Coffee is a beautiful and complex thing. There are different varities of beans (Robusta, Kona, Wontkins, Arabica…) and roasts (French, Vienna, Swiss Char and Italian), it’s grown in various regions (Guatemala Antigua, Jamaica Blue Mountain, Kona…), it can be served in different styles, and care and proper technique can make or break your coffee experience.
I sound like a smarty pants, ehh….
Not so fast, I won’t take ALL of the credit for being well versed in coffee knowledge. I had the help of my nerdy, geeky, incredibly entertaining coffeesmarts trivia set that I was gifted awhile back. (Do you know any coffee freaks? If so, now you’ve got their next present covered!)
The point I’m trying to make - Coffee can be serious stuff to some people. And I’m usually crossing my fingers that I get one of them as my barista, since I’m no longer behind the bar myself. I pity the fool that tries to hand me a 27 second shot. Blech. That’s coming right back to you.
That being said, I laughed when I saw this post by a visiting blogger who reacted to being told that his “iced espresso” order was against Murky Coffee’s policy because “pouring espresso over ice creates unpleasantly acrid flavors.” You’ve got to respect Murky’s decision to police the quality of the drinks they serve.
The barista under-fire didn’t do the best job of politely letting the customer down: He should have suggested a similar drink, but hindsight’s 20-20.
However, the nice little tip he received from the enraged customer/blogger took it one step too far. I’ll admit, it’s wickedly funny, but insanely rude. Show some manners. The guy was just doing his job.
To keep the gossip train going, Murky Coffee’s owner responded to the original blog rant with one of his own. (here)
Wow. I’m just glad we didn’t have any incidents like this when I was behind the bar.
I clearly watch too many cheesy movies, hence the quote embedded in today’s title. Can you guess where it’s from? No? Come on…think a little harder. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra (the girl from ER) make up the cast. No? What if I give you the quote…
“Don’t worry, Miss Bahmra. Our designs will make even these little mosquito bites look like juicy, juicy mangoes!”
I chuckle everytime I read that. (Wow, another showcase of maturity.) Ok, I guess I’m the only one that watches movies to get a glimpse of the ohh soo talented Mr. David Beckham. And I’m watching purely to see his ability to handle a soccer ball (wink, wink, nod, nod). That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I’m guessing you’re tired of this game so I’ll just give you the answer and move on to what the post is really about.
Bend It Like Beckham. My cheesy movie secrets are revealed. And yes, I liked the movie.
It’s summer and there’s nothing like stocking up on fresh fruits and vegetables. I’ve been spending lots of time by the grill and coming up with various recipes including strawberries, blueberries and now, mangoes.
A recent fresh mango basil salsawas so easy and so good that I couldn’t keep it to myself. I pulled it from the surprisingly good cookbook, Food Network Favorites. I say surprisingly because I’ve been let down one to many times by the recipes found in Rachel Ray’s books and resigned myself to pulling from staples such as The Joy of Cooking and Cooking Light’s Annual Recipes 2008. Not this time…
5 basil leaves, julienned ( I just ripped them up)
1 lime, juiced
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (While fresh is always better, if you don’t have freshly ground pepper it’s ok.)
I wasn’t kidding when I said it was easy. Well, except for the whole “finely dice a mango part.” If you’ve never cut a mango before, check out the you tube video below. Too bad I didn’t watch this before I butchered the first mango. Note to all, even though a mango looks like an avocado they can’t be cut in the same way. Seriously. Just watch below to find out what I should have done.
I don’t want to steal the food network’s thunder, so go here for the exact recipe and instructions. Try pairing this salsa with pork or shrimp. Or just throw it in a bowl next to some tortilla chips and munch away. Enjoy!
I spent last weekend in Cincinnati celebrating various graduations, when a fellow food lover insisted I try Cinci’s new Pinkberry look-a-like, Yagoot.
You know Pinkberry, the frozen yogurt store that the celebrities have gone crazy over. (It’s ok to admit. We all sneak a peak at In Touch and Us Weekly. And by peek, I mean buy, read cover to cover and then hide under your copy of the economist.)
Pinkberry, the low or non-fat yogurt that they freeze and then top with fruit, claims to have 70 calories per serving. Interesting…
Tasty treats that don’t expand the waistline. I’m a skeptic. Always have been, always will be. If something tastes too good to be healthy…follow your instincts. There’s nothing wrong with indulging in the not-so-good for you stuff, but some of us need to learn portion control. Consuming the entire container of Hagen Daz is only ok in dire circumstances. (We’ve all been there.)
I say this because walking into the Yagoot store, my guard was up. Could this really be a place where health freaks and food lovers skip away, hand-in-hand, clutching their bowls of frozen yogurt and smiling? (Enter cheesy music, now.)
I ordered the small “original tangy-tart” with strawberries and granola and dug in. Looking around the store I saw people of all shapes and sizes enjoying their tangy-tart bowls of what in fact was a delightful treat. Was it tangy? Yes. Tart? Yes. How about the strawberries? Seemed fresh and very flavorful. No sugary gelatinous goo here. And the granola? That was good too.
It seemed I had been missing out. And according to the nutrition data on Yagoot’s website, I was only 120 calories per 1/2 cup in-the-hole.
Here’s the part where life is funny. I left Cincinnati sorely disappointed that DC was lacking in the tangy-yogurt category. Sure, a few places sold it among other things on their menu, but there was nothing like Yagoot or Pinkberry. So imagine my delight when come Tuesday morning I came across this and then today, this.
