Around Town: RAMMY Awards @ Washington Convention Center — 6/10/18

Posted on 06/18/2018 by Mickey McCarter in Around Town, Food Talk and tagged Ambar, Amy Brandwein, Andrea Tateosian, Ari Gejdenson, Bourbon Steak, Buttercream Bakeshop, Centrolina, CHIKO, Chris Morgan, Clarity, Commissary, Compass Rose, Craft Beer, Daniel Coleman, Espita Mezcaleria, gala, Gerald Addison, Greg Engert, Heidi Minora, Initiative 77, Ivy City Smokehouse, Jose Andres, Masseria, Maydan, Mindful Restaurants, minibar, Moby Dick House of Kabob, Muriel Bowser, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Osteria Morini, Owen's Ordinary, Patricia Fernandez de la Cruz, RAMMY Awards, RAMW, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, Right Proper Brewing Company, Scott Drewno, The Daily Dish, The Dubliner, Thor Cheston, Tiffany MacIsaac, Tony and Joe's, Tony Cibel, Urbana, USI Insurance Services, Washington Convention Center, Winn Robertson, World Central Kitchen.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who opposes DC Initiative 77, presents at the RAMMY Awards on June 10, 2018.

Some of the best and the brightest received recognition lately from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) at the annual RAMMY Awards, held as a black tie gala at the Washington Convention Center.

While the lavish awards program was the focus of the day, many awardees and the association itself spoke in opposition to DC Initiative 77, which would eliminate tipped wages at restaurants in favor of a universal wage by 2026 if enacted in a vote on Tuesday, June 19.

Around Town: Snallygaster 2017 @ The Yards — 9/23/17

Posted on 09/29/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Around Town, Stars and Bars and tagged Aaron Sparks, beer festival, Brothers Brau, funk, go-go, Hill Farmstead Brewery, Jeff Hancock, Jolly Pumpkin, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, RaR Brewing, Rare Essence, ska, Snallygaster, Snallygaster 2017, Spirit Animal, The Pietasters, The Yards.

The team from RaR Brewing presented four beers at Snallygaster 2017. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Thousands of beer enthusiasts poured into The Yards in DC for Snallygaster 2017 to enjoy more than 350 beers and a stageful of bands under a very hot sun on Saturday, Sept. 23.

Here are some pictures and observations on the Snallygaster 2017.

Don’t Miss: Snallygaster 2017 @ The Yards, 9/23/17

Posted on 09/21/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged beer festival, Craft Beer, funk, go-go, music festival, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, psychedelic, Rare Essence, ska, Snallygaster, Snallygaster 2017, Spirit Animal, The Pietasters, The Yards, Yards Park.

Snallygaster Brew Crew enjoy a beer at Snallygaster 2016.

Hey folks, don’t look now but Snallygaster 2017, the DC area’s most exciting beer festival, is this Saturday, Sept. 23, at The Yards (1300 1st St. SE, DC). Tickets are on sale now for sampling 400 craft beers from around the country as well as entertainment from three fantastic bands.

Don’t Miss: Snallygaster 2017 @ Yards Park, 9/23/17

Posted on 08/03/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged beer festival, Craft Beer, Greg Engert, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Snallygaster, Snallygaster 2017, Yards Park.

Snallygaster returns to Yards Park in DC on Saturday, Sept. 23.

Snallygaster is the most robust, diverse, and carefully curated beer festival in DC (and I daresay likely the entire eastern seaboard), and it is returning for its sixth edition at Yards Park (1300 First St. SE, DC) on Saturday, Sept. 23.

Around Town: RAMMY Awards @ Washington Convention Center — 7/30/17

Posted on 07/31/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Around Town, Food Talk and tagged Acme Paper & Supply Co. Inc., Ashok Bajaj, beer program, Bethesda, Black Restaurant Group, Brandon Skall, Bresca, Brett Schulman, Cava Grill, Cava Group Inc., Cedric Maupillier, Charlie Palmer Steak, Chi Ko, cocktails, Compass Rose, Convivial, DC Brau, Hazel, jack rose dining saloon, Jeff Hancock, Jemil Gadea, John Grace, Jose Andres, Joseph Cassis, Kapnos by Mike Isabella, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, Masseria, Megan Rognrud, Mike Isabella, minibar by Jose Andres, Morgan Fausett, Nadine Brown, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, PassionFish, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, Penn Quarter, Proof, RAMMY Awards, Rasika, Republic, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, Ripple, Rob Rubba, Rose Previte, Ryan Ratino, Scott Drewno, Shaw, Takoma Park, Tarver King, The Hamilton, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, The Source by Wolfgang Puck, Washington Convention Center, wine program.

