BENJAMIN WALLACE'S NEW book, "The Billionaire's Vinegar" ($25, Crown), tells the tale of the most expensive wine ever sold: a 1787 Bordeaux supposedly once owned by Thomas Jefferson that went for $156,000 at auction. That's a high price tag for a few glasses of vino. (And the bottle, it turns out, was likely a fake.)

But contrary to what Napa travel books and some wine mags suggest, it is possible to snag a tasty Merlot or Pinot Grigio without pawning your watch to pay for it. And we don't want you to resign yourself to Two-, er Three-Buck Chuck. "Price doesn't necessarily equal the value," says Christianna Sargent, beverage director at Domasoteca wine shop (1121 N. 19th St. NW; 703-894-5104). "The sweet spot is around $15 to $17. That's when you get out of the realm of cheap, sweet, undefined wines."

With that in mind, we asked a team of grape pros to suggest bargains worth uncorking for dinner — or a party — that run $15 or less per bottle. Then we invited three local oeno-fiends to taste and compare them at Domaso, the restaurant at the Hotel Palomar in Rosslyn. Last Friday, Andrew Stover, sommelier at Oya Restaurant; Paul Carlson, owner of Vinoteca Wine Bar; and Veronica Kunkel, owner of Arlington's Grape Juice shop and Restaurant Vero sipped, swirled (and sometimes spit) in a quest for recession-ready reds and whites. See the box, facing page, for what they said — and for details about where to snag the bottles they tried.

So, what's the secret to vine values? "You need guidance, and a good wine store is the place to get it," says Mark Phillips, executive director of the D.C. and Chicago-based Wine Tasting Association, who recommended two bottles for our tasting.

And don't fear the wine merchant: He or she really is interested in which food (be it caviar or corn dogs) you want wine to go with, and most relish the challenge of find nice cheap stuff. "People might be embarrassed to say, ‘I'm looking for something under $5,' but salespeople often have good advice," says Deb Harkness, who rates inexpensive varietals at Goodwineunder20.blogspot.com. And "once someone at a store knows your taste, it's like having a personal shopper," says Phillips.

Continue Reading "Finding Good Wines at Decent Prices: A Grape Deal" »

WHERE BETTER TO CELEBRATE a Mexican holiday than at the hub of beautiful international people and parties? We're talking about Cafe Citron, of course, and its annual "mockery of Cinco de Mayo stereotypes" fiesta. Wear Mexican flag colors, a fake mustache or an oversized sombrero and tequila shots are likely to come your way.

Even if you're not feeling spirited — or in the mood to reinforce stereotypes — you can show up for sweet drink specials and bumpin' dance beats.

» Café Citron, 1343 Connecticut Ave. NW; 4 p.m.-10 p.m., free; 202-530-8844. (Dupont Circle)

HALF THE FUN of Gold Cup is the picnic spread. Area specialty shops offer plenty of goodies for grazing to go. One option is Del Ray's Cheesetique, which sells personalized cheese selections from $45 to $175. Another is the Kielbasa Factory's sausages, brats and breads.

And for your sweet tooth, Buzz Bakery will assemble an assortment brownies, doughnut holes, chocolates and cupcakes.

» Virginia Gold Cup, Great Meadows, 5089 Old Tavern Road, the Plains, Va.; Sat., 10 a.m., $75; 540-347-2616.
» Cheesetique, 2411 Mt. Vernon Ave.; 703-706-5300.
» Kielbasa Factory, 1073 Rockville Pike, Rockville; 240-453-9090.
» Buzz Bakery, 901 Slaters Lane, Alexandria; 703-600-2899.

Written by Express contributor Melissa McCart

MAY 5 MARKS CINCO DE MAYO, a celebration of Mexican culture and an ideal day for a cocktail. Stop by Oyamel for drink specials and $1 antojitos. At Mie N Yu, revelers can register for a tequila drink-making class, featuring five types of tequila cocktails with Mexican-inspired goodies for snacks.

» Oyamel, 401 7th St. NW; 202-628-1005.
» Mie N Yu, 3125 M St. NW; 202-333-6123.

Written by Express contributor Melissa McCart

INTRODUCE KIDS AGES 7 to 13 to farm-fresh foods at "Children's Day of Taste: From the Garden to the Table" on Saturday. Learn about sustainability at Clyde's of Gallery Place with Ris Lacoste, then head to Cowgirl Creamery for a cheddar tasting. Next up is the Poste Brasserie's organic garden, then back to Clyde's for lunch. The afternoon is $138 for Smithsonian Resident Associates members, $184 for non-members.

» Sat., 9:30 a.m; 202-633-3030

Written by Expess contributor Melissa McCart
Photo by Chris Combs/Express

BACK WHEN Cafe Atlantico was the hottest spot in Penn Quarter, Christy Przystawik (then Velie) served as sous and executive chef under José Andrés. At the restaurant's peak, Przystawik dropped below the radar. But last year, she resurfaced, along with her husband, Tom, and her parents, with a new restaurant, Food Matters, in Alexandria.

