Pleasures of the Table

Fanfare Eatery - A new concept by Glory Days Grill

2012-02-01T22:31:00.002-05:00

Fanfare is a new concept by the folks who bring you some of the best sports-bar food and entertainment. Their IT director is a pretty forward thinking guy.

This is a view you see as you walk in the front door and look left.

This is looking towards the kitchen.

If you turn around when you enter the front door, you'll notice this on the wall.

It's a self-service terminal on the wall. If there is a line to get in you can just order your own stuff! Pretty cool. They will also be using online ordering shortly, so you can use your smartphone to order a couple dozen wings and a shake to go!

Lots of screens in this place. This looks like a standard menu board, but it's actually large flat-panel displays that show a rotation of different pictures and specials. Easy to keep up to date and you don't have to get it re-printed every time you change a price or add an item.

More screens in the kitchen. These tell the cooks what to make, how many, and how fast to do it. It also ties into reporting so that the managers can tell which cooks are getting it done quickly, and which are not. It can also alert the mangers to things like particular menu items taking too long, which can prompt them to re-configure how they prepare particular items.

Another shot of the digital menu boards.

The terminals on the counter have a big touch screen in the back so you can confirm your order and they can tell you about specials or promote specific items.

I like the look on the bathroom doors. They were pretty clearly labeled, though it's apparent the fun-police came and made them use the universal symbols for men and women over their much more creative, though completely legible signage.

Another view of the dining room.

Lots of tasty sauces available, including a few of their own.

You can see my order on the screen! This screen tells the cooks exactly how long my ticket has been in the kitchen. After a preset number of minutes the ticket will turn yellow, and then after several more, red, which alerts the kitchen to the fact that they better light a fire under that puppy and get my food out!

You'll notice the production items (items that are ordered frequently) on the top row reflect my order. There may be so many tickets that the cooks can't see them all at once without scrolling, but they can always see how many of their most popular items they need to have working at any given moment. Notice the burger spot has a 2 in it, and there are 2 on my order. Same with the wings. The fry-guy knows exactly how many wings he has to have either in the fryer or in the drawer at any time.

Here's one!

Can't leave Fanfare without some wings in ya.

And there's the other.

If you have any questions or comments about the technology, writing, pictures, or restaurant please get in touch. I'd love to hear from you.

More Home Cookin'...Michel Richard's Chicken Osso Buco

2012-01-28T06:35:00.001-05:00

Hopefully you're not bored by home cooking posts.

If you like what you see, please click on one of the "share" features on the right for Facebook, Twitter, whichever your friends subscribe to!

I had to share this one because it turned out so much better than I expected. This is Michel Richard's recipe for cooking chicken "Osso Buco-Style" from the book Home Food. The whole shebang should take about 2 hours start to finish with plenty of time for socializing and wine consumption, or you can prep your veg/citrus earlier, put it in the fridge covered, and then assemble in about an hour/ hour-15.

Here's the ingredient list, preheat your oven to 325:

8 drumsticks, or 4 hotel quarters

4 tsps of flour

2 tbsp evo

1 carrot

1 onion

8 cloves garlic

1 cup chardonnay

2 cups tomato sauce

4 cups chicken stock

zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange

salt & pepper

bouquet garni

penne

1 chopped tomato for garnish

chopped fresh parsley

Note: I had seven people eating so I doubled MY recipe. What you see above will feed four.

Start by getting your mise together. Dice all the veg, zest and juice your citrus, get your stock simmering, put your heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan on the stove over medium to medium high heat. After it's been on the flame for 3-5 minutes, put in 2 tbsp of evo and let that start to shimmer.

Put de chicken in de pan and brown on both sides. Take the chicken out and keep it warm.

Put the carrots, onion, garlic, and celery in the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, until it's soft and a little browned.

As so...then deglaze with the wine, using a wooden spatula to scrape up all the yummy browned bits. Now the kitchen is really going to start smelling good.

Put the chicken back in the pan.

Add the tomato sauce, garni, chicken stock, zests, and juices. Put it in the oven, covered, for 30-45 minutes. While that's going on, put a big pot of water on high for the pasta.

Once the chicken is done, pour some of the sauce from the big pan into a smaller one and heat on medium high to reduce...put your pasta in the pot of water you've got boiling. Sprinkle some parsley in there!

Once your pasta is done, plate up! This sauce is awesome. We had 4 adults and three kids, and everyone loved it.

If you're lucky and you have friends who bake, maybe one of them will bring you an apple pie for dessert! I am one of those lucky folks.

Perfect way to end the meal. Thanks for joining Mike & fam!

As always, thanks for reading. If you have any questions or comments please share them.

Home Cookin'! Graffiato's Pepperoni Sauce

2012-01-21T09:44:00.000-05:00

Want to make your friends and family happy? Those who are in the culinary cognizanti will remember this dish that got Gail Simmons...excited, shall we say?
Truth of the matter is it couldn't be easier, and it tastes damned good.
Mike Isabella was kind enough to share this recipe with the internets, so I thought I'd give it a shot and see if it turned out as well as it does in his restaurant, Graffiato.
Ingredients below are taken, without permission or credit, to the Washington Post's Recipe Database:

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, cut into small dice
5 medium cloves garlic, cut into very thin slices
1 pound pepperoni, cut into thin slices
1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted (see NOTE)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 to 12 ounces canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 fresh bay leaf

Start by getting all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. Slice your garlic.

Dice your onion.

Toast your fennel seeds in a dry pan. Keep an eye on it and shake often as they'll burn quickly.

Put the olive oil in a pan. I made the mistake of using one that was too small right off the bat. Use at least a 2 qt. heavy-bottomed pan. Get it hot over medium, then add the onion and the garlic. Saute until it's soft.

Add the pepperoni, toasted fennel seeds, bay leaf, cook and stir to get everything nicely coated, then add the tomatoes.

After a few minutes, add the chicken stock. Wait until it's starting to boil, then reduce to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. You want everything to be nice and soft.

After you've cooked it for the 45-60 minutes, take it off the heat and let it cool down a bit. Then take the contents of the pot and puree the crap out of it! You want it to be nice and smooth.

You'll end up with a quart+ of wonderful, spicy Pepperoni Sauce.

This was so tasty I had to run some down to my neighbor. His family was having roasted chicken and they used it as a topper. They called me on speaker phone (all 4 of them) and gushed about how good it was and that it tasted JUST LIKE Graffiato's.

Give it a shot folks. It's easy and awesome. Great for dipping, using for pasta sauce (like I did that night) and possibly glazing. I haven't tried that yet, but I will soon.

Thanks for reading. As always, comments and questions are appreciated.

Vidalia...Pietastic!

