Hi, this is George Worrell host of Neighborhood Favorites.

I'm excited to be starting a ne of Neighborhood Favorites, to be all of the wonderful new busine in the District of Columbia and Today we are on Marion Berry Ave and we're going to a wonderful p called Saquidillas Saquidillas is a wonderful Carib Come on, let's go inside and see what they have for us.

Oh, hey, how are you?

Oh my goodness.

How are you?

Good to.

See you Good to see welcome to Saquidill Thank you.

I've heard so much about this pl Take me on a tour.

Oh my gosh.

This building was built in the 1 Okay We're standing in historic Anaco So what a gift.

To be able to build out a space Barry Avenue.

Very, very, I don't know.

Mayor Barry used to call me Samanthia, and I got so tired of trying to correct him.

I was like, sir, you know who I That's okay.

Call me whatever yo I thought that was.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, you know.

So here we are.

So this mural was designed by ou artist Brian Bailey.

It features elements from Guyana And, of course, you have the map but also the flag embedded.

Me plotting maypole.

My mom's home where our family's for over 100 years.

But this is the lower level of the restaurant.

Okay.

So when you walk in here, peopl feel the warmth with the colors.

But the chair is kind of reflect of the Caribbean.

One of my best friends, Amanu Ma Yeah.

Did you choose the wood?

I did, I chose all the wood.

Upstairs, when we go upstair we have some live edge wood tabl Okay.

You know, just wanted to make t feel like home when you come in.

Okay.

And so we eat most, you know, with our eyes first, then we smell, then we taste.

So we activate all the senses.

From the time you hit the door.

So that means it has to look app So look appetizing first.

No That's wonderful.

It's spacious, but yet intimate.

So that's great.

And what I understand, too, is that you have an upstairs.

We have an Upper level.

Can we see.

That?

Absolutely.

And but, you know, we've had com corporate buyouts of the restau because we can hold so many peop So people want to buy out, you know, upper level.

Lower level So it's really a multi-functiona And you know what?

When I looked online, I was told that there's a parking lot just a half a bloc and that you, you guys valet.

We validate the parking.

Okay.

If you put in 13, excuse me, 12 S street of the address, it take right to that open parking lot and we validate for up to two ho Love it.

Let's go upstairs.

Yes.

So I'm looking forward to all of and the tour.

But tell me what this summer tel Oh, it is a succulent fruit I found in the Caribbean and Jam Colony spring.

And my favorite fruit growing up So when I thought about a name for the restaurant writing that business plan in 19 It's like I miss home.

And that made me feel so comfortable and happy.

So every day I say soundless.

I feel like I'm home.

This feels like home.

Oh yeah.

Like, you know, you and I talked but the furnishing and these are all of my palette But this is amazing that we can and your guests can come and sit and have a meal and feel like ho That's intentional.

It is intentional.

In the Caribbean, we have a ver you know, like, easy vibe someti And in America everything is so rushed, includi Okay.

And so I wanted to create a spac where people can enjoy a really beautiful meal have some champagne, craft cockt But I don't want to leave just y So we transition them to this sp Or on a Friday night when we have our DJ here.

Okay.

And it is bumping.

It's like this, you know, you d want to sit down at a table to d So I was a little selfish.

And I designed what I like.

Okay.

When I worked with my interior too, she was like, send me inspi Literally, I was like, this is m So green.

Yeah.

Where the chairs.

Yeah.

This mustard and I love this pl modern and vintage and keeping t Exposed wall.

brick.

Exposed.

Yeah.

And it's roomy, so you can.

Yeah Have a function.

Here.

Wow.

I am looking forward to si and tasting some of this fabulou Shall we?

We can't wait.

Let's do it.

Let's head down to the kitchen and see what head Chef Tiffany is preparing for us.

We are at one of the favorite sp in this episode.

We're here with Chef Tiffany in the kitchen.

Let's talk about how this all ha you and what you're doing here.

So when did you start cooking?

So I started technically cooking I would say at four.

Okay.

As a young child of Guyanese im parents, we flipped the rotis on Something called a tawa Like a, I guess you would say like a Mexican tortilla.

