Podcasts

Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti and writers for the website talk with the women and men making news in New York, Washington, D.C., and other cities around the world. Thanks to Ian Herman for his wonderful piano introduction.

Jai Williams

Indique: Cleveland Park’s Indian Treasure

06/01/2016

On any given day in Washington, D.C. there are hundreds of restaurants to choose from, but Indique in Cleveland Park requires your attention. Chef K. N. Vinod isn’t new to the culinary scene. His passion for Indian cuisine spans more than 20 years. Training under greats like French Chef Roger Moncourt, who is credited with introducing French cuisine to India, Chef Vinod also attended The Culinary Institute of America. Both of these experiences led him to develop his own style, evident in Indique’s grand re-opening and its entire revamped menu.

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Indique is decorated with bright, bold colors. Upon walking in, take an immediate right and head to the bar. Here, bartenders will capture your taste buds with cleverly named cocktails thanks to Carlie Steiner, a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America as well, whose company Stir Bartending Co. is changing D.C.’s craft cocktail scene one drink at a time. We sipped on a Tellisherry constructed of infused black pepper gin, aromatic fino sherry and aperol. The bar space is a wonderful way to people watch and catch up with friends along Connecticut Avenue, one of the busiest streets in D.C.

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Indique’s cuisine focuses on India’s northern and southern areas, providing a unique twist on classic dishes. Papri chaat, from the north, is a popular street food prepared with lightly fried, crisp flour wafers mixed with potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt, tomatoes, and onions.

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At the direct opposite end of the country is a dish referred to as achari chicken as well as achari paneer. Fenugreek, a plant native to countries such as India, when dried can be used to pickle various foods. Along with mustard, red chili, and vinegar, chicken is placed inside a flattened piece of baked paratha. Looking for more of a communal feel when dining with a group? Order the chicken biryani prepared with garam marsala and basmati rice.

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A few must tries are the cauliflower chili fry, sweet potato chaats, and Kerala shrimp and lobster bisque. The latter is so delicious that no matter how hot it gets during the next few months, you’ll always order a cup. Come and embrace the explosion of flavors that Indique executes in ways that will blow your mind.

Photos by Jai Williams

Indique
3512-3514 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20008

Woman Around Town Wins Award from New York Press Club

05/11/2016

Woman Around Town once again has been singled out for journalism excellence with a 2016 award from the New York Press Club. Charlene Giannetti won in the Food Writing category for her review of Elizabeth Minchilli’s book, Eating Rome. (See the story.) Charlene, Woman Around Town’s co-founder and editor, has now won seven Press Club Awards. The site has won a total of 20 awards, consistency winning annually since its founding in 2009.

“Now in our eighth year, Woman Around Town continues to celebrate and promote excellent writing on the Internet,” said Publisher Debra Toppeta. “Charlene is to be commended, not only for her writing, but for continuing to work with all our writers to make sure our stories continue to meet the standards we established when launching Woman Around Town.”

Charlene, a graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Communications, began her career working for a newspaper in Pennsylvania and then wrote for several publications in Washington, D.C., covering environment and energy policy. She was an editor for Business Week magazine in New York and her articles have appeared in a wide variety of publications. She is the author of 12 non-fiction books, eight for parents of young adolescents written with Margaret Sagarese, including The Roller-Coaster Years, Cliques, and Boy Crazy! In February, 2017, Globe Pequot Press will publish The Plantations of Virginia, a collaboration between Charlene and Jai Williams, a Woman Around Town contributing writer and photographer, who also took the photos for the book which focuses on more than 40 plantations in the state.

The awards will be presented on Monday, June 6, at the Water Club.

Taberna del Alabardero’s Monthly Spanish Wine Dinners

02/23/2016

Tasked with the self-appointed mission of introducing American culture to Spanish cuisine, Chef Javier Romero’s monthly wine dinners at Taberna del Alabardero kicked off with a bang. Romero, the 2011 nominated Rising Culinary Star by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, brought out an array of dishes. Octopus that had been marinated and grilled was tender and served with a yucca brochette, the crisp and salty exterior giving way to a fluffy center that had the consistency of mashed potatoes. A mille-feuille was similar to the classic French pastry, but savory rather than sweet.  Miniature crab cakes were layered with thinly sliced pieces of scallop, both surrounded by a pisco sour sauce.

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While guests enjoyed the expert pairing of food and wine, they listened to Sommelier Jorge Olias. Hiruzta 2014, the only white wine featured, has a low alcohol content and was a lovely beginning to the evening. Produced by the Hiruzta Bodega Winery in the Basque region, the wine’s txakoli grape produces a highly acidic, slightly carbonated wine with citrus notes. Diners felt transported to the balmy days of summer, forgetting for a while the blistering cold enveloping D.C.

Howard Friedman, owner of South River Imports, walked guests through each wine while sharing tales of his travels through Spain, photograph album included. As dinner concluded, a server poured crème anglais over a pistachio macerated fruit parfait. Remotely sweet, the dessert didn’t overpower the sweeter Amatus 2011, also incorporated in the dish.

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Located on Eye Street, Taberna del Alabardero recently celebrated its 25th anniversary as a staple of Spanish cuisine in Washington, D.C. The wine dinners are held on the last Thursday of each month. The menu for the February 25th event appears to feature mostly seafood. For those seeking a fine dining experience while learning more about Spanish cuisine, the wine dinners are a great way to begin that exploration. Chef Javier Romero, of course, hopes to convert many to regular customers. He is, as we said, on a mission.

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Taberna del Alaberdero
1776 Eye Street NW (entrance on 18th Street, between H and Eye)
202-429-2200

Photos by Jai Williams

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