Lamb Jam 2012

I loved this event. I am a huge lamb fan and this event was fabulous. The lamb dishes, the drinks, the butchering demonstration, and even the cupcakes left me full, content, a bit tipsy, and a bit in awe of the work that went in to planning and executing this event.
Overall, I thought most chefs had prepared the lamb well (i.e., tender and perfectly cooked) and most dishes were tasty. Some were too salty and some had too much going on, but the stand-​outs are below:
Oyamel — Lamb Taco. The lamb was quite tender and had just the right amount of Oaxacan Barbacoa sauce, so the lamb flavor shone. The side accompaniments were minimal, as not to take away from the lamb.
Granville Moore — Smoked Lamb Rillettes on an Edible Cracker Spoon. This dish was severely under-​rated. The lamb was perfectly smoked and had an awesome flavor and the au jus provided that hint of moisture. I loved the crispness that the edible spoon provided.
701 — Marinated Lamb Shoulder with Fava Purée, Grilled Asparagus, Gremolata, Mint Gel. This dish could have had too much going on, but the play on a traditional spring dish of lamb, mint, and asparagus worked well. The shoulder was delicious and the grilled asparagus provided a nice textural contrast. The flavorful mint gel was not too minty and fairly light — just enough to add a spring flavor to the dish.
Bistro 525 — Braised Lamb Shank with Panzanella Salad and Pan-​Seared Polenta. Another dish that really let the lamb shine, with minimal seasoning and just enough tomatoes, olive oil, and polenta. This is a dish I would actually order on a restaurant menu.
Urbana — Lamb Pupusa. While I do not think a pupusa is innately creative, lamb pupusas are rare. As much as I loved this dish, I think a pupusa is basically good anyway you have it. And I’m a huge pupusa fan.
Ps 7s — Pull Apart Lamb Sticky Buns. I was scared to try, but it was really delicious, though it could have gone horribly wrong. The warm, sweet bread meshed well with the flavorful lamb. The bread was soft but still had some firmness to it, which was definitely helped to make the dish «work». The lamb also was a little more cooked (though not overcooked) than some of the other dishes, but I again, I think it had to be for the sticky buns. Plus, the dish was unique and just really fun.
Can’t wait for Lamb Jam 2013!

Not sure there is much else I can contribute here, but I still feel compelled to post a few words in the event that next year someone is on the fence…
GO!
The rents were visiting and am very particular about where I take them. I was borderline interested in the Jam since there are so many great restaurants in DC (IMHO) and only so many nights they’re ever in town. They needed to be impressed!
We totally had a blast! The atmosphere at this event is completely different and I dare say more fun than what we would have found in the hippest, most raved about restaurant and the food just as stellar. Even I, who lean slightly toward veggies when I have the option, can’t say a bad word against the pounds of lamb I inhaled that evening.
A note about the beverages: the wine tastings are just that. Tastings. For me, this was not a concern, since I was going for the lamb and not the wine. In fact, no wine glass in hand left me with more hands for the main attraction, thank you very much! Next time, though? I’d pre-​game with a cocktail. (The beer pours, BTW, are much more generous.)
The market itself was a very appropriate venue for the Jam. The fact that it was being held here certainly made my decision to attend. That said, I do wish they’d had the option to open it up a little more into the street as the flea market does on Sundays with those vendors, as it was a little tricky sometimes to maneuver through the crowds.
To my horror, by around 8pm, a couple of the vendors stationed near the front ran out of food. Ran out! Which means I missed out. But lucky for me, I hit nearly all the others. :)
Ultimately, between the four of us, our favorites were
–PS 7’s pull apart lamb sticky buns
–701’s yogurt marinated lamb shoulder, fava purée, grilled asparagus, geremolata and mint gel
–Vidalia’s smoked barbeque lamb shoulder, lamb bacon, collard greens kimchi, garlic pickles, potato roll
–Ubana’s lamb leg pupusa with queso blanco and lamb tongue curtido
None of us were super into the sausage that seemed to be a hit with everyone else, but I didn’t try it until well into the night and they were scraping the bottom of veggie barrel, which could account for it’s crazy saltiness.
Our parting gift was a lovely Georgetown cupcake. Mine was chocolate and perfectly delightful. One bite and the rest went down the hatch, no saving it for the next morning for me. The hub’s, a red velvet, was a bit dry and not worth the calories. I hear that happens sometimes with velvet.
We used a coupon (buy one, get one half off) = even more fantastic. Wow. And now it’s 11pm and I’m hungry.