Glorious news. Tangysweet was opening its doors on Friday June 6th. Talk about perfect timing. The Dupont shop is being opened by DC native, Aaron Gordon, and will be giving out samples of their product starting at 11am today. To see pictures, head to DCist for a “first look.”
As for me, I’ll be skipping my way to Dupont after work with a cheesy grin on my face. It’s funny how life works out sometimes.
Another year older. Wow, allow me to utter the phrase that everybody in the known universe says at least once a year…
Where does the time go? (This is clearly a rhetorical question, so please no fancy-pants physics arguments here.)
It feels like just yesterday I was wandering the sidewalks of Cleveland Park when I spastically blurted, “ohh, ohh, ohh…that place looks fabulous.” (That’s right…I was using fabulous way before Christian on Project Runway was a glimmer in Bravo’s eyes)
Fast forward a bit to me drooling, ever-so-lady-like over the Washington Post’s description of the Palena cheeseburger in, “Seeking Bliss on a bun.” Needless to say, I quickly found my way to the Palena cafe and tested the review for myself. (Read here)
After that visit I may or may not have planted thoughts in D’s head that I really reallllly wanted to try the back tasting room. (I’m not above dropping hints. How else to people in this world get what they want!?)
Well D must have picked up on hint # 10,001 because lo-and-behold, he informed me that we had reservations there for my birthday. (please picture eyes popping, hair pulling excitement. ZOMG!)
So just the other night I found myself sitting in the back room of Palena with the cheesiest grin on my face and the thought in my head, “I really hope that those thousand reviews and blog posts were right. If this meal disappoints I’ll never hear the end of it, not to mention I’ll be seriously down-in-the-dumps.” No pressure…none at all.
The atmosphere was a perfect blend of class while subtracting the pretentiousness that some of DC’s restaurants ooze out of every chair, glass and waiter’s side glance. (See the above picture for a visual) The tables along the wall, where we were, sat dangerously close to one another. One of my only gripes. Incidentally, I couldn’t help but overhear that the table next to us was celebrating a birthday as well. (I swear I wasn’t eavesdropping.)
Just at that moment our waiter came over to explain the ordering options in the back room and offer a celebratory Happy Birthday greeting accompanied by two complimentary glasses of champagne (or sparkling wine…I didn’t see the bottle). Point, Palena. It’s not mandatory for a restaurant to offer a little something extra when a patron is celebrating a special occasion, but the extra effort goes a long way in customer satisfaction. I personally appreciated the touch and made a mental note for future celebrations.
While sipping our bubbly D and I perused the menu and contemplated which tasting option to choose.
Three course offers two savory dishes plus dessert for $58
Four course offers three savory dishes plus dessert for $67
Five course offers four savory dishes plus dessert for $76
Not wanting to be accused of a deadly sin, we both chose the three course option. I opted for the Yukon Gold potato gnocchi with a Tuscan style sauce of hare and olives as my first course, the swordfish as my second and a white chocolate, strawberry tart for dessert. D went with grilled octopus, lamb and a chocolate coconut cake with a side of coconut ice cream.
We also ordered a glass of the Cabernet Sauvignon ($12) each. Our champagne glasses were dry and this was a celebration!
This is the part where I say, the reviews and food chatters did not disappoint. (Read Washingtonian and Washington Post reviews) As Tom Sietsema put it, “the actual food shows up, and you find yourself staring — and admiring — still lifes of fresh ingredients.” The staring may not have lasted too long because I couldn’t restrain myself from digging into each dish with the enthusiasm of a child at Christmas/Hanukkah, etc. (This is the point where I fully admit to having an overly excited reaction to good food.)
The gnocchi, a personally unusual choice, was light and flavorful and sitting in a sauce that caused me to contemplate licking my plate. My manners got the best of me (that and a mental picture of my mother and her “didn’t I teach you better” stare), but put that earthy, buttery sauce on cat food and I may just have-a-go. (May being the operative word.)
The swordfish was light and flavorful, served among a helping of vibrant and fresh vegetables, and not a scrap was left on my plate. The same went for D’s dishes, with the lamb causing both of us to swoon slightly in our seats. I’m pretty sure D took each bite at a painfully slow pace, lingering over the flavors, and again the sauce!
The two hour dinner rounded out with a strong showing on desserts. So many restaurants leave this part of the meal as an afterthought, but the strawberry and white chocolate tart and coconut chocolate cake finished with high marks. A star that charaded as an accompaniment was the coconut ice cream served with D’s cake. Creamy, packed full of flavor and topped with toasted almonds we both kicked ourselves for not ordering the other ice cream option on the menu (cinnamon). Oh well, there’s always next time. And I’m sure they’re will be a next time.
While the tasting room is definitely not cheap, in any sense of the word, the value for your dollar is high. The atmosphere, attentive service and quality of the food make Palena’s tasting room a dining destination. It may be awhile before I return, but I’ll be content to enjoy myself in the cafe, getting a taste of what awaits me on my next tasting room experience.
If you’re celebrating a special occasion or just looking for a little indulgence, keep Palena in mind. I did notice that the table sizes in the back room were small, so parties larger than 6 may be out of luck.
I’m happy to see that the neighborhood is keeping its independent coffee shop. While I’ll never knock the big green giant, a little variety is always a good thing.
