Category Archives: Navy Yard

Snallygaster Beer Jamboree

Posted on by Hungry in DC

Location: Navy Yard

Summary: One of the best, if not THE best, beer events that we have been to in DC

Named for a monstrous, fabled dragon-like beast that was told to have terrorized the area eras past, Snallygaster’s unprecedented festival of beer was brought to you by DC’s legendary Birch & Barley, ChurchKey, Rustico and the much anticipated Bluejacket brewery. Over 150 beers set up for tastings on the great venue of Southeast DC’s Yard’s Park, the list of brews was mind-boggling and demanded the attention of any Washingtonian that called himself/herself a lover of beer. It’s safe to say that the Snallygaster Beer Jamboree was one of the best, if not the best, beer events that we have been to in DC. Not this year; EVER.

It is easy to think that with over 150 beers being featured, the managers of this event could have cut some corners and still done a decent job of showcasing the many beers on their list. Instead, the people behind Snallygaster went above and beyond, matching each beer brand and variety being offer with its respective tap handle. Our photo gallery below is testament enough to the thought and care that went into this fantastic beer jamboree.

With as many exotic and foreign brews that were offered, the brews that edged out as our favorites were not what we expected when we walked into Yards Park. With many names we couldn’t pronounce and from European towns we could only imagine, plenty members of the staff and volunteer that manned the taps claimed that they keg they offered was the only one available in the U.S. or that even a tasting size of the beer was worth the hefty price of 7 tickets (7 dollars). Our favorite beer that demanded such treatment was Meine Hopfen-Weisse: Zymatore (yeah, we know), a beer aged in pinot noir barrels and had the full force of German’s sour and hoppy variety of beers. We have made a mental note to visit Germany as soon as possible.

Yet, our other two favorites that we tasted at the festival came from the good ol’ US of A. DC Brau’s (DC) collaboration with Epic Brewing Company (UT) gave us Fermentation without Representation, an imperial spiced porter that could simply be described as the chocolate of beers. The rich, bold flavor brought us back for a second full pour as we made our way around the many beers tents set up. We are determined to find this again in DC. Our third favorite was High & Mighty Brewing Company’s (MA) Beer of the Gods, a delicious kölsch full of citrus hops and a crisp finish.

However, Snallygaster was not only about the beer. Much of the proceeds, from the $5 entry fee to a share of the beer profits, went to Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a more equitable and sustainable local food system in the Washington, DC area. Most notable is their Mobile Market that distributes fresh, affordable food to under-served DC-area neighborhoods. The event also featured plenty of food, including the future-brewery of Bluejacket serving up a whole rotisserie roasted turkey leg and a Heavenly Meatball Hero from Rustico. Live music also played on the river’s new boardwalk and set a perfect scene for the event, even pushing us to wonder if a manufactured Loch Ness-like float would drift down the Anacostia River before the sun set.

Unfortunately, beyond a guy dressed up in a cloth-Godzilla suit, the beast of legend did not greet us at Yard’s Park. What we did experience was simply one of the best events we’ve attended this year in DC. Check out our photo gallery below for a look at the many beers that we tasted and the exquisite array of taps on display.

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For an idea of what you may have missed out on, you can download a map of the Snallygaster Beer Jamboree and a detailed list of all of the beers that were offered by clicking here.

Taste of Belgium Festival

Posted on by Hungry in DC

When we first think of Belgium, beer and mussels are the first things to come to mind. In days of our youth, we toured the country from Brussels to Brugge, tasting the local cuisines and indulging in more than a few exquisite pints. Years later, DC’s Belgian Restaurant Week has brought us back with their Taste of Belgium festival. While the only beers being offered are the most known three in the United States, the mussels and frites prepared by local Belgan restaurants reminded us of days gone by and just how spectacular the culinary offerings of DC are.

Despite the rain, hundreds of people flocked to Navy Yard’s Yards Park, the first annual Taste of Belgium festival. The beers on display were Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, and Leffe, possibly the most well known Belgian beers in the US of A. While you would be hard pressed to find any bar in DC worth its salt that didn’t have at least two of these beers in stock, our festival guide gave us some additional insight as to the best pairing for each beer. Stella was best with seafood and spicier dishes, Hoegaarden shining most clear when brought to the table with a pot of mussels, and Leffe an excellent match for barbecue or dark, rich gravy dishes. While each beer drinker will rightly have their own opinion on which brand they prefer, Leffe has always been the one that reach for when given the option. However, it was hard to pass up a pint of Stella Artois when we’re offered a lesson and our own attempt at their marketed pouring ceremony.

The most interesting feature of the festival was the mussels throwdown, a competition of five chefs from five local restaurants around DC known for their Belgian cuisine and prowess: Chef Martin Castillo of Belga Café, Chef Paul Stearman of Brasserie Beck, Chef Claudio Pirollo of Et Voila, Chef Teddy Folkman of Granville Moore’s, and Chef Geert Piferoen of Locolat. Each had their recipes for the competition and incorporated one of the three Beglian beers available for the public to drink at the event. Our favorite of the five was easily the work of Chef Martin Castillo of Café Belga. While his Stella’s Truffle Mussels did feature truffle oil and chopped truffles, the real ingredients that we enjoyed with the mussels were the leeks and the finely chopped chorizo, the spice and savory flavors elevating the mussels in a broth that was far from the usual faire. We’ve been to Café Belga before and always enjoyed ourselves, but after tasting those mussels we made a promise to make another trip soon. Another essential food on display to pair with our mussels were the frites, served with a drizzle of malt garlic aioli and mayonnaise mix. We struggled to keep ourselves from ordering more than one.