There’s not much I can say that hasn’t been said, so I’ll echo everyone else and say that this was a great event. My one complaint is that some of the chefs ran out of food before I got to them, but I was so stuffed at that point, that it wasn’t necessarily a terrible thing. My thoughts on some of the more memorable dishes are…
701’s yogurt marinated lamb shoulder with fava purée, grilled asparagus, gremolata, and mint gel: This was my favorite dish of the night; I loved everything about it. I loved the fava purée, and had to refrain from licking it off my plate. The purée also perfectly complemented both the lamb and the asparagus, both of which were perfectly cooked.
Bibiana’s lamb shoulder stuffed with cacio cavallo and rosemary with arugula and pickled cherry peppers: Another excellent dish. I loved the cacio cavallo and rosemary stuffing, and this dish was a close second for me.
Mad Fox Brewing Company’s barley malt roasted leg of lam with pretzel croustade, spicy apple-​stonefruit compote, lamb jam, and beer juice: This one surprised me most, because I’ve been to Mad Fox before and was thoroughly underwhelmed by the food. This dish, however, was very good. I loved the lamb itself, the sauce, the compote… everything except the big pretzel biscuit-​y sort of thing. That part was dense and awkward to eat with plastic silverware, which is too bad, because I thought the lamb itself was one of the best preparations of the night.
Poste’s lamb loin carpaccio with lamb bits, confit lamb tongue, lamb kidney and lamb heart: this is the dish I was most excited about after reading the descriptions in the program, but it didn’t quite come together. I think it was maybe trying to do too much, and it just sort of overwhelmed itself. I love that Chef Marron used so many of the organs, and I think with a bit of tweaking this could be an amazing dish.
Urbana’s lamb leg pupusa with queso blanco and lamb tongue curtido: I loved this dish, because I love pupusas, but I don’t think it was a particularly good use for the lamb. The slaw and the sauce overpowered the lamb, so it tasted like a standard pupusa to me. Which isn’t a bad thing, unless you’re at an event meant to highlight lamb.
PS7’s pull apart lamb sticky bun: Props to Chef Smith for being so creative, pairing lamb shank with a cinnamon bun. While not my favorite dish, I thought the flavors went surprisingly well together, and it was really fun to eat.
Granville Moore’s smoked lamb rilettes, mint jelly, and fried lemons: I loved how this was served on a crispy edible spoon, and the lamb rilettes were delicious and really melted in your mouth. I’m surprised this dish hasn’t gotten more love than it has.
Bourbon slushees: It’s bourbon. In slushee form. What’s not to love?

I loved the early weekday events because most people were probably still getting over their hangovers while I enjoyed the less crowded traffic and parking except at the Lamb Jam itself that was jam packed! It was not a surprise as everyone raved about last year’s Lamb Jam. I was honored to receive 2 tickets for my entry on Sup Tulang. If I was a chef there I would have made that dish just for kicks!
While my bf was busy chatting with his friends I was running around making sure I tried all the dishes. The event was good cooking was done outdoor with smokers and grills firing away there were plenty of samples honestly I barely made it through all the tables because I was getting full. The indoor hall was where most of the wine and beer was I had to admit I was bias I tried most of the beer and the most talked about bourbon slushy made with an entire bottle of Jefferson’s bourbon! I made it to Boxwood Topiary wine it went well with the lamb.
When it came down to favorites it was tough:
My top three were
Bibiana’s stuffed lamb shoulder — it was most flavorful and interesting to my palate
Belga’s lamb shank — it was cooked perfectly had a balanced flavor and moist
Cava’s lamb shank ravioli — loved the lamb demi with mushrooms and truffle flavor!
My winner was Bibiana’s but I didnt wait for the results I hope they didnt call my name for the draw!
Thank you Unilocal plus Kristin for the chance to experience Lamb Jam 2012! And I love ewe, Lamb.

