Congratulations to my dear friend Kenny Bush for winning Questlove's Cookoff on April 3rd. As a result, Kenny will be cooking for The Roots 4th Annual Picnic in Philadelphia, PA. He's also gets married in May. So Mr. Bush has got a lot on his plate already in 2011.
A former GM for Tonic at Mount Pleasant, I met Kenny while opening Tonic at Quigley's Pharmacy in early 2008 (back when it had no booze). It didn't take long to figure out that Kenny is a mad scientist in the kitchen. He left DC to become a chef in the nation's original capital, Philadelphia, and has been shaking it up at Bistrot La Minette ever since.
Harness Your Kim Chi recently wrote a blog post detailing a menu of music to accompany a full course dining experience. She challenged me (ok more like... politely suggested), via Twitter, to come up with music to go with the aperitif and digestif. Very well.
But I'm going to do her one better. I'm going to match her entire menu with my own picks. However, I am also going to pair a tasty alcoholic beverage for the dishes.
Here we go...
Aperitif(I actually had no idea amuse-bouche was a one-bite spoiler. It was always just a funny sounding word to me, like "bouillabaisse" or "couscous"). Drink: Campari and tonic with a squeeze of lemon. Music: The Dears - "Omega Dog" I know we haven't even gotten our trousers off yet. But I'm not afraid to start off guns blazing.
Appetizer (or to you Frenchmen, "the entree") Drink: Pimm's Cup. Music: Broken Bells - "Vaporize" Appetizers are fun. And so is James Mercer. Seriously, I met him in Baltimore after a show at Ram's Head Live! and he was rad.
Main Course Drink: Racer 5 IPA. Music: Little Dragon - "Feather" You want meat? I'll give you meat. You want umami? I got your umami.
Dessert Drink: Ramos Gin Fizz. The secret to this one is you got to take the spring off the strainer and throw it into the shaker. When shaken, the spring acts like a whisk to the cream and the egg. Mixes quickly and nicely. Music: Born Ruffians - "What to Say" It's got sprinkles.
Digestif Drink: The Macallan 10 year Sherry Oak (cask strength). Music: Erykah Badu - "I Want You" Don't worry, Erykah will get you home and put you to bed. And you just might wake up the next morning with no pants.
Last Exit, Tonic's contribution to the district's mixology movement, will have its grand opening tonight at 7:00 pm EST (basically, right now). Patrice Hammond, the beloved matriarch of the Tonic Mount Pleasant tribe, is the creative force behind the endeavor.
In speakeasy fashion, the new lounge is located right next door to the original Tonic and accessible only through that location. Simply go inside the Mount Pleasant location and ask to be taken to Last Exit.
Tonight's opening will feature small plates, infusions as well as craft beers and cocktails. Your humble correspondent will be helping out the crew of Last Exit tonight so drop by and enjoy a refreshingly different bar experience.
I am a writer and barman at Last Exit in Mount Pleasant and Beuchert's Saloon on Capital Hill, Washington DC. I am also a consultant and brand ambassador for Diep 9 products.
