Dining: Masseria

August 6, 2015 Russell W. Warnick

I usually avoid soft-openings, I prefer to give a new spot a few weeks to find themselves, let alone share stories about those experiences, but as a fan of the chef, Nicholas Stefanelli I couldn't resist hitting up Masseria to show my support and indulge. It's been over six months since we've seen Stefanelli in the kitchen so it was long overdue to enjoy his cooking, plus the menu was half off for the first two weeks.

There's no denying that Masseria is a beautiful restaurant, its neighbors in the Union Market area are warehouses, wholesale vendors and a Motel 6, industrial chic I think Stefanelli calls it. The outdoor area is a compliment of concrete, rusted steel, wood and custom Greek flooring. There are three dining areas in the fashionable courtyard, a lounge with sofas and coffee tables (cigars permitted), the outside dining room with standard seating and bar seats, the latter two covered by a retractable roof.

Inside the main dining room there is a chef's table and seating at the open kitchen counter as well as the inside bar. A glass wall functioning as a wine cellar stretches one of the walls which pretty much serves as the backdrop to the restaurant, in addition to the "backsplash" of the open kitchen which is a stunning opal green subway style tile.

Dining: Texas de Brazil

July 27, 2015 Russell W. Warnick

Go for the meat. Go for the signature caipirihinia. Go for the after-dinner aperitif. With all of your strength and might, avoid the salad bar, but maybe leave room for dessert. Not because the salad bar isn't good, it is - with it's buttery mushrooms, aged cheeses, chilled shrimp, and bisque - it's a salad bar to rival any you've visited but not one to fill up at. You're here for the meat so leave room for the meat. Texas de Brazil is one of the latest steakhouses to land in DC. If you've ever visited the other all you can eat steakhouse on Pennsylvania Ave you'll be familiar with the experience. Each diner has their own drinks coaster, one side green and one side red. If you're hungry you turn it to its green side, do not pass go and do not collect $200. You won't have time, you'll be swarmed over by carvers, or Guacho's as they like to be called, each eager to carve up slices of freshly grilled Brazilian sausage, lamb, beef, pork or chicken inspired from Brazilian steakhouses. Read: perfectly charred with a heavy hand with the salt.

Events: Taste of Studio

July 23, 2015 Russell W. Warnick

As if you needed another reason to head to 14th Street for food and booze, now you have one. An anchor of 14th and P, Studio Theatre was a destination of the neighborhood before millennials were a twinkle in their parents eye, and it's hosting a mid-summer party to coincide with the annual Midcity Dog Days on August 1. From noon until midnight Studio Theatre's Summer Benefit Event will expand on its popular annual garage sale were you can buy costumes and props, by opening up the studios across all floors for a unique "beer garden" experience, with mixologists and bartenders from 14th Street and across the city on hand to assist in the imbibing, such as B Too, Birch & Barley and Blue Jacket Brewery, Daikaya and Posto to name a few.

And naturally, it's a theatre so there will be plenty of live entertainment throughout the day to pair with the beverage you have in hand.

Cooking: Pig Roast

July 13, 2015 Russell W. Warnick

This past weekend my friend Tyler and I hosted a pig roast, this is an annual tradition and the fourth time we've roasted one. Many guests ask us how we do it, so here's how and things we've learned along the way.

Order the pig well in advance, most butchers will need 2-3 weeks to get one in. In years past we have ordered from a farm out in MD which we've driven out to and collected - it's nice to see where the pig came from - we like to know that the pig was a free roaming happy pig. This year we were pressed for time so we ordered from Harvey's in Union Market, but they were still able to tell us a little bit about the pig and the farm they got it from (Eastern Shore.) The last pig we roasted was close to 120lbs, this was too big and took too long. It also wasn't great either, too fatty, which is due to its larger size and age. Younger pigs have less fat so it melts off easier and quicker. Also, the larger the pig the more strain on the spit-motor. Most spit rentals have a weight limit, you don't want it breaking down on you - it happened to us with the 120lb pig. This year we ultimately ended up with a 71lb pig, smaller than we had wanted so we supplemented with a 12lb pig butt.
Recruit your friends, you can't do this alone. Nor would you want to. You'll need people to help you babysit the pig while it's on the spit, depending on the size it'll need up to 12hrs to cook. You'll have lots to do, whether it be sleep, running errands or picking up ice. Your friends can make sure there's enough coal on the roaster and the spit keeps turning. In return, you're feeding them pig, it's a win win.
Speaking of timing: we started at 6am, and took it off the spit around 4pm. Give yourself plenty of time to get the coals going and skewering the pig on the spit, it's not as easy as you'd think. You'll need a good hammer and the stomach to get your hands inside the pig to feed the spit through the carcass so it comes out the other end the way you want it. You'll also need strong wire to secure the pig, it will shrink during the roasting process, losing fat and water so you'll need to tighten the wire as it cooks.
Make sure you have enough coal, you'll want about 8-10lbs per 10lbs of pig. Start off with at least a full bag, get them hot and pushed to the side. Cook the pig on indirect heat until the last 30-60 minutes. Oh, and be sure to have water on hand - safety first!
Season the pig with lots of salt and pepper, and then more salt. You'll also want to spray it down with a vinegar mister throughout the roasting, we used:
- 1 Gallon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1qt Worcestershire Sauce
- 10oz Lemon Juice
For the final 30-60 minutes you'll want the coals to be directly under the pig and very hot, this is when the skin will get crispy. Once you've done this you'll remove the pig and let it rest for about a half hour before you start to carve it up.
You have two options to serve, you can do a traditional pig picking in which you carve it up and let people come and fill their plates or you can carve and chop it up yourself and serve in roasters. We opted for the latter.
The pig is hot. Make sure you have good heat-proof gloves. My finger tips can't stress this enough.
Finally, have a name for your pig. It's tradition. In years past we've named her #Petunia, #AmandaSwines and #LindsayLoham. This year in honor of the Supreme Court's marriage ruling we went with #RuthBaconGinsburg.

I hope this helps, if you have any questions on roasting a pig leave them in the comments.

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