My fellow Unilocalers have once again beaten me to the punch with their thorough reviews of the Second Annual DC Lamb Jam; however, let me spout my two cents using the template I used from last year’s Lamb Jam review…
The «If I Were A Judge This Would’ve Been the Best in Show»:
Bibiana…Chef Stefanelli did everything right to win the trip to Cali with his Lamb Shoulder stuffed with cacio cavallo & rosemary accompanied by a salad of arugula and pickled cherry peppers. The dish was refined, moist, and beautifully executed. In truth, Chef Sobel’s «Sausage and Peppers», Chef Smith’s Lamb Shank Sticky Bun, and Chef Rodriguez’ Taco de Cordero a la Barbacoa all could’ve taken top honors in my mind and I would’ve embraced the selection. Yet, all were beaten by Chef Critchley and his Lamb Leg Pupusa.
The Inexplicable:
Urbana…Chef Critchley’s aforementioned Lamb Leg Pupusa with queso blanco and lamb tongue curtido won the «Best in Show». I like pupusas and I like lamb. On paper it, the dish read like a winner. However, I did not like this dish. It was a literal and figurative mess. The flavor of the lamb was drowned by the overwhelmingly heavy/​greasy/​soggy pupusa. The result was a one-​note dish that simply missed. Apparently, the judges must’ve gotten a much different (and better) pupusa than what I received.
The «A Bridge Too Far»:
PS7’s…Chef Smith’s Lamb Shank Sticky Bun was sublime and easily the boldest dish of the day. I love it when chefs challenge the diner with food that breaks culinary paradigms. Taking tender, savory lamb shank and marrying it up with a hot cinnamon bun was inspired! Unfortunately, I think that many (including the judges) just didn’t get it! The fact that this exceedingly satisfying dish didn’t take the Lamb Shank category may not be surprising, but I applaud the audacity to shake things up in a delicious way.
The «What a Shame» (tie):
Sparkman Cellars should find a new wine rep since the one they had at Lamb Jam had apparently sipped a LOT of the sauce before (and perhaps during) the event. He did a major disservice to the winery for being so tipsy that he couldn’t say anything about the wines he was pouring. Still, the Sparkman Syrah was big and bold and paired nicely with the variety of lamb dishes to be had. At least he didn’t spill it all over me or the gf!
Me…I gave up two minutes of my life that I’ll never get back to take my ticket to the Georgetown Cupcake booth to get my «mystery» cupcake, which turned out to be a small, dry chocolate cupcake topped with an über-​sweet Smurf blue icing. I took one bite, felt my tongue go numb from the sugary sweetness and dry from the sponge of a cupcake, and promptly said, «I’ve had enough». I can’t believe anyone would stand in line for 45 minutes and pay more than a dollar for this overrated piece of empty calories.
In my mind, Lamb Jam Part Deux was even better than the inaugural event. It remains the area’s best bargain for a food event of this kind based on price (especially with all of the discounted tickets), the quantity and quality of food, and the top-​notch adult beverages. Who doesn’t love bourbon slushies and most anything made by Gina Chersevani? I only wish they would’ve brought back more Washington State wines like Smasne Cellars. Regardless, I can’t wait for the Third Annual DC Lamb Jam!

