Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.life From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Night of the living Dems Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 15:13:22 EST Message-ID: \SE E;LIFE \HD Night of the living Dems \SH Cooking up ways to help Southerners feel at home \BY Celeste McCall \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Move over calamari tempura, tuna tartar and sea urchin mousse. Likewise Peking Gourmet, I Ricchi and the Rio Grande Cafe. Now that a pair of Southerners have captured the White House, down-home establishments - especially places offering live jazz - are likely to find favor with the new administration. And Frank Perdue and local Dominique D'Ermo (who raises musical chickens) will have reason to rejoice. President-elect Bill Clinton's favorite food is chicken enchiladas. Don't expect a repeat of the Fritz and Grits White House of the Carter administration. Most experts say the culinary tastes of the newcomers will be more sophisticated than the Carter palates. Only a tad more sophisticated, say some cynics. In his years as governor of Arkansas and as a presidential candidate, Mr. Clinton did not exactly break gustatory ground. On the hectic campaign trail, he snacked on apples and bananas, and was caught sneaking a cheeseburger or two. Now that Mr. Clinton has a little more time for leisurely dining, folks might catch a glimpse of him at the Black-Eyed Pea, Florida Avenue Grill, Mrs. French's and maybe in a couple of places due to open next year. One possible White House hangout - Georgia Brown's - doesn't exist yet. The latest endeavor of Capitol Management Co., which has already brought us Notte Luna, the River Club, Zei nightclub and other hot spots - is set to open early next year at 15th and I streets NW (formerly the McPherson Grill). According to Paul Cohn, senior vice president and director of development for Capitol Management, the restaurant will specialize in the cooking of South Carolina's Low Country. But that's not to say that an Arkansas catfish or chicken won't show up occasionally. Catfish and chicken are sure to sizzle on the grill at Music City Road House when it opens next year in Georgetown's Foundry building on the C&O Canal. The menu will feature chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, roasted venison loin, fried catfish, fried green tomatoes, and Southern desserts such as Derby pie and Georgia peach cobbler. Music City will have live Nashville sounds, and the president-elect will be invited to drop by any time with his sax, thank you. "We're hoping Music City will be a hot spot," says co-owner Michael Sternberg, who runs Sam & Harry's, a popular steak and seafood place near Dupont Circle, and the recently added Evening Star Jazz Bar. "Music City will appeal to everybody and the prices will be moderate," he says. Another place to watch has been around a quarter-century: Blue's Alley in Georgetown. "We feel there'll be a general pickup in business," says Blues Alley manager Ralph Camilli. "Besides the increase in consumer confidence, whenever you get a new crowd coming to town, people want to be introduced to jazz. Of course I'd like Mr. Clinton to come in here and play his saxophone. Mr. Bush came in here in 1987, when he was vice president, to see vocalist Shelly Burch [daughter of the late Dean Burch, chairman of the Republican National Committee in the 1960s]. Mr. D'Ermo, who has cooked for the rich, famous and powerful, wasn't impressed with the prospect of a Clinton White House. "I don't think he's a gourmet," says Mr. D'Ermo, reached by phone in Montana, where he was hunting elk. "Being in the middle of the chicken capital of the world, Clinton ate a lot of chicken. We can make him a chicken dish at Ecco, even though we're miles from the White House." Mr. D'Ermo is co-owner of Ecco Cafe in Alexandria and is former owner of Dominique's, a French restaurant several blocks from the White House. "Clinton likes to jog, and if he runs by Dominique's, the chef there can fix him chicken soup made from my musical chickens," says Mr. D'Ermo. His chicken farm in Chestertown, Md., turns out 250,000 birds every seven weeks. They are marketed under the brand name Country Pride. He claims that raising chickens to classical music makes them relaxed and more tender. Dominique's restaurant is no stranger to politicos. Vice President Walter Mondale used to dine there about once a week. "Somebody [from the Clinton White House] is going to give somebody's restaurant a big boost, the way George Bush did with the Peking Gourmet and Rio Grande," says Joel Wood, partner in the popular barbecue chain Red Hot & Blue. "Clinton is going to show up somewhere playing his sax and that's going to get people in there. So a restaurant with live music will be a possibility." According to Mr. Wood, who was born in Tupelo, Miss., 33 years ago in the same hospital where Elvis Presley was born, Washington restaurants have a way to go concerning Southern cooking. "There's a huge void for Southern food in this town," says Mr. Wood. "For a city with Ethiopian, Afghan and Thai restaurants, you'd think we'd have a real Southern restaurant. True, we've got down-home places like the Black Eyed Pea, Po' Folks, and Country Kitchen. Those places have appeal, but we need something more upscale. Somebody's going to fill that. For example, no one has mastered the art of catfish, although lots of places serve it. The best catfish I've found around here is at a Vietnamese restaurant in Arlington called Pho Cali: The Quality Seafood Restaurant." A professed die-hard Republican who voted for George Bush, Mr. Wood says: "I do have friends in the Clinton-Gore camp. Al Gore used our restaurant for several fund-raising events. When Washingtonian magazine was doing its 'Best and Worst,' it asked Gore's Senate staff to rate the best barbecue, and Red Hot & Blue won easily. Afterwards, we threw a party at RH&B for the Gore staff, and the senator was there. I personally think highly of him. His taste in barbecue is superb - his favorite place happens to be my own favorite - Jack's Creek in Jack's Creek, Tenn., 90 miles east of Memphis and about 150 miles west of Carthage, Gore's home town. "Maybe Bill will stroll into the Wendy's on South Capitol Street for lunch some day for a bowl of chili and a chocolate shake." ****BOX HOPING TO CATER TO THE CLINTONS Here are the places to watch: * Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW; 202/337-4141. * Florida Avenue Grill, 1100 Florida Ave. NW; 202/265-1586) * Mrs. French's Fine Southern Cuisine, 1365 H St. NE (202/396-0991) * Sam & Harry's, 1200 19th St., (202/296-4333) * Maison Blanche, 1725 F St. NW (202/842-0070) * Old Glory, 3139 M St. NW, (202/337-3406) * Red Hot & Blue, 677 Main St., Laurel, (301/953-1943) * Red Hot & Blue, 1600 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Rosslyn) (703/276-7430) * Red Hot & Blue, 3014 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (703/243-1510) * The Black-Eyed Pea, about 10 locations in the Virginia and Maryland suburbs. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM