FOOD: Steve Mannino of Rustico

BY Kathleen Nixon

July 29, 2011

Falls Church Times Staff

This Saturday at the Falls Church Farmers Market Chef demonstration we will be featuring Steve Mannino of Rustico. Steve will be bringing his rustic creativity to dishes that will feature summer vegetable favorites.

Tell our readers a little about your background? I am the Executive Chef at Rustico which is a combination of rustic and sophisticated Italian cooking with an awesome array of 400 beers. We first opened on Slater’s Lane in Alexandria and we opened a second location in Ballston last year.  I was trained at the Culinary Institute in New York and have had the pleasure of working with some dynamite chefs over the years.  My passion is creating rustic dishes with innovate nuances.

Tell us a little about your restaurant, your staff and how you incorporate local producers into your restaurant purchasing? The restaurant is very rustic.  We try not to mask our food too much.  We try to keep it as local as possible which means we run a very seasonal menu that changes frequently with a lot of specials.  Often times, our specials are driven by day of phone calls about what is available.  I also have a chef du cuisine for both locations that understands how we plan and develop menus.  We use farmers from Loudoun to St. Mary’s Counties (and anywhere in between) to keep things fun and fresh.

You work with many of the local producers? Who do you work with? One of our biggest producers is Arcadia Farms which is our own in house nonprofit farm located on the historic Woodlawn Plantation. We are getting most of our vegetables from here as well as providing produce for a farmers market in Southwest DC. We also work with two farmers in Loudoun that are presently providing us with tomatoes and garlic as well – Shah alee Farms.  We also use Ayshire farms in Upperville for vegetables and occasional meats. We also are getting local corn, tomatoes and fish from Maryland, specifically Bartenfelder and Dragon Creek Farms.

As a customer, what changes have you seen in the local food landscape?

Availability of product.  People are beginning to grow more unique varieties at the request of restaurants.  For example, I’m working with a grower in VA to produce a local San Marzano variety of tomato.  When producers know there will be a demand, then they will work to grow it and are as excited as I am about creating something new and different.

When did you start using local ingredients in creating your menu and recipes?

I’ve always done it.  All of the chefs that I’ve worked for have believed in sourcing things locally to some degree.  It hasn’t always been 100% , but as diners’ expectations have become more in sync with local growing, it’s gotten a lot closer to it.

Do you think your customers understand and appreciate your incorporation of local food into your menus?

I hope so, but I’m realistic that some people want what they want even when things are drastically out of season.  Part of my job is to educate by keeping our menus as seasonal as possible and by communicating menu changes in a manner that both keeps our guests content as well as keeps the quality consistent with what Mother Nature allows.

What local ingredients are not yet available to the local economy that you would like to incorporate into your menu?

Being a very rustic and straight forward restaurant, really everything that we need is locally available.  We try not to over think our menu and for that reason, it stays local and approachable.

How long have you been part of the Farmers Market Chef series?

I started doing Farmers Market demonstrations in 1999 at the Dupont Fresh Farmers Market, but this is my first time at the Falls Church Farmers Market.

What do you like best about the Farmers Market demonstrations?

The most fun is honesty, meeting customers and sharing our philosophy of food and answering their questions.

What will you be preparing for your demonstration?

Panzanella Salad which is a Florentine salad made with tomato, bread, cucumber and fresh mozzarella salad which is a great meal starter and very popular in Italy in the summer. Highlighting all the beautiful corn available right now, we will also prepare a sweet corn and ricotta cannoli with pine nuts.

Be sure to stop by and see Steve at the Falls Church Farmers Market Chef demonstration on Saturday July 30^th from 9am to 11am.

SATURDAY 8/27: TV Production Workshop

Falls Church City Television will hold a Field Production Workshop Saturday, Aug. 27,  from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the FCC-TV Studio at George Mason High School, 7124 Leesburg Pike, entrance off Haycock Road.

The workshop is an opportunity to obtain the skills necessary for producing programming for FCC-TV. It will feature a basic overview of television production in remote locations. Subjects include: lighting in the field; audio; field camera operation; on-camera reporting; storytelling; and tripod use.

Space is limited but additional workshops may be scheduled if there is enough interest.

The registration fee for the workshop is $50 for FCC-TV members and $60 for non-members, payable in cash or checks made out to FCCAC (Falls Church Cable Access Corporation).  Fees will be due at the time of registration.  Space in the workshop cannot be held until fees have been paid.