DC Lamb Jam turned out to be a fantastic sequel. The participation of the chefs were outstanding. The Eastern Market North Hall venue was a bit too hot with the crowd inside, but the outdoor tents for the food stations were perfectly enjoyable.
Working my way from Chef Brian McPherson of Jackson20 to Ed Witt of 701 at the other end, I enjoyed every fare offered. Congratulations to all the chefs who participated. They were all exemplary. My favorite stand out was chef Adam Sobel’s lamb sausage. Outstanding flavors in each bite. The most unique was PS7 chef Peter Smith’s lamb sticky bun. That was a close second. The sweet and savory mix was really excellent. Chef Nick Stefanelli of Bibiana presented an awesome lamb shoulder wrapped in lamb bacon. Chef Bart Vandaele of Belga Café had a heart warming stew that had lamb braised in trappist beer. I could eat an entire pot on a cold evening. Chef Brian McPherson of Jackson 20 had a perfectly grilled lamb loin saddle that was oh-​so succulent. And Poste Moderne Brasserie chef Dennis Marron offered exquisite lamb carpaccio with confit lamb tongue, fried lamb kidney and lamb heart. The flavors of the offal were beautifully balanced.
Along with the aforementioned chef’s I’m definitely bookmarking Ici Urban Bistro to try out chef Franck Loquet’s new menu.

I heard about the 2011 Lamb Jam event from a Unilocal «review of the day» by Antonio M. After reading it, I immediately searched for when and where the 2012 event was happening, and put it on my calendar. I went with a friend, and was fortunate enough to find a discount code for 50% off a 2^nd ticket (don’t wait til the last minute to get your 2013 tickets – they were sold out the morning of).
All of the lamb dishes were excellent. Obviously some were better than others, but that is of course personal taste. My two favorites were the Bourbon Steak lamb sausage (very similar to boer wors, which I love) and PS 7 lamb sticky buns (the sweet and savory combination was amazing). I ended up voting for the buns (who doesn’t love buns?). The smoked lamb in the edible spoon (I forget where that came from) was very basic, but really tasty – I might have to smoke a leg of lamb myself sometime. On the other hand, I felt the Oyamel and Urbana offerings allowed the corn in the taco and pupusa, respectively, to overpower the wonderful flavor of the lamb. The other dishes were kind of what you’d expect out of these restaurants – something I’d be happy to eat at their establishment, but not quite as outstanding in creativity and flavor as my favorites.
Inside, there were also several vineyards and breweries offering samples of their wares. I don’t do beer (blech!), so can’t comment on those, but the wines were excellent. I was particularly impressed by the Milbrandt Vineyards’ cabernet sauvignon – like a hand grenade of flavor going off in your mouth! Gina Chersevani’s bourbon slushies were also very tasty.
I picked up some lamb swag, but passed on the lamb rub «bar» because I prefer to use fresh ingredients in my lamb rubs. Similarly, I saw the setup for the lamb butchery demo, but since my friend seemed a bit squeamish about seeing it, and I was shortly to turn into a pumpkin, I didn’t stick around for the actual demo. Also, I have no real use for knowing how to butcher a lamb – I’ve roasted whole lambs on a spit, and dismembering a roasted beastie is a bit different than going all Dexter on a fresh critter.
I couldn’t bear to stuff the cupcake into my mouth at the event (or I might have had to roll myself home), so I took it to go and ate it after the metro ride home an hour later, and it was certainly tasty, although I can never understand why bakers always put so much damn frosting on cupcakes.
I can’t say enough about this event, and plan to return in 2013. Thank you Antonio M. for the excellent 2011 review, otherwise I may never have heard of Lamb Jam!

They killed it once again! After a slam-​dunk showing last year I vowed to make a return visit to the Lamb Jam! Changing venues from the basement of a hotel to the spacious and airy Eastern Market, mother nature did us a big favor by clearing the skies just minutes before plating started! An amazing evening accented the TONS OF LAMB! LAAAAAMMMMBBB! Braised, slow cooked, medium and sausaged, shoulders to tongue and ohhh how it just kept on coming! I’m proud to be a D.C. resident and to see our local chiefs bring their best interpretation to lamb. There was some killers (Belga Café with their truffle mashed potato-froth…ZOMG!) and some not so great takes, but with all the kind and hard working chefs never loosing their smiles or cool while the crazed patrons hovered over them, everyone deserves a pat on the back this year. The mood was pleasant before turning bleary-​eyed with meat-​comas, and joyful after the bourbon slushies (HOT DAMN)! I’m proud to say I made it through every tasting (by which I mean restaurant sized servings the size of a baby fist) as well as every wine booth (skipped the beer this year… no space). I laughed, I cried (tears of pure lamb jus) and then I had a cup cake (how did I fit that thing)! I’ll be skipping the next three meals this week until I remember how it feels to be hungry again… then immediately start fantasizing about next year’s Jam! BEST DEAL IN TOWN!
Never change and please don’t ‘sell out’!!
LAMB!
p.s.
Funny aside, one of the wine vendors was so sloshed 1 hour into the Jam he had to close up shop! I WANT HIS JOB!!!

