Bart M. Vandaele is one of the best chefs in Washington DC. He started out as the chef of the EU Ambassador to the US before opening Belga Café on the Hill, behind the Capitol. He then opened B Too on 14th Street NW, which is much larger and bit more casual than the Belga Café. This was 2 years ago.
Chef Bart M. Vandaele celebrated the 2 Year Anniversary of his B Too Restaurant with a special dinner and the wines of Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard from Chablis. Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard was represented by its Export Manager Etienne Verdier. Laurent Lala from Elite Wines was also present.
We were happy to join Chef Bart M. Vandaele for at least 2 reasons.
First, Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard is one of the 2 stops in Chablis during the forthcoming Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours. We will have lunch there and a tasting.
See:
Preview: Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015 and 2016)
Second, Annette Schiller and I have articipated in several winemaker dinners at B Too during the past 2 years. In fact, Annette Schiller organized a number of winemaker events at B Too with ombiasyPR and WineTours: Weingut Gunderloch (Germany), Weingut von Hövel (Germany), Weingut Jurtschitsch (Austria) and Chateau Lafon-Rochet (France).
See:
Winemaker Dinner with Château LAFON-ROCHET Wines and Winemaker Anaïs Maillet at Chef Bart Vandaele’s Hipp B Too Restaurant in Washington DC, US/France
Weingut Gunderloch – The New Generation: Owner Johannes Hasselbach in Washington DC, US
The Wines of Stefanie and Alwin Jurtschitsch, Weingut Jurtschitsch, Kamptal, Austria
Weingut von Hoevel – The New Generation: Max von Kunow in Washington DC, US
See also:
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux
See also:
A Feast with Jean Trimbach, Maison Trimbach in Alsace, and Chef Bart M. Vandaele at B Too in Washington DC, USA/France
Chef Bart M. Vandaele, Belga Café and B Too
With his European flare, Belgium native Bart M. Vandaele has taken Washington DC by storm since opening his Belga Café in the historical Barracks Row area near the Capitol a few years ago. 2 years ago he opened a second restaurant, B Too, on 14th Street NW. At B Too, Executive Chef Dieter Samyn is heading the team in the kitchen, with the help of Chef Alex Flores.
B Too: Vandaele’s vision for the restaurant as a vanguard for Belgian cuisine and culture is evident in the design and décor. Beautiful and comfortable, B Too brings together a mixture of elements to evoke Vandaele’s love of contemporary Belgian design, and to make the space feel like home. The approachable and moderately priced B Too is a playful, comfortable space encompassing nearly 5,000 square feet across two floors with seating for 160 guests. An open kitchen is the focal point, complete with a Spanish-designed Josper oven used for charcoal grilling—the only such oven currently being used in the city.
Chef Bart M. Vandaele
Raised in the Flemish-speaking region of Belgium, Bart developed a passion for the kitchen at a very young age. Surrounded by family members active in the industry, he began his training early in life. In addition to years of formal training, Bart gained much of his knowledge, drive and creativity through his experiences in some of Europe’s top fine dining locales, such as Piet Huysentruyt and Restaurant Scholteshof, which received the second Michelin star while Bart served as Sous Chef under respected Chef Roger Souvereyns. Bart M. Vandaele was recognized as a Rising Star of 2006 by starchefs.com.
Chef Dieter Samyn
Dieter Samyn was born and raised in Belgium. As a graduate of the Hotelschool Ter duinen, after several internships at Michelin starred restaurants in France, Spain and Belgium, he started working for Alain Ducasse, a 3 star Michelin chef, where he worked at Le Louis XV, Le Plaza Athenee, Spoon. From there he went to Peter Goossens, another 3 star Michelin chef located in Belgium; he worked with him for 4 years. In 2013, Chef Dieter Samyn joined Chef Bart at B Too.
Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard
Jean-Marc Brocard was born in the small village of Chaudenay-le-Château in the Côte d'Or of the Bourgogne. Jean-Marc's father was a farmer, without any connection to wine. Jean-Marc’s marriage to his childhood sweetheart Claudine - the daughter of Emile Petit, a vigneron from the village of St-Bris-le-Vineux, a little town in Chablis, the most northerly wine-growing area of the Bourgogne, led him to wine. As a wedding present to the young couple, Emile bestowed upon them one hectare of vines near the Church of Sainte Clair, and in 1972 Domaine Brocard was born.
Starting with 1 hectare of vines, Jean-Marc Brocards has created an estate of some 180 hectares vineyards in Chablis and elsewhere in the Bourgogne.
In the beginning, Jean-Marc spent countless hours with the old vignerons of Chablis in an effort to master his new craft, and to learn the nuances of the vine. In particular, Jean-Marc acknowledges a considerable debt to one of the old vignerons of St-Cyr les Colons, a man named Louis Petit, who despite the name is unrelated to his father-in-law. The oldest vines of the Domaine Sainte Claire came from Louis Petit and it was he who gave to Jean-Marc the sense of tradition and a respect for nature, showing him that you can still maintain the old traditions, while practicing modern methods.