For more information contact Michael Palmrose, FCC-TV Supervisor, palmrosem@fccps.org or 703-248-5692.

 

THURSDAY 9/15: Author Talk with Sara Fitzgerald

The League of Women Voters of Falls Church will kick off its 2011-12 program year with an event featuring a new biography of a nationally known female political leader written by one of its members.

The book signing, which will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday September 15 at One More Page Books, 2200 Westmoreland Street, will spotlight “Elly Peterson: ‘Mother’ of the Moderates,” written by Sara Fitzgerald. The event is free and open to the public.

Peterson was a leading figure in moderate Republican politics in the 1960s and 1970s. She was an early leader of the National Women’s Political Caucus, and later served as co-chair, with Liz Carpenter, of ERAmerica, the coalition of organizations, including the League, that worked for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1976, she served as deputy chairman of the Gerald R. Ford’s presidential campaign, at that time the highest professional job a woman had held in a presidential campaign. She was the first woman to chair a state party organization for the Republicans, ran for a U.S. Senate seat from Michigan in 1964, and twice served as assistant chairman of the Republican National Committee.

When Peterson stepped down from the RNC in 1970, the late David S. Broder wrote: “It is, I think, accurate to say that her abilities would have earned her the national chairmanship were it not for the unwritten sex barrier that both parties have erected around that job.  Certainly, her organizational talents made her views as respected and her advice as sought-after among her colleagues in the party as anyone in the past decade. . . .”

Fitzgerald, a former editor at The Washington Post, earned a B.A. in history from the University of Michigan and was the first woman to serve as editor-in-chief of The Michigan Daily, the campus newspaper. Her work on the book included personal interviews with Peterson before her death in 2008. Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Haynes Johnson contributed a Foreward to the biography.

Hilton Hotel Project Advances, Byron Office Space Approved

 By GEORGE BROMLEY
Falls Church Times Staff

July 26, 2011

The proposed Hilton Garden Inn moved closer to reality last night as the Falls Church City Council unanimously approved special exceptions requested by the project’s developers.   The exceptions, for building height and zoning, remove the last remaining hurdles before the site plan stage.  The Planning Commission had approved the project on July 18.  Construction of the 110 room hotel at 706 W. Broad St. could begin as early as October.

Originally approved in 2008, the project has faced stiff opposition from residents and from parents of children at the adjacent St. James School.  However, only two people spoke out against the hotel last night, one citing concerns over security and trash pickup, the other questioning the project’s long-term financial viability.  Several representatives of the Chamber of Commerce spoke in favor of the hotel, stating that it would provide jobs for 30 people and generate substantial tourist and conference revenue, estimated at $540,000 annually.

The developers are proffering that the hotel will be built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified standards.  If that is not met within three years of the issuance of the certificate of occupancy, the developer will contribute $50,000 toward repaving N. Oak St. or other such work as designated by the City.

Byron Office Space  -  The Council also approved the use of office and professional office space at the Byron (513 W. Broad St.) in locations previously approved for retail.  The resolution passed, 5-1, with Ms. Gardner absent.  Both the Planning Commisson and the Economic Development Authority had earlier endorsed the change.  Some of the first floor space on the west side of the building has remained vacant since the Byron opened in 2006. 

Mayor Nader Baroukh opposed the measure, questioning whether the space had been fully marketed.  The mayor said he did not want to see space left unoccupied but believed that the Council’s intention was that the space be used for retail and questioned whether such exceptions should be granted in the future without a penalty clause.  “When we approve something through a (special exception) amendment, there’s an expectation we’ll get something in return,” he said.  

The mayor  also cited unresolved issues with the building’s parking arrangements, which have made it difficult to market its retail space.  Councilman Ron Peppe noted that building has the most confusing labels of any building in town.  “It’s not clear where you’re going to park that you don’t get towed away and where you do,” he said. 

City Manager’s Report   -  Mr. Shields advised that eleven speed limit radar signs soon will be installed as a traffic calming measure.  The installation is funded through a federal grant.  Homeowners have been notified as to where the signs will be placed.

One hundred seventy residents participated in last Saturday’s household hazardous waste collection.

Sign-up now is open for the September 17  Fall Festival / Taste of Falls Church. 

