DCFUD

Over the weekend I attended a birthday party at Bistro Bis, and by pure chance, it turned out to be the first day of their new summer menu. Located within the Hotel George, the décor is very “nouveau” hotel (aka slightly tacky). The main dining room, with a view of the kitchen, seemed a much nicer place to eat. My booth, however, was roomier than a New Jersey diner, and raised-off the floor at a comfortable height. Now I have heard great things about this restaurant – a sleeper among the D.C. culinary scene!

We started with the famed steak tartar. Much has been written about this dish and we ordered with anticipation. I will admit I was a tartar virgin. It was tasty – mayonnaise and capers over-whelmed the palate, but in a nice, comforting way. The mussels, something for which I am more of a Tri-Delt than virgin, were ok. I realize there is a whisper mussel campaign going on in this city – they make everyone’s “Top 5” list at this restaurant or another – but I can’t jump on the wagon. They’re tasty, oui, but the tartar was definitely the Wonderboy and the mussels an Invisible Girl.

For dinner, a tuna dish that our waiter suggested was a nicoise delight, with olives aplenty. My dear sir, I would have to disagree. But perhaps, to be fair, this dish didn’t stand a chance as I had read the menu before arriving and was drooling for the sweetbreads. Alas, new menu, no sweetbreads. The offal train has left the station and is gaining speed – why oh why would you remove it from the menu! In the end, however, the tuna was well-cooked and quite yummy. Combined with some flat noodles and a very complimentary sauce. I was lucky enough to also taste the duck – always heaven – and the lamb. Portions were hearty and everyone was satisfied.

For dessert, petit fours! Even the woman on Intervention last night who hadn’t eaten solid food in 15 years would probably break the rules for a little cake. These cakes weren’t the traditional fondant laden sweet cubes. (By the way, fondant is ruining our world, but that’s another topic altogether!) These mini cookies, jellies, and cakes were the perfect finale to a very solid meal. Does the bistro live up to the hype? It does. The price? Not so sure. Vidalia’s little red-headed French step-brother deserves a moment outside of the shadow of its much beloved bigger sister. I’m not convinced this a go-to restaurant in a city filled with opportunity, but the offer of sweetbreads may be able to lure me back.

AEK

Would you guess it? There were two Virginia Summer Solstice Farm Dinner’s on June 20^th. And both were hosted by top chefs from the area! A while back, I bought tickets to one of the dinners hosted by Chef Tony Chittum of Vermillion. My friends, who I suggested should come along, bought tickets to a similar dinner hosted by Chef Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve. Our only communication after this separate purchasing was about car-pooling to the event, ignorant to the fact there were two separate dinners – our e-mails were only titled “Virginia Summer Solstice Farm Dinner.” Imagine my surprise when we arrived at the wrong dinner – too late to drive to the other. After a somewhat cold reception from a French woman – surprise – we discovered there were only two tickets available for purchase. Off to the ATM! (A difficult task in the middle of nowhere Virginia!) Finally, after handing over an obscene amount of money (for the second time), we sauntered up the hill to begin our Solstice extravaganza as presented by Chef Armstrong.

I could write all day about the wines of the evenings. Local to the Rappahannock region, they were true Virginia. I’ll highlight one; the Rappahannock Cellars Cabernet Franc (2007) was just as this wine should be – rich, full bodied, and, dare I say it, world class. To start, however, we drank a delicious blueberry Wasmund’s Rye cocktail. The rye, from the Copper Fox Distillery, is 100 percent American made, one barrel at a time (or so the brochure tells me). After the incidents of just a few minutes earlier, the comedy of errors, I was desperate for a drink. With a rye in one hand, and a Rappahannock Cellars Seyval Blanc (2008) in the other, I strode up to the tent for dinner.

Placed on top of a small hill, gorgeous views of green, lush mountains enveloped us. As guests scurried to claim a seat that would best showcase the impending sunset, my party plopped down and enjoyed the moment. A beautiful breeze blew and the food began. We started with a lovely smoked trout salad with horseradish vinaigrette. Although the white dollops were first mistaken for goat cheese, the confusion was quickly overcome by the pure genius of the dish.

