Signature Dish

Host Seth Tillman heads to BRASA, a Spanish restaurant offering grilled meats on an open fire. There, Chef Rubén García showcases the process of making butifarra, a simple sausage consisting of pork, salt, and pepper. Seth joins in on the sausage-making process, learning the steps from grinding the meat to stuffing the casings. Chef Rubén emphasizes the importance of quality ingredients.

Seth dives into a flavorful exploration of one of the hottest current food trends: urban food halls, where diners can find dishes to satisfy any palate. First stop: Puddin’ at Union Market in DC for chicken and beef sausage gumbo. Brentwood, MD's Mush offers the vegan banh mi izzit sandwich. In downtown DC at The Square, Brasa crafts handmade butifarra sausage.

Seth Tillman heads to MUSH DC, a Vegan Restaurant in miXt food hall in Brentwood, MD where chef and co-owner Tarik Frazier introduces a unique vegan take on the classic Banh Mi sandwich. The sandwich is assembled with sesame sriracha sauce, house-made pickles, and fried oyster mushrooms. Chef Tarik also creates a flavorful slaw with cabbage, red onion, mint, ginger, and cilantro.

Host Seth Tillman heads to PUDDIN', a restaurant in DC's Union Market. There, chef and owner Toyin Allin shows how to make her unique take on gumbo, which combines chicken and beef sausage with smoked ground shrimp, okra, and sassafras for thickening. She explains the historical influences behind the New Orleans' food, incorporating elements from both West African and American cuisines.

Seth Tillman visits Yanzi Noodle House in Fairfax, VA for the one-of-a-kind luosifen (noodle soup flavored with snails). The preparation involves a multitude of ingredients and steps, including cooking the snails in a wok with various seasonings. The snails are then added to a rich stock made from beef and pork bones, which has been simmering for over eight hours.

Seth Tillman stops by Northwest Chinese Food in College Park, Maryland to sample their Rou jia mo (Chinese hamburger). Chef Hua begins by preparing the dough for the buns, forming them into small towers and baking them to perfection. Meanwhile, she cooks the beef filling until it's tender and flavorful, ready to be chopped and seasoned.

Host Seth Tillman takes a flavorful journey through Chinese cuisine, beginning at Columbia Heights’ Queen’s English with a standout crispy whole red snapper. Rou jia mo (Chinese hamburger) is in the spotlight at Northwest Chinese Food in College Park, MD. The final stop is at Yanzi Noodle House in Fairfax, VA for the one-of-a-kind luosifen (noodle soup flavored with snails).

Seth Tillman samples a standout crispy whole red snapper at Queen’s English in Columbia Heights. Chef and co-owner Henji Cheung de-bones the fish and then coats it in a light breading mixture of rice flour, cornstarch, and spices. As the fish fries, Henji prepares the chili sauce in the smoking hot wok, using lemongrass, red bell pepper, ginger, and garlic.

Seth Tillman visits Bastille, a French restaurant in Alexandria, VA, where chefs Christophe and Michelle Poteaux demonstrate how to prepare magret de canard, the moulard duck breast.

Explore the rich tapestry and traditions of French gastronomy with host Seth Tillman. First stop: Chez Billy Sud in Georgetown, for oeufs en meurette (eggs in a red wine sauce). In DC’s NoMa neighborhood, Le Clou blends tradition with modernity in their ris de veau (sweetbreads basted in brown butter). Bastille in Old Town, Alexandria, offers up a magret de canard (slow-seared Moullard duck)

Seth Tillman heads to Le Clou, an upscale French restaurant in D.C.'s NoMa neighborhood, where chef Nicholas Stefanelli shows how to cook ris de veau. Sweetbread — the thymus gland from a calf — is a central ingredient of Le Clou's ris de veau, a delicious French food. Nick explains his method of soaking sweetbreads overnight, then boiling and roasting them in brown butter with garlic and herbs.

Seth Tillman visits Chez Billy Sud, a Georgetown French restaurant where chef Brendan L’Etoile demonstrates how to make a Burgundian dish called oeuf en meurette, featuring a red wine sauce made with pinot noir.