Full Circle Chef by HauteLife press

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Full Circle Chef C E L E B R AT I N G C R A F T A N D F L AV O R

at h o m e

T H E R E D E S I G N O F M A R C E L’ S

O N THE F R O N T B U R N E R MAKING A FOND BLANC

A R O U N D TO W N R AV I N ’ A B O U T B A LT I M O R E

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contents

Marcel’s 2.0

Interior designer Charles Craig walks us through the finer points in the dining room. Brasserie Beck sp otlight

Chef de Cuisine Dean Dupuis on Brasserie Beck’s timeless appeal. The Saucier’s Apprentice

Chef Robert Wiedmaier gets saucy about this lost art.

Urban Heights

Executive Chef Cliff Wharton in the hot seat.

All About Baltimore

Mussel Bar & Grille and more for a good time in the 410.

Summer Lovin’ Summer is finally in full swing, and at the RW Group we’ve hit the ground running with four new restaurants.

prepare to be blown away by your not-so typical Asian fusion cuisine. We just took over The Tavern at River Falls in Potomac, Maryland, where we will tweak the menu to become a friendly family-style restaurant with daily specials. Summer will also see the transformation of Brasserie Beck

After a slight delay thanks to Mother Nature, Mussel

in the Kentlands into Boulevard Tavern, featuring the same menu as in

Bar & Grille opened in Baltimore in March, and the

Potomac. Last but not least, we opened a music venue in Bethesda called

legendary Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles was

Villain & Saint that features only original music and a really cool, select

at our opening day. Now I have even more reasons to

menu of items inspired by the music that came out San Francisco’s Haight-

visit this great and vibrant city!

Ashbury in the ’60s and ’70s, like Sly & The Family Stone and Santana.

Look for my good friend Executive Chef Cliff Wharton

There is so much to look forward to as summer sizzles—just as we look

at Urban Heights, our latest addition in Bethesda, and

forward to seeing you soon at our restaurants!

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Sourced from

Sustainably Farmed Vineyards

At Home At Marcel’s

“

On several occasions I have worked with people who are not necessarily associated with the restaurant world, and Charles Craig is a good example of this. He brings a fresh perspective to the table. He typically designs upscale homes, and so I told him I wanted him to redesign Marcel’s in that same vein. I wanted Marcel’s to feel inviting, like a home, not industrial. —Chef Robert Wiedmaier

“I knew I had to get the lighting right first,” explains Craig Charles. “It was absolutely critical. In an evening situation, your eye immediately goes to anything that is light or bright. Not only is it the focal point; it helps create a layer of mood you simply don’t get in daylight hours.” Craig, of course, is talking about his recent redesign of the dining room at Marcel’s, where the modern Corbett starburst chandelier in smoky jewel tones takes center stage. The finished product speaks for itself, and it’s all the more astonishing that this is his first true foray into the restaurant business.

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“I picked out all the china and La Tavola titanium-plated flatware myself. I looked at thousands of plates. I wanted items that nobody else had. I ended up with 20 pieces of this and 20 pieces of that. It allowed me creativity at the table that was an extension of the kitchen.” —Chef Robert Wiedmaier

Craig is an interior designer by trade, working with homeowners to create special spaces for their enjoyment and comfort. His work has been featured in The Washington Post and Southern Living. He’s an avid gardener, with his own plot of land published in Better Homes and Gardens and Traditional Home. And he’s been to known to custom-design furniture along the way to meet his clients’ specific requests. “I have collaborated with several contractors over the years, and one of them was working on restaurant redesigns and asked me to come along on a job with him. By total serendipity, I did.” That was four years ago at Marcel’s, and Craig got involved in the project to clean up and edit the space. He since has worked with the Wiedmaiers on their personal homes, and it seemed a natural progression to take things back into the place where it all started. Call him the full-circle designer.

Craig was fastidious in his search for perfection, sifting through not hundreds but thousands of lighting fixtures, pulling large numbers of fabric swatches, and considering not just colors but also ranges within a single color—but this did not at all result in clutter. “I tend to go for cleaner, simpler, larger statement pieces that are focal points and interesting to look at. I think they make for a calmer, more relaxed setting.” He points out the maître d’ podium, which he designed and had made out of palm tree veneer. “I had only seen this used before on small, crafted boxes,” he confesses. “It has a wonderful rich stain on it that was also used on the recessed buffet station at one end of the bar.” The top of the bar itself was replaced and required a “Robert’s focus was bit of engineering in terms of proportion and not only on the food support. “I’m not exactly sure how I got into at Marcel’s but also that level of detail, but it probably stems from on who eats there.” the need many designers have to control the end result,” he explains with a smile.