Speaking of independent, I have yet to mention a great resource for whole beans, Counter Culture Coffee. Check out their site out for a wealth of knowledge on all things coffee…after all, they are “coffee driven people”…just the kind I like!
If you live here long enough you will go to quite a few good-bye dinners. People flock to the nation’s capitol with visions of saving the world and one by one they leave the city for grad school, a higher paying-less hours job or they are fueled by dreams of owning a place that is bigger than 500 square feet (or simply just owning a place).
There are a select few who come and never leave and then there’s the ever-elusive born and bred “Washingtonian”. Where I will end up among this group is up for debate, but that’s beside the point.
Since 701 had flown under the radar to our farewell group of 5, we decided to make it the spot to bid adieu. The restaurant’s website claimed to have “the warmth and charm of a private club”, live jazz and “contemporary continental cuisine”. All appealing attributes for a group looking to please all tastes and linger while we laughed about old times and caught up on current ones.
I walked in to find E and the girls chatting it up with the bartender at the impressively well stocked and very “clubby” bar. A quick scan of the larger dining room showed a decor that was far from “clubby” and more like an almost trendy hotel. Bright colors, an open space, but an element that pulled the look together was missing.
The girls gathered their drinks and we were escorted to our table by an overly eager waiter. Let me preface the rest of my comments with this knowledge: I am a chatty and friendly person that appreciates personal touches from wait staff, more so than most. I even laughed when”Mr. Friendly” announced to our group that he knew he wanted to talk to me because he noticed my height when I walked in. I wore the high heels that night, so I’ll chalk this one up to - I was asking for it! After-all, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. That’s my motto.
Well it must have been Mr. Friendly’s first night on the job because after a roughly 10 minute intro that after 2 minutes was slightly painful he managed to… (let’s make a list because they’re efficient and fun)
Declare his hatred for beets and salmon claiming that one tasted like dirt and the other was soo cliche and rudimentary (Not exact wording, but you get the gist).
After declaring a disdain for Salmon proceed to up-sell it.
Forget a drink order.
Serve 3 salads to the incorrect person.
Forget another drink order in a separate round.
Serve 4 entrees to the incorrect person.
Allow our desserts to sit on a tray next to our table for 10 (I’m not kidding you) minutes.
Service issues aside there were some highlights:
The drinks were flawless. Some people may think this is a minor detail when eating out, but if I’m paying $10 for a cocktail it better be made right, and every single person commented on the quality of the mixed drinks. GOLD STAR for mixed beverages and wine selection.
The Food
Our salads (ranging from $9-$15): Baby Lettuces
with navel oranges, spiced pine nuts, apple-balsamic vinaigrette
Beet Salad (exact description is fuzzy, but it was fairly traditional)
All of the salads were good, not great. I ordered the baby lettuces and loved the spiced pine nuts, but found the rest of the dish to be unsurprising and not worth my $9.
Our entrees (ranging from $24-$30):
Rock Shrimp-Crusted Striped Bass
sauteed spinach, chanterelles, carrot veloute
Dry-Aged Prime NY Steak
with an ancho-soy glaze, gingered shiitakes, salsify, crushed truffled potatoes
I ordered the Rock Shrimp-Crusted Striped Bass and to simplify, the bass was lightly fried with a carrot butter sauce resting over a bed of spinach and mushrooms, that to me were an afterthought. Overall, the dish was satisfying, but nothing blew me away. I was happy with the striped bass, even though it was much heavier than I expected. Not knowing that veloute stood for butter sauce really hurt me here. (Note to self: next time ask what strange French words mean. It’s ok to not know EVERYTHING.)
The others seemed to have similar impressions of their dishes. Good, but overall not worth the price. There was one exception to this feeling, and that was the dry-aged prime NY steak. Comment here was that the steak was flavorless and for lack of a better word - dry. Not worthy of ordering again, much less finishing the portion at hand.
The desserts were a highlight of the evening. An extremely chocolaty cake, an almond flavored ? and a flaky strawberry pastry. (Please forgive the lack of description here. We were so thrilled to finally have our desserts that they were polished off in a plate passing haze.)
Service issues aside, would I return if the prices were $15-$24 for entrees? Yes.
At their current prices, No.
Final Thoughts:
Good service means your wait staff anticipates needs and blends into the whole restaurant experience. We all appreciate a congenial attitude, but in the end, we just want to catch up with the ones we came with. A quick conversation is wonderful and much proffered to a sulking waiter or waitress, but don’t linger.
The combination of “over staying the welcome”, musical plates episodes, late service and forgotten drinks earned 701 a C- in the service area. (I’m being kind. After all, Mr. Friendly was very…friendly.)
The food was good (again, not great), but not worth the prices. Why don’t restaurants in this town understand that you may get us to pay $30 for a sub-par steak the first time, but you better believe that I’m taking my $ to one of the hundreds of other restaurants in this city next time around.
I would go back to 701 for two things. Drinks & desserts. But next time, I’m sitting at the bar.
Something to note: 701 belongs to a restaurant group that owns a few other places in the city. (The Bombay Club, The Oval Room, Rasika, Ardeo & Bardeo) As my S & K readers know, I count Rasika as one of my favorite spots. The service is top notch and the food is wonderful and inventive, so I don’t have a bias against the group as a whole.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for…Thai. (Bet you thought I was going to say ice cream.)
