Bethesda chef Ashish Alfred has been chosen to prepare a meal at James Beard House in New York City for the Dec. 20 James Beard Foundation Dinner.
Alfred is owner of Alfred Restaurant Group and is cooking at his most recent addition, Duck Duck Goose, at 7929 Norfolk Ave. in Bethesda. Alfred also owns George’s Chophouse in Bethesda and another Duck Duck Goose in Baltimore.
Chefs are invited to display their skills at the annual dinner based on national reputation, excellence in a particular discipline and use of high-quality ingredients, according to a news release from On the Marc Media. The event is limited to 80 paid guests who are served hors d’oeuvres and a five-course meal.
“Cooking at the Beard House is really a dream come true for me,” Alfred said in a statement. “It’s an amazing honor to be invited to such a center of culinary achievement and share my best work with an intimate group of discerning guests — all the more so because we’ll be together in the heart of the holiday season.”
Alfred said menu will be “French Flair,” and include items based on his favorite Duck Duck Goose selections. The chef trained at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan.
Construction halted at South Street Steaks
South Street Steaks in Bethesda has been closed since mid-July after a truck damaged a wall and a stop-work order has been issued by Montgomery County.
Construction at 4856 Cordell Ave. had been going on recently to repair a wall that had been damaged when a truck drove through it, but that process is paused until the county lifts the order.
The head of construction in late November said work on the exterior wall was only a few days from being completed at the time of the crash. He estimated the necessary interior remodeling would take a few weeks because of damage to a gas line. The crew had to fill the interior with electric heaters to keep pipes from freezing because the gas line damage affected the heating system.
A post on the restaurant’s Facebook page from July 16 said they were temporarily closed due to an accident and would open as soon as repairs were completed.
The stop-work order was first reported by Robert Dyer.