“Robert’s focus was not only on the food at Marcel’s but also on who eats there. Ultimately this was about the dining experience, and although I am a residential designer, when you go out to eat you want a place that is not your home but still is in the sense that it’s comfortable while instilling excitement because it is different. That’s the approach we took here: who is coming to eat and their experience.” In transforming the dining room, Craig had to first understand Robert’s vision for a contemporary feel—rooted in mature elegance and sidestepping trends. “Robert wanted something new and clean, and so that made it easier for me. I am a concept guy. I need to understand where I am going in order to get there, and having a client who knows what he wants is great because it sets me off in a specific direction.” 6

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“Robert was concerned with comfort, as he personally enjoys eating in restaurants where he is comfortable. We spent a lot of time working on the chairs, finding the right fabrics, and sourcing a second-generation upholsterer from right here in Virginia.”

“The chandelier was a pivotal part of the redesign. We picked it early on in the process, and I paused to think: Wow, did we make the right decision? But when everything was done and the paint was on the walls, it all came together. And it was perfect.”

—Chef Robert Wiedmaier

—Craig Charles

“We changed the top of the bar from marble—which stains and chips easily—to a light gray and cream granite that appears white in the space. The white barstools were done by Shelby Williams. Believe it or not, that fabric cleans up very easily. Both are good examples of how I am always looking at durability as well as color.”

His signature stamp lies in the frames: simple, elegant, gold leaf frames. Look a little closer and you realize the leaf actually goes from silver to gold in tone, playing off the light fixtures’ similar finish that also isn’t exactly flat. Those nuances in color and shade are where Craig leaves his biggest mark. Making someone’s statement of style come to life is what Craig does best. He executes it to perfection at Marcel’s, where Chef Wiedmaier likes to say, “Atmosphere is an important part of our team.” You feel welcome, comfortable, and yet excited to be in a dining room where fine dining is approached and addressed on the plate and on the walls with such careful consideration and finesse. “Ultimately, this is about each guest’s experience,” says Craig, “and in that respect, I tried to cater to everyone who walks into Marcel’s.”

“Fretwork seems to be quite popular now, and it worked well on the high-back dining room chairs because I had been searching for a geometric, repetitious pattern that wasn’t black and white. The fabric has a cut velvet plush feel—some of it is smooth, some raised—and between the slight contrast of the two colors in shading and the chenille effect of the fabric, it makes for an interesting pattern.”

—Charles Craig

—Craig Charles

“The actual color of the walls was picked out last. I considered a range of colors within gray taupe, some warmer, others cooler, before settling on Ashen Tan. I like nuanced colors and am not inclined to do rooms of a certain color. It is always a great compliment when someone asks me what color a wall is, because I look for colors that are more complex.” 2015

—Charles Craig .

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team spotlight

Brasserie Beck Tried + True

When Brasserie Beck opened in 2008, it caused quite a stir. There was the food: brasserie-style, classic French with Belgium influences, a fun and interesting new concept that locals and visitors gravitated toward. The mussel revolution had officially started! There was the location: in an up-and-coming neighborhood, the kind you kick yourself five years later for not having bought a house there. And there was the design: an enormous open kitchen that hadn’t been done before. It was new and interesting and Chef Wiedmaier’s second restaurant, so that brought a certain level of excitement on its own. Nearly eight years later, it’s still on its A-game—in no small part due to a consistent commitment to quality and service.