It’s official, all of you Thai food lovers out there (Penang Curry how I love thee)…get ready for a great week. April 13th through the 19th is Thai restaurant week, sponsored by the Royal Thai Embassy, marking the start of Thai New Year.
In all, 20 restaurants are participating. I’m including a list of the DC spots below, but head to the original information source, The Washington Post, for Maryland and Virginia participants as well as a few more details. I’m sad to see Regent Thai missing from the party. It’s a solid favorite and always delivers. There’s always next year.
I haven’t been to all on this list, but I can vouch for Thai Tanic and Rice, both in the Logan Circle neighborhood and both produce solid (notice I said solid, not amazing) Thai dishes. If you’re looking for a trendy atmosphere head to Rice, but if you’re in the mood for a very casual night out, Thai Tanic is a good bet. You can finish up dinner and head to one of my favorite spots in the city for some low-key jazz, HR-57. There’s a $12 cover and a $3 corking fee that goes along with their BYOB policy. That’s right BYOB. So stop by the Whole Foods on P street after dinner and grab a bottle to take with.
This post has been a long time in the making. Months ago I attended a Balducci’s food demonstration hosted by none-other-than Zaytinyia’s Head Chef, Mike Isabella. We chopped and chatted for quite a few hours (AKA Chef Isabella was nice enough to put up with my 10,000 questions), he talked about his time spent cooking overseas, his love of his Italian heritage and life in a high-powered kitchen. I asked questions that probably made him chuckle, like ,”How do restaurants dice their tomatoes so perfectly?”. (I can’t be the ONLY person to have pondered this!)
After a solid 3 hours of making tabbouleh, cucumber yogurt soup & Turkish chicken and walnut salad, all delicious and all from Zaytinya, we parted ways with me promising to stop by and give the restaurant a try. ( I know, I know…how can I have lived here for so long and not tried Zaytinya?! Obviously an oversight on my part.)
Skip to the Friday night a few weeks ago when D and I decided to take the parents out. (Or was that, they decided to take us out?) After a parking fiasco similar to this one, we strolled into Zaytinya and took our seats on the second floor-right by the fireplace. A perfect spot except the guys complained that it was too hot. (Why is it men always have to ruin the ambiance? I kid, I kid.) We mentioned this and within 2 seconds our lovely waiter had the problem (err, a problem to the guys. I was quite cozy) fixed.
The Sommelier came by our table, asked a few questions about our tastes and picked out a wonderful bottle of Greek wine for us to try. (The name escapes me now, but I will post it later.) On top of the wine we ordered a round of hommus to compliment the pita bread already on the table.
As we devoured the fluffy pita and creamy hommus, Chef Isabella dropped by to say hi. (I know, my jaw dropped as well.) It’s nice to see a chef in the front-of-the-house and the gesture was more than appreciated.
On to the food.
From this point on, the number of dishes headed to our table were too many to recount, but I’m going to hit the highlights (there were many).
Imam Bayildi (Ottoman style roasted eggplant stuffed with onions and tomatoes) A favorite among all 4 of us, and perfect for any vegetarians.
Octopus Santorini (grilled baby octopus, marinated onions, capers and yellow split pea puree) D’s favorite. The flavors were clean and fresh…a very light dish.
Sea Scallops (seared scallops with yogurt-dill sauce) The yogurt sauce shows up in various forms throughout the menu and was a personal favorite. This style was creamy with just the right amount of dill to bite the tongue and the scallops were cooked perfectly with just a touch of ocean flavor.
Kibbeh (beef and wheat fritters stuffed with almonds, pinenuts and currants and served with labneh) Yum’s the word. Think of these as the Mediterranean version of a hushpuppy. Obviously a low-brow comparison, but the flavors were all-over-the-place, complimenting each other nicely.
I’m skipping over a few that no-doubt deserve to be mentioned, but I must get to the star of the night. A combination of lamb dishes sent out by the chef. Rightly named…
Lamb Four Ways WoW, WoW, Wow. The lamb was tender and juicy and the herbs popped with flavor. Its been a long time since I had lamb cooked to this level.
For the short version of the night: The atmosphere is fun and vibrant with a large open space that would be perfect for large groups. The noise level in the center of the dining room has the potential to get loud, so asking for a tucked away spot is a must for the hard of hearing or those looking to have a quiet conversation.
The service was on-point and extremely friendly. Our waiter knew his dishes and openly suggested a few favorites after hearing our likes and dislikes and the Sommelier picked a wonderful bottle of wine, taking the time to let it decant so we could enjoy it at its best. I’ve heard tales of water glasses going empty for long periods of time or rushed dinners but experienced nothing of the sort.
As for the food: I can say that I’ve paid a lot more for far inferior cuisine. I would order almost everything again and each dish kept me packing-it in-despite almost reaching the point of miserably full. (AKA Chipmunk face) DC is lucky to have such a great restaurant, and Chef Jose Andres has a man of talent running his kitchen, showcasing the flavors of Greece, Turkey and Lebanon in all their glory.
Prices are moderate and you could spend very little or a lot depending on your mood. Since everything is mezze style, 2-3 dishes (ranging from roughly $7-$10 each) could fill most.
Overall, the experience was a memorable one. I’m placing Zaytinya high on the list of go-to spots. Here’s hoping they can repeat this experience time and time again.