Our next course was roasted loin of lamb served over a daube of braised shoulder. The lamb was raised on the very farm where we were eating, the Mount Vernon Farm of Sperryville. It was nicely cooked without a hint of gaminess. Now, I am not a lamb eater by nature, but this was wonderful. And I’m sure the meal was only enhanced by the setting sun. When the sun went down, out came the cheese course – an Everona Piedmont. As it turns out, it was sourced at the farm of a man sitting to our left. A gentleman farmer, he had just returned from a cheese tasting tour of Montenegro. I don’t know what to say about that.

For dessert, a bread pudding with cherries. Not so good. For the first time during the event, I was reminded that the food was being reheated and not cooked directly on site. It was crusty on top – in that dried out kind of way. But by that point in the evening, the wine had flowed, the food had been wonderful, the butter a divine inspiration, and the outdoor kitchen was in the dark. Je t’excuse! After such a harrowing adventure upon arrival, the evening ended in perfect splendor.

AEK

Having already gorged myself on delicacies like fois gras and bahn mi, I realized thatmy time in Seattle would not be complete without a visit to at least one of Famous Chef Tom Douglas’ restaurants.  So, for my final day there (sans conferencing) I wandered back down towards the market and decided to try brunch at Etta’s (WARNING: mildly obnoxious flash site!).

I was greeted and seated quickly, at a nice booth looking out the window or at the bar.  And there, I waited (luckily, it was also Free Comic Book Day, so on my way down I’d picked up a selection to read).  Finally, the waitress brought me some much-needed coffee, which unfortunately turned out to be a cup of the aforementioned Starbucks.

A while later, I ordered, choosing the salmon-cake Eggs Benedict. This was, sadly, a mistake. The hollandaise was a bit bland, the cakes heavy and a touch dry.  Plus, I really have to ask: why the hell would you make a salmon CAKE with all that fabulous fresh fish available, just across the street?? I admit my fault in ordering it, but I was curious (and hopeful).  Le sigh.  Lesson probably never to be learned.

Willing to give the Iron Chef winner a second chance, I decided to eat my final dinner in Seattle at Palace Kitchen, conveniently located across the street from where I stayed.  I got there fairly late again, and rather than wait for a table, I opted to sit at the very pretty bar, overlooking the entirely open kitchen and with a good view of the Sounders game, which was on TV.  The place feels much bigger than it is, and has a nice, wood-fire-like lighting scheme.  I really love getting to watch the kitchen work.

The bartender was very nice (also: hot), and immediately introduced me to the bar-snack bowl of hickory smoked almonds.  These were bloody fantastic, but apparently a stand-in for the usual pistachios.  I can’t imagine how those could be better.  I drank some local cream ale whose name I don’t remember but which was delicious.  For my dinner, I had two appetizers: a small order of plin, and sliced raw geoduck with pickled vegetables.

Plin are a Piedmontese pasta - basically tube-shaped ravioli. Filled with roast pork and chard, these were fabulous. The pork was sweet and nutty, perfectly complimented by Parmesan over top.  The chard hinted at itself but I couldn’t really taste it as much as I’d have liked - a touch more might have been nice. The geoduck was also quite good: it’s most similar, for me, to octopus, but with a smoother texture and a more floral and almost nutty flavor.  The black pepper vinaigrette was perfect on the acidity scale, but I’m not sure that black pepper wasn’t too much.  I might have preferred white.

All in all, Palace Kitchen was quite good.  Some of the details were less than perfect for me, but on the whole I had a great time and left happy.  Had I more time in Seattle, I’d go back for a proper dinner, and maybe even be a regular at the bar.  It’s a bit pricey (the small plate of plin was $14), but not terribly so.  And I could eat those almonds off the bartender’s abs all night.

-MAW

When Hernan Cortez conquered Mexico in 1521, chocolate was introduced to Spain. The Spanish added sugar and cinnamon to the bitter drinking chocolate recipes of the Aztecs and Mayans. By the late 1600s, the British discovered the Spanish drink and began adding milk to the recipe, thus creating what would become the winter obsession of people worldwide for the next few centuries. By the mid 1700s, the industrial revolution afforded the technology to create solid chocolate bars.