2012-01-18T19:20:00.000-05:00

This is one of the little touches I like at Vidalia. Fresh cornbread and onion focaccia. It reminds me why I come here every year for restaurant week.

Vidalia can be an expensive place to indulge. The service is on the money, and so is the food, so you won't feel so bad afterwards.

This is the smoked salmon appetizer that Matt and I shared. Nice presentation.

This is the country pate. He makes a good one.

No dinner at Vidalia would be complete without a side of Mac n' Cheese. This version has panko and some pork products. No Mac n' Cheese is complete without it in my book.

This was one of the best duck breasts I've ever had as far as the seasoning and tenderness of the meat goes. I would have preferred the skin to be a little crispier and the fat to have been rendered a bit more, but that may be a trade-off.

Matt's pork chop was well done (not overly cooked, but wisely prepared). The seasoning was on target.

For dessert Matt had the Maple Brulee. It was very maple-y, to coin a phrase, but it wasn't cloying. The texture was exactly what it should be.

Speaking of Pietastic! I love Jeff's Lemon Chess Pie, however, I think I've come up with one that is, dare I say, on par with his? It's not a pie, but a lemon square. I got the recipe from my mother-in-law. When Jeff's ready to call me to the table, I'll bring him some and see what he thinks.

Thanks for reading folks. Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Gambled and lost...South Mountain Grill at Snowshoe

2012-01-02T22:08:00.001-05:00

Twice a year I travel to Snowshoe with my family and spend a week there skiing, eating and drinking. We have had the pleasure of dining at a restaurant named Ember for the past several years. It was owned by an eccentric individual, Brian Ball. He might be wearing a kilt in December, or maybe pants, you could never guess which until you showed up, but that man knew how to run a restaurant from the kitchen. He's currently the quality assurance manager for Orient Express Hotels. My review of the restaurant Ember is here.

While I was working in November I happened to catch a clip of Brian serving Zimmern squirrel brains on Bizarre Foods.

This reminded me to make my reservations for Christmas night. When I called I found that Ember had closed and there was a new restaurant taking the spot named South Mountain Grill. I was told that Brian was gone, but they were keeping the decor and were taking the food to the next level. I suggested that that was a pretty lofty goal, but Chad the GM assured me I wouldn't be disappointed.

Let me tell you how the night unfolded.

For starters, were weren't given the table that I requested on the phone. I wanted the table near the kitchen, and Chad explained that though they had removed that table and put in cocktail rounds that there was another table near it that he thought would suit me. We were seated directly by the front door, nowhere near the kitchen, which is no fun at a ski resort. We were accomodated when we asked for another table. Strike one.
No bread was served to the table…we had to ask. There were three different people pouring water for our table, but none for the bread. Strike two.

This is a pretty artsy-looking restaurant, and a lot of money was spent on the design originally. Approximately 1 out of every 7 light bulbs were burnt out this time, and none of the candles on the tables were lit. Ball one.

There was no cocktail list offered, then we got a martini list from the sushi joint that shares their space. It listed several drinks, including one with champagne in it, but when the ladies at our table wanted glasses of champagne, none was available by the glass. Our server explained that they had Prosecco, but only by the bottle. So what were they making the cocktail that was supposed to have champagne in it with? What self-titled high-end restaurant isn't carrying champagne these days? Strike three. You're out.

After our initial round of cocktails we decided on a bottle of wine. The server came to our table and told us they were out of that, and I chose another. She then camb back and explained that they were out of that too, but she did bring two bottles that they did have….which they offered at a slight discount. Ok..good recovery there, though with a limited wine list you should have everything on it. I'm not keeping score anymore.

We asked about the steaks as they seemed to figure prominently on the menu. Considering the prices I asked if they were prime, or if they were dry-aged in-house. The server didn’t know, and said she’d check with the chef. She came back and said they were prime cuts. Primal cuts describe the basic divisions of the cow, not specific steaks. Prime steaks are of a particular grade as determined by the FDA. Obviously, someone skipped that day of training.

A few minutes after that we heard another server talk about the Prime Rib special. Our server hadn’t mentioned that, though she did mention the potato and leek soup. You’d think she might have remembered to mention it after our discussion about the steaks. One of the people at my table changed their order. Smart move.

While we waited for the entrees, we had a couple of appetizers. A few were good, but the ceviche with avocado lacked...avocado.

After all that,, my 14 oz ribeye came out looking pretty think and weak. I had ordered it medium rare, which in my book is a cool, pink center. This came out raw, and the entire steak was room temperature. It had obviously sat in the window waiting on my wife’s perfectly done 2” thick pork chop.

I sent it back (which I rarely do) and it came out done more appropriately, though I've seen better 14 oz. ribeyes at Giant.

Desserts were the high-point. There was a very nice cheese cake. Some of the other folks in my party liked the flan. However, I asked for a double espresso, which was served in two separate cups. Seriously. I then had a Sambuca up, which was served in a rocks glass sans the rocks.

Moral of the story? Train your servers. Do a walk-through of the restaurant before you open on what is one of your 3 busiest nights of the year and make sure all your candles are lit and your bulbs are working.

Have someone check the bathroom once in a while. Speaking of which, when I went to the restroom when we got there there was soap all over the floor and the place was a mess. I mentioned this to the manager. I hit the restroom again before we left, and was pleasantly surprised to note that it had been tidied up. Unfortunately, whoever tidied up didn't wipe up the soap under the sink. I was the one in for a 2nd surprise when I stepped up to the sink to wash my hands and narrowly avoided busting my keister on the slate floor.

Back to training your servers: Make sure they know why you're in business. Make sure they know what makes you different. Make sure you're offering something that will enhance the experience of dining at your restaurant. If you're the most expensive place on the mountain don't be happy with the $8.00 mixed drinks. Offer up some $12.00-$16.00 crafted cocktails that show care and talent. No champagne by the glass? Any restaurant would have been happy to crack a bottle of the less expensive stuff and satisfy their customers.

If you pride yourself on your steaks you'd better teach your servers about them. If you're going to run a prime rib special you need to make sure they're talking about it, or you're serving lots of French Dips the next day, which is going to cost you more in the long run.
We ate out three times over the six days we were there. This was the least gratifying and most expensive meal by far. We were prepared for it to be pricey and we looked forward to it, as we do every year, but if the value isn't behind what you're charging, you only get my money once. Next year I'll be spending my money at Foxfire and Sunset Cantina. The meals we had there were less expensive by half, and much better created and presented. They had signature cocktails, knowledgable staff, better food, and better atmosphere.
I look forward to trying the restaurant that will undoubtedly be taking the place of this one in two years as once anyone has tried this once, it's unlikely they'll return next season.