Zaytinya
corner of 9th and G Streets, NW
701 9th Street NW Washington,DC 20004
(202) 638-0800
(202) 638-6969
Parking Valet parking after 5:15 pm, seven day a week.
$11
Metro
Zaytinya is located two blocks from the Archives/Naval Memorial station on the Green and Yellow lines. It’s across the street from the Gallery Place stop on the Red line, the 9th and G Streets exit.
It’s Wednesday folks, and after reading the first few lines of my favorite morning chat I felt the need to pass along some VERY interesting and much anticipated information about a recently closed Logan Circle restaurant and it’s new inhabitants.
The space formerly occupied by Viridian, a simple-American cuisine restaurant, will soon be taken over by…
…the owner of Ristorante Tosca. Why is this news music to my ears?? As someone who has Italian in their heritage and grew up eating fresh pasta I hold the cuisine to a high standard. A trained monkey can boil a pot of noodles and slap on some sauce, but it takes real finesse to produce a flavorful handmade pasta.
One of the few restaurants to have accomplished this feat…you guessed it - Tosca. ( Notice I said one, NOT the only.)
According to Tom Sietsema, the space is planned for a casual Northern Italian trattoria.
It’s been talked about in Foodie Circles for months now. The combination of smooth, creamy, rich chocolate and smokey salty…BACON. If you just contorted your face and thought to yourself, “Eww, that’s disgusting,” then you had the same reaction as many people I know. If you think about it further, the combination is not too nutty. Most people like the contrast of sweet and salty together. If we didn’t then trail mix would cease to exist and the idea of chocolate covered popcorn would be absurd.
Going even further, as the back of the Vosges bar states…
”I began experimenting with bacon + chocolate at the tender age of 6, while eating chocolate chip pancakes drenched in Aunt Jemima® syrup, as children often do. Beside my chocolate-laden cakes laid three strips of sizzlin’ bacon, just barely touching a sweet pool of maple syrup. And then, the magic—just a bite of the bacon was too salty and I yearned for the sweet kiss of chocolate and syrup, so I combined the two. In retrospect, perhaps this was a turning point; for on that plate something magical happened, the beginnings of a combination so ethereal and delicious that it would haunt my thoughts until I found the medium to express it—chocolate.
If that’s not inspiration that you can relate to, then I’m at a loss for words.
I first encountered this mythical bar at the relatively new chocolate spot, ACKC on 14th street. If you haven’t been to this Logan Circle chocolate haven then you’re missing out. A combination cafe, chocolate shop and gallery, its the perfect place to indulge in a few vices. While I was sipping on my chipotle & cinnamon spiced cocoa I watched as another chocolate lover fawned over the mythical bacon bar found in one of the center displays. Naturally curious and hating to miss out on a good thing I snagged one on my way out the door.
Since you’ve already read the description above I won’t go into any more detail, but unless you steer clear of red meat this chocolaty treat is must try. The first bite is intriguing and keeps you coming back for more. By the third bite I was hooked and figuring out how to ration the pieces to last until my next visit. The rationing lasted all of a day as I quickly found myself hooked on the salty sweet mix.
ACKC sells the bar at the bargain price of $6.50 a pop. Online at the Vosges website they’re going for $7.50 a piece.
I haven’t seen them anywhere else in the district, but according to the Vosges retailer finder there are 11 locations within 25 miles of downtown DC. If you’re located outside of the district just jump on the Vosges website to find out the closest retailer to you.
Now that you’re in-the-know, hunt one down and find out for yourself why I’m not sharing.
Delving into the New York Times dining & wine section I came across a sight for sore eyes. A trend that was once all the range is coming full circle and peaking once more. I’ve already told you the “trend” but I’ll name again for good measure…sun-dried tomatoes.
Ohh how I love them, and I must admit…though apparently they were dubbed “over” I never stopped craving the sweet rustic flavor and the convenience of their packaging. I agree with the article’s author, Mark Bittman, that the oil soaked variety were beyond nasty (for lack of a better word) but a good sun-dried tomato is just as he puts it, “like candy.”
Throw em in a salad, jazz up a grilled cheese, add a little spice to pasta, the possibilities are endless.
Read Bittman’s sheer joy upon the return of this trend. Now that I’ve written this post I need to satisfy a serious craving.
Most of us think of Chinese take-out as sauce laden, msg heavy and perfect as a midnight snack. (And basically any other time of the day) And nothing is a better stress relief than opening those four little flaps, digging in to the various treasures your chopsticks find and snuggling up on the couch with the newest blockbuster flick.
Imagine all of those feelings combined with fresh crunchy vegetables, lean meat and generous-for-your-dollar portions.
Departing from the typical assumptions of Chinese take-out, Mr. Chen’s gives you all of the flavor without the guilt of over salted, heavy oiled food. Walking into the basement of the Woodley Park digs I noticed the staff snapping a three foot high pile of bright green beans on a small table just next to the kitchen. A confirmation of fresh vegetables on the premises, such a sight for sore eyes!
I ordered the dinner special of chicken with garlic & ginger sauce, wonton soup, a spring roll and steamed brown rice for $7.99. The flavors were light, the vegetables crunchy and the rice was just the right amount of sticky. The ginger sauce had a punch to in that keeps this spice lover coming back for more and after finishing off my very large portion I wondered why more organic Chinese restaurant haven’t popped up through-out the city. It combines good food with a conscious of what you’re putting in your mouth. I know of many people who suffer bland meals at the price of feeling fit.