Chocoholics everywhere are grateful for the evolution of chocolate. However, for the three centuries since the advent of the solid chocolate bar, an essential Aztec/Mayan ingredient has been largely absent: the chili pepper.  Happily, for adventurous palates, in recent years, many of the finer chocolatiers have reintroduced the not so humble chili into specialty chocolate bars.

Click here to see my review of seven chili (and other hot pepper) flavored dark chocolates

By guest writer Carla Haus

What can’t you do with lavender?! There are the obvious conventional uses; as fodder for honeybees, as an essential oil for your incense burner, and the blossoms are all too familiar in potpourri assortments. But there are some other, less predictable uses. Sachet away!

I recently infused some vodka with lavender. Delicious. And for a party, I made a lemon cake drenched in lavender infused cream. What a hit! I stock up on the flowers any time I’m at my local co-op. It’s something unique to sprinkle on baked goods, and a surprising addition to various concoctions. Just Google “lavender recipes” and over 2.5 million entries will be available for your enjoyment.

I urge you to experiment with herbs in unconventional ways.  And let me know what surprises you discover!

AEK

This past weekend I was car-jacked at gun point outside of my house.  While this was a horrible event, I realize it could have been much worse.  Aside from some sleepless nights and some physical pain, my partner and I have made it out 1) alive, and 2) aware that every day is valuable.  After returning from the police station at about 1 a.m. the question was, what do we drink?

Our neighbor had brought over a cab sav earlier in the night - after he learned of the incident.  And while I do love a hearty red, this event didn’t seem to call for a cheap heavy wine.  Gin and tonic perhaps?  It’s almost an every day drink in my household so I wouldn’t want to taint this standard with such a horrible event.  In the end, I went for my steady Pinot Grigio - it’s my go-to, it’s my Linus blanket.  And it did the trick.  I may not have fallen asleep until the sun came up, but I was commiserating with an old friend.  Is alcohol a crutch?  After a gun’s been pointed to your face, damn straight it is!

And the next night?  I had a beautiful rose champagne - why?  Because I was taking back the night! and celebrating life!

What is your go-to food/drink when you need some comfort?  Mac and cheese (p.s. I love you mac and cheese)? Butterscotch krimpets (p.s. I love you Tastycake!)?  Glenmorangie?  I’d love to know what you do  - after all, no matter how old we are, food is memory, and memories bring us comfort.

- AEK

(I’m sorry there’s no picture, but somehow, visuals seem inappropriate.)

Last time, my stomach was to be found digesting crêpes and coffee, bahn mi and spring rolls, and piles of raw fish.  It was happy, and thus wanted more.

As tasty as Bambuza was, I knew there were greater things to be had.  My subsequent lunches were eaten at the Pike Place Market, a food-Valhalla if I’ve ever visited one.   I spent a good long while just wandering around, feasting my eyes on fresh-from-the-river/ocean fish, piles of gorgeous mostly-local produce, and stall after stall of food sellers and cookers and eaters.  I ate too, of course.  Many of the vendors had samples of fresh produce, breads, oils, vinegars, jams and more - I took part, and often bought a small helping more to snack on as I walked.

Across from the market proper are the shop-stalls, from bakeries to specialty cheese and beyond.  I stopped by a few…  I had a hot, sweet and savory humbow (steamed pork barbecue buns) from the Mee Sum Pastry Shop - basically, a dim sum cart in market-stall form.  At the Russian bakery Piroshky Piroshky, I gorged on all sorts of pastry-enclosed goodness, and also non-enclosed (“gorged” may be too strong…I ate one there, took a bunch to go for breakfasts, etc.).  The beef & onion, potato mushroom & onion, and apple cinnamon roll were my favorites.

The one disappointment at Pike Place Market was the Original Starbuck’s.  Coffee at this ‘Bucks is just as overpriced and under-delicious as at its every clone across the universe.  Oh well!  Come to think of it…I had a lot of at-best-mediocre coffee on this trip.  Why is Seattle so famous for coffee?