In 1996, Julien Brocard joined his father with the firm idea to convert to organic and biodynamic farming. La Boissonneuse vineyard was converted to Biodynamie in 1997 and ‘Vielles Vignes’ in 2001. Nowadays, Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard is run by the ‘Father-Son’ team Jean-Marc and Julien.
The Terroir
Situated near Auxerre in the valley of the Serein river, Chablis is one of France’s oldest wine growing regions. Prized by French kings and always found on the best tables in the 19th century, Chablis wines were considered prestigious.
Chablis wines take their famous mineral and fresh character from the vine’s roots which dig deep into the Kimméridgien limestone. This unique soil condition - chalk, limestone and fossilized oyster shells – is named for a stage of the late Jurassic period some 150 million years ago. The glacier forced to the surface an ancient sea floor from the Kimmeridgian era that had long been covered by soil and rock. This unique soil is what has made Burgundy the world famous wine region that it is today.
Jean-Marc Brocard: "The truth of wine lies in the soil where it has grown. The technique is an important factor in the wine growing, but it is only an aid, the wine is essentially the product of its soil." also " The soil of Chablis is exceptional and cannot be found anywhere in the world ; therefore I am a hard believer of the future of Chablis even for the next Millennium."
In reference to the lack of chemicals in the vineyard, Jean Marc says: "Our policy is to encourage the natural auto-immune system of the vine. Ploughing replaces herbicides and a good dose of well-rotted cow manure encourages the natural microbial activity of the soil."
This is not to say that Jean-Marc is afraid of technology or modernization, as he was the first winemaker in Chablis to use mechanical harvesting as a means to bring the fruit into the winery as fast as possible to preserve their fresh qualities.
Vigneron and Negociant
Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard is also a negociant. In 1980 a sparkling new winery was built near the little church of Sainte Claire and since then only the most cutting edge of technologies have been implemented in the facility. Total production is 4,000,000 bottles a year. The company exports 60% of its produce mainly to the UK, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Japan and the USA.
Dinner
BITES
Salmon crudo, kelp, dashi
Foie gras pearls, orange, red beet
Oyster, jalapeno, cilantro
Saint-Bris, Sauvignon Blanc 2013
It captures some of the typical characteristics of Sauvignon, with a touch of grassiness and a strong aromatic presence of citrus oils. There’s also a clear resemblance to Chablis in the wine’s mineral pungency, like wet rocks with a background hint of sharp cheese. Crisp and full of lively acidity, and carries enough substance to be relatively versatile on the table.
DINNER
Shrimp, parfait of lemongrass, lime, sour cream and pickled shallot
Chablis, Domaine St. Claire 2012
Brilliant color with green highlights. The nose is precise, pure, chiseled, with slightly iodized notes of citrus fruit. The mouth has a classic structure, crunchy and delicious, with notes of citrus fruit and minerality (iodized and salty touches). The finish is very appetizing, with stony, salty minerality.
Rabbit saddle, roasted scallop, smoked mousseline
Chablis, Vieilles Vignes 2012
Firm yet fleshy Chablis from a plot planted in 1947. Better than many a premier cru. Superb in 2012.
Branzino, mushroom – parmesan canneloni, celery sauce
Chablis 1er Cru, "Cote de Lechet" 2012
Bright, pale yellow. Good thrust to the aromas of citrus and stone fruits, flowers and menthol. Fatter and denser than the Cote de Joan but with more energy as well. The apple and peach flavors show good depth and persistence.
Braised veal, ramps, crimini mushroom, fregola, ricotta
Chablis Grand Cru, "Bougros" 2010
Typical of Grand Cru Bougros, this wine is always supple with a fresh style and a remarkably long finish. Its rich mineral character is balanced with fruity aromas and a hint of honey. Golden green colors with silvery grey highlights. The nose is mentholated, slightly iodized (oyster shell), evolving on notes of crystallized citrus fruits (crystallized orange). The palate mix minerality, salinity, strength, roundness and richness.
DESSERT
Cheese plate with 5 different styles of cheeses and garnitures
Mignardises
Chablis 1er Cru, "Vau de Vey" 2012
100% biodynamic organically grown grapes. Pale golden color. On the nose, a predominately stony character with delicate floral notes. On the palate, elegant fruit with long mineral finish.
2 Year Anniversary and Birthday
After dinner we celebrated with a cake ....
Champagne
.... and Champagne
Thanks
What an event! Thanks!
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Preview: Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Preview: Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015 and 2016)
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux
Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
Winemaker Dinner with Château LAFON-ROCHET Wines and Winemaker Anaïs Maillet at Chef Bart Vandaele’s Hipp B Too Restaurant in Washington DC, US/France
Weingut Gunderloch – The New Generation: Owner Johannes Hasselbach in Washington DC, US
The Wines of Stefanie and Alwin Jurtschitsch, Weingut Jurtschitsch, Kamptal, Austria
Weingut von Hoevel – The New Generation: Max von Kunow in Washington DC, US
Dinner at the Hostellerie des Clos in Chablis (Chef: Michel Vignaud), France
A Feast with Jean Trimbach, Maison Trimbach in Alsace, and Chef Bart M. Vandaele at B Too in Washington DC, USA/France
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