As the festival winded down, the winner of the mussel throwdown was announced as (surprise, surprise) Belga Café. Presenting the award (a giant Stella Artois glass?) by Belgium’s Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Jan Matthysen, as if ordaining the competition as a true expression of international relationship between Belgium and the United States. Although only the three most advertised Belgian beers were featured, Ambassador Matthysen had reason to be proud of the food on display and the efforts of each participating restaurant’s chef. The Taste of Belgium festival was more than enough reason to brave DC’s torrent weather and gave us plenty to look forward to for next year.

As an added treat, click here to download each restaurant’s featured mussels recipe and preparation instructions (minus Chef Paul Stearman of Brasserie Beck whose recipe changed at the last minute to a red curry based broth).

Justin’s Café

Posted on by Hungry in DC

Location: Navy Yard

Price: $$

Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: Not your typical sports bar in the best way possible

The Navy Yard area has come a long way in the past few years. What used to be a boardwalk of slums is now high rise apartment buildings next to the Nationals baseball stadium. Although the neighborhood still has a ways to go, there is plenty of potential for growth. Summer concerts and movie festivals are already weekly events. The only thing missing is a restaurant scene. While there may be a Five Guys and Subway around the corner, the real hallmark of a neighborhood is its restaurants. Although it is far too early to see what may come out of the Navy Yard area, Justin’s Café is a large step in a great direction.

When entering Justin’s, located in space on the first floor of the Velocity apartment building, it’s easy to see why it’s called a café. The space available resembles something of a coffee shop with a dozen small tables around a large bar. Yet, for locals and stadium visitors, Justin’s has become a must stop for a pint and some food before or during a game. It really doesn’t have any local competitors and is therefore tremendously crowded around game time. The beers on tap are quality micro-brews, over half from midwest breweries and plenty more by the bottle. The chalked menu on the wall behind the bar reads the visiting beers, daily specials and regular menu. Walking up to the register, you order your food and beer before finding your own place to sit and wait for your orders. From the atmosphere and menu, it’s clear that Justin’s is not your average sports bar. The only question is whether the food is any different than the typical watering hole.

The first dish on the menu we decided on was the Potato Soup, predictably a potato-based soup containing cubes of its name sake along with chopped bacon and chives. Justin’s version is much thinner than the typical form of this usually hearty soup. This may be deliberate because of the summer season, but the body of the soup still retains the strong potato flavor. The soft potato cubes are perfectly cooked and the bacon is not too crisp as to mess with the texture of the dish. It was nice for a change not to have too heavy of a starter and still have all those familiar flavors. As potato soups go, this is one of the better examples we’ve had.

Our two entrees arrived soon after we had finished our soup. The first item was the Rutledge sandwich, grilled chicken breast, chopped arugula, roasted red-pepper pesto and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on toasted ciabatta. Accompanied with fries, the sandwich eats like a pesto chicken sandwich, only with more flavor than the usual deli order. Everything on the sandwich works with each other to bring out the flavor of the pesto and chicken. The small amount of balsamic vinegar on the pesto-opposite side of the ciabatta bread is a simple but great addition. The fries are better than your average bar variety, evenly cooked without being overly salted. Instead of getting a mouthful of pesto, we were presented with a finely composed product that made it clear that we were not in any simple bar.

Our final order was the Hawaiian pizza, bacon, pineapple, mozzarella, and tomato sauce baked on a thin crust. There was plenty of quality meat to go around, but luckily not so much to cross over into the meat-lover’s realm. Although more pineapple could have helped the pizza’s overall balance, all the flavors were there in full force. The thin crust was surprisingly well made, holding up to the weight of the toppings without tasting like cardboard or mouthful from a loaf of bread. It was simply a great pizza and definitely made me want to try the other topping combinations on the menu.

Usually we don’t review bars for their cuisine, but Justin’s Café is not a simple sports bar by the Nationals home field. In an area that is still developing around a baseball stadium, Justin’s could have gotten away with simply being the only dive bar around and serving the usual greasy, fried nonsense. Instead, it presents a well thought out menu with plenty of variety and flavor, along with an impressive beer selection. Almost every item, from ingredients to names, has a different character and isn’t a carbon copy from any usual eatery. It’s a shame that this restaurant has the “café” size that it does, evident by crowd of patrons that overflows onto the sidewalk outside. Justin’s Café does not have any local competition and that puts it in a unique situation to influence the growth of a Navy Yard food scene. The vision, effort and execution of the whole restaurant speaks volumes to what could happen in the area. From what we’ve tasted here, it’s safe to say that we’re eager to see where it goes.