For $ 37 (25% off code, FTW!), this was a stellar event. Three hours of all-​you-​can eat lamb prepared by some of DC’s top chefs; all-​you-​can-​drink wine, locally brewed beer (Mad Fox, Heavy Seas, Port City), and bourbon slushies; free spice mixtures; a Georgetown cupcake; and a butchering demo. Wow!
My favorites:
Leg:
Barley roasted leg with apple compote on top of a pretzel croustade. A nice salty, sweet, and meaty combo. (Andrew Dixon/​Mad Fox)
Shank:
Lamb sticky buns. So unique! (Peter Smith/​PS7)
Shoulder:
Tie between the BBQ lamb with collard greens kimchi and garlic pickles (Hamilton Johnson/​Vidalia) and the lamb sausage with peppers and fried onions (Adam Sobel/​Bourbon Steak). Although come to think of it, the stuffed lamb was also really tasty (Nick Stefaneli/​Bibiana).
Loin:
I’m sad to say that ¾ of the loin dishes were sold out by the time I made it to this end of the tent. Based on the tasty lamb tongue (all that was left to try), I’d imagine it would have been the lamb carpaccio paired with the tongue, kidney, and heart. (Dennis Marron/​Poste)
Must eat faster next time!

18 chefs in the flesh competing for top Lambic honors? More-​than-​ample tastes of wine, beer, and various cocktails? A live band? A live-​action lamb butchering? Plus a free cupcake at evening’s end? I can think of no better way to spend my monday night.
Lamb doggy was my absolute favorite.
Vanilla cupcake was outstanding!

DC’s 2012 Lamb Jam was an overwhelming success! This year’s location was in the historical Eastern Market with famous area chef cooking and serving up their succulent offerings in an unpredictable outdoor setting. The food was phenomenal and the beer and wine vendors inside Eastern Market were quite generous.
I had the opportunity to see many of my fellow DC Unilocalers who happily hugged or shook my hand… making me feel like such a rockstar! Loved seeing everyone and especially enjoyed all the tasty lamb vittles served up by some of the DMV’s finest chefs! I truly felt like I was part of a «Top Chef» episode where all of the best local area chef were trying to impress all us local area eaters with their superb offerings. I especially enjoyed the lamb sausage created by Chef Adam Sobel of Burbon and the amazing lamb pupusas conjured up by Chef John Critchley of Urbana (who I believe ended up winning the People’s choice and overall award). Way to go Chef John Critchley!
To all the other AMAZING chefs thank you SO much for all of the amazing food and for being part of this year’s DC Lamb Jam.
I really can’t wait to see what the 2013 Lamb Jam has to offer and hope it makes it way back to the indoor venue similar to the 2011 Lamb Jam. Will definitely buy tix for next year’s event.
Oh, BTW… major «Boooos» for Georgetown Cupcake for being such sticklers about not giving out their cupcakes. A fellow friend who didn’t have their ticket wanted a cupcake and despite it being so close to closing time (and having a mountain of leftover cupcakes on their table), they refused to give up a cupcake. Boo hiss boo! You guys are the reason for the –1 star of such a 5 star event!
Yet another reason for me to take my cupcake loving fata** to Baked and Wired or some other non-​reality TV craved cupcake establishment.
Fat boy… out! :-)