Having spent the afternoon at Pike Place, my second night found me again searching for a quick bite en route to a beer, but a strange sign above Quinn’s Pub ensured that the two quickly combined.  The sign said: “Fois Gras Night - proceeds benefit [some charity].”  I immediately stepped inside, squeezing into a bar seat between a raucous group of it-girls and a few guys all too happy for a neutral buffer.  Our former editrix here was Swiss - maybe it rubbed off?

I learned from the friendly bartender that Fois Gras night was only technically for charity: sales were to benefit some group which protests fois gras: counter-protest by aggressive irony or something like that…  So I had the fois gras mousse with brioche, and some local special draught beer that was all hoppy and delicious.  It was as delightful as I’d hoped, though not the “light” dinner I’d planned.  The music was a mixed selection of hardcore punk and 80’s pop, which also worked for me.

-MAW

Is this true? A Restaurant Week-like event that continues throughout the entire year? I was recently told about the Washington, D.C. Tastings Journal. While there isn’t the grandiose restaurant selection, one can pay $45 pp and get a five-course meal that includes (one) glass of wine. Through May 31^st, the featured restaurant is Indebleu. I’ve heard interesting, mixed reviews of this venue and was excited to try it out for myself.

Indebleu (currently without a functioning website) has a new chef – Michael Hartzer – and a bold menu selection for their prix fixe. We began with the chili relleno – dull. Forgetable. Next. For the second course I had the baby rocquet salad. This salad was heavily dressed, and accompanied with spiced cashews. The combination was not incredible, but hey, this is a cheap dinner and I’m not expecting their best. (Although, shouldn’t I?) The carrot soup, offered as a choice with the salad, was much better!

For the third course I decided on the scallops. Perhaps as an ode to their origins in some mysterious bay, there were doused by a heavy hand with salt. Almost inedible. Almost. The other choice, the mushroom pasta, was much better. For the fourth course, I had the tuna. The warm saffron vinaigrette was more orange (in color and flavor) than delicious. The tuna was well prepared – but let’s be honest, this isn’t rocket science. The fresh mint relish for the lamb was missing, I believe, the mint. And the lamb was not medium-rare, but red as a sacrificial offering.

Come on dessert! We’re all counting on you to save the day. Peach beignets with chevre ice cream – ah, this could be wonderful. But, wait a minute, uh-oh. The peach slices contained within the delicious sugared dough were hard. These weren’t fresh, ripe peaches, but rather rock hard peach-esque segments.

All in all, this was a disappointing dinner. The one saving grace of the entire evening, you ask? A drink from the bar – a libation that had nothing to do with the meal. I believe it was called – a Dirty Duck Sauce something? I don’t know. But there was vodka and gin in it, with some delicious olives stuffed with blue cheese and duck sausage. If I closed my eyes, and took a sip, it was almost like I was at Proof – and everything was going to be right with the world.

- AEK

I recently spent a long weekend in that other Washington - Seattle to be precise.  I was basically too disorganized to plan anything other than the main event of my stay - going to a conference - so I improvised, which is how I like it anyhow.  The results were really impressive, and I have to say I had a great time getting a lot fatter!   I ate so much, in fact, that I’m going to split my exploits into a few separate posts.

I made the usual unfortunate decision to stay in inexpensive lodging convenient to the convention center, but this time at least I was in the right part of town, food-wise.  The next morning I found, happily situated across the street from my mhotel, Le Petit Café & Crêparie (2229 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121), luring me in with the aroma of coffee, crêpes, and the offer of free wifi.

Le Petit Café was being operated by a cook, who looked like she was just too polite to be swearing as profusely - I assume in French - as she looked like she wanted to be, and one other guy who worked the counter and as waiter. Service was slow, but not unpleasantly - and I felt right at home sipping my first delicious coffee, fighting with Mandriva to access the internet (others seemed to be happily surfing away), and perusing the crêpe selection.  I chose a savory option - spinach, mushrooms, and egg.  This came out along with my second cup of coffee: rich, with yummy wilted greens and mushrooms, wrapped in a perfect whole-wheat crêpe.