With Mr. Chen’s that problem is no more. If you’re looking to go REALLY healthy they offer steamed veggies, shrimp or tofu over brown rice with your choice of sauce on the side.
Their lunch specials start at $5.99 and similar to the dinner specials, come with an entree, soup, a spring roll and rice.
Quality ingredients with bargain prices and a health-conscious cooking style. What more could an urban-ite ask for? That’s right…the ability to order online. Though I have yet to use this feature, according to their website you can create an account to streamline your ordering process. (Any feedback about online experiences appreciated)
To see what the Washington Post had to say about Mr Chen’s go here.
There’s nothing like walking into a restaurant and feeling yourself transported to another world. Instantly you relax, sit down and let the day catch up to you. A good restaurant can make you feel all of these things. The theme envelopes and transports you on a mini vacation…the 2-3 hour kind.
My goal for RW this year was to find such a place, and venturing to the Penn Quarter on what felt like the coldest night of the year, I was hoping my pick could bring such a reprieve.
Keeping this thought in mind, D and I braved the snow and ice, hopped in the car and made our way to the fun foodie corner of Penn Quarter. Diners beware, if you plan on driving to the Penn Quarter be prepared to hunt for a parking spot like a lion stalks its prey. After circling the blocks for 15 minutes (why didn’t we metro?!) we finally snagged a spot 2 blocks from the restaurant. Perfect…except for the fact that in this part of town the meters run until 9:30pm. Blast! Perpetually out of quarters the two of us scoured the streets for an ATM and a place to make some change. Twenty wet and soggy minutes later (ok, so D was the only wet and soggy one. I hid in a store while D played the part of a gentleman. Who said chivalry was dead?!) we made our way into Rasika and took in the scenery. The light was dim and the colors resembled a spice cabinet (think curry and tumeric with a little paprika). The effect was very calming, but combined with the sleek and clean lined furniture the atmosphere still gave off a trendy vibe.
Since we were fifteen minutes early for our eight thirty reservations, the host kindly checked our coats and we saddled up to the bar. Shortly after ordering our Kingfisher beers, an Indian pilsener style brew, we were shown our to table and began perusing the leather bound menus.
For my first course I went with the dish that had the most chatter surrounding it: Palak Chaat. Being rather ravenous since our reservations were so late, D went with the Seekh Kabob (lamb with mint chutney). While D’s choice was very good, with large tender pieces of lamb; my crispy spinach with sweet yogurt, tamarind and date chutney was what I can now claim as, my favorite Indian dish to-date. It combined, creamy, sweet and crunchy into one sensory explosion. Our waiter must have seen my face of joy because he ran over and chimed in that Palak Chaat was Rasika’s specialty. Take note: If you like spinach, try this dish.
The rest of the meal revealed a mix of traditional and non-traditional Indian dishes. My black cod was cooked perfectly with a smooth, light and flaky texture accompanied by a strong flavor of star anise. (If you don’t like black liquorice steer clear of this pick)
The desserts didn’t wow me. The Indian style rice pudding (which is not listed on their regular online menu) was good but lacking the punch of flavor I’ve come to love from a lot of Indian dishes. D’s honey and ginger ice cream was good-with little bits of crystallized ginger surprising you in every bite, but I got the feeling that desserts were an afterthought compared to the rest of Rasika’s menu. Perhaps it was just a restaurant week thing.
Regardless, the entire trip was successful. Thanks to Restaurant Week Rasika has gained a faithful diner. Sure this city has a lot of great Indian restaurants (Heritage India and Indique come to mind) but Rasika stands out with its trendy decor, cutting edge-slightly non traditional dishes, excellent classics and very friendly and accommodating service. If anything I’d go back solely for the Palak Chaat. Seriously. Prices normally run $15-$28 for an entree so be prepared to pay a bit more than if you were at a run-of-the-mill Indian restaurant. Additionally, a basket of Naan is $3 extra so add that on to the cost as well.
Thinking ahead, I would suggest Rasika for anyone looking to make an evening out of their meal. For those looking for a quick Indian fix on the lower budget side, look elsewhere.
Now that the beginning of the year has finally calmed down and I’ve stopped playing catch up (don’t you HATE the after holiday catch up!), I’ve been able to resume my daily routines and start to once again notice my surroundings rather than sprint quickly from one place to the next trying to cover every inch of skin from the bitter cold outside. (Truth be told…its not that cold here in D.C. Folks need to grow a pair, and I’m including myself in this category.)
During my morning walk a few days ago I noticed a yellow awning on F Street that I swear was not there in November. After further inspection, and getting within 50 feet of the store front (My eyes are not the best…ok, that’s an understatement) I discovered a new deli/restaurant/”eatery” had moved into the work ‘hood.
When I returned late in the day for lunch, I concluded it to be a cross between high noon and lawson’s. It has the eat in, take out, catering theme that both of them tout. A first glance inside revealed a bakery section of muffins, scones, danishes, bagels, etc with a coffee bar nearby followed by a salad bar of tuna salad, new potato salad, greek salad, etc. Further down the line were rows and rows of delicious sounding wraps, sandwiches, paninis and quesadillas filled with prosciutto, smoked salmon, brie, cranberry chutney, avocado, bacon, blue cheese…need I go on.