Appointments-  Mark Sokolowski and Steven Knight were appointed to unexpired terms on the Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation.  Their tems run until January 31, 2013.  David Braun was appointed to an unexpired term with the Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia.  The term extends until Jun3 30, 2013.  

Closed Session  -  At 10:55 pm the Council entered into a closed session concerning water system litigation.

Video  -  A tape of the public meeting is available at the City website.

Crime Report for July 19 – 25

By FALLS CHURCH POLICE DEPARTMENT

July 26, 2011

Driving Under the Influence, Underage Possession of Alcohol, and Driving with a Suspended License, 400 block W. Broad St.  On July 19, 1:37 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, a 20 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence, Underage Possession of Alcohol and Driving with a Suspended License.

Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test, 6700 block Wilson Blvd.  On July 20, 2:19 a.m., a 53 year old Annandale man, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test.

Providing False Identification to Law Enforcement, 132 W. Broad St. (Dogwood Tavern).  On July 21, 6:33 p.m., an officer responded to the location after management requested an individual to be banned from the property.  The individual provided a false name on the barment notice.  A  59, year old Chantilly man, was arrested for Providing False Identification to Law Enforcement.

Disorderly Conduct, 130 N. Washington St. (Clare and Don’s Beach Shack).  On July 21, 8:23 p.m., an unknown individual released a can of pepper spray in the restaurant.  Patrons of the bar area were forced to evacuate the building.

Larceny from Vehicle, 1100 block W. Broad St. (West End Plaza).  On July 22, 5:30 p.m., unknown suspect(s) stole an iPhone left unsecured in a vehicle.

Larceny from Building, 115 Hillwood Ave. (Anime Pavilion).  On July 22, 9:06 p.m., unknown suspect(s) stole an iPod Touch during a card game tournament.

Public Drunkenness, 6793 Wilson Blvd. (Eden Center).  On July 23, 12:48 a.m., a 34 year old Falls Church man was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Grand Larceny, 501 Roosevelt Blvd. (Oakwood Apartments).  On July 23, 4:20 a.m., officers responded to the location for a report of noise and flashlights in the parking lot.  Security detained one individual while another individual fled.  The suspect admitted to taking scrap metal without permission.  A 37 year old Lorton man was arrested for Grand Larceny.

Driving Under the Influence, Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test, and Trespassing, 1100 block W. Broad St.  On July 25, 2:00 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation.  The driver, who recently left El Zunzal, was previously banned from the location.  A 24 year old Laurel, MD man was arrested for Driving Under the Influence, Refusal to Submit to Blood or Breath Test, and Trespassing.

Petit Larceny, 6793 Wilson Blvd. (Eden Center).  On July 24, 8:54 a.m., officers responded to the location for a report of individuals stealing used grease from the property. Two MD residents, ages 36 and 43, were arrested for Petit Larceny.

Public Drunkenness, 6621 Wilson Blvd. (New Moon Restaurant).  On July 25, 8:32 p.m., a 32 year old Falls Church man was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Under Fire From Above and Below: An Interview With the City Assessor

By STEPHEN SIEGEL
Falls Church Times Staff

July 25, 2011

It’s been a challenging year for Ryan Davis, Falls Church City’s real estate assessor. He’s used to criticism — it comes with the job, he says — but this year, he’s getting more of it than usual.

Part of the reason for the torrent of objections is the rising tax rate in the City, over which Mr. Davis has no control. That causes property taxes to rise, absent a decrease in property values, and encourages residents to suggest that their assessments should be lower.

But while residents complain about over-assessing, at least one influential figure in town contends that Mr. Davis is under-assessing properties — and insisting they should be higher.

That figure is Nicholas Benton, publisher of the Falls Church News-Press, who wrote recently that assessments are, in many cases, far too low.

The criticism came as something of a surprise to Mr. Davis, who defends his and his department’s work while also acknowledging that assessments aren’t a guarantee of value or an incontrovertible fact. “They’re an opinion of value,” he says modestly.

But the validity of his opinion has been given some extra credibility by an independent state board, which has found that the city assessments have been more accurate than 99% of the Virginia jurisdictions for the last seven years, Mr. Davis said.

“We do make mistakes, but we do a really good job,” said Mr. Davis during a wide-ranging interview at City Hall about the assessment process.