The first day of the conference, Big Pharma provided donuts which were free and delicious, but soon I needed real food.  Hunting for a quick, convenient lunch place near the venue, and I soon noticed Bambuza, a Vietnamese bistro and bahn mi counter, just across the street.  I chose to dine at a table instead of the counter (I had abstracts to peruse, after all!), and was escorted to a perfectly nice corner by the window, looking out onto the street.  Service was very polite, if a little disorganized.

I started off with the Vegetarian Salad Rolls - moist tubes of tofu, basil and veggies with a tasty (but maybe too sweet) peanut sauce for dipping.  I would have liked a bit more heat on these (the chili kind, not the fire kind), but they were really very tasty, and I could see myself just having two orders as a perfectly nice meal.

After that, I moved on to the bahn mi, which are simply called Vietnamese Sandwiches on the menu. I choose the Lemongrass Beef version, because it sounded good.  The beef was flavorful, and the veggies fresh and crisp.  Sadly, the overall effect was a touch mild for me - the mayo was bland, and cast a drabness over the sandwich as a whole.  All told: millions of orders of magnitude better than any Subway or Quiznos fare, but no Song Que.

Late my first night, I wanted to go see what nightlife Seattle had to offer, but needed a late dinner on my way.  Walking from my room in Belltown towards Capitol Hill, I remembered my past trips to the West Coast, and how good the sushi is out there.  Looking for a lighter bite, this seemed a good goal as I came upon Oasis Café (1024 E Pike St).  They were just closing, but the proprietress and proprietor were more than happy for me to join their other last customer at the bar. I was treated to an assortment of bloody delicious, ultra-fresh fish, charming conversation, and the usual green tea. The stand-out was easily the last surprise course: I’d ordered maguro, but my hosts insisted I could do better, and brought out a plate of white tuna nigiri. Wow, what an upgrade!  This is the kind of place I’d hit regularly, if I was in the area.

-MAW

By Guest Blogger Trish King

About four years ago, I found out that I am gluten intolerant: I have a severe sensitivity to the protein gluten, which is found in wheat, rye and barley. Discovering yourself to be gluten intolerant, you become very aware of what is in the food you eat: there is wheat, barley and rye in everything! It is in cereals, breads, and your favourite meat loaf at the local diner. It’s in your microwavable meal; it is also disguised as “modified food starch.”

Four years ago there was not much around when it comes buying gluten free foods; when you were hungry and on the run, there was no gluten-free McDonald’s to run to, only your own cries of “Great - what I am I going to eat now, there is wheat in everything!!!”

Well, a lot has changed over the last 4 years, as many people have become aware of Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance. We’re in luck these days, with plenty of companies who have made the change to make eating more pleasant for those with gluten intolerance. So you don’t need to let having Celiac or a gluten intolerance stop you from enjoying chewy breads, crunchy snacks or a great breakfast. All these products are made mostly from rice, corn, tapioca or potato flours, eggs, and milk. Here are some of my favorites…

I generally go to Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe’s for my all my Gluten-free pre-made and baking supplies. Whole Foods also has their own line of gluten-free breads - Sourdough, Prairie Bread, Prairie Raisin Bread and sandwich loaf.

Against the Grain, out of Vermont, claims to make the “Best Gluten free baguette in the world!” You can find these, among other things, at Lilit Café in Bethesda, Whole Foods, and Wegmans. Check with your local stores, as not all locations seem to have them.

Glutino’s Gluten-Free Pantry has a plethora of gluten free products to choose from, including cookies, crackers, bread sticks, cereal, and pretzels, and, when you’re craving something sweet, try Pamela’s has a great line for cakes, pancake mixes and pre-made cookies that really hit the spot.

Sweet Sin, a Baltimore-based bakery which has a line of wonderful gluten-free sandwich breads and pizza rounds. If you don’t live near there, you can get their stuff at the Whole Foods locations in Bethesda and Rockville, and at Lilit Café.

- TK