Okay But we didn't really have a choi You got to do what your parents But you loved it.

It's been a love affair.

So how was it running a big kitc for a restaurant?

Yo, you're a black woman.

How is that for you?

I feel for you.

It feels amazing I want to be the reason that we Michelin starred, east of the ri So I just want to make sure tha you know, it matches up to the f the passion, the culinary expertise and the that we're putting out from here Wonderful.

And I saw you choppin What are you doing here?

What is So we're making something which favorite dish of Guyanese parent Something called pumpkin, pumpkin and shrimp.

Curried pumpkin has coconut milk Curry powder.

We mix our curry powde because Indians make the best cu Don't tell nobody else.

Okay?

But, we mix our curry.

It has coconut milk and some tim some nice earthy, herbs.

And then a little piece of spice a little sweet, a little spicy.

Okay.

Do you eat it with roti?

that thing that I was talking ab Okay.

do you think is telling a story in your food?

Absolutely.

Okay.

I think that's the whole point o Of course we need it for sustena But when i when you put a bite of that roti with that shrim and that dried shrimp in your mo is the experience it takes me back to me being a l So do you experimen because I know you create the me when I think about what I woul want to eat if I went out to a r if even with brunc being a big deal in the DC area.

I have something on my menu called a cruffle.

A cruffle Pretty much.

It's a croissant waffle, and it's something that, you kn people never heard of that befor but when they eat it they want it again to begin agai So we're going to step out of yo because you prepared some things for us to taste and you got to get ready for bru Definitely.

So thank you for time for showin I am just amazed and honored for young, black, doing your thing.

Thank you.

All right.

I am excite about what we're going to have t Me too.

I am a training shift.

Trained in my mom's kitchen and my grandmother.

So a lot of these items on the menu are legacy recipe that we elevated and really want And showcase and, on our own.

And, of course, the dynamism of Chef Tiffany and So you there's nothing like that ever consumed before.

Okay.

But it's it's.

Wow.

This is amazing.

So let's.

Before I dig in, let's get some.

Let's talk about what we have.

Yeah.

So start here.

So this is our kale salad with cilantro crema.

And Tiffany like she doe not like to do any sauce from a And so her French training that really elevate our source is our dressing okay.

So you'll see tha and taste that in the cilantro.

Wonderful crema.

These grits.

Th This is our famous shrimp and gr with a seafood nage okay.

So we love to when you think of and how in America, you know, and just the Carib, the just the diaspora, we see fo show up in all types of ways.

Grits is very traditional.

But you come to Ghana, you got to have a meme, right?

And we cook with maize.

And so we really want it to just You're going to taste some ginge lots of garli and of course tomatoes to top it But I'm tastin you know grits can be bland.

Yes It's not.

This is good.

What is this?

This looks so good.

Delightful This is a chicken and crossing.

Okay.

So we don't like, regular.

So when Tiffany and I talking, she's like, let's do a cross.

Well that's like shifting what is a c And she explained that it was a a hybrid of a croissant waffle.

I'm like okay.

Yeah.

So we put our own mix and spices And so this has flavor.

It has flavor And it's served with a blueberry It's really a berry.

But so it's blueberries blackberries, raspberries a comp So I never made, like waffles and pancakes for my kids serving regular sirup.

I always made a very compote.

And we then took it further and infusing it with the Guyanese ru El Dorado rum.

And of course topped with a beautiful fried chicken thigh.

And you know berries to make sur that we feel in our head that we are having something hea And of course this is the pumpki You have two teaspoons.

So roti is an umbrella okay.

And under rot you have all different types of So this is parotta roti or bust and pumpkin is something that I grew up not just eating but growing.

I used to farm with my dad.

So we had 15 fruit trees in the and a ton of veggies and this was my favorite meal to Now would I taste the pumpkin?

What else is it?

Your taste in curry, your taste which is coming your taste in ma And the curry comes directly fro And the roti.

So you have to take your hands G I'm going to.

Okay.

Put that fork down.

Okay.

And, and we're going to eat like So you're going to pull apart th okay.

