Say Happy Birthday to Open Kitchen, and help raise funds for Slow Food DC! Open Kitchen is a 2012 and 2013 Snail of Approval Winner, and is known for its contemporary American cuisine and passion for making, eating, and sharing good food with the community. Open Kitchen celebrates their four-year anniversary by giving back to its community that has made it so popular
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Author Archives: Richard Naples
Snail of Approval Party Update
With under a week to go until the Snail of Approval Awards Party, we have an exciting line up of chefs, farmers, and artisans to add to the growing roster. This unique event is an opportunity to mix and mingle with the individuals dedicated to shaping our food community. There will also be a silent auction with fabulous gifts from local shops, artisans and restaurants, some of which include items from Le Creuset, FRESHFARM Markets, and the Kennedy Center. So get your tickets while you can!
Chef Brian McPherson, the executive chef at Jackson 20, was the executive sous chef at Poste Moderne Brasserie, where we held the Snail of Approval Launch Party in 2010 and the first Award Party in 2011. Chef Brian and his team have worked to create a delicious menu utilizing locally sourced products including a whole hog barbeque which is donated by 2012 Snail winner, Longview Farm which will be accompanied by coleslaw and house made biscuits. September is the perfect time of year for drinks and a pig roast!
MENU:
Appetizers
Vegetable Crudités
Charcuterie Board (house made by Jackson 20)
Assortment of Cheeses
Southern Field Pea Hummus with Fry Bread
Farm Fresh Deviled Eggs
Featured Items
Whole Hog Barbeque (Longview Farms)
Coleslaw
Biscuits
Late Summer / Early Fall Squash
Lamb, Goat, and Vegetarian Tacos
Garden Salsas
Dessert
Ice Cream Sandwiches (Moorenko’s)
Seasonal Cobbler
Beverages
Cocktails, Wine and Beer (Brooklyn Brewery)
For more information on the Snail of Approval program and to see prior winners please visit us at http://www.slowfooddc.org/
A special thanks to one of our sponsors, Brooklyn Brewery who will be in Washington DC from Sept. 17-22 as part of their National “Brooklyn Brewery Mash” tour. For information on the week long events, visit: http://brooklynbrewerymash.
“The Mash is an expression of Brooklyn art, music, food and the cultural links we see with many cities around the world,” says Brooklyn Brewery President & Co-founder Steve Hindy. “There is a revolution happening in the world of food and the world of beer, and we are happy to celebrate this revolution with our friends around the US.”
Join us to honor and celebrate the 2013 Snail of Approval winners!
Slow Food DC Announces Snail of Approval Winners
Slow Food DC Announces Snail of Approval Winners
Slow Food DC unveiled today the 2013 Snail of Approval award recipients. All winners will be recognized in the Third Annual Snail of Approval Awards Party at Jackson 20 Restaurant and Tavern in Old Town, Alexandria on Sunday, September 22. Slow Food DC celebrates 84 total number of winners this year.
Slow Food DC (SFDC) Snail of Approvals recognize eateries and artisans who contribute good, clean, fair food to our community and spread awareness of the Slow Food philosophy and those establishments who support it. The award is SFDC’s way of acknowledging providers who are transforming the quality, authenticity, and sustainability of the food we eat and the beverages we drink in the City of Washington, DC and surrounding areas.
Nominations are examined by: the degree to which the establishment’s activities are aligned with the Slow Food DC mission in promoting and celebrating local, seasonal, and sustainable food sources; how much it is working to preserve the culinary traditions of the region’s ethnically and culturally diverse populations; and how it is supporting the right of all people to enjoy good, clean, fair food. There is no limit to the number of establishments that can receive the Snail of Approval.
Tickets to the awards event at Jackson 20 Restaurant and Tavern are on sale now: $48 for Slow Food members, $55 for non-members. See http://snail3.eventbrite.com for tickets and http://www.slowfooddc.org/snail-of-approval-directory for more about the program, winners, and celebration.
2013 Additions to the Snail of Approval Winners:
2Amys Neapolitan Pizzeria | Green Hat Gin |
3 Stars Brewing Company | Green Pig Bistro |
Al Tiramisu | Hometown Harvest |
Beuchert’s Saloon | Meridian Pint |
Birch & Barley | Rappahannock Oyster Co. |
Bistro Bohem | Relay Foods |
Buck’s Fishing & Camping | Smith Meadows |
Bull Run Mountain Farm | South Mountain Creamery |
Chrysalis Vineyards | Vermilion |
Firefly | Vigilante Coffee Company |
Glen’s Garden Market |
Existing Snail of Approval Winners:
8407 kitchen bar | Mom’s Apple Pie |
The Atlas Room | Moorenko’s |
Barrel Oak Winery | Northern Valley Pastoral Guild |
BlackSalt Restaurant | Olin-Fox Farms CSA |
Bon Vivant Company | Open Kitchen |
Busboys and Poets | P&C Market |
Clyde’s Willow Creek | P. A. Bowen Farmstead |
Crossroads Farmers Market | Panorama at the Peak |
Cultured Frozen Yogurt | The Pig |
DC Brau | Policy Restaurant and Lounge |
Deauville Fallow Deer Farm | The Queen Vic |
Dino | Radix Farm |
Distillery Lane Ciderworks | Red Apron Butchery |
Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato | The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm |
ECO City Farms | Restaurant Eve |
EcoFriendly Foods | Restaurant Nora |
Equinox | Ricciuti’s |
Evening Star Café | Ripple |
FireFly Farms | RIS |
Fisher Farm | Rocklands Farm |
FRESHFARM Markets | Sandy Spring CSA |
Graffiatto | Seasonal Pantry |
härth | Smucker Farms of Lancaster County |
Hunter’s Head Tavern | Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar |
Jackson 20 Restaurant and Tavern | Soupergirl |
Kegotank Oysters | Stachowski Market & Deli |
Longview Farms | Sweetgreen |
Lot 12 Public House | Tallula |
The Majestic | Three Little Pigs Charcuterie & Salumi |
Maple Ave Restaurant | Washington’s Green Grocer |
Maple Restaurant | The Wine Kitchen |
Market Table Bistro |
About Slow Food DC
The Slow Food DC (SFDC) chapter is a community that promotes and celebrates local, seasonal, and sustainable food sources; works to preserve the culinary traditions of the region’s ethnically and culturally diverse populations; and supports the right of all people to enjoy good, clean, fair food.
