Food Truck Fridays @ Quench

I have not been a good blogger.

I think everyday about how I need to sit down and write about some food stuff, keep my culinary exploration growing, but I just can't seem to find the time!
Working at Quench these past three months has been such an amazing experience- an eye-opener for sure.

One thing that I'm in charge of, as the Special Events Planner, is something that the owner, Michael Holstein, has had in mind for the restaurant since he started out- Food Truck Fridays.

The idea is to bring the Food Trucks that frequent DC out to suburbia to serve their food to our customers. Most people who live and work in Montgomery County never even get the opportunity to check these trucks out. So we decided to give them that chance!

Every Friday, a different truck visits the restaurant from the hours of 4-6pm. They set up in our parking lot, private property so there is no license concern. They tweet, we tweet, we all try to get the word out there.

I know what you're thinking- Quench is a restaurant- why would you invite a Food Truck to try and make money on your property and time? The reasons are threefold:

1. We want to create and maintain relationships with these trucks. Most restaurants think of food trucks as competition- we want them to be our friends. Mutual promotion and support can only benefit all parties involved.

2. The restaurant usually opens at 5:00pm. Fridays, since we open an hour early for this event, the trucks get a full hour to be the only food service. We want them to serve their food and shuffle the guests inside to order drinks. It works for everyone!

3. We want to try the Food Trucks, too! There are so many different kinds of trucks, various cuisines, tasty treats- it's so nice to be able to taste and support them all.

Our first week we had the Cravin' Cookies and Sweets Truck. The owner, Valerie, is one of the sweeter women I've worked with. It makes sense that her cupcakes are moist, creamy, and delicious. She has been back a few times and plans on visiting again soon. 

A satisfied customer!

The Staff loves Food Truck Friday! 

The next week, we had Pino's Auto Grill, an Italian Food Truck run by two very nice men. The meatball marinara was amazing!

The week after Pino's we had a different cupcake truck, Cupcake Blvd. Different flavors, different "truck-feel," same Food Truck Fun! The owner, Angelette, figured out an amazing way to drive up onto the back of our patio, making it so easy for our customers to order from her! 

Angelette started a Food Truck Friday trend by driving up to our patio!

 The most recent truck was of royal status: The Bratwurst King! He drove all the way from Reston, VA to be with us for a few hours. Needless to say, he specializes in bratwurst, but his sides (red cabbage, potato salad, etc) were also a big hit! HIs truck was big too!

We've got tons more trucks coming out to Quench. I've booked trucks through September! Go the the Quench website for the schedule or check it out here:

Friday, August 3: Captain Cookie and the Milkman

    Twitter: @captaincookiedc

Friday, August 10: Kababji Grill
    Twitter: @KababjiUSA

Friday, August 17: The Corned Beef King
    Twitter: @CornedBeefKing

Friday, August 24: Hardy's BBQ

Friday, August 31: Mighty Dog & Acai
    Twitter: @MightyDogAcai

Friday, September 7: Red Hook Lobster Pound
    Twitter: @Redhooklobster

Friday, September 14: Bayou Bros
    Twitter: @BayouBros

Friday, September 21: Top Dog Truck
    Twitter: @TopDogTruck

Friday, September 28: Cap Mac DC
    Twitter: @CapMacDC

Friday, October 5: Fire & Rice
    Twitter: @eatFireNRice

I'll be sure to update with pics and descriptions as more trucks come visit us for Happy Hour!

   

Quench Mixology 101

Last Monday night, July 9, was the first of (hopefully) many Mixology classes held at Quench. 

Through the website Certifikid, we sold tickets for the class to the public. 
For $45 a person, guests were able to come in and:
1. Taste some of Quench's NBLZ (nibbles) and SNX (snacks)
2. Watch our master mixologist, Matt, create, explain and sample some cocktails (including one of our top sellers, the Honey Badger!)
3. Pair up and go behind the bar to create their own special cocktail. Each pair used our bar ingredients to create the cocktail of their dreams. Each pair had their cocktail judged and scored, and the winner got to have their drink featured on the restaurant's menu!


So here is how the evening went:
We set the bar up for our guests, 14 people who had bought their tickets online. Some had been to the restaurant, some were checking it out for the first time. 
Upon arrival, guests were offered our Cracky Snack and Cracklin' Pork NBLZ. 


Matt, Master Mixologist, started with two traditional cocktails: The Aviation and Satan's Soul Patch. 


The Aviation is a classic drink made with Gin, Maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice. History of the beverage and interesting information regarding the ingredients followed, but I wouldn't want to give any details away- you'll just have to come learn for yourself!
Served in a martini glass, the pale yellow drink becomes a beautiful work of art with the addition of the crème de violette, which falls to the bottom to create a swirl of colors. That's me enjoying the larger version created during the demonstration (someone had to drink it!): 

Guests got a taste of their own, of course, as Matt prepared samples of each cocktail for them:

Next Matt showed the guests, becoming quick friends at this point, how to create Satan's Soul Patch. We all had a good laugh at the name, then Matt told us about the very interesting Prohibition-era history of the drink. 

Though not my type of beverage, one could see why this is a popular drink, particularly among male drinkers. It consists of Bourbon, both sweet and dry vermouth, orange juice, Grand Marnier, and orange bitters. Matt told us about the flammable nature of the acid in citrus, and gave us a little demonstration of how he uses this to his advantage when garnishing the cocktail.                        

At this point, it was time for some more food. We served our guests the Roasted Asparagus with Romesco Sauce and one of our menu items that changes daily, the Bread and Spread. Today guests got to taste our Challah roll with Pimento-Cheese Spread. Yum! Later they got to taste our Charm City Cookies- a take on Berger Cookies with a coconutty spin!