And then you're going to.

Dip th I can do that.

Yes.

Look at that.

So this this soft parotta roti.

We make it on Tawa.

And agai this is like Indian ancestry ins But als when you think of food around th Kenyans and chapati.

Right.

So it really shows you how food takes on forms and how it change how our ancestors were able to m do with the ingredients that they were presented with.

And in spite of, they still did.

I want to tell you something.

I'm not a bi I love spice, but I don't like s And this is the right amount of that you can identify.

Yes, the ingredients in the spre In the food I used to call it breadth and de Breadth and depth and the compl to be honest, is a very complex People cannot make roti which is why they come to us to Well, I want to thank you.

I'm going to like I could eat al and I probably am once we start But I want to toast to you.

Oh, and thank you for a wonderfu Wonderful restauran making me feel at home here in W in historical Anacostia when Ma Barry Avenue toast to you, my fr Toast us.

We had a great time here to drop and on to our next business.

And Alexandria, Virginia.

Revolu Come on, let's go over the bridg we're in Alexandria, Virginia.

One of the places I love as my s as a lifestyle expert.

We are here at Evolution Home here in Alexandria, Virgini We're going to see all kinds of and furniture.

We're going to find out what's v and the difference between vintage and antique.

So let's go in and see what they have for us.

Mark, how are you?

Well, how are you?

Good, good, g Thank you.

Thank you for taking And to show me and our viewers like to be in an antique vintage Well.

Thank you.

Well, you're the expert, so thi to be really good and really fun What do you have to show us firs Oh, where do we start?

Okay, we can segue.

Yeah, let's There's so many fabulous, wonderful things.

Oh my goodness.

This is my color Tell us about this.

And with everything that's going Well this is an Italian leather I mean very contemporary.

It's designed.

You wouldn't believe it's 20 ye and we think it was made yesterd Right.

But this is what you'll f At Evolution Home And you'll have a juxtaposed to, this Empire 1810 setting.

Yeah.

That is from 1810.

Okay.

And you can see how I mean, they work together nicel Yeah I just believe that anythi beautiful that you love goes tog So you have everything sectioned So like when you go to each room it's set like a room.

So you can imagine yourself in it is what I'm saying.

Yes.

Ideally that's the way it s I want people with a vision.

Okay.

They're sitting in this so far t And this is her home.

I'm ready to take a trip.

Oh and this is Deborah.

I knew this was a really good st about this.

Yes.

What is this?

The woman who owne these, was a Florida girl.

Yes.

And this is a Broadway.

It's like freezing snow falling.

Yeah.

She was apparently a hotti Okay.

Okay.

Yes.

And the family told me some of the history.

Okay.

It was for us now.

So that looks good.

Back then it So she traveled with these.

Traveled a lot.

Okay.

But the past when I want the pie So I want to celebrate the time.

Let's do it.

I. One of my favorite designers is Louis Vuitton.

Yeah.

Say.

Wonderful.

Thank you.

Oh, well, you're gonna love this This is over time and you don't see all the leaves What you do is, you see, of cou Louis Vuitton here and Louboutin But this was made in Paris.

Okay And this is what they did.

It's called the orange.

The orange design.

Okay.

Which I'm new to this.

Okay.

I have not seen it either.

Oh, look at this.

That is the shot.

That' what you want to see for collect So this is how you authenticate Oh, yes.

You can actually look u the lavatory numbers.

Right here is it?

Here' the one.

That's one and a half.

We know this is more than likely about nine 1919 ten.

And we know it wasn't on the Tit And this was again by the Florid And lace girls did well.

Yes they did.

They married wealthy men.

Yeah.

And this is in time for the Gild Everybody is watching.

Now, that's some money back.

Lots of money.

But they showed it like they wor and they ate it.

They were proud of it You have to understand, they wer You're so used to the old guilt taking everything you have.

Now, I have an Americans coming and they're showing off the old Look at.

We can do one.

And they They did it.

Yeah.

so and we were going to talk ab in terms of the difference betwe consigning and you know, vintage and all of tho How should we educate ourselves when we're coming here or do we that to you to educate us about, you know, to authenticate somet because, you know, you're an app Yes.

