Salon Cocktail And Food Pairings Take Flight At Rogue 24!

NORTHWEST -- Riding a sea of good press (and an overflowing reservation book) since it first opened its doors at the end of July, Chef RJ Cooper’s Rogue 24 is preparing to further expand its engagement with D.C. diners tomorrow, through the launch of a unique series of cocktail and food pairing flights inside the restaurant’s lounge area.

Foie Gras (smoked vanilla/lavender/huckleberry).
With only 14-seats available and no reservations required, Rogue 24’s intimate lounge is designed as a more casual approach to the venue’s innovative and signature small plates. Foodies are treated to the same interactive culinary ‘journey’ as the main dining room’s guests, albeit with only three instead of 24 stops along the way.

Urchin (squid ink/seaweed/clamato/sea air).
Each flight is accompanied by a cocktail or spirit hand-picked and custom-created by renown D.C. mixologist Derek Brown, of The Passenger and Columbia Room fame, along with the help of Rogue 24’s own Beverage Director and General Manager, JP Fetherston, and Lead Bartender Bryan Tetorakis.

The kitchen and beverage teams at Rogue 24 gather for an impromptu brainstorming session.
Obviously, each dish on the lounge’s new menu comes meticulously and artistically crafted by the restaurant’s talented kitchen staff, including Chef de Cuisine Ryan Moore and Sous Chef Mikey Maksimowicz. Indeed, the centrally-located kitchen itself serves as a grand culinary stage of sorts for everyone to observe.

Ossetra Caviar (cauliflower/apple/cider bubbles) is paired with the foie gras.
But, what might not be equally transparent, are the behind-the-scenes efforts that goes into each paired beverage. Forget for a second about the homemade syrups and high-end spirits that line Rogue 24’s back bar area. Instead, concentrate on the surrounding shiny, high-tech toys.

Nantucket Bay Scallops (avocado/serrano/grapefruit).
For example, take the expensive sous-vide machine tucked away in Rogue 24’s hidden prep area. Once the exclusive tool of Michelin-rated restaurants, Brown and Fetherston now make easy use of the water oven to carefully cook garnishes (e.g., oranges).

Lead Bartender Bryan Tetorakis prepares a mixture for Rogue 24's rotary evaporator.
An even better example is the restaurant’s shiny $5,000 rotary evaporator that sits just next to the front entrance. Perhaps more at home in a university laboratory than a high-end restaurant, Rogue 24 readily applies such German engineering to its beverage menu, by transparently infusing (NOT distilling mind you) ingredients into intensely flavorful liquids.

Imperial Arrack Punch Cocktail (Batavia Arrack, Meyer Lemon, Perfumed Ice).
Without a doubt, tomorrow’s launch of the Rogue 24 salon’s new food and cocktail flights will allow D.C.’s gourmands to soar to new heights!