BTW, this was Christmas dinner. We've been going to this same restaurant for years (the staff recognized us as we are there twice every season, once over Christmas and once over Presiden'ts Day) and we always tip with the thought in mind that the server is working on Christmas. It was a 7-top (4 adults and 3 kids) with a $350.00 tab, and she could have walked with an even hundred, but chose to auto-grat us at 15%. She gambled...and lost.

Top 10 Things I Put In My Mouth in 2011

2011-12-22T09:09:00.001-05:00

As 2011 sputters to a close, it's time for a little retrospection of what has come to pass. I've done some serious dining. Some of the food I had was so good that I actually get misty when I describe it to people. Some of it, not so much.

What I've assembled here are the top ten dishes I had the presence of mind to photograph this year. If you click on the pictures they will expand to show you the big shot. Where applicable, I've posted a link to the blog entry giving you more details.

Strangely enough, I went through and picked out my favorites from all the items I shot pictures of in 2011 and they were all in fairly distinct categories. I didn't have to choose between favorites in the same category, which is nice.

Let's start with dessert first:

Best Dessert

RJ Cooper, owner and chef of Rogue 24, sent this to our table towards the end of our 24-course tasting menu. The flavor combination here was astounding. Everyone in our party gushed.

Best Freebie on the Table

This is the truffled pop-over from Kevin Sbraga's eponymous restaurant in Philly. Crispy, tender, flaky, warm, and stinking of truffles. Don't get me started.

Best Counter Service Chicken

Outstanding Peruvian chicken is hard to find. A lot of it is good, but there are only a couple that are superlative. Super Chicken is the winner in the DMV. The customer service is great, the sides are not an after-thought as they are in most other places like this, and the chicken is so good it makes you drop the knife and fork and pick it up with your hands.

Best Appetizer....by far

Fiola, Fabio Trabocchi's restaurant in DC, is a quiet return to some upper-end dining. The bar can get lively, but I think of this place as a temple to this dish. This is all I want when I go there. Fois Gras, perfectly seared, over a buttery brioche. There was some fruity element and a balsamic glaze. This is not on the menu anymore, but I'm sure there will be another iteration of it there soon.

Best Pasta

The person who created this occupies 20% of my top 10. Chef Mike Isabella. The is the sweet corn stuffed agnolotti which he was showcasing when the restaurant first opened. I've posted twice about this restaurant. The first was here.

Best Pizza. Ever.

It doesn't matter who I'm with or what else we're having: If I'm at Graffiato after 5:00pm I have to order one of the Countryman Pizzas. Here is a link to the second post I did about this restaurant when I had the pleasure of trying the tasting menu.

Best Comfort Food

Comfort food doesn't have to be Mac n' Cheese. That's American comfort food. Other cultures have comfort food too, and it doesn't have to be full of fat and cheese. Not that I'm knocking fat and cheese, but I loves me a #12 at Pho 75 on Rockville Pike. I checked my stats on Foursquare and Yelp, and I've been here, for this dish, over 40 times in 2011. Crazy. My neighbors and I live 10+ miles from this place, but we run into each other there. We like it that much.

Best Side Dish

I'm not sure how else to describe the Palak Chaat dish properly. Vikram Sunderam pulls together many flavor and creates this wonder at Rasika. I could go there, have a plate of this, and leave satisfied.

Best Cheese Course

I miss this dish, and the man who created it, Roberto Donna. I'm hoping to see him back at work somewhere soon.

The Budino Parmiggiano. This was a different presentation than the one in my original post, but it made a better picture. Sublime.

Best Home Cookin' Feature

As readers of my blog know, I sometimes take on a home cooking project and post about it. This was the tastiest adventure of the year. Shrimp and Grits, using a recipe posted by RJ Cooper on StarChefs. I made it for a party my wife was attending and this was the test run. Salty/creamy with layers of acid and flavor. One of my best, if I do say so myself.

It was a good year for food and restaurants in the DMV. 2012 should prove exciting as well. Please be sure to stay tuned for more posts on this and my other blog, POSmelson where I post information about the issues, tools, tricks, and technology behind and involving restaurants. As always, your comments, forwards, retweets, and emails are appreciated.

See you next year.

The Hamilton - Revisited

2011-12-19T07:48:00.001-05:00

The Hamilton

600 14th St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20005

202-787-1000

12/18 and 12/20/2011

You've seen my posts about this place before. It is a monster. Lots of seats and a music venue. Open 24X7. Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sushi! The picture above is of their stairs leading down to the music venue. I hadn't seen these lit up before. Very cool. Strangely enough, it doesn't have a cavernous vibe as you might expect in something this big. They broke this restaurant into many small sections and bars in order to keep it feeling intimate.

The sign isn't lit, but you really can't miss it. It covers half the block and is where the old Border's was.

So, to move onto my favorite part: the food. These are some cheesy potatoes that one of my fellow diners had. I didn't dig into her dish, but it looked good.

I went with the Sushi/Sashimi combo. All of the fish was prepared nicely and was extremely fresh. They offer fresh-grated horse radish, but you have to ask for it. It's worth the upcharge. I love that stuff.

Artful and tasty.

This was a nice touch...fresh jumbo-lump crab in the California Rolls.

Everyone likes happy chefs! David Moran and his crew found a very talented sushi crew. Looking around, it seemed like every table in the restaurant had sushi of some sort on it, but they have a full menu of regional items as well. The sushi is going to be popular as there isn't a good sushi place within several blocks.

Nice variety of fish at the sushi bar.

Huge, glossy scallops.

This is the crudo.

I just happened to be snapping pix when this came out. Not my food, but it looked good.

I'm pretty sure this was a firecracker roll in front and something spicy behind it...

On the 20th I went back with my wife and son so I could try some of the turf, as opposed to just the surf.

The Hamilton is following a local trend here that I love: house still and sparkling water at no extra charge. I love sparkling water with dinner, but hate being charged $10.00 per bottle as I've seen in some restaurants. This is also much more environmentally friendly as the bottles are washable and reusable. No wasting plastic and space in a landfill.

I got the Dancing Manhattan. Balanced and well made. Here is a link to the Drink Menu.

The bread is served with a cube of butter topped with what appears to by Maldon Sea Salt, which as you may or may not know is what I smoke a lot of for gifts this time of year. Tender and crisp. Interested in a bottle of hand-crafted, Smoked Maldon Sea Salt from Pleasures of the Table? Let me know.

Let me show you how deftly I handle my chop stix! Alex is a sushi fiend and has been since he was about three.

This plate was actually enough to keep him from asking for dessert. Amazing.

As before, the fish was tremendous. I'm sure they are burning through their inventory on a daily basis here, so no worries about freshness. Here is a link to the Sushi Menu.