A star attraction that can quickly add up in price was the tossed salad bar. Everything looked fresh and there was a large variety of toppings to choose from: grilled lemon chicken, blackened chicken, tuna, sun dried tomato, mandarin oranges, tofu, cous cous, roasted red peppers, feta, hearts of palm, etc. and 13 different dressing options. The basic “Large starter salad” (meaning just the lettuce) starts at $3.95 with toppings ranging from 50 cents to 2 dollars each.
Finally, just down from the salad bar bounty I found the soups. On a cold winter day these soups looked like they could hit the spot. I asked for a sample of the turkey bean chili and was able to try one good bite before I spilled the rest on the poor unsuspecting soul standing in front of me. It was an uber clutzy moment. My hand slipped and the next thing I knew I was offering up a handful of napkins and payment for the drycleaning bill. Uggh.
After my Kramer-like moment I composed myself and ordered the Blackened Chicken Gyro with chopped onions, peppers, lettuce, tomato and creole mayonnaise. I quickly paid my $7 and scooted out the door in shame. Back in the safe confines of my office I was able to sample the sweet yet spicy gyro that was packed with just the right amount of toppings and heated to the perfect temperature. Not a bad lunch, if you don’t count the whole klutz thing. I will definitely be back to sample more of their goods.
To try the new NY imported Devon & Blakely head to 1331 F Street NW, just off of the Metro Center stop. Hopefully you’ll be able to order without any incidents of your own.
It’s that time of year again! In just a few days the city’s restaurants will open their doors and offer patrons a taste of their menus at a fraction of the regular prices.
I still maintain that RW is a wonderful opportunity to try out new restaurants, take chances on dishes and is beneficial for the city. I will however add a few notes to my thoughts on this foodie holiday.
First off,
When making your reservations keep in mind that the fixed prices are $20.08 for lunch and $30.08 for dinner. Skip restaurants where you can normally get out of the door with a bill for under those amounts. This is a chance to try places that are a splurge. A $60 lunch at Charlie Palmers or Tosca isn’t the norm for most, but when you can walk away with a bill for $20…that’s another story.
Check for restaurants that offer their full or close-to-full menu. You will get a better idea of what the restaurant offers and whether or not you’d like to come back.
Some restaurants offer the RW prices for longer than a week. A few that come to mind, Dino (extended for one month) and Farrah Olivia (extended for 2 weeks). For a list of others head to D.C. Foodies. They have a wonderful and comprehensive guide to this year’s RW, including links to menus.
As for me. I’ve decided not to book 10,000 reservations spots like I have in the past. $30 is still $30 and can add up quickly. I’ll be making one stop this year and am very excited to see how a very buzzed about restaurant fares during this busy week. I will report back with my findings.
Since everyone is heading home for the holidays and there’s a good chance that even if you don’t drink coffee, one of yours holiday guests will, I’m pointing everyone to Kim O’Donnell’s“Coffee 101″ article. It’s a VERY simple explaination of how to brew a good cup of coffee so your guests won’t have to pour a hefty amount of Coffeemate into their mugs to make sludge/dirty water drinkable!
Hidden amongst a nail salon, Fed Ex store and an out-of-service movie theater lies an Upper Northwest gem.
From the outside, Cafe Ole doesn’t garner as much as a second glance. Uninformed passers by think it’s just another Mexican restaurant or ho-hum cafe. Little do they know that once inside the doors you’ll find a small brightly colored and casual bistro ready to serve Mediterranean cuisine “for the adventurous palate.” We’re not talking fried creepy-crawly things adventurous, but cuisines from all over the Mediterranean such as Turkish, Israeli, Greek, French and Italian.Enhancing the experience is a geometric wall mural of a seaside town, making you feel as if you’ve just landed on the other side of the Atlantic.
The menu is tapas style serving both hot and cold “mezze” and it’s recommended that each person order 2-3 as an entree. I personally think some of the mezze are filling in themselves, though it’s always fun to try more than one dish. Unless eating an entire pizza is your idea of filling, 2 per person should suffice.
If you’re with a group start out with the cold sampler platter. You’ll get a basket full of grilled pita chips, accompanied with dishes of black bean hummus, baba ganouj, tapenade and classic hummus. There’s something for everyone and it whets your appetite for the dishes to come. If you’re alone or with a friend, go for the black bean hummus.The addition of cumin brings out the natural sweetness of the black beans and adds an extra spice not found in the dish’s classic form.
Some favorites on the hot mezze side are Lebanese Celebration (Grilled chicken marinated in Lebanese spices, garlic, onion and olive oil, served over bulgur wheat and topped with scallions, hummus and lemon pepper aioli), Shepherd’s Pie Ole and Lamb Shawarma. Without personal restraint, I would order the Lebanese Celebration every single visit.The creamy aioli combined with the tartness of the lemon and sweet nuttiness of the bulgur wheat result in what must be the Mediterranean version of comfort food.
If you don’t feel like getting out of your sweatpants, Café Ole does an excellent job of packing things up and letting you enjoy their food in the comfort of your own home.I used their take-out service for a surprise dinner with a group of 4 friends, and everyone was thrilled with the turnout.
Adventurous menu items and flavor pairings, a bright and unassuming atmosphere, outdoor patio and very reasonable prices ($5-$7 per mezze) make this place a favorite amongst those in-the-know.
Bonus: On Wednesday nights the special is half-price bottles of wine, so you can splurge a little and still keep the bill low.
