10th Annual Sugar and Champagne

Things are starting to go to the dogs over here, and I mean that in a completely great way.  Now that Christmas has passed the Equinox team is ready to go full steam ahead into one of our favorite events of the year, Sugar & Champagne.  For those who are unfamiliar Sugar and Champagne honors The Washington Humane Society’s local crusaders against animal cruelty: Washington Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement Officers, Animal Control Officers, and Humane Educators. This beloved DC event was created by our very own Ellen Gray who sits on the board of WHS and is a major animal lover.  The Grays have 2 dogs and 2 cats of their own and Ellen wanted to create an event where she brings her love of all things furry and four-legged into an amazing event where food, bubbly, human, and dog come together.

2011 marks our 10th Sugar and Champagne and I thought a little photo montage of our past events would be fitting to get everyone into the spirit of things and show you what you can expect this year:

Small dogs......

Big Dogs....

Little Dogs with Big Men......

Big Dogs with Small Women...

Dogs with Bangs....

And Dogs with Mustaches.....

They wear Bow Ties.....

And they wear Fancy Collars.......

They Eat....

And Schmooze.....

And then Go Back for Seconds....

But Don't Worry There is Plenty for Their Two-Legged Friends to Enjoy....

 No Wonder Everyone Looks so Happy....

 

 

At Sugar and Champagne We Party the Night Away, Until the Pups Start Pooping Out.... 

So come join us on February 1st at the Ritz-Carlton, DC.  We will be going to the dogs from 6-8 p.m. and hope to see you there.  To purchase tickets and for further event information please visit the WHS site.

A Boozy Success

DC had it's very own Tuesday Booze-Day (copyright Kathy & Hoda.  Thanks very much ladies), this past week in the Spirit of the Festival.  Just another great event by the DC International Wine & Food Festival.  Though this time around we didn't focus on the wine, but on the those snazzy drinks that mixologists come up with at your favorite eateries.  Equinox, Ici, Founding Farmers, PS7, and the cooking team at the International Trade Center came together to showcase a food and mixed drink pairing.  Just trying to blow people's minds and show them that mixed drinks can complement food as well, and not just lull you into a gentle buzz and give you the confidence to talk to the hot boy/girl at the end of the bar,  (though that is pretty cool) 

The variety of drinks went from sweet to spice, to straight up tequila!  That's Herradura Tequila to be exact, which was oh so smooth going down.  Other liquors of choice were Hendrick's Gin, Chairman Reserved Spice Rum, Patron XO, Woodford Reserve, and Remy Martin.  It was a great variety of spirits that elicited some major creativity from our mixologists.

Needless to say that anythings with this much booze was a success.  Though I don't think the foi gras or caramel custard hurt either.  So be on the look out for our next event as we can promise some fun if you come.  If you don't already, follow @EquinoxDC on twitter for updates on all the DC International Wine & Food Festival events among other things.

Mixologists rule the kitchen on November 30th

If you have not gotten over celebrating this past week.  If the tryptophan buzz has not left you dozing on the couch.  If you still have room for more......well do I have an idea for you.  Take out the calendars and just mark November 30th on it and get ready for another DC Wine & Food Festival Event.  This time it is not just about food, but also about mixology and the art of pairing cocktails with a chef's creations.  This is a personal favorite subject of mine that I have talked before on the blog and I am very excited to see what will happen next week.  Our own Simo will be there representing Equinox and I know he will not dissapoint.  Here is a reminder of some of his creations:

And trust me, this is just a teaser.  Better things will be happening if you head over to the Ronald Reagan & International Trade Center on November 30th.

So if you are a lover of liquor and a lover of food, or if you love food and your date loves liquor, then really it is just a win-win situation.  Head over to out website for more information.  And if you are an at-home mixologist then check out information on our Cocktail Contest and throw one of your home recipes into the pool.  Or shaker in this case.  

-Veronica

What we are thankful for.....

1. A roof over our heads

2. A fire that is contained in a stove ;)

3. A staff who is our family and has stuck by us through many trials.  

4. Diners who love what we do and waited patiently for us to return

5. For the many opportunities that DC has provided for us 

(we look forward to continuing in our evolution with you)

6. For our family and friends

7. For the promises of a new year 

(it will be here before we know it!)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Oyster Roast!

It is officially holiday time and I am ready to get my grub on!  Bring on the stretchy pants and let's live up to the stereotype that Americans love to just pack it on.  You know what I say, they're just jealous that they don't have their own Thanksgiving and a reason to just go balls to wall, all out, ain't no shame in this turkey game, and show that stuffing who's boss once a year.  It is a special day for goodness sake, it's not like we eat like this all the time!  But we might as well have some fun with this festive caloric intake. ;)

But since we are in DC so many of us find ourselves sticking around the city, so we can save some of our money for Christmas tickets home, and without the desire or crazy crowd to induce us to cook all the fixins that we connect to the Thanksgiving holiday.  So why not say screw that and come by someplace where you know the food is tasty and you'll find common comrades around the fire.  And literally there is going to be a fire as we are starting our Thanksgiving off at Equinox with an oyster roast.  Yum!  This is a Gray family tradition, and I have included the family photos to prove it. There of course will be other traditional Thanksgiving items gracing the menu, but with Todd Gray flair that we all know and love.  Check out more details here,  http://www.equinoxrestaurant.com/menus/equinox_events.pdf , and give us a call, because we are going to be having a great time and we hope that you will come join us.        