Cheryl got the crab cakes. I had her get the double because I knew I'd want one. Jumbo lump, just enough filler to hold it together, and that's it. This was sweet and well prepared.

This was the Pork Chop. One of the better ones I've had in a restaurant. It was big. Nicely crisped on the outside/tender and juicy on the inside. Just hot enough to get past pink. Speaking of hot, my wife and I both noticed that the food came out together, and everything was hot. That may not seem like a huge feat in a diner, but in a restaurant of this size pulling food from different stations with different cooking times, it can be a challenge to get everything out at the right temp and cooked properly. If you'd like a glimpse of the magic behind that, look at this link.

I'll post again when I've had a chance to try the music venue, the late night menu, and the breakfast menu.

Keep in mind when you're viewing the menus that this is a new restaurant, so they may change.

In summary, I feel that this place is going to rock. They have the formula down from many years of experience, and they have a very well-seasoned management staff to keep things rolling.

I will be back to cycle the everything they have to offer over the next few months, so stay tuned.

Thanks for reading. Questions or comments? Let me know! Thanks.

Home Cookin'...Artichoke Hearts Wrapped in Prosciutto

2011-12-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

Want to be the hit of the party? Try making this recipe. I don't remember where I found it, but I've been making it for years and it's always a well received.

Start with some prep. Chiffonade a hand full of fresh sage. Set your oven to 375.

Drain a few jars of marinated artichoke hearts. I like to get mine at Costco. They're big and inexpensive, and they've got a good texture.

Get about a pound of prosciutto. No need to spring for anything fancy here. Boar's Head works just fine.

Wrap each artichoke quarter in 1/4 piece of the prosciutto. This takes time, but the end result is worth it.

Mmm. Porky goodness.

Cover the wrapped hearts with crumbled Gorgonzola.

Tasty.

Take some heavy cream and give it a shake to make sure any fat lumps are distributed. Just a note, but you may want to make sure the cap is on.

Sprinkle your sage leaves over the dish liberally.

Bake at 375 until it's brown and bubbly.

While your dish is in the oven, toast some pine nuts in a dry saute pan just until they're slightly browned and smelling good. Treat them like popcorn...keep shaking the pan and keep your eyes on it, lest you end up with a pan full of burnt pine nuts. Your nose will know.

Serve while it's hot with a spoon and a baguette sliced into rounds. People will want to spoon some of the sauce on the bread along with the artichoke hearts.

Thanks for reading folks. If you try this, please leave a comment and let me know how you liked it!

Graffiato Revisited...Hitting the Tasting Menu

2011-12-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

I am usually in a hurry when I eat at Graffiato. Nothing to do with the restaurant, just that I'm usually down in that part of town when I've got something planned, like a concert or a movie. This night the only thing on my agenda was to have a good dinner with some colleagues and business partners. I'm glad I made the time.

We started with some cocktails, then moved to our table upstairs. The place was absolutely packed with Caps and Flyers fans getting their pre-game on.

Everyone at the table decided that the tasting menu was the way to go.

The first plate out, other than some bread with the famed Pepperoni Sauce, was the charcuterie selection. A great selection of different meats from the Meat Bar upstairs.

This is brocollini with a tasty sauce and some gorgonzola cheese.

This is the bone marrow. It came out towards the end, but It was so pretty I moved it up in the picture order. Think clams casino made with bone marrow instead of clams. Not as heavy as you'd expect, but light, citrusy and crisp.

Surprise winner of the night? Absolutely!

Brussel Sprouts! Sauteed with bacon and drizzled with maple syrup. Throw some cheese on there for good measure. These were FAB! My wife might even eat these if I could get the recipe.

Chef Mike has a penchant for making pillow-shaped pasta filled with something seasonal and ridiculously good. Tonight was not an exception. Here we have pasta filled with butternut squash and roasted chestnuts in a brown butter sauce. The corn-filled pasta he had a couple of months ago was hard to top, but this is an equally tasty dish.

This is the hand-cut spaghetti. It was light and the tomato/herb flavor was explosive. Not what you'd expect. One of the guys at my table couldn't stop talking about it.

Fresh black truffles, gnocchi, and cream.

What else needs to be said?

Speaking of truffles, we had to, just HAD to have a Countryman Pizza. No trip to Graffiato is complete without it. Fontina, truffles, and a sunny-side up egg.

The Cesar with cream cheese croutons is always fun. The salad itself it just a plain, tasty salad, however, watching someone bite into one of the croutons is always entertaining. You're not getting what you expect.

Potato salad...it was only lacking in comparison to the rest of the outstanding dishes we tried. Anywhere else you'd say, "Damn, that's some fine potato salad." Here, the bar is a little higher.

Pork belly. Crispy on the outside, tender and porky on the inside.

Last, but not least, roasted wild boar. Very little modification to the flavor. Wild Pig, just as you'd expect.

All-in-all, a great time. We didn't even make it to dessert. The gild has not fallen off the lilly at this restaurant. As is the case, some places start out great-guns, then fall prey to cutting corners. I haven't had a hint of that here. The service actually improves as it matures. Despite all the TV shows, magazine interviews and charity events that he attends, you're still very likely to see Chef Mike pushing plates at the expo line, which is admirable in these days of celeb chefs who rarely set foot inside their own restaurants.

Would I go back? This was probably my 6th or 7th time eating here. Whenever someone calls me asking for a recommendation for a restaurant, which happens frequently, Graffiato is at the top of my list for a place where you don't have to dress up, you can spend a little or a lot, and the food is exceptional. Do I recommend the tasting menu? Hell yes. If you saw something in my post that looked exceptional, let your server know and they'll likely be able to arrange having it included in your meal.

If you go, tell them you read about it on Pleasures of the Table.

Thank you for reading.

Rogue 24....most of the stories aren't true. Most.

2011-12-04T11:29:00.001-05:00

RJ and yours truly.. He was very cordial and no, he didn't yell at me for taking pictures. No one asked me to put down the camera either. Everyone we came in contact with was very pleasant.

Today's blog will be mostly visual.

Wonders abound at Rogue 24. Dichotomies too. Base and elegance. Coarse and smooth. Rogue and milquetoast. Did I find the contract you have to sign to eat there imposing? Not really. Bonji Beard, formerly the only person who could get you a reso at minibar is the person here who will follow up with you about it. You get the same thing at many restaurants with multi-course tasting menus. I fully understand the need to secure credit cards as well. When you're working on dishes as complex as they are here, the preparation is time consuming and expensive, and the shelf-life can be zero for some of them. Word to the wise: If you make a reservation, keep it. Not just here, but at any restaurant.
First trio...the Fried Rice Special #2 on the right was the winner.