That's where I come in.

I can help out the clients easil I can tell them my practices are and we've been quite lucky and people bringing in stuff no what they're not and like they d But good luck with that.

They came in with us and we could figure it out.

Figure those pieces out for them So would you show me a look?

Because it's such a huge space These are dealers.

These are dealers are consignmen So.

Okay.

You have dealers that have thei and how they want to present the And then you have the consignme where it it is whatever comes to That would take it.

Yeah.

It's vintage.

It's antique It's brand new.

You name it, it comes into this house.

Yes.

But you make a determination if it's sellable.

Yes.

Yes.

How do you do that?

Very difficu Yeah.

Because one day you're thi No, no one's going to buy that, but you take it in, it sells the next day.

These are like butter Yes they.

Are.

Gheesh.

Im Going to have to sit here for a minute and just.

Yeah we're going to... I think I'll have maybe I'll ord There you go.

Yeah.

And I'll sit there.

We can talk and we'll talk.

Yeah.

so I understan that people can bring their clot Actually, clothing we don't take on consignment.

Okay.

This is dealer okay.

And they do very well with these I know I was looking at that too Wow, I think I, I can take that and do something with it.

Yeah.

Our dealer have brought in some unbelievabl This is like going to a shop.

It's a treasure trove here.

So everything is like a boutique Yes.

You come in, you beat yours you create your look, you co-create your ideas.

This is their store.

This is their livelihood.

Put for this business for them.

This is amazing what.

You have coming out of Empire.

P Louis-Philippe French on 1860.

These are Louis the 14th style.

So these would have been made during the 1600s.

Early, early 18th century.

Excuse me, 1692.

17.

And somewhere in that.

Okay So let's talk about you a little Give me a little bit about your journey, about how y and how you're able to do all of Okay.

See vintage and fast versi I just graduated with my degree in engineering.

Okay.

I went to a Christmas party in square foot house in San Antonio And it's full of antiques again.

It's from 17th century, 18th century, 19th century, and each room is a different part of Europe.

I'm in love.

And I walk up to the owne and I said, I am working for you What do you need?

And he said, I just fired my las I need someone to clean my house.

I'm like, done.

So I went, I started cleaning.

First year was cleaner.

Second became bookkeeper.

By the fourth year, we became business partners.

And he had every piece you could possibly imagine.

I could see, touch and read abou Okay.

And I sorted.

It.

Tell us when an appraiser does.

Appraiser assesses, a piece of f lighting, accessories whether it may be in a painting.

And we then do our researc and based the value on what we s you have a watch that you can de and tell us about you know, the appraisal process?

Well it's research.

And knowing what you're looking for instance, this watch cam in.

One of my clients wanted to It was.

She was telling me it wa It was sterling silver or the go And I know it's early 20th centu and I know after years and years and years of touching and it rubs the gold watch wash This did not.

Were you able to identif that when you first saw it or yo I kept looking and going, that's That's not Sterling.

Sterling silver.

Yeah.

So when we pop it open, of cours there's a mark.

14 karat gold.

Okay.

Right there.

Ma'am.

Wow.

And that's like.

Okay.

Okay We know it's got.

So when we're looking, so what's more valuable, the chain or the Well, the chain, it's not marked and I end up testing.

It is 14 karat until the weight Yeah, that's 40g just on the cha That's heavy gold prices today.

This is like $4,800.

This the chain.

And the watch of course, takes the rest of the So it's around all that $6,000.

So is the chai a little more valuable than the Most people would not know that I really thank yo for taking the time to give us t And, I'm looking forward to comi Thank you.

I'd love to have you back.

Can you believe that?

Pocket watch cost $6,000?

Look around your hom and see what you have for value.

What I've learned today from vi both of these businesses SAP, Ad and Evolution Home, that you may something that was passed down to you as value or a recipe that was passed down to you.

Look and see what you have and go from there.

Cherish it.

I hope that you enjoyed this epi of Neighborhood Favorites.

We'll see you next time.