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team spotlight

Q+A Dean Dupuis with Chef de Cuisine

Chef Dupuis ran both the front and the back of the house at the Mussel Bar & Grille at Revel before joining Brasserie Beck six months ago. What is so special about working for the RW Restaurant Group? A lot of places talk about being chef-driven, but they aren’t. They focus on the concept and front of house. Robert Wiedmaier is not like that. He really believes in his chefs and looks to us to solve problems even outside of our sphere of influence. He has a close relationship with all his chefs and is behind us 100 percent. What makes Brasserie Beck stand out? We were the first to start the mussel revolution, and although others do that now as well, we have maintained a great reputation in town. Everyone who knows D.C. has been here; it’s a mainstay of chic dining. It’s a special place. How do you maintain that level of excellence at the restaurant? For one, we never skimp on quality. We do things the right way, the old-fashioned way. We make a lot of items in house. Not a lot of places do that, so even if they are fresh and new, they drop off because they don’t maintain that quality. We have great relationships with local farmers and cheesemongers, and that really makes a difference. We also spend the money to have a great staff, and it shows. How do you keep the menu relevant? Even though we are a French brasserie with Belgian influences, we absolutely keep current with modern trends and update the menu to keep it fresh and new. I am constantly reading up about what is out there, and as things happen in the food world, we put them in place—not to where they stick out but instead blend in well with the old-world charm we offer. How do you infuse your personal cooking style into the menu? I like creating whimsical food, stuff with clever titles, double entendres. For example, I might make a chicken marsala, but it will be like nothing you have ever seen before: chicken livers with a shaved truffle and marsala glaze, asparagus, and Gruyere. Or a sloppy Joe for lunch using braised lamb—quite unlike the Manwich you grew up with, yet it has that same flavor profile: that tangy tomato-ness. I also like interactive dishes, like pouring a soup tableside. What would you recommend to a first-time guest at Brasserie Beck? Try the mussels for sure, but also some on our house-made items: we make a lot of great charcuterie, mustards, and other fun accoutrements. And someone at the table has to get the beef carbonnade—it’s fantastic. Since you have experience running the front of the house as well as the kitchen, what is the dynamic like here? I have a great relationship with General Manager Adam Rigga. He has a ton of energy, and I feed off his enthusiasm. We learn from each other and respect each other’s opinions.

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Making a Fond Blanc It’s not difficult to make a great sauce at home. If you don’t want to buy a whole animal, get to know your local butcher and he will give you the items you need. I’m going to walk you through making a fond blanc, or white lamb stock. You need four pounds of lamb bones in this case, cut up really small because you are going to caramelize them to create this rich, intense flavor. Add the lamb to a cast iron skillet or two. Every home cook should have these, because they are the best. Don’t put too much lamb in each pan because, if you do, they will sweat and steam when you need them to brown. Aim to have them all turn a golden brown color, but be careful not to burn it. One piece of burnt bone will make the entire stock taste bitter.

Mastering the Art of

S au ces

Chef Robert Wiedmaier and Marcel’s Chef de Cuisine Paul Stearman get down to business.

n 1976, Raymond Sokolov, a widely admired food writer for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, wrote a book called The Saucier’s Apprentice. He reduces the mysterious art of the saucier as practiced in the best restaurants to practical applications for the home cook. In 2008, American journalist and author of many famous celebrity biographies, Bill Spitz wrote a book about French sauces and also called it The Saucier’s Apprentice. It was more of a romp through a midlife crisis, and The Los Angeles Times called it “a combination of confessional, cookbook and travelogue.” And somewhere smack dab in the middle, Chef Robert Wiedmaier was learning how to cook at the hands of Michelin-starred chefs in Europe and then later in the States, which included eight years under the tutelage of Chef Douglas McNeil. Chef Wiedmaier knows how to make a sauce or two. He cooks and coaxes them for hours, days even, to get the right consistency and flavor. It is labor intensive, but it is not a chore. It is a labor of love and, for him, a key component to his dishes.

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“It takes days to make a sauce the right way, but the results speak for themselves.”

—Chef Wiedmaier

“If you are going to take the time and effort to take the life of an animal, you have to pay your respect by eating the entire animal, which is what I mean when I talk about being a full-circle chef. If you buy food that has been fabricated, you miss out on the true love of being a butcher or a saucier. Making a sauce is an extraction. You are extracting the flavors from the carcass of the animal to enhance the protein you put on the plate. And that end result, that sauce, intensifies the simplicity of that piece of meat on the plate. Making sauces is a dying art. I see so many restaurants that sidestep this important craft. It takes days to make a sauce the right way, but the results speak for themselves. When we do a wine dinner at Marcel’s, our guests are consistently blown away by the pairings of the wines and the sauces in particular. It’s pretty intense. And the reason it comes together so well is because we taste the wine first, and then I know how to fortify the flavor of the protein on the plate with a sauce that will compliment it.”