The final drink Matt demonstrated was one he created. 

Since we opened in May, there have been a few drinks that have blown up in terms of popularity and really helped make us special. One of these is the Honey Badger*. 

*This drink is found in the "Ourz" section of the menu. 

Cocktails are separated by "Ourz"- ones created in house and found nowhere else- and "Theirz"- cocktails inspired by traditional ones, with our own little Quench twist. We also have sections for "Skinniez", "Wake-up" and "C-sonal" sections. See our drink menu for more details* 

The Honey Badger is a wonderful amalgamation of pepper-infused Tequila, lime juice, ginger beer, and honey, with a dash of beet juice and a pickled beet as garnish. While this may sound off-putting, it is important to remember that creating a cocktail is an art. There is a delicate balance of flavors found in any well-prepared beverage, and this crazy concoction is no different. The flavors are there, but not at all overpowering. This is definitely a drink worth trying, even if you don't like Tequila, spicy drinks, or beet juice. 

And then came the best part: the competition. Guests got into pairs and took turns going behind the bar to create and name their own cocktails. Each drink was judged by myself, the owner, and Marci, who works for Certifikid. 

Stacy and Jennifer created the "Zombie Apocalypse"

Becca and Elliot came up with the "Wyatt Slurp", while AJ mixed up a "Tito's Punch" for us

Carolyn and Julia had fun creating their drink, with a very precarious name, which I will not divulge to the general public!

The winning drinks- it was a tie- came from Michele and Steven, who concocted a drink they call "Thai Me Up", and Becca and Elliott. Both pairs will have their drinks featured on our menu for a while. Imagine bringing your friends into Quench, ordering them a drink, and saying "I made that!"

All in all, it was a great night. We plan on doing this again, for sure. Our next Mixology Class is scheduled for Monday, July 16 at 8:00pm. At the time of this post, there no more tickets available, but stay tuned. There will be more. 

We also plan to offer this night of libation and fun as a private event. Guests can invite friends and tailor the menu to their liking. It's great for Bachelor and Bachelorette parties, showers, birthdays and anything your heart desires. Email me at Dianasaraash@gmail.com for details!

Don't forget- we're open for brunch on Sundays now and starting August 1, we start serving lunch! 

Hope to see you at Quench!  

Welcome to Quench Nation!

Tuesday, May 22 in the year 2012, something changed in the city of Rockville, MD. 

The long-awaited Quench restaurant opened it's doors. 

The restaurant, located in the Traville Gateway shopping center right off of Shady Grove Road, is the brainchild of Michael Holstein. 

The idea was to bring "crafted cocktails, creative cuisine, and laid-back luxury" to the current generation of "people whose days of buckets of beer and 'sex-on-the-beach shooters' are in their rearview mirror." 

Michael created a team of all-stars to help achieve his goal for the perfect urban, neighborhood bar. He and his cohorts pulled together their wealth of knowledge and created the perfect concept, menu, and environment. 

Now, you know me, I'm all about the food. I could describe the decor, or try to give you the feeling, through words, that you might get when you walk into the restaurant. But my strength comes from the food part of the business. That's why I got a job in the kitchen. For the past  month, I've been employed as a prep cook. Being part time gives me the luxury of learning and preparing food, as well as enjoying the food during service hours. 

I'd like to share some of the drinks and dishes I've enjoyed at Quench.  

First and foremost, Quench identifies itself as a cocktail bar. The bar managers, along with the other team leaders, have come up with an innovative and unique menu with tastes to please every palate. Going clockwise from the top left corner:

• Flying Dog Under Dog Atlantic Lager; Flying Dog Brewery, based in Frederick, MD, has been gaining popularity in the artisan and private-owned restaurant scene. This beer, along with the Dale's Pale Ale, National Bohemian, and many others, can be found at Quench. All beers are "served in cold cans, because Mother Nature prefers cans to bottles." 
• Peppered Mango;  this is a true testament to the genius possessed by the bar managers. Its a blend of citrus vodka, cayenned mango puree, lemon juice, and honey. It is the perfect combination of sweet, tart, spicy, cold and smooth. And alcohol. This drink is my personal favorite, I just can't get enough. 
• Smoked scotch. That is all. 
• Quench Cocktail; I like to call this our "gateway cocktail." It's first on the menu, it has the name of the restaurant in the title, and it's a perfect gateway to the rest of the cocktail menu. Light and refreshing, this drink consists of 42 Below vodka, simple syrup, Rishi peach blossom tea, pomegranate liqueur, and passion fruit pate de fruit. Yum!

Again, clockwise from the left:

• Latkes; potatoes and local radishes, topped with light buttermilk creme fraiche. A nice little nibble with bold, fresh flavors and a little nod to the Jewish heritage of many locals. 
• House Made Burrata; a burrata is fresh Italian cheese in the form of a ball. Ours is mozzarella with ricotta, served with tomato confit and fresh herbs. The flavor is so fresh and subtle, yet deliciously bold and creamy. 
• Classic DC Wings; served with "Mumbo Sauce." Crispy, juicy, tangy. And good lookin'. 

Melon Panzanella Salad; Watermelon, arugula, goat cheese, and cornbread croutons, dressed with buckwheat honey and olive oil. This salad is beautiful to look at and delicious.












Other menu items include:

Homemade "Twinkie" of the Day! (This one's Red Velvet!)

Yummy, fresh Corn Beignets (or "Hushpuppies", depending on where you are)

Homemade Pickles!

And so much more!

Please stop by, bring your friends and your appetite! We are open for dinner (5:00 pm) Tuesday-Sunday.

For more information, check out the Quench Website or to read what people are saying, go to our Yelp! page. 

Hope to see you soon!

Here's a picture of me making the pierogies of the day