Interesting presentation of Osetra with cider bubbles

The usual suspects clockwise...Eric Blume, Andrew Aurbach, Allison Leader, Sindhu Blume, Cheryl and me. This is one mixed bag. We've got a reporter, a publisher, a lawyer, a communications conusultant, a start-up partner, and a salesman. This team has been kind enough to accompany me on various outings including the chef's tables at various restaurants, many tasting menus, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always entertaining. Thanks for indulging me folks. Nothin' but love for you all.

Frost on the garden

Ryan Moore...formerly of minibar

Mikey Maksimowicz talking with us about one of the courses. Mikey has an amusing habit of hijacking RJ's iPhone and posting entertaining tidbits on Facebook through his account.

Langoustine. This was one of my favorites. I wanted to lick the bowl, but I didn't.

Hello ladies! Interesting shot. Light and dark, coffee and cream? There's not a good and evil though. They're both wonderful.

Deep in conversation.

See urchin

Egg/tuna/dachi

Ox tongue

Bryan Tetorakis and Ryan

Pork belly and clam

Shaved fois gras. I wanted more of this one.

I'm generally not a sweetbreads guy, but this was the best preparation I've ever had.

Tuna

Venison with trail mix and cherries

Poutine...didn't look like it, but it sure tastes like it.

Tasty beer. Very fruity and thick, without the nasty after-taste.

This was my #2 favorite. It was a coconut/green mango/peanut butter thing...very good. My favorite dish of the evening came in a coffee cup. It was a rabbit reduction that tasted like the best demi-glace you've ever had. I neglected to take a picture of that because it smelled so good I forgot to snap one.

Banana textures

Could these guys look any more satisfied? Maybe, but I don't want to do what it would take get them there.
To wrap it up, was it worth the coin? Definitely. Would I go again? If it was with people who I wanted to sit with for 3-1/2 hours and who could appreciate it. I don't know if the dishes I liked are on the a la carte menu, so I'll have to check it out. Unconventional? Sure. Objectivist? Yes. Unique? Absolutely. RJ, best of luck moving forward. See you soon.
Thanks for reading. If you have questions or comments please feel free to hit me up. If you like the post, please retweet it using the link on the right hand side of the page.
Until next time.....

15 RIA....That's Rhode Island Ave. N.W. for you out-of-towners.

2011-12-02T16:35:00.001-05:00

It's always a pleasure to see old friends. Below is a shot of Janis Mclean and yours truly mugging for the camera. Janis and I have been working together for years at various places since 1999 or so, in one form or another.

Janis has an impressive cv, including being educated at La Varenne Ecole De Cuisine and working for them for several years.

Janis also worked at one of my bygone favorites, Red Sage. Her plating and colors are reminiscent of it. This dish was a trout on forbidden grains with a grapefruit/avocado salad with fennel.

The scallops above were huge and cooked perfectly. That's a tough act. The sweet potato has was served on a ginger beurre blanc with wilted spinach. Very tasty.

Nicely done.

This was a banana cream pie! The banana slices had a top of caramelized sugar. The filling was light with chunks of fresh banana. The crust, of course, was dark chocolate cookie crumbs. Elvis would have liked it.

For those of you with a gluten issue, try this. Flourless chocolate cake with a raspberry splash.

I still lament the demise of the first restaurant we met at, Red Dog. She put together a great culinary operation in a very strange little restaurant in Silver Spring. The white pizza she created there was the best I've ever had, and I've had a lot.

If you have questions or comments, please don't be shy. I'd love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading.

Elisir..Enzo Fargione is back in the house!

2011-11-30T11:08:00.001-05:00

Enzo Fargione is back at work...not that he hasn't been working actually, but he hasn't been doing a lot of cooking until very recently. He's been building a new restaurant named Elisir. It's at 427 11th St. N.W. It's quiet (which is good, because the server I had whispered most of the time) and classy. Wallpaper and panelling offset by dark wood. There is an open kitchen and a small bar.

The montage above was created by guest photographer Mike Palmer, who happens to be Enzo's in-house photographer for his website as well as his upcoming cookbook. Additionally, he's my neighbor and was responsible for the invitation to the 7-course tasting menu we enjoyed prior to the restaurant opening to the public this week. Thanks pal! http://www.mpalmerphotography.com/

The night we were in was basically the dress rehearsal, so I'll just skip to the pictures and keep the chatter to a minimum.

Paddle straw...interesting.

Three varieties of olive oils and salts. Right up my alley.

That's Mike Palmer on the right. @mikpalmer1 on Twitter!

I have to say that the pasta was very nice. Truffle air? I like truffle air. I like anything that smells like truffle.

Another nice touch that I appreciate. Demerara sugar for my doppio.

Dessert was nifty looking. There were a variety of flavors...something for everyone.

So congratulations Enzo. Neat place. The service was on the money, as well they should be when trained by someone of Justin Kraemer's caliber. The construction is well done and of good quality. With a little polish and some time to smooth out the edges I'm sure you'll have a winner on your hands.

Read Pleasures of the Table next week to see if I got thrown out of Rogue 24 for bringing my camera!

Kushi Izakaya...Rock n' Rolls...

2011-11-28T21:05:00.001-05:00

Kushi Izakaya 11.28.11

465 K Street, NW Washington DC 20001

http://eatkushi.tumblr.com/

Darren Norris and his wife Ari have put together a unique experience downtown. It's not your standard Japanese restaurant. It's a hybrid of east meets west. The flavors and ingredients are east, but the decor and service are west. Not a bad thing. Definitely a change of pace.

This "sides" for the lunch special. Assorted veggies...all done a differently for a little variety of tastes and textures. The cabbage had a nice zing to it.

Rich miso soup. Fresh chunks of goodness.

I got the spicy tuna and braised pork belly makimono. There was a little flavor profile on the spicy tuna that I couldn't peg. It was different than the usual rolls you get from your average sushi place. Very nice.

A little artsy close-up for the photo folks.

This was the Mayo Fried Chicken that my dining companion got for the lunch special. Nicely done. Crisp and tasty.

One of the nice extra touches: Some extra spice for those of us who want to sweat a little at lunch.

This was an Extra-special touch: fresh grated horse radish. You usually have to request that, and pay more. I made mine extra spicy! Good stuff.

Here's a shot of the sushi counter. Just like I like it: Clean, uncluttered.

This is where the grilling takes place. I hear that this is pretty rocking at night. My friend and I showed up just before they closed after lunch, so it was fairly empty, but I'd like to come check it out on a Saturday night. I hear there are Saki shots being downed.

A place for everything, and everything in it's place. I liked it. I'll definitely be back. If you go, let Darren know you read about it on Pleasures of the Table.

Thanks for reading.

