Food.Fun.Stuff: Sou'Wester to Open...oh and Wine!

This and that:

>Sou'Wester opens next month- The Mandarin Oriental is expanding its horizons to its newest restaurant concept, Sou'Wester, which connotes sou'wester (*the quick change in direction and the burst of new energy). Executive Chef Eric Ziebold and Chef de Cuisine Rachael Harriman will head up the team delivering traditional as well as new twists on classic dishes. Some of the headliners: Chicken and Dumplings (*Good stuff, this is actually a rare menu item in the District...), Sauteed Perch with Old Bay Chowder and Maryland Blue Crab with Mango and Avocado (*for the lunch menu). The sweets department won't be lacking at the hands of Pastry Chef Amanda Cook (*whom created desserts at CityZen for over three years). Chef Cook will focus on delicacies such as Fried Apple Pie and homey Carrot Cakes. The restaurants boasts a relaxed atmosphere where patrons can take in views of the Potomac while dining. We welcome this change to the Mandarin Oriental and are interested to see if it will take some of the bold steps that its name connotates...

>Wine Festival!- There has not been a good one of these in awhile. The Commonwealth Wine & Polo Event will be going on at the Great Meadow from September 12-13, 2009. Patrons will experience over 250 Virginia artisan wines, fine art, "fancy" food (*whatever that means...), culinary seminars and international polo. This will be the 24th Annual Commonwealth Cup (*U.S. faces Great Britain in competition). More info here.

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