The DC Rising Stars Honorees Dinner

Outside Farrah Olivia

On December 12, in the twinkling lights of the sleek glass-walled dining room of Chef Morou Outtara's Farrah Olivia, some of DC's culinary brightest and best gathered, many fresh from the line and still in their whites, for an evening of camaraderie and cuisine. The next day they would be put to work, serving a crowd of over 300 DC gourmands, but not this evening – this night was reserved for a celebration of the new class of DC Rising Stars.

Three years earlier, Chef Morou was a Rising Star. Along with Jamie Leeds, Fabio Trabocchi and others, he served his dishes to the throngs at the Hotel Monaco – and even rallied to throw the afterparty. This time he closed his new restaurant for the night to welcome a new generation of culinary talent through the doors, accompanied by their mentors, all the 2003 Rising Star award winners, and the sponsors that made the affair possible. The trailblazing Jose Andres and Katsuya Fukushima, the sustainably-minded Nora Pouillon, Todd Gray, Cathal Armstrong and Barton Seaver, and the area's sushi masters Koji Terano and Noriaki Yasutake, counted among his guests.

Nicolas Feuillatte 1998 Blanc de Blancs Champagne accompanied the rounds of passed hors d'oeuvres – elegant bites of smoked pear with wasabi and black salt on skewers stuck in playful wooden cubes and spheres, petite squab burgers with spiced fig ketchup jelly, marinated tuna espaliered on personal pipettes of gingery apple juice, and Kobe tartare with delicate 65° eggs perched on cubes of brioche. A 2002 Vineyard 8 Chardonnay, acidic, fruity and minerally, from the Spring Mountain district in Napa, accompanied the seared diver scallop with creamy, savory melon seed milk, and white tuna with citrus caramel and peppery shansho anglaise. Vineyard 8 Cabernet, with rich blackberry on the nose and complex spice and oak on the palate, paired with Cervena venison and sweet-spiced red palm jus, and a selection of American Farmhouse cheeses with grapes and honey. Devi’s Himalayan Dawn Tea cleansed the palate, and a homey but elegant dish of french toast and coffee granita, paired with a Rhum Clément Créole Shrubb, ended the night.

Well, almost ended. Guests lingered well after midnight, talking shop (fish purveyors, American wines, tea flavor profiles), planning field trips to Polyface Farms in Virginia, and sharing stories of time spent in San Francisco, Ireland, Spain, and more. It was this camaraderie between colleagues – from an industry that so rarely affords them the time to gather together – that made the night a true success.

Menu

	The StarChefs.com Rising Stars Revue™ Honorees Dinner Tuesday, December 12, 2006 Hosted by 2003 Washington DC Rising Star Chef Morou MENU Kobe Hangar Tartare | 65º egg | berbere oil Black Eyed Pea Fritters | smoked shrimp essence | tail pepper honey Shocked Tuna | red wine | spicy Apple Hudson Valley Foie Gras |0 date bars Smoked Pears | wasabi | black salt Micro Squab Burgers | fig ketchup jelly Nicolas Feuillatte, Brut Blanc de Blancs, 1998 Diver Scallop | bacon powder | melon seed milk Vineyard 8 Chardonnay, Spring Mountain, 2003 White Tuna | citrus caramel | sansho anglaise Vineyard 8 Chardonnay, Spring Mountain, 2003 Hudson Valley Foie Gras | quail | chocolate Merlot Nicolas Feuillatte, Cuvée Spéciale, 1999 Slow-Roasted Cervena Venison Rack | plantain loaf | red palm jus Vineyard 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain, 2002 Devi Tea’s “Himalayan Dawn” Indian Black Tea American Farmhouse Cheese | grapes | honey Vineyard 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain, 2002 Coffee Granita | french toast | passion fruit paper Rhum Clément Créole Shrubb    We would also like to thank: Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, Chefs Warehouse, Devi Tea, Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Metropolitan, Rhum Clément, Samuels & Sons, San Pellegrino