Mussel Bar - Belgian Eats in Bethesda

2011-11-13T19:24:00.000-05:00

Mussel Bar 11.12.11

7262 Woodmont Avenue Bethesda, MD 20814

Cheryl and I don't get out as a couple very often, and Alex was at a friends house for a sleepover, so she decided we should go get dinner and see a movie in Bethesda. We ended up at Mussel Bar.

We started with a beer, some oysters, and the crab dip.

The crab dip was cheezy/spicy with some ale, I'm sure, and something like Old Bay but a little spicier. Pretty tasty. The only change I'd suggest is trying to find a less substantial bread to serve with it. Something lighter and not so filling.

The oysters tasted pretty fresh. I liked their cocktail sauce.

The mussels at Wiedmaier's restaurants are always good. There are only a few places where I'll eat mussels, and Brasserie Beck is one. I didn't hesitate to try them here. The ones I ordered were with mushrooms, pancetta and truffled cream and parm.

The presentation was nice and the dish was very tasty.

Lately in the DC Metro bartenders at all of the top restaurants seem to be picking up their game a bit. Unfortunately, I think they may be a little too focused on the tremendous beer selection they have there.

We had time to kill before the movie so we stayed for an after-dinner drink. I had a Woodford Reserve Manhattan, and it was shaken as shown by the ice froth and ice chips. That's a no-no. The flavor was balanced with sweet vermouth, but the cherry was your standard Maraschino, which should only be served with Shirley Temples and Frozen Strawberry Daquiris. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the places I've been going downtown, but it's what I come to expect when the drinks are $12.00.

To close on a high note though, I can say that the service was very welcoming. I was served by Keifer, who, as it turns out, is related to the owner. He was attentive in the way a friend inviting you over for dinner would be, not stiff and standoffish or over-attentive either. Very gracious and well trained.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment or e-mail with questions.

Sbraga: Bravo Top Chef Winner gets his game on in Philly!

2011-11-06T13:41:00.003-05:00

This is Kevin Sbraga, winner of Bravo's Top Chef Season 7. He was down at my company looking at some of my wares and we went to Graffiato after that, which is where this picture was taken. He decided to go with my company, so I figured I would return the favor and go give him some of my business!

It was a beautiful night to be walking the streets of Philadelphia with my friend Mike, who also works for my company, and our wives Cheryl and Kate.

That's Kate on the left, Cheryl in the middle, and Mike on the right.

Kate and Cheryl at the food bar/pass. We sat right where the food was being cooked. I prefer setups like this so I can watch everything that's happening and take pictures of all the food, not just what comes to my table.

Here's a shot of the menu. If you click on it it will blow up to give you a better look. It's arranged into four courses. You choose one of each for $45.00.

A nicely prepared Bulleit Manhattan was the starter.

Instead of the usual breadbasket, we were given truffled popovers...mmm.

This was the rose petal relish for the Fois Gras Soup.

I couldn't pass that one up. It wasn't like eating a bowl of pureed fg, it was creamy and spicy with a bouquet of fois gras. Well done.

This is scallops with black truffels and the Oxtail Tamale.

This is the Arctic Char. The skin was crisp and the fish creamy.

Some dishes getting prepped for the line.

Another angle on the Char.

A little truffle for your scallops?

Little mushrooms from the tamale plate.

Makin' it pretty...

Chick Pea Fritters

Some duck waiting for the plate...

Plates on the pass.

Kevin Sbraga and Jose Adorno

Duck and corn bread.

My vantage point was pretty good...nice to watch artists at work.

Steak with marrow crust.

Clams with Orecchiette and Fennel.

Black Sea Bass with Bok Choi.

Love me some Illy Espresso.

This is the Singapore Sling that clinched the win for Kevin on Top Chef.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

All-in-all, a delightful time with friends I haven't seen in a while and a great experience in Philly. It's a vibrant city. We walked around a little more after dinner and hit some Starr Restaurant Group places and then walked home.

Regarding Sbraga, I wish Kevin and his crew continued success. I don't think they've even been open a month as I write this, but they have their operation pretty well-polished. They will make an impact in bringing artful, soulful cooking in an attractive restaurant to their neighborhood.

See you soon Kevin, and thanks again for a great meal.

Bangkok Joe's....more than just a pretty face

2011-11-03T21:12:00.000-04:00

Bangkok Joe's 11.3.11

3000 K W. N.W. Washington, DC 20007

Bangkok Joe's has been around for several years. I'd been by for a cocktail party at some point, but never got in to have a meal. Business brought me down to the waterfront, so I figured I'd stop in and have some lunch.

My friend and I started in with some crab and pork shumai. Joe's prides itself on dumplings and these were fresh and steamy. The filling was meaty, without being mealy like some can be. The scallions in the dipping sauce were crisp. Nice touch.

My dining companion had the Pho, though this was far from the standard. The broth was much richer than what you'd expect and was very substantial.

I had the fried tofu with basil. It was mildly spicy and the tofu had a great texture and flavor. It picked up a lot of the basil sauce. It wasn't spicy by my standards, but I was afraid to order anything with more than one chili icon next to it on the menu after my snack at Mandalay yesterday.

It is a pretty face...the headline wasn't misleading. The fixtures and decoration are unique. These little meringue-looking puffs were on the far wall.

This wasn't on our table, but I saw them lighting something a few tables down...snapped a quick photo. Based on what I could see it's some sort of deconstructed bananas foster with a spun-sugar topper. Nice.

If they knew a photographer was in the house the least they could have done was straighten up the chop-stick holders!

Neat stuff...are those chrome thingies coat hangers? Or do they represent the steam coming off the shumai?

I'm clueless as to the light fixtures, though they are nifty.

Here's another shot of the meringue wall. There are lights coming down from multiple angles and it looks pretty cool.

Hope you enjoyed my fru-fru pix. Please feel free to comment. If you happen to go down there, let them konw you read about it on Pleasures of the Table!

Mandalay...hot stuff!

2011-11-03T17:44:00.001-04:00

Mandalay Restaurant 930 Bonifant St., Silver Spring MD 20910

http://mandalayrestaurantcafe.com/

11.2.11

Mandalay is a restaurant that started in College Park, MD many years ago.

Those of you who went to UMD may remember it. They are known for S.E. Asian cuisine. The unfortunate thing about my trip to Mandalay was that I was by myself, so I didn't have anyone to order something different and share! They have a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes as well as non.

Jesus Saves. Buddha apparently is environmentally conscious. I like the fact that they use a CF bulb in their offering.

I started out with a Iced Myanmar Coffee. It was the pre-sweetened variety with condensed milk. I'll take that for $2.95 over a Starbucks any day.