Rose Previte, owner of Compass Rose, accepts the award for Best Casual Restaurant of the Year with her team at the 2017 RAMMY Awards on July 30, 2017.

Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington CEO Kathy Hollinger launched the 35th annual RAMMY Awards with an eloquent description of how DC has become a true dining destination in the past decade, a description that was more than ably demonstrated by 20 award recipients recognized by the association Sunday night at the Washington Convention Center.

Stars and Bars: Great American Beer Bar @ ChurchKey, 2/28/17

Posted on 02/28/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Stars and Bars and tagged beer bar, Brewers Association, Churchkey, Craft Beer, CraftBeer.com, Great American Beer Bars, Neighborhood Restaurant Group.

Bottles in the beer fridge at ChurchKey (Photo by Bill Couch)

DC beer bar ChurchKey (1337 14th St. NW, DC) took top honors as a Great American Beer Bar in a survey conducted by CraftBeer.com, announced the Brewers Association on Tuesday.

Stars and Bars: Snallygaster 2016 @ Yards Park — 9/17/16

Posted on 09/21/2016 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged 3 Stars Brewing Co., Beer, beer festival, Blue Mountain Brewing Co., Dave Coleman, Greg Engert, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, noise pop, Snallygaster, Snallygaster 2016, Speedy Ortiz, Yards Park.

Dave Coleman of 3 Stars Brewing Co. enjoys a beer in front of his tent in the Mothra section of Snallygaster 2016.

For its fifth year, Snallygaster rocked the beer drinkers of DC for its 2016 edition, held in its scenic recurring location in Yards Park.

Early in the day, my fellow blogger Jeremy headed straight for the excellent local brewery 3 Stars Brewing Co. (6400 Chillum Pl. NW, DC). There, he drank up a collaboration beer from 3 Stars and Charm City Meadworks, the Two Headed Unicorn, a barrel-aged sour blond ale, clocking in at ABV 6.5%, as he said he would.

Don’t Miss: Speedy Ortiz @ Snallygaster, 9/17/16

Posted on 08/02/2016 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged beer festival, Brooklyn, grunge, Massachusetts, music festival, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, noise pop, Snallygaster, Snallygaster 2016, Speedy Ortiz, Spirit Animal, The Yards.

Speedy Ortiz (Photo by Bob Gruen)

Well, as it is DC’s top beer festival, Snallygaster gets a lot of attention annually for the diverse beer selection it collects from across the country.

Set for Saturday, Sept. 17 this year, Snallygaster also boasts a mini-music festival within its gates. And this year, the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, the organizers of Snallygaster, have announced the music program headliner as Speedy Ortiz, the popular Massachusetts noise pop quartet.

Speedy Ortiz have three full-length albums under their belt, including last year’s Foil Deer. In June, they released an EP, Foiled Again, a four-track record that includes two outtakes from Foil Deer — “Death Note,” which was unleashed via Sirius XMU, and “Emma O,” which debuted with Zane Lowe’s World First. It also includes two remixes of Foil Deer’s “Puffer.”

Listen to “Death Note” from Speedy Ortiz, released on June 3, via Soundcloud:

Adding to the headliner so far is the ever-popular Spirit Animal, a Brooklyn rock quartet that features DC’s own Steve Cooper on vocals.

Listen to Spirit Animal’s raucous World War IV EP, published earlier this year (I’ll always swear these guys have a great vibe similar to the Red Hot Chili Peppers):

Snallygaster 2016 returns to The Yards in SE DC at Lot H/I, located on 1st St. SE and N St. SE, the same location as last year.

Tickets are available online.

Snallygaster 2016
The Yards
Saturday, Sept. 17
1-6pm
$35-60
21+

Around Town: Fourth Beer @ Snallygaster 2015, 9/12/15

Posted on 09/11/2015 by Mickey McCarter in Around Town and tagged Atlas Brew Works, Beer, beer festival, Bluejacket, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Snallygaster, Snallygaster 2015, The Yards.

