Open Kitchen's Culinary Buzz

July 2009

Eat

Cook

Entertain

Future Events:
Taste of Falls Church Festival

September 12th
Open Kitchen will be at the "Taste". Look for our booth and have a "taste of Open Kitchen".

Towne Wine Festival in Alexandria-

October 9th - 11th.
Although we won't be an exhibitor at the Olde Towne Wine Festival in Alexandria, we are supporting this year's event with a special offer at the Bistro or Coffee and Tea Bar. Be sure to look for our ad in their souvenir brochure.

Metropolitan Cooking and Entertainment Show. November 7th and 8th.

Chef Bernard and a few of our Chef Instructors -- Robyn Webb, Ann Godfrey and Desiree Jessimy -- will show you how to "Spice Up Your Holidays" at the NORTHEAST BEEF BOARD TASTING & ENTERTAINING WORKSHOPS. In addition, Open Kitchen and a special selection of food businesses producing their goods at our Chef's Timeshare Kitchens will be exhibiting a booth full of locally-made goodies! So, make sure you check us out!

The Making of Open Kitchen

Fold: Dreams, visions, research, and surveys
Simmer: for about a year, gathering feedback and collecting data
Toss in: the key ingredients: The Core Culinary Team along with their experience, inspiration, dedication, and knowledge,
Heat: on medium for yet another year. When lid starts rattling, turn Heat to High
Add: Teamwork, a lot of time, patience and flexibility
Cook: 8 more months -- watching closely to critical details, adapting to changes
Serves: All culinary enthusiasts eager to EAT, COOK and ENTERTAIN

This unique recipe is what sets Open Kitchen apart from being just another new food business coming to the Washington DC Metro marketplace. Our Culinary Space -- where a bistro, cooking studio, chef's timeshare kitchens all come together as one -- takes an ordinary recipe, spiced it up with a passion for innovation, stirred around some creative business ideas, and it's almost ready to be served!

We appreciate your patience as we finish up the details on our new Culinary Space. Think of it as waiting to taste a really good stew that has been simmering so that the flavors of all ingredients blend to a satisfying, comforting meal.

A Look Back at Our Culinary Journey:

"A Home for Open Kitchen" Celebration Party - 2/21/09
With Husband John as her "right-hand" man and Chef Bernard as her "left-hand" man, Hue-Chan invited guests

for an evening to celebrate securing a home for Open Kitchen at the West Metro Plaza in Falls Church. The evening included recipe tasting, introduction of the Core Culinary Team, and presentation of the new facility's floor plan.

Construction Began: March 2009
With all the necessary permits in hand, the sign went up and Chris Gonzalez and his construction team, working closely with David Camalier, of Open Kitchen, began construction of the extensive build out.

i

Tastings: Wines, Breads, Pastries, Cheeses, Teas, etc.
Day and Night Open Kitchen's Core Culinary Team searched and sampled to bring you the best menu items and products from local vendors and purveyors.

From menu and wine tastings to field trips and more... we are excited to share with you, all of our special finds.

In addition to the many visible tasks of creating this Culinary Space, the Core Culinary Team has also been busy with operational tasks of building a new business, equipment shopping excursions, and numerous meetings with Chef Instructors, selecting only the best, to build our team of instructors for our Cooking Classes, which will begin September 14th.

Job Fair
As the opening date quickly approaches, we are looking for dedicated, positive-minded, and experienced individuals in the food business to join and grow with our team. For more information on available positions and details of our Job Fair click here.... You can find us at 7115 Leesburg Pike, Unit 107, Falls Church, VA. Just look for our new sign at Unit 107 in the West Metro Plaza.

Community Involvement:
Open Kitchen is dedicated to being actively involved in supporting our community. From time to time you will see us out and about. Our next event will be the DC Central Kitchen's Alumni Throw-Down. Chef Bernard has been asked to participate as a judge for the event as four teams produce a plated dish vying for the top prize.

Each year DC Central Kitchen gathers its alumni for a competition "Throw Down" between fellow graduates of the program. D.C. Central Kitchen takes pride in their students becoming successful and this is one way to track their progress as they have moved out in to the culinary industry. For date and time visit D.C. Central Kitchen on Facebook.