This is the Mandalay Tofu. It's served at room temperature, but the spice is enough to light you up. I really enjoyed the flavor. It's lightly fried, then chilled, and tossed with a lemon-soy dressing and sesame seeds. This is a vegan dish with tons of flavor and good texture. By the time I finished I was sweating and my nose was running. Just the way I like it.

I look forward to going back and trying some varied dishes. If you stop in, report back and let me know how you liked it! I look forward to your comments.

District Taco...sounds better than Northern Virginia Taco, doesn't it?

2011-11-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

District Taco 5723 Lee Highway, Arlington VA 10.30.11

You never know what you're going to get when you stop into a local taco joint in NoVa. Sometimes you get lucky. This was one of those times.

I like the fixin's bar. Everything was fresh and nicely prepared. I didn't catch a hint of canned anything. Always nice when you get fresh chopped jalapenos and spicy salsa at no extra charge.

The menu is simple, but varied. I want to come back and try the Huevos Rancheros. A friend of mine had them. He said they were fiery and kept him sweating for a while after he finished. I'll be back to give them a shot.

I ended up with a Burrito Mojado with pork. It was spicy enough to make it interesting, but naturally I slathered it with their hot home-made salsa after I took this picture. The decor is sparse, and the music is varied, but definitely Mexican.

Nicely chopped. Obviously not coming from a can.

You can get Cerveza! Ice cold.

This is one of my favorite trends in the local fast-casual scene. Boyland's Soda Machines. I don't know about you, but real Birch Beer takes me back to days of $.25 bottles out of a machine.

Recycled napkins? Check. Compostable food containers? Check. Free Wifi? Check. Supporting other local merchants like M.E. Swing Coffee? Two points for that one.

All-in-all, a nice concept with good food. I think these folks will be rolling out a few more and I hope they jump the river over into my neck of the woods. Until then, looks like I'll have to cross over to try the Huevos. See you soon guys.

Home Cookin' - When life brings you lemons, make meringue!

2011-10-29T22:35:00.002-04:00

My son decided he wanted a lemon meringue pie and I said, "Yeah, when I get around to it." As fate would have it, we had no plans today and it was ugly out, so I broke out my well-worn Gourmet Cookbook by Ruth Reichl (2nd favorite only to Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook) and got to work.
The instructions and recipe are very particular, but if you follow them to the nth degree you'll end up with as good a pie as you can get anywhere.
I skipped making my own crust because that's just too much work in conjunction with the rest of the recipe. Yes, you may call me a sell-out, wimp, or more colorful expletives, but that's how I roll sometimes.
FYI, Giant brand pie crust is actually pretty good. I read somewhere at some point that Giant brand was the best of the local grocery store's offerings, so I've used them when I didn't feel like totally destroying my kitchen.
Pre-heat to 375
Here's what you'll need:
Filling

4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 Tbs + 1.5 tsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1 Tbs unsalted butter
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (remember to zest the lemon BEFORE you juice it)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Meringue

6 egg whites (be sure not to get any of the yolk in with the with whites when you separate or it won't work)
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar

Line your dish with the pie crust, fork it all over, and put a round of foil in it. Add a bunch of dried beans or a pie chain to weigh it down and prevent bubbling. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and weights. Put it back in the oven for another 15 until it's nicely browned. Turn the heat down to 350.
While that's going on, whisk the egg yolks. In a heavy sauce pan whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt together, then gradually add the water and milk, whisking until the cornstarch and sugar is dissolved.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then take it off the burner. Pour one cup of the gloppy cornstarch/sugar mixture into a vessel and slowly whisk it into the egg yolks. If you go to fast, you'll end up with scrambled sweet, starchy eggs. Once you've tempered the eggs you can add them into the pan with the rest of the sugar/starch mix. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring, for about 3 minutes, remove from the heat, and add the lemon juice, zest, and butter. Whisk until it's smooth and silky. You're done with this for now. Put a lid on it to keep it warm.
For the meringue, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until you've got soft peaks. Crank the mixer up to high and add the sugar one tablespoon at a time until it just holds stiff peaks.
Hopefully your pie crust is still warm, if not, put it in the oven for a minute. This is critical. Everything has to be warm for it to stick together.
Put the filling in the pie, then top with meringue. Make sure the meringue gets to the crust all the way around or it will separate and weep and generally look nasty.
Bake it for 15 minutes or until the meringue has a nice golden-brown sheen, as so:

You'll have leftover meringue, so you can get creative, or do what I did and just bake dollops of it on waxed paper for tasty treats as below:

Let the pie come to room temp before putting it in the fridge to chill for 2 hours minimum. If you rush it it will weep. Be patient.
Give it a shot. It will produce one of the tastiest, lightest, creamiest lemon meringue pie you've ever had.
Let me know how it works out for you.

Bistro Le Zinc...La nourriture était bonne!

2011-10-19T06:31:00.001-04:00

This is me with the owners of Bistro Le Zinc a week or so prior to opening. David Ashwell, Chef, is on the left and John Warner, General Manager, is on the right.

The reason I'm posting this now, instead of in July when I had this meal, was that I had started posting to a Facebook Group instead of my blog do to the way Blogger was handling pictures. Blogger has since improved greatly, so I moved back to that format.

Secondarily, The WaPo put out a bad review for these guys that I thought was way off base and I'd like to do what I can to assist in setting the record straight. These guys know what they're doing.

I like it when you can mix form with function. This is the salmon appetizer.

Very nicely executed with lots of different flavors going on.

My wife got the French Onion Soup, or FOS if you're in the biz. This was the best bowl of FOS I've ever tasted. It wasn't a one-note affair. It had depth and layers of flavors.

This was the Escargot. Awesome with Stilton and roasted wild garlic.

This is a new trend you see in a lot of restaurants, and I like it. Filtered bottled watered, made in-house, either flat or sparkling, at no additional charge, or in some restaurants at nominal charge. I do not miss $14.00 bottles of sparkling water.

This was my son's dish. He got the duck three ways. The breast was wonderfully tender. He ate everything. At 9 years old, he's got quite the pallete.

This was my dish. The Lamb Shank. Falling-off-the-bone tender. The lentils and potato were very tasty and well executed.

The Steak Frites. Perfectly executed with a very nice sauce. The fries were crispy and the roasted onions were creamy. What more could you want?

David and John have worked very hard to bring this project to fruition and it shows. I've been back several times and have found the place to be vibrant and generally packed. Well done gentlemen. I wish you continued success, critics be damned.

If you go, tell them you read about it on Pleasures of the Table!

Home Cookin' Butternut Squash with Sage and Parm

2011-10-19T05:47:00.000-04:00

Looking for something different to do with butternut squash? Give this recipe a shot. Pre-heat to 400.