You can feel the holiday rush (or is it panic?) as we close in on the final week before Christmas. Thousands of people are racking their brains to come up with the perfect gifts for their friends and family.
Put down the cashmere scarf and say no to another pair of gloves. I have the perfect gift… for your wine drinking friends. (Not to exclude anybody. I guess they can be used for other things as well.)
Its’ something that you can never have enough of, doesn’t go out of style and won’t be too small after consuming an entire batch of Christmas cookies.
Do you want to know yet?
Wine glasses. For a wine drinker it’s about about paying respect to the wine you are drinking by pouring it into a nice glass. The $2 variety serve their purpose, but for someone who values the entire wine drinking experience, a good glass is appreciated.
Which do I recommend, you ask? In all my years (no jokes please) of sniffing, swirling and tasting I’ve found Riedel to be a classy choice.
Depending on your price point, they have something for everyone. As their website puts it, you can spring for the “pricier” collection, find a midway point with a “moderate” collection or go for the most economical/”competitive” collection.
While I’d love to someday own a full collection of the “Sommeliers” hand blown-glass ($30-$100 per glass), for now the more moderate “Vinum” suits me just fine. In fact, I actually prefer the more clean-lined look of the Vinum over the Sommiliers. Perhaps my taste will change with age…we’ll see.
And at $40 for a pair, add a bottle of wine (or not) and you’ve got a great gift!
I personally own quite a few glasses of the Vinum Pinot Noir (because I drink a lot of that particular grape) and would never turn down a gift of a few more. (hint, hint)
You can find Riedel all over the place, but head to their website for a comprehensive list. Two stores that come to mind are William Sonoma and Sur La Table. Around DC I know Rodmans carries them as well.
So to all you wine drinkers out there…you’re welcome. Here’s hoping you find a little glass under the tree this year. And to all of the stressed out shoppers. Breath easy, you can scratch a few more names off of your list.
Have you ever found yourself craving a dish and wanting to know where you can find it? Or better yet, a certain ingredient? (Like a certain celebrity and her unusual pregnancy craving)
If you live in Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, New York or San Francisco then you’re in luck.
A new website, FoodieBytes allows you to enter in a dish or an ingredient and it searches all of the restaurant menus in the selected city.
Since I’ve had a hankering for “Pho” lately, I entered it in and FoodieBytes showed me all of the restaurants in the Washington DC area with such a dish. You can refine the search by distance, price, delivery options and cuisine.
If you’re lucky enough to live in one of the 5 mentioned cities, play around on the site. If you find yourself craving Fennel or another obscure ingredient, then this site may be able to help you find some satisfaction.
For years I have wondered when somebody was going to catch on to the fact that some of us enjoy a good salad as a quick meal. Fast doesn’t have to mean fried and recently businesses in DC have caught on.
On top of Sweetgreen in Georgetown, the New York base Chop’t has made its way to our fair city. The idea driving this “creative salad company” is a place where people can go to enjoy something fresh and healthy with enough variety that a person doesn’t have to eat the same thing over and over again.
I made my way to the 7th street (Chinatown) location last Friday to test their concept out. Turning the corner from H street there was literally a line out the door. Seriously. Since I’d already walked a solid seven blocks to get there, I pulled my coat a little tighter and waited to make my way through the front doors.
Once inside I found myself amidst a contolled chaos. To paint the scene, imagine a Chipotle only instead of a grill as a backdrop, just bins and bins of different types of lettuce. Mesclun, spinach, arugula, iceberg or romain, you choose your favorite. Along the toppings…er “choppings” bar were rows and rows of possible salad fillers. Avacado, edamame, grilled asparagus, hearts of palm, red potatoes and sundried tomatoes were some that caught my eye.
The jist, as I understood it was…you walk up to the “chopping” bar and order either a custom salad, chef designed salad or salad sandwich and a dressing of your choice. From there you let the menu be your guide. Since the line was out the door I thought I’d give the chef designed salads a-whirl and ordered the grilled asian with chicken. (”A blend of spinach and romaine lettuce, carrots, slivered almonds, oranges, snow peas and crispy chinese noodles) I watched as my salad assembler (for lack of a better word) put everything in a big silver bowl and handed it off to the line of choppers (I think I’m making that name up) who proceeded to dump the salad onto the chopping block and hack away with a mezzaluna knife.
Once my chopper (Seriously, are they called something else?) finished dicing my salad to minuscule proportions (makes for better probability that something gets stuck in your teeth) I chose a dressing from Chop’ts homemade dressing menu. Wanting to go light I passed over their “exotic” recommendations of 5 flavor Asian and carrot ginger and ordered the ”spa” (AKA fat free) balsamic vinaigrette. If you could care less about light and/or health conscious, the selection of classic dressings was voluminous and tempting.
Finally, I was handed my pleasantly large salad and complementary roll and made my way to the register. Eight dollars later I sat down to see what the fuss was all about.
Thoughts
First off, my salad was large. That’s a plus. A second positive, the ingredients seemed fresh and full of flavor. I did think they skimped on the amount of crunch (in this instance Chinese noodles) so they lost points in that category and the dressing I chose was almost too light. While many would probably appreciate that fact, next time I’ll go with one of the suggested selections.
Overall, Chop’t is a great addition to the city. Specifically to the hungry lunch crowds downtown. Hopefully the initial craze will die down and the lines won’t be out the door for long. I plan to head back and play around with their custom craft menu and their array of creative dressings.