In a separate pan, we are going to add a mirepoix. This is simply a mixture of vegetables that you are going to sweat to coax out the natural sugars. For this recipe, you need about a pound of mirepoix to enhance the flavor of the lamb; much more, and you will make it taste like a vegetable stock. The mixture is turnips, celery, carrots, onions, and leeks, chopped up with some fresh rosemary and thyme and just one bay leaf. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the vegetables to the lamb and stir them in. Cook and then dump it all into a huge pot. Add some Madeira or fortified wine to the mixture. I always add a little stock I have made out of a previous lamb at this stage—enough to cover the bones. In a pinch, add some ready-made stock to the pot. Then let it cook slowly for about 24 hours, constantly skimming the mixture as impurities rise to the surface. After the allotted time, take the entire mixture and strain it into another pot. Let this dark broth cook and reduce down to a quarter of what it is. In the end, you have essentially taken five gallons down to one pint. And what a pint it is: a lambflavored jelly that looks almost like chocolate pudding. And that’s what we use to make the sauce. Since you will never need to use all of it at one time, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it. Then the next time you are home, pan-searing a tenderloin, the work is already done. Need a quick white wine sauce to complement that rib eye? Add the wine to the lamb jelly along with some butter—and voila! Or if roasting a rack of lamb, take the lamb out, add in some of that lamb fond blanc to the juices along with some butter, intensify it with a little rosemary, then pass it through a chinois. And there you go, there is your sauce. Breaking down the process like you do the bones and then making a sauce is not as complicated as you might think. But for that added intensity of flavor, it is so worth it!

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craft beer

Urban Heights

conviction

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CHEF ROBERT WIEDMAIER’S RESTAURANTS FOR A PINT!

“

Executive Chef Cliff Wharton is a good friend of mine with a strong history in this city. As executive chef of Urban Heights, he will introduce small-plate, Asian fusion–inspired food. It’s a large space, very hip, with an elevator, hence the name! Above the restaurant is a great outdoor area with a large bar and room for live music. —Chef Robert Wiedmaier

Ten Questions for Executive Chef Cliff Wharton

escape to

Executive Chef Cliff Wharton solidified his position in the pan-Asian culinary world at the late, great Ten Penh, which set the standard in D.C. for creative Eastern fare. Drawing on his own Filipino heritage, he offers a variety of small plates on the Urban Heights menu, and come summer, you can expect a pig roast or two up on the rooftop bar. His food is creative, authentic, and unsurpassed in its exploration of quality ingredients for a “heightened” culinary experience.

Cuisine at Urban Heights in a nutshell? Contemporary Asian What you will not see on this menu? Pizza Most recent ingredient obsession? XO sauce Drink of choice? Bell's Two Hearted Ale, shot of Grand Marnier In the kitchen I can’t live without . . . Organization Preferred mode of transportation? Harley Last cookbook you really enjoyed? Nobu Now Pet peeve in the kitchen? There are many. Top two: dirty stations and an employee that says, "I don’t care." Favorite band? Rush Robert Wiedmaier in one word? Friend

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“Go to an Orioles game!”

“Going to Baltimore gives me an opportunity to go to one of Cindy Wolf’s places in town. They are all wonderful.” —Chef Wiedmaier

foremanwolf.com

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Best place for a craft beer?

Ravin’ About Baltimore!

nce one of the most important port towns in America, Charm City—or “Bawlmer,” as the locals call it—has evolved into one of Maryland’s most popular and vibrant destinations. Nestled in the juncture of Chesapeake Bay, it boasts the world-class Inner Harbor, where the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, and major sports stadiums are centered. Tina Lavelle, director of front of house operations for the RW Restaurant Group, is a native of Baltimore and happily points out the highlights of the city, where a new Mussel Bar & Grille has found a home. For starters, she says no visit to Baltimore is complete without drinking a Natty Boh (National Bohemian Beer, an American beer originally brewed in Baltimore), eating steamed crabs and a Pit Beef sandwich (Baltimore’s signature sandwich), and savoring a Berger Cookie, which dates back to 1835!

Look no further than the Mussel Bar & Grille, because they offer an incredible selection! musselbar.com

“I have been approached before about opening a restaurant in Baltimore, but now was the right time,” says Chef Wiedmaier. “Baltimore is just humming with activity. The Mussel Bar & Grille is a perfect fit with its gastropub look and feel.” Brunch spot: Blue Hill Tavern “Go up to the outside bar area, and be sure to try the Chicken Chilli Quilles Skillet.”