Start with a standard 20oz. package of butternut squash (or peel and cut your own)
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup finely grated parm
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of white pepper
3-4 fresh sage leaves chopped

Add the cream, chopped sage, salt, and pepper to to the squash and cover with foil. Bake for 1/2 hour.

After 1/2 an hour remove, mix in 1/2 the parm, then sprinkle the rest over the top. Put it back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes until it's nice and crispy brown. Remove from the heat and let it sit for a couiple of minutes...the cream will firm up.

And this is the finished product...first time I tried it and thought it was very tasty. Good flavors, nice textures and colors. A perfect side dish for 4 that doesn't require a whole lot of prep/attention.

If you try it let me know how you liked it!

Dino in DC….Now That’s Amore.

2011-10-17T21:24:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Dino in Washington DC..

Proprietor Dean Gold is and I have known each other since 2005. He came from a background as a buyer for Whole Foods, specifically wine and cheese, but before that he was in the restaurant biz in California.

This is Andrew Shapiro, @ShapsinDC for those of you who Tweet. He’s a fun guy and gave us great service the night we were in. He’s got some serious opinions about the NCAA.

Andrew had just been featured in Washingtonian Magazine for his Il Consigliere, which won him the #1 spot on the list of Manhattans to try in the DC area. I have to say, it was pretty tasty. I like a Manhattan that doesn’t burn you, but doesn’t taste like someone dropped raw maraschino cherry juice in it either.

Just FYI, Dean has assembled a very eclectic wine list and runs all kinds of specials. Check his website or get on his mailing list for updates.

My guest and I put ourselves at Andrew and Dean’s mercies and asked them to keep the food coming until we cried uncle. They did a stupendous job.

You’ll note lots of interesting items around the restaurant if you take the time to look. Note the line on the menu about cell phones. Inventive.

Shhh….artist at work.

One of the things I really liked about the bar…there were little bowls of olives and pickled veggies…the string beans were particularly good. They had a touch of anise that made them very light & fresh tasting.

This is a bowl of fried artichoke hearts. They aren’t battered or breaded, just a little spice rub, lemon and salt.

There are bottles of concoctions and potions all over the walls by the bar. I’m sure that they make it into the cocktails from time to time.

This is the beet salad with citrus and ricotta salata. I haven’t had ricotta salata since my days at Papa Razzi!

This is the stuffed duck neck made in-house with duck sausage, cardamom, ginger, allspice, orange and honey. Nice.

This is the pork steak. This dish brought me right back to sitting at my grandfather’s table when I was about 5 years old. He was a butcher at A&P (for those of you who might remember that store) for 40 years and he used to bring home cuts like this, and prepare them like this. Amazing.

This is the duck over a leek and cardamom reduction. Very tender.

This is the fruitti di mare. The pasta was done just right and the dish tastes like fresh ocean. Nicely played.

As I was saying about the potions….

The drinks aren’t all alcoholic here…this was a watermelon spritzer-type thingy that Andrew whipped up for my designated driver. I should have tried it but I was too enthralled with my Il Consigliere.

Until next time…..keep it shakin’!
If you like what you read or have any comments please feel free to let me know…or Tweet me up.
Thank you for reading.

Don't pass on the Salt & Pepper

2011-10-16T12:33:00.001-04:00

The Palisades is a nice place to visit. There are a couple of good restaurants to eat at, notably Salt & Pepper and Makoto. This is a shot of Salt & Pepper's patio.
Chef Nate Auchter and his wife Lindsey own this restaurant. I've known Nate for years and have seen him move up the chain. When I first met him I think he was working for Todd Grey at Equinox. He's got skills in the kitchen and is actually a nice guy. That's rarer than you might imagine in the restaurant industry.

Cute stuff here and there around the restaurant.

Nice and comfy. Understated.

Nice that we can go back to hanging stemware now that you can't smoke in restaurants. What a pain it was to try to figure out where to put all that stuff!

I asked Nate to cook what he'd be eating if he were having lunch, and this is what he delivered. A Bacon Cheeseburger with a Fried Egg Topper. Excellent!

The o-rings aren't done in the normal fashion in that they use pastry flour instead of all-purpose. It makes them nice and crunchy without being greasy. Cool idea.

If you're in The Palisades, make sure you stop by and say hello. Be sure to tell Nate where you read about him!

Thanks for reading.

Merzi....Indian food fast, cheap and tasty.

2011-10-15T11:35:00.003-04:00

Good afternoon Washington DC! What a day Friday was!

It started out raining cats and dogs, but then the sun came out and brought a little of the artist in me with it.

I brought my appetite with me too! I had heard of Merzi, but hadn't had an opportunity to stop in and check it out. Note that the restaurant is right next to the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows Temple. It's a fact.

The idea behind Merzi is Chipotle meets traditional Indian. Seems like a lot of folks are heading towards the Chipotle meets.....thing these days, and it's not a bad way to go. Do it right and you can be successful. Do it wrong, and you're a statistic. These folks do it pretty well. Choose your meat, your vehicle, i.e. rice bowl, naan, your toppings, your spices and your beverage, then pay. Quick and fairly painless. You can be out the door for less than $10.00 with a good lunch.

One thing I noted in my visit was the branding and the build. Interesting fonts, colors, and textures all put together very well.

I shot some B&W to take the focus off the colors and let you see what I meant about textures. Very pleasing to the eye.

Back to the food..

It's gotta be clean if you want to keep my business. I showed up towards the end of lunch and the place was still fairly busy, but there wasn't any muck/grease/wasted food laying around. Nice n' tidy, just the way I like it.

I'm not sure what I had here, but it was lamb on naan with all of their spicy toppings. I broke a sweat.... I also had a potato tikka. Crisp and tasty.
The one issue I have is that the food doesn't come out piping hot. As in my post about Shophouse, same issue. The proteins need to be kept hotter.

Neat place. I definitely recommend stopping in for lunch. Check it out. The GM is named Colin. Tell him where you heard about it!

Two Scoops, No Cone! Grand Trunk and District Kitchen

2011-10-15T10:35:00.005-04:00

So long Artifactory, hello Grand Trunk. Kamran Cheema, a recent PoliSci graduate from Vanderbilt, is bringing his new fast casual concept to Indiana Avenue in the former Artifactory space. Kamran hopes to open in 8-12 weeks.
More details to follow as work progresses on the project.
Best of luck Kamran!

Drew Trautmann and Jawad Saadaoui are opening District Kitchen at the old Jandara site on Connecticut Ave. N.W. Drew told WaPo that he's modelling this after Baltimore's Woodberry Kitchen. That's ambitious to say the least. I wish them all the best as I'd love to have a casual place with super-good food in that neighborhood.
Rock on gents...get it open!