"It was the culmination of several things," she said of her decision to walk away from Atlantico. One was a revelation prompted by Restaurant Nora's Nora Pouillon. "Nora asked us why we were making something with corn in January. I hadn't thought about it before," said Prystawik. "Eventually, I realized if I ever opened my own restaurant, I wanted to focus on local, seasonal ingredients."

Cameron Station is not just culinarily but physically removed from Penn Quarter — it's a tucked-away section of Alexandria. "We live in D.C. and consulted for other restaurants in D.C. and saw how hard it can be to open a place in town," said Przystawik.

Continue Reading "From the Heights to the Hood: Food Matters' Christy Przystawik" »

SPIKE ISN'T SURE HOW he got his nickname (he's really Evangelos Mendelsohn), but it might have to do with being a "punk little kid." That's the part the 27-year-old is playing on Bravo's "Top Chef." But even though he's not making friends, he's making tasty food — and D.C. can sample it when his first restaurant, Good Stuff Eatery, opens on Capitol Hill this June.

» EXPRESS: What's up with you and hats?
» SPIKE: I probably have about a dozen hats. I grew up wearing hats. On the beach, I always had a fedora. And it escalated from there.

» EXPRESS: Do you have a favorite?
» SPIKE: It has to be the one I got from Erik, who was on the show. It's black and white with a skull on it.

» EXPRESS: We hear you're opening a restaurant in D.C. What's the concept?
» SPIKE: It's a burger joint, with all farm- fresh ingredients, organic, supporting local farmers. It's basically a contemporary farm house. Our competition is probably Five Guys, which is greasy.

Continue Reading "Q&A: 'Top Chef's' Spike Talks Burger Joints and Hats" »

MOST HAPPY HOURS are already zoos, you say? The Smithsonian National Zoo's Great Ape House presents "Grapes With the Apes" on Thursday at 6 p.m. Join FONZ Young Professionals in tasting and learning about local wines from Virginia and Maryland wineries.

Area restaurants will provide the hors d'oeuvres and jazz/blues band Ready, Set, Go! will provide the live entertainment. All this -- plus a commemorative glass -- for $55. (FONZ members have to pay only $40.) Proceeds will benefit the zoo's conservation efforts.

» Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW; 800-551-7328. (Woodley Park-Zoo)

YOU DON’T HAVE TO WATCH THE NEWS to know that the state of the U.S. economy is less than cheery -- all you have to do is open a menu.

Those same price hikes consumers have been seeing at grocery stores and gas pumps are hitting restaurateurs square in the pocketbook, too.

"We're getting doubly hit," said Stefano Frigerio, executive chef at Mio. "With the price of oil so high, we're getting delivery surcharges on top of price hikes."

Chef Ann Cashion says she's seen a 10 to 15 percent increase in food costs associated with Johnny's Half Shell, while Peter Smith, owner and chef of PS7's, cites a 25 to 30 percent hike in his outlays in the last six months.

Continue Reading "When Tastes Get Expensive: Dining and Dollars" »

WHEN THE NATS take on the Braves on March 30, it won't be the only tense face-off in the stadium. Ben's Chili Bowl will go head to head (or is it chili dog to chili dog?) with Hard Times Cafe, as both local enterprises compete to bust your gut on game day. "I, personally, think Hard Times Cafe runs circles around Ben's Chili Bowl, with all due respect," says Hard Times director of marketing Doug Welsh. Oh, yeah? "Bring it on," says Ben's co-owner Nizam Ali. "I'm all for it." Ah, nothing like a friendly competition to get the stomach churning. But Ben's and Hard Times won't be the only local vendors competing for your dollars on game day. Fish tacos and smoothies now supplement the traditional ballpark fare. Here's a look at what the local vendors will provide.

1. Ben's Chili Bowl (U Street)
Chili turkey dogs, chili cheese fries, chili cheeseburgers, half-smokes and, of course, chili (regular and veggie) will be offered at the Ben's stand on the third base side. "A lot of people have asked us to go to different places," says Ali. "This is not a small move for us. … How do you duplicate history?" The atmosphere may be a little different than at the 50-year-old D.C. staple, but the chili cheese half-smokes will be the same. And those (but not the other chili products) will be available at 12 carts throughout the stadium.

2. Boardwalk Fries (Ocean City, Md.)
All the staples — chicken tenders, fries, beer, soda and peanuts — will be available at the stand in left-center field. "Ours are fresh-cut fries," says co-owner Fran DiFerdinando. "We're cutting potatoes right there. It's not a frozen product."

3. Cantina Marina (Southwest D.C.)
Cantina Marina will switch it up: Fish and shrimp tacos, and muffaletta in summer; gumbo during the chilly months. "The signature item is going to be a blackened crab-cake sandwich," says managing partner Richard Hemmer. "We're also doing a Cajun corn dog — which is a corn dog with a little of our spice on it." The restaurant is a short walk from the stadium. The food, though, will be in the club level of right-center field.

Continue Reading "Buy Me Fish Tacos and Chili Mac: Nats Park Eats" »