And critics make mistakes, too: Mr. Benton’s complaint about assessments being too low included several poor choices. For example, the biggest error he alleged was for a house assessed at $652,600, which then sold for more than double that figure last year at $1,356,500.

The reason for that huge discrepancy was that a developer bought an older, smaller house, tore it down, and built a brand new bigger house that is worth a lot more. The new house on the lot, at 609 Highland, is now assessed at $1,232,300.

That said, some assessments do seem too low: 912 Lincoln was assessed at $900,000 when it sold for $1,045,000 in 2010. But that home has now been assessed at $1,030,000, close to its selling price.
At the same time, some homes are selling below their assessed values: 707 Villa Ridge closed last month for $1,300,000, more than $70,000 below the amount for which it is assessed. Likewise, 207 Van Buren closed at $790,000 recently, more than $116,000 below its $906,000 assessed value.

In many cases, assessments may be below actual selling prices because sellers have made improvements to the homes before putting them on the market — improvements of which Mr. Davis and his department are not aware.

For example, another one of Mr. Benton’s complaints is that 1202 Seaton sold in November for $890,000 while it was assessed at just $681,600. But the sale listing shows architect’s plans drawn in 2010 and highlights an expansion containing a master suite with skylights and four updated baths, improvements which could sharply increase the property’s appeal beyond Mr. Davis’ knowledge.

Likewise, 907 Madison, which sold for $739,000 in December, was only assessed at $613,000 at the time. But the sale listing mentions three renovated bathrooms and new oak flooring.

It is unclear why homes might sell for well below their assessed value, but the most likely reason is that their condition is weaker than Mr. Davis could guess without having gone into the property.

The assessment process Mr. Davis uses is complicated, combining selling prices, average selling prices in a particular neighborhood, as well as walks around the city to look for improvements and a reading of real estate advertisements, also in an attempt to see if additions or improvements have been made. But some of that can be hard to quantify, unless residents let the assessor in the door when he knocks, as he sometimes does.

An analysis of selling prices by Mr. Davis has shown that Broadmont is the city’s most expensive neighborhood, even when the house in question is comparable to one in another neighborhood. In other words, buyers will pay more for an equivalent house in Broadmont. So the assessment calculation factors that in.

Likewise, Mr. Davis says his analysis shows that a busy street does not negatively affect a home’s value here (although it may in other jurisdictions), so when homeowners challenge their assessment by suggesting they are on a busy street, he says no.

To the extent that some houses are assessed too low, it could be a product of the City’s strong real estate market. While housing markets around the country continue to languish, the City market is showing impressive demand, with 10 homes selling in 10 days or less just since June 1. That could push up prices, leaving Mr. Davis’ calculations, which are based on the previous year’s sales, looking too low.

Asked about that possibility, Mr. Davis shrugs and falls back on his humble view that they’re just an opinion. But he does allow that they’re well within the 10% margin allowed by Virginia law.

Make Music! Be on TV!

By  ANDREW FINEIN
Special to the Falls Church Times

July 24, 2011

Ever dreamed of being of being on TV? Well now’s your chance! From the producer of “George Mason Coffee House” comes the brand new “Falls Church Coffee House”.

Any small band or soloist from the Falls Church area is invited to perform on Falls Church Coffee House where the band will come into the FCC-TV studio and perform about 30-45 minutes of music which will be recorded to be aired on Falls Church City TV. Make sure to check out George Mason Coffee House on YouTube and Facebook.

For more information or to schedule a time for your band to perform, email gmcoffeehouse@gmail.com.

REPRISE: Heard All the Hype Over Present Restaurant? It’s True!

This article originally ran on July 10, 2009. After a visit to Present last weekend, it seemed time to re-run Jimmy Scarano’s review (while Falls Church Times food writers took a summer break). If you haven’t made it to Present, perhaps this will entice you to give it a try! 

(Photos by Jimmy Scarano) 

Few restaurants in the area have received as much buzz in the last year as Present, a sleek Vietnamese spot tucked away in an unassuming strip mall off Route 50 just west of Annandale Road. (Click here for map.)

What began as glowing reviews from bloggers and chatters all over the local message boards grew into a spot on both the Washingtonian’s Best Restaurants list and its Best Bargains list (a rare feat). Then in late May the Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema dished out high praise with a three star review.

Well, now it’s my turn.

With so much already being said I was tempted to keep it short and sweet, but that just wouldn’t do it justice. Present is a destination restaurant deserving of all the attention it’s gotten — perhaps more.