SFDC represents the national capitol area, including Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland. Members come from a wide variety of professions and backgrounds. SFDC organizes dinners, tastings, tours, lectures, and community outreach events providing SFDC members an opportunity to explore the richness of our region’s culinary heritage in addition to the diverse array of food and drink from around the world represented in our foodshed. Slow Food DC’s goal is to connect eaters with the biodiverse and sustainable food producers, as well as increase public awareness of slow eating.
Are you going to the Mash?
The District of Columbia has no shortage of love for craft beer. We recently finished celebrating DC Beer Week, while earlier this year we played host to the Craft Brewers Conference. Even the Washington Post proclaims that DC is on the cusp of beer greatness. We are certainly excited two DC brewers are receiving Snail of Approvals in 2013: DC Brau and 3 Stars Brewery.
As a city, we appreciate good beer. So when Slow Food DC heard that Brooklyn Brewery partnered with Slow Food USA to help support our shared mission of good, clean, fair food, we leapt at the chance to participate! Collaborating with friends old and new, the Brewery has bundled up some of its favorite events into The Brooklyn Brewery Mash as a benefit for Slow Food USA. Including Washington, DC from September 17 – 22, The Mash will drop in 11 cities during 2013 and roll out a roster of parties, comedy, concerts, pop-up supperclubs and readings, all featuring humanity’s favorite beverage. Continue reading
Italian Craft Beer and Cheese Tasting

photo used under CC, flickr user jenny downing
Join us as we head to Maple Restaurant and Bar for an educational yet delectable craft beer and cheese tasting Saturday, August 17. The event, part of DC Beer Week, will feature craft beer produced in Italy, the birthplace of the Slow Food movement.
Snail of Approval Award Party 2013!
We are pleased to announce that tickets are now on sale for our third annual Snail of Approval Award Party! Graciously hosted by 2012 Snail winner Jackson 20 in Old Town Alexandria, this year’s event promises to be even better than last year! Come and mingle with all the winners to celebrate our bountiful region on Sunday, September 22, 2013 at 2pm.
Coffee Cupping with Vigilante Coffee
Since our last cupping with Vigilante Coffee was so popular, we thought we’d do it again!
Happy Hour with Glen’s Garden Market
Slow Food DC and Glen’s Garden Market have partnered to kick off the summer season in style, while celebrating the abundance of the Chesapeake Bay Region! Meet some of Glen’s premier food artisans, taste their creations and enjoy $4 local craft beers on draft! Danielle Vogel, the founder of Glen’s Garden Market, will share a few words about the market and the local food movement. The event will take place at Glen’s Garden Market (2001 S Street, NW), and it’s free. We hope to see you there!
Event: Red Wiggler Farm Day & BBQ
- Making the Solar House at Red Wiggler
Help kick-off the unofficial start of summer the Slow Food way, with farm volunteering and a barbecue at Red Wiggler Community Farm! Continue reading
Volunteer Event: The Neighborhood Farm Initiative!
Come volunteer at the Neighborhood Farm Initiative and help maintain their organic, urban garden right here in DC! We will be planting, weeding, and working compost piles in the (hopefully) warm morning hours, followed by our usual deliciousness in the form of a potluck picnic. Remember that this is dirty work, so dress the part! NFI will provide tools and gloves, but food and water are up to you, so remember to bring plenty of water and a snack! Your own reusable picnic ephemera is also appreciated.
Event: Volunteer Day at the Neighborhood Farm Initiative
Date: Saturday, April 13, 2013
Time: 9:00am to 1:00pm
Location: To get to the garden from the Fort Totten metro station, turn left (north) and walk up the sidewalk past where the buses stop. Across from the parking lot and after some trees, you’ll see a paved path going up over a slight hill on your left (going north), take that path across a field and you’ll see us at the top of the hill! (If you Google 100 Gallatin Street NE-map , you’ll see the field from the satellite view and the path that connects Gallatin street to the metro stop.)
Cost: This event is free, but we ask that you RSVP in advance since space is limited! email sarah@slowfooddc.org