mexican beach. Today, Tacombi has grown to 14 locations in New York, Miami and Washington D.C., and has 75 more planned;

A crisp, full-bodied rosè in a plastic bottle? What!? Born in the pandemic, NautiLife brings you a great potable in an unbreakable bottle. Annapolitans Marina Anglim and Tracy Seybert founded the company and, with help from the omnipresent—and possibly omniscient–Eric Platt of Artisans and Vine, they are taking off like a rocket.

The post For many wine lovers, plastic is fantastic first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

-David takes a week off from co-hosting, but there is still a beast in the house – the Snalleygaster beast, that is. And the head of that massive monster – literally – is Greg Engert, the nationally and internationally acclaimed beer expert from NRG. He is pouring all through the show and talking about how you too can get your beer geek on;

-The Capital Jewish Museum—opening at Third & F Streets, NW, in the spring of 2023 – is a secular organization that explores the intersection of the American Jewish experience in D.C. In to talk about the museum and the The Capital Jewish Food Festival is Andrew Coulomb, deputy director of the Capital Jewish Museum;

-As many of you know, back in June Nycci went on a trip to Israel with a group called Reality. She was a part of Team Taste, and that meant everyone in the group had a hand in the food, wine and hospitality scene. Among them was Dara Schwartz. Her journey from working in advertising to traveling and learning from chefs and then to creating her own packaged goods items – Darista Dips – now available nationally is an inspiring story – especially for those who are looking to break into the consumer packaged goods market;

– The 2022 Events DC International City Food Festival celebrates food, culture, and entertainment, highlighting the diverse communities in the nation’s capital. We are joined by Jinhee Kim, chief creative officer, Events DC, and competing chef Michael Ciuffardi of the Embassy of Peru, in with his partner and translator, Fito Garcia.

The post This is not the belly of the beast first appeared on Federal News Network.

On today’s show:

• Taste of Bethesda returns Saturday, Oct. 1 and will bring nearly 40 restaurants and five stages of entertainment to downtown Bethesda. Stephanie Coppula, director of marketing and communications for the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Sebastian Neira, general manager, and Elder Pineda, bartender, both of Jose Andres’ Spanish Diner, join us;
.
• Bart Yablonsky. owner of Dawson’s Market in Rockville and D.C tells us what we can find there for theholidays;
• Sarah Mayo, CCO / Global Sales & Marketing, Black River Caviar / Esturiones del Rio Negro tells us about the Ocietra caviar produced by Black River in Uruguay and… of course we’ll taste it!
Finally, Dmitri Chekaldin, co-owner of Dacha Beer Garden in Shaw and Dacha Beer Garden in Navy Yard reminds us it’s Octoberfest time. Dacha has a ton of fun planned.

The post Caviar that’s classy and not Volga first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

miXt Food Hall, located in the heart of Prince George’s County’s Gateway Arts District on Rhode Island Ave., is a chef-driven culinary and cocktail experience for family and friends to meet up and find community within a convivial environment curated by local artisans. Today, we’re going to take you inside miXt’s exciting offerings with the hospitality pros who make this community dining experience so exceptional.
We’re joined by members of the miXt team to give you a taste of what’s waiting for you there:

• Rivkah Alvial. As chief mixologist (a.k.a. the “Bar Boss”) for miXt Food Hall’s central bar, Rivkah works closely with the chefs at each station to create the perfect pairing of food and drink;
• Sandy Patterson, director of operations at miXt Food Hall. She tells us about the mission of miXt Food Hall, with an overview of the vendors currently there, and the specials and events coming up;
• Chef Ismael Montero from La Michoacana, where he and his family whip up tacos, burritos, quesadillas and other authentic Mexican specialties so good that Washingtonian magazine just named it one of D.C.’s best taco spots;
• Olu Shokunbi is head chef and founder of miXt’s Spice Kitchen: West African Grill. He’s on a mission to turn Nigerian cuisine into an American household go-to. As far as we can tell, he’s well on his way.

The post We get all miXt up first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

• Todd Thrasher, an old buddy of ours for 15 years plus, founder of Potomac Distilling Company, an urban distillery producing Thrasher’s Rum and housing the Polynesian-inspired gathering spot, Tiki TNT;
• D.C. native Michael Twitty has a new book, “Kosher Soul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew.” It’s an oration of his family history and the impact of enslaved Africans on cooking practices and agriculture in the American South;

• Fairfax City Restaurant Week is coming up Aug. 29. It will be shining a spotlight on the truly unbelievable span of cuisines and ethnicities represented. Today we’re putting the spotlight on Bollywood Bistro and its executive chef, Sunil Bastola. And in to tell us more about the restaurant week itself is Kathleen Paley, commissioner of the Fairfax City Economic Development Authority;

• Pizza. Who doesn’t love pizza? We know that Marc Hembach, general manager of Fire Works Pizza Cascades in Sterling sure does. Marc joins us to talk about how his store serves goodness to the community in many different ways.

The post Pizza with a topping of heart first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

• Bob Wiley, co-owner, Deviation Distilling, known for its use of unique global spices and eye-popping bottle designs. Deviation recently launched its line of gins in D.C. liquor stores and restaurants;
• Danny Chavez, executive chef at Art and Soul / YOTEL Washington DC. Art and Soul boasts a scratch kitchen, meaning the majority of menu items are made in house, from scratch. Sounds like a lot of work!
• If you want to make a difference in the world but aren’t sure how, stay tuned for our chat with The “Bag Lady,” Lisa D.Foster. In 2005 she founded 1 Bag at a Time, Inc., a first-to-market reusable grocery bag company. In four years it grew to annual revenues of $8 million. Now, as a business coach and author of a hit book, also called “Bag Lady,” Lisa helps entrepreneurs navigate their way to success;

• Chef David Rabin of the Caboose Tavern in Vienna and Caboose Commons in Mosaic, a locally owned and operated microbrewery that offers craft beer, fresh roasted coffee and a chef-driven menu;
“Historically, there are only a handful of cocktail books that strive to tell the cultural and historical stories of Black and Brown mixologists. These stories need to be told. So cocktail expert and star of the Discovery Travel and Living Channel’s “Cocktail Kings” Colin Asare-appiah also is coauthor of the fascinating new book “Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology.” It details the significant impact Black and Brown mixologists have had on the cocktail industry throughout history.

The post A greener world? It’s in the bag first appeared on Federal News Network.