Beer Director Greg Engert of Bluejacket and beer historian Mike Stein of DCBeer.com talk beer at the National Museum of American History on Jan. 23, 2015. (Photo courtesy National Museum of American History)

Now going four years strong, the Snallygaster beer festival returns to The Yards on Saturday, Sept. 12.

Snallygaster 2015 offers revelers choices among more than 300 beers, at least 50 of which are appearing at the festival for the first time. With only one final day left to go until Snallygaster 2015, Jeremy and I spotlight a beer for your tasting pleasure.

Jeremy’s Beer of the Day: Bluejacket Whiskey Barrel-aged Double Mexican Radio, Imperial Sweet Stout, ABV 11.0%
I wanted to include at least one beer from a brewery in the city. There are about 24 beers available from our DC breweries (seven represented in total), but not many of the dark, high ABV beers that I want to partake in. So I picked Bluejacket’s whiskey barrel-aged version of their Mexican Radio, which is an imperial sweet stout with cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla and chiles. I may need someone to cart me home if I actually have the fortitude to drink all these beers. Game on. (Editor’s note: Bluejacket, of course, is owned by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which also produces the Snallygaster Beer Festival.)

Mickey’s Beer of the Day: Atlas Wet Hop American Summer (2nd Anniversary Ale), Fresh Hop Pale Ale, 5.1%
If we’re going local, my favorite of the new breweries to open in the city in the past five years has to be Atlas Brew Works. The brewery simply makes some tasty beer. And with Atlas about to celebrate its second anniversary, it’s time to drink their second anniversary pale ale, clearly named in honor of the David Wain/Michael Showater comedy that recently found new life on Netflix. Anyway, I haven’t tried this beer yet, but it’s sure to be a winner following in the footsteps of dependable go-to beers like the District Common and the Rowdy Rye.

Party local? Drink local! Check out the full list of Snallygaster beers.

Advance ticket sales end at midnight tonight! It’s your last chance to buy tix online.

Snallygaster 2015
The Yards
Saturday, Sept. 12
Festival @1-6pm
$35
21+ to drink

Around Town: Third Beer @ Snallygaster 2015, 9/12/15

Posted on 09/10/2015 by Mickey McCarter in Around Town and tagged Beer, beer festival, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Snallygaster, Snallygaster 2015, The Yards.

It’s that time of year. (Photo by Chris Romer)

Now going four years strong, the Snallygaster beer festival returns to The Yards on Saturday, Sept. 12.

Snallygaster 2015 offers revelers choices among more than 300 beers, roughly 50 of which are appearing at the festival for the first time. With only two days left to go until Snallygaster 2015, Jeremy and I spotlight a beer for your tasting pleasure.

Jeremy’s Beer of the Day: Schlafly Imperial Pumpkin Ale, ABV 8.0%
Part of what I like about Snallygaster is, to me, it signals the beginning of the pumpkin beer season. I know, I know, many breweries are releasing their pumpkin offerings earlier and earlier every year. Well, I haven’t had any yet. This Saturday will kickoff what I trust to be a productive season of imbibing all the pumpkin beers. By my count, there are at least 27 different pumpkin beers set to be available, as of today. I choose Schlafly’s version here, because a) I’m hoping to go to St. Louis in a couple weeks and invade the brewery, and b) it is consistently among the best pumpkin beers out there. I also like the Southern Tier Pumking and am seriously looking at the Avery Rumpkin (Vintage 2014), which has a 18.1% ABV!

Mickey’s Beer of the Day: Saucony Creek Captain Pumpkin’s Maple Mistress, ABV 9.5%
I’m sure glad Jeremy punctured the envelope around pumpkin beers first, as I know quite a lot of beer snobs hate them. He and I both love them, however, but I’ll blame him for bring them up first! I first drank a Saucony Creek Captain Pumpkin’s Maple Mistress, hailing from Pennsylvania, at Snallygaster 2014. Many of the good pumpkin beers taste quite a bit like pumpkin pie — like Schlafly above, Dogfish Punkin and the lovely Maple Mistress. Cinnamon, honey and of course maple wound out the package for this boozy beer. The Snallygaster beer list also has several pumpkin beers represented twice as they appear alongide their 2014 vintages. (I’m looking at you Heavy Seas The Greater Pumpkin and Southern Tier Pumking.)

C’mon! You know you want a pumpkin beer (or two).

Tickets are available online.

Snallygaster 2015
The Yards
Saturday, Sept. 12
Festival @1-6pm
$35
21+ to drink