The service is on par with a fine dining establishment, yet there is also a casual, easy- going vibe that the wait staff exudes so that you never feel like you’re being uncomfortably pampered. And the atmosphere is cool and clean, complete with a bubbling waterfall and tastefully decorated walls.

But what really lingers on the mind after a meal at Present isn’t the smiling waiters or the décor. It’s the food. Few kitchens are capable of putting out such memorable and original dishes.   

Chief among these are the much hyped Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Rolls. Fans of the typical Vietnamese spring rolls will barely recognize these delicate fried cigars of pork and shrimp wrapped in thin sheets of a hand-woven rice flour batter. They are shatteringly crisp and perfect rolled up with the accompanying mint, lettuce, pickled vegetables, and nuoc cham. Get them.    

Texture and contrast also play a key role in the other-worldly green papaya salad, which combines thin strips of the unripe fruit with beef jerky, beef liver jerky (trust me, it’s good), crushed roasted peanuts, and Thai basil. Chewy, crunchy, and nutty, the salad is made even more complex when tossed with the accompanying soy, vinegar, and chili based sauce. Throw in some of the crispy shrimp chips it comes with and I can just about guarantee that you’ve never had a salad like this in your life.

Even simple, more common Vietnamese dishes are given special attention here. The ubiquitous stir fry of chicken with lemongrass and chilies, so often cloyingly sweet and bland, is fiery and fragrant with copious amounts of fresh lemongrass. It’s the best version of the dish I’ve ever had.

One thing you can be sure of is that whatever dish you order, it’s going to look fantastic. Artful presentation is a huge part of the Imperial-style cuisine that head chef Luong Tran brought with him from Vietnam. A minced clam appetizer comes out in a gargantuan edible sesame rice cracker bowl meant to mimic a shell. And the refreshing seafood salad with fine-diced pineapple, calamari, carrots, red onions, and plump shrimp arrives in a hollowed out pineapple.

The artistry on the plate goes hand in hand with the whimsically written menu, in which each item is given a creative name. A knock-out rendition of the Vietnamese classic shaken beef is called “Cow on the Open Field.” “Mosaic Pathway” is an elegant stir fry of cellophane noodles, veggies and jumbo lump crab meat. Reading a menu has never been so much fun.

But the playfulness of the plating and the flowery descriptions of the food can’t hide the precision and technique that goes into every dish. The cooking at Present is carefully composed and constructed with a level of care seldom seen in a place where you can eat for less than 20 bucks a head. This is the sort of restaurant you want to go to with a big group of adventurous eaters so you can get a bite of all of the different textures and flavors the kitchen can coax out of so many unique and exciting ingredients. It’s an experience as well as a meal.

And that’s exactly the aim of owner Gene Nguyen.

I had a conversation with him and General Manager Austin Pham last week and they both talked about changing the perceptions of Vietnamese cuisine with their restaurant. They want to show people that authentic Vietnamese food is worthy of a refined setting with excellent service.

“I want to bring Vietnamese food to a higher level,” Nguyen said.

He’s doing it by recruiting masterful chefs like Tran (as well as talent from as far as California and the Caribbean) and maintaining a professional wait staff that knows the menu backwards and forwards.

The entire staff, Nguyen and Pham included, routinely tests out the menu items to make sure they are consistently good.

“If I don’t like something I take it off,” said Nguyen, who takes pride in personally picking out much of the produce, meat, and seafood used for the restaurant.

Something tells me that occasion is rare. Chef Tran’s attention to detail is staggering. He uses seven types of fish sauce in the kitchen and even imports some from Vietnam that take as long as 45 days to get to the U.S.. And his sauces and garnishes are so complex that even Nguyen doesn’t know the process behind making them all. I asked him how the beef liver jerky in the green papaya salad was prepared and he just shrugged his shoulders.

“The chef has so many secrets,” he said.

And to think, Present could have ended up somewhere else. Nguyen said he had many suitors in the D.C. area — and even one in Charleston, South Carolina (gasp!) — when he was looking for a location for his restaurant.

Now that it’s found a home, Pham, who usually greets people at the door and has chatted with many a happy customer, said people are coming from Baltimore and beyond to get a taste.

But all we Falls Churchians have to do is venture half a mile outside the City and we’re at the doorstep. How lucky are we.

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