Pit Beicefh Sandw 16

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bluehilltavern.com

Spring training starts in March, and games start in April. baltimore.orioles.mlb.com

“I am a Redskins fan when I am in DC and a Ravens fan when I am in Baltimore!”

Craving a great cocktail? Bookmakers Club in the heart of Federal Hill is the spot! bookmakersbaltimore.com

Sweet Spot Vaccaro’s for dessert in Little Italy. A great way to end your night in Baltimore! vaccarospastry.com

—Chef Wiedmaier baltimoreravens.com

Cooking with local Ingredients

Bet on This

“I have always been a fan of Spike Gjerde and his Woodberry Kitchen.” —Chef Wiedmaier woodberrykitchen.com

Go to the Preakness, held every year on the third Sunday in May at the Pimlico Race Course. preakness.com

Sidestep the tourist activities and head to Hampden in Northern Baltimore. Shop, eat, drink; they have some talented chefs hidden in that neighborhood. hampdenmerchants.com

Cultural Gem Check out the American Visionary Art Museum. avam.org 2015

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Publisher Michael Goldman purveyor spotlight

Eating the Invader: Wild Blue Catfish By Tim Sughrue, Congressional Seafood Co.

Editor-in-Chief Pamela Jouan Design Director Seton Rossini Managing Editor Christian Kappner Assistant Editor Stephane Henrion Senior Copy Editor kelly suzan waggoner Contributing Writer Pamela Jouan Photography Scott Suchman Polly Wiedmaier

The wild blue catfish is one of the greatest environmental threats the Chesapeake Bay has ever faced. These fish are top-of-the-food-chain predators that live for more than 20 years and grow to over 100 pounds! They were introduced to the James River in the 1970s as an alternative recreational fishery, and today blue cats have completely taken over and represent almost 75 percent of the volume of fish in the James. Their infestation has spread geographically to the neighboring rivers. The York, the Rappahannock, and the Potomac all have incredible populations of blue cats now. These fish are incredibly destructive. They eat anything and everything in their way. Not only do they outcompete the native species for their food by eating massive quantities of menhaden, blue crabs, worms, eels, and freshwater mussels, but they also prey heavily on the native fish species and their young.

Currently the total harvest of blue cats is only 3 million pounds. There is an estimated 100 million fish (500 million pounds) in the bay now, and that population is growing exponentially. We need to harvest in excess of 40 million pounds annually for the foreseeable future to try and stop the infestation of this species in our bay's tributaries. In all likelihood, we will never eradicate the blue cat. The best we can hope for is keeping their population at a level where they don't completely adversely affect the native species. We encourage you to eat ’em to beat ’em!

Chefs de Cuisine Paul Stearman, Marcel’s Harper McClure, Brabo Dean Dupuis, Brasserie Beck, DC Matt Newland, Brasserie Beck, Gaithersburg Gene Sohn, Mussel Bar & Grille, Bethesda Charles Vogt , Mussel Bar & Grille, Arlington Antonio Garcia, Mussel Bar & Grille, Baltimore Clifford Wharton, Executive Chef, Urban Heights Tom Meyer, Villain & Saint Judy Beltrano, Wildwood Kitchen Executive Team Robert Wiedmaier, Executive Chef/Proprietor Brian McBride, Corporate Chef/Partner Frank Shull, COO/Partner Joe Lively, CFO/Partner Polly Wiedmaier, CMO 2015

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Marcel’s 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC marcelsdc.com

BRABO 1600 King Street Alexandria, VA braborestaurant.com

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Brasserie Beck 1101 K Street NW Washington, DC

Mussel Bar & Grille 7262 Woodmont Avenue Bethesda, MD

311 Kentlands Boulevard Gaithersburg, MD brasseriebeck.com

800 North Glebe Road Arlington, VA

Wildwood Kitchen Urban Heights Villain & Saint 7940 Norfolk Avenue 7141 Wisconsin Avenue 10223 Old Georgetown Road North Bethesda, MD Bethesda, MD Bethesda, MD urbanheightsbethesda.com villainandsaint.com : F R E N C H F O R F I N E B Uwildwoodkitchenrw.com BBLES

1350 Lancaster Street Baltimore, MD musselbar.com

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[ba-dwah]: FRENCH FOR FINE BUBBLES