Dad showing how it is done.

Harrison practicing his shucking skills

A DC Geography Lesson

So if you follow our twitter (@EquinoxDC) feed I'm sure you have been noticing NoMa being mentioned.  And you may be wondering what's the big deal.  And it will be a big deal but I have to be the ass that can't tell you everything and I am sorry about that.  But i think you are smart people and know that things our up are sleeves and can speculate, which I will not discourage you from doing.  But until I can give you the 411, let's just talk NoMa.


That little acronym has been thrown around lately.  If you read DC blogs like DCist or We Love DC, you will have read about the newest burgeoning are of DC.  NoMa, or north of Massachusetts (how very New Yorker SoHo/NoHo/Dumbo of us) is located by Union Station, with it's major borders being New York Ave, North Capitol, Florida Ave, and Massachusetts.  It also is very close to the hipster haven of H Street NE, and not to far from all the suits on K Street.  and if you look at a map it really is almost the center of DC, so I dub it the "nucleus" with us all living in the plasma around.  Jeez I really did have to look up cell structure to even figure  that out (don't judge me! When is the last time you thought about it?)so I promise to think of a better metaphor next time.  If you have any ideas feel free to shout them out. 


Well folks, NoMa is a-booming! Current tenants include The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Sirius XM, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and CNN.  And according to the Washington Post we can expect NPR, the Community College of the District of Columbia and the U.S. Department of Justice to set up shop soon.  Some really cool apartment buildings built up and it is not the isolated little strip of small coffee shops and delis that it was a few years ago.  NoMa is becoming the "mixed-use" neighborhood that they envisioned.  And by "mixed-use" they mean a place that small businesses, large office, residents, restaurants, bars, etc. exist in a cohesive manner.  


I'm jealous of the fact that there will be a Harris Teeter opening this winter.  I love the "Teet" and am considering of moving again.  Though by the sounds of it there will be a lot of reasons to explore setting up your home base in this neighborhood  as it continues to grow.  It appears from the July 10, 2010 Washington Post article on the area that the only thing the residents find lacking the amount of sit down restaurants. Hmmmm................(insert foreshadowing here)


Have a great week!


-Veronica

It's Friday Foolery Again

 

It's Halloween people!  Break out the candy and your sassy costume and let's get this party started.  Did you know that Halloween has its roots in the Celtic holiday Samhain?  The Irish name Samhain is derived fromOld Irish and means roughly "summer's end" and celebrates the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half". The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. And as the cool weather begins to set in we all begin to hibernating just a bit an seeking those warm weather treats that become synonymous with the season.

I absolutely love the ingenuity that chefs, mixologists, and home cooks have this time of year.  Like pairing wine with candy corn and roasted pumpkin seeds.  And Equinox is no different.  Simo making some Fall inspired cocktails: Handcrafted Apple-Pear Cider, Cinnamon Infused Wild Turkey Bourbon, Fresh Lemon Sour & Homemade Spice Bitters.  Tom tempting us with such desserts as Tempe Pumpkin Pudding with Ricotta Ice Cream, Toasted Pine Nuts and Brown Butter Emulsion.  And Todd always tempting us with dishes like Basil Crusted Rib Eye of Aussi Lamb w/Autumn Lentil Ragu, Carrot Coulis & Olive Jus.  Will you just stop people!  I cannot handle all these temptations!  Oh, who am I kidding?  I am so coming over to try a little bit everything.

As we delve deeper into Fall and Winter expect some more surprises.  Anything you're particularly craving this winter?

Time to head to the arena, the Arena Stage that is

It was a busy weekend for the Equinox family.  Besides it being Harrison's homecoming weekend, which had Ellen busy selling cupcakes and attending all sorts of sporting events, it was also the Arena Stage's homecoming weekend as well.  But this homecoming was a celebration of the Arena Stage returning to its Meade Center location in the SW Waterfront. 

Equinox restaurant, partnered with Market Salamander, is privileged to be one of the Center's food vendors and we were down at the celebrations selling some bad ass nibbles to give everyone a taste of what....well.....what they would be tasting when they come back for a show.  Despite my lack of descriptive creativity in that last sentence it was a successful day for everyone.  Glee club performances, Mayor Fenty acting as Honorary Co-Chair, theatre tours, a sneak peek of "Oklahoma", gorgeous weather that allowed shorts and sundresses to make a final performance before winter truly sets in, and a gathering of people who love DC.  

                                   

"Oklahoma" will be playing until December 26th, and another show called "Every Tongue Confess" will be starting up November 9th.  You can find out more about current and upcoming shows here: http://www.arenastage.org/shows-tickets/the-season/.  So head to the waterfront and check out a show and see us at the concession stand.