#FlyWashington Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 55

BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Pineapple and Pearls , Washington , D . C . No surprise here — the swooning around this luxe establishment on Barracks Row has been non-stop since opening last year . Chef Aaron Silverman offers a thirteen-course array of small plates , wine and luxury cocktails with two seatings nightly , for one all-inclusive price . With legendary attention to detail , elegance , hospitality and playfulness , each meal is a sumptuous performance .
BEST CHEF , MID-ATLANTIC
AMY BRANDWEIN Centrolina , Washington , D . C . Combine the appeal of a classic-yet-contemporary Italian restaurant with the lure of an adjacent specialty market and you ’ ve got Centrolina , a hybrid serving comfort cuisine with Euro flair . Chef / owner Brandwein , a veteran of the Washington dining scene , presides over the open kitchen and its wood-fired oven , rendering simple and succulent takes on fresh seafood , meats and poultry . Her forte , however , is the handmade pasta , which takes a starring role in a variety of forms .
TOM CUNANAN Bad Saint , Washington , D . C . A no-reservations policy hasn ’ t diminished the appeal of this acclaimed Columbia Heights eatery , renowned for its nouveau Filipino fare . Cunanan ’ s creations are catnip for adventurous diners , and the room ’ s twenty seats are never empty . Patrons happily queue for hours for the chance to experience his exhilarating flavor combinations : inventive seafood , pork and noodle dishes wafting clouds of garlic and spices . An excited buzz , aided and abetted by creative cocktails , permeates the space , and the wait staff provides exceptional attention .
CINDY WOLF Charleston , Baltimore Wolf is now a six-time finalist for JBF ’ s Best Chef award , which alone merits the trip north to Baltimore ’ s Harbor East . Her topranked Charleston is a refined place of pilgrimage , melding the flavors of South Carolina ’ s Low Country with a French sensibility . The menu changes daily , with options for one to seven courses starring favorites like oysters , shrimp , duck , lamb and beef . Another outstanding chef who ’ s surmounted traditional gender barriers , Wolf has given Charm City a first-class dining destination .
OUTSTANDING BAKER
MARK FURSTENBERG Bread Furst , Washington , D . C . Furstenberg , long celebrated as a champion of traditional European breads , delivers the real deal in his Connecticut Avenue bakery and cafe . Dark-crusted artisanal loaves and baguettes shine alongside American-style pastries and savory specialty items to take away . The fragrant VanNess spot , which the 78-year-old Furstenberg says is “ both my latest food venture and my last ,” has become a neighborhood hub , confirming his reputation as a standard-bearer for the staff of life .
Spaghetti Alla Chitarra from Centrolina
OUTSTANDING WINE , SPIRITS , OR BEER PROFESSIONAL
SAM CALAGIONE Dogfish Head Craft Brewery , Milton , DE Calagione has made the Delaware shore a hub of the region ’ s craft beer movement . His family-operated business is a destination for casual tasters and true believers alike , encompassing not just a brewery but also a distillery , restaurants and a nearby inn . Skillfully blended IPAs like 60 and 90 Minute and Flesh and Blood are the Dogfish Head calling card , but dozens of occasional and seasonal specialties beckon . Headliners like the Festina Peche , a neo- Berliner Weisse , and the best-selling World Wide Stout illustrate the range of sophisticated quaffs .
DIANE FLYNT Foggy Ridge Cider , Dugspur , VA Acres of orchards in the Blue Ridge Mountains provide the ingredients for apple alchemist Diane Flynt ’ s Foggy Ridge Cider . Flynt , founder of the South ’ s first cidery and a first-time JBF finalist , combines heirloom American varieties with traditional English and French cider apples , producing four sparkling ciders and two dessert apple ports . Aged for 18 months with no added flavoring , the authentic beverages have been hailed as refreshing , complex and rich , and their historic pedigree — cider was a favorite drink of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington — adds to their appeal .
SUMMER 2017 53 FLYWASHINGTON . COM