Baltimore’s latest slogan is “Baltimore- Get in on it.” Precisely what one is supposed to ‘get in on’ is left up to the beholder. The slogan has not met with universal approval. One city councilwomen asked in confusion, “Get in on what?” Well, one thing you can get in on Baltimore’s very own Restaurant Week. From July 24th -28th you can eat a set dinner for $30, including a choice of appetizer, entree and desert. Some restaurants have a lunch option, while others offer the deal through the 30th.
In Washington, DC restaurant week is met with considerable fanfare, as gastronomes flock to enjoy expensive food at a comparatively cheap price. The whole idea is to present the opportunity to eat beyond one’s means without the financial repercussions, to get a true taste of the wonder and variety of food available in the city.
Baltimore’s exclusion and inclusion of certain restaurants is therefore of considerable confusion. Restaurants like Unos Chicago Grill, Café Hon (where one could theoretically eat $30 worth of food, if one’s arteries lasted that long), Mother’s Federal Hill Grill (according to their menu, a normal meal would be considerable below $30) and Red Maple (primarily known as a local bar and club) are surprises.
At the same time, some of Baltimore’s favorites are missing- I am looking at you, Brewer’s Art, the Bicycle, Sashas, and Charleston. However, I definitely advise on getting in on a number of the offering, including Sotto Sopra, Saffron, Petite Louis Bistro, Tio Pepe and Obrycki’s. More information is available at http://www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com/.
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20Jul
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19Jul
There are many Arlington restaurants that feature happy hour or daily specials, so it is time for the next article in this series. The prices I mention are after discounts (but before tax and tip).
Mexicali Blues in Clarendon offers half price original burros ($3.50 plus add-ons) all day and night on Tuesdays.
Mister Days in Clarendon features a $9.95 t-bone steak special on Mondays (while supplies last). Wednesdays – while supplies last- the restaurant features a $2 food menu, including a choice of grilled cheese and fries, cheeseburger and fries, cup of chili, hot dog and fries, Buffalo wings, nachos, cheese sticks, cup of soup, or house salad. On Thursdays from 5 to 7 pm, the restaurant offers a free buffet dinner. On Fridays form 4 to 7 pm, the restaurant offers half price wings (10 wings for $3.48), with a choice of BBQ, buffalo, boneless, or regular options. All of Mister Days’ specials require the purchase of a drink, even if it is a soda. The restaurant also has happy hour drink specials.
Eleventh Street Lounge in Clarendon offers the following dinner specials: Monday half price salmon (at $8.25); Tuesday $11.00 for a 10 ounce ribeye steak; Wednesday and Saturday half price burgers ($4.75); and Thursday half price small plates ($3.50-$5). There are also happy hour drink specials. The food specials are from 5 to 9 pm, the drink specials are from 5 to 8 pm, and a DJ spins Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings from 9pm until 2am.
The Front Page in Ballston has half price burgers ($4.00) on Wednesdays between 4 pm and 11 pm, and features dollar drafts that evening.
Mexicali Blues
2933 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, Virginia 22201
(703) 812-9352
Mister Days
3100 Clarendon Blvd.
Arlington, VA
(703) 527-1600
Eleventh Street Lounge
1041 N. Highland St.
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 351-1311
The Front Page
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia
(703) 248-9990
Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke I
Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke II
Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke III -
19Jul
As part of my weeklong desire to drink away the heat, I stopped by my friendly neighborhood Virginia ABC store. I’ve never been in a government-run liquor store before, and was interested to compare this place to private-run stores in my hometown in Maryland. The VABC store had all the staples of liver-crushing goodness – fine aged tequilas, dark spicy rums, flavored vodkas – and the low-end ten gallon plastic drum-sized gins and whiskeys. It was a good mix of high-end taste and low-end value. A couple of their prices seemed a bit high – Sauza and Jose Cuervo tequilas seemed about 10 to 25% more expensive than Maryland and DC – but they had some good specials and discounts to bring it back to par.
What really caught my eye was Voyant Chai Creme Liqueur, a relatively new entry in the market. The website describes it as:Aged Virgin Island Rum, Fresh Dutch Cream, Black Tea from India, Premium Spirits from Holland and a Distinctive Blend of Spices from Asia give Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur the Rich, Creamy Smoothness that you should expect from a Premium Liqueur.
Other than an Annoying Habit of Randomly Capitalizing Letters incorrectly in a Sentence for No Reason, the stuff sounds prettty good. In three hours, give or take, I will be partaking of this new beverage. The Voyant website offers some recipes, a few of which sound pretty interesting, but definitely a little heavy on thicker liqueuers and milk. The stuff sounds perfect for a cold winter day; in fact, I can already picture using this in a rum & coffee mixture to keep warm at football games and ski lodges. Has anybody tried this stuff, and have some tips to share?
I’ll do some experimenting tonight…all in the name of research and service to you, dear readers. Behold the effort…nay…the sacrifices I make for you.
***UPDATE*** July 20, 2006 – So, Voyant is pretty good. It tastes just like chai, but with a bit more fun. Think of a spicy Bailey’s Irish Cream. It’s sweet, and has the look and feel of those hazelnut coffee creamers. The aftertaste of ginger and black tea is awfully pleasing. I initially drank a small snifter of the liqueur, and then began mixing it with other alcohols. I made a simple vodka martini using 1 oz of the Voyant, 3 oz of Skyy vodka, and that was good. Using vanilla vodka made it a bit too sweet for my taste, but I could imagine that replacing the Appletini as a sweet introduction to the world of vodka martinis. Perhaps a 1/2 vanilla vodka, 1/2 Voyant shot could be called “The Ginger Snap.” It mixes well with coffee and milk, as I guessed it would.
As for desserts, I could see it punching up anything from an apple pie to a bowl of oatmeal. I’ve got an ice cream maker that’s begging to be used, and a chai ice cream might not stink. However, that will take a backseat as my first dessert with this stuff will be a tiramisu-like concoction, substituting the typical espresso-soaked lady fingers for a dip in alcoholic chai. If it’s good, I’ll post the recipe. If it’s not, well…you’re best off not knowing! -
17Jul
The next couple of days are going to bring to mind several burning questions, not the least of which is “why in the hell did the Founding Fathers build the Nation’s Capital on a swamp?,” and, for the purposes of this post, is “how can I beat the heat and drink myself into denying either my existence or the 98% humidity?” As a former bartender, I get asked these questions, kind of like an alcohol-fueled Barry and Ira, the two ice cream guys in City Slickers. While the booze is important, the mixer may be more so.
1) When it’s scorching, nothing does the trick quite like a good sour mix or fresh-squeezed limes. Most sour mixes are made up of limes, some lemon and an ungodly amount of sugar. However, that dose of vitamin C can really recharge your batteries on a crazy hot day. The margaritas at Lauriol Plaza, Oyamel and the Banana Cafe’ are all winners, though Oyamel is closed on Mondays. Now I know how The Boomtown Rats felt, if not Brenda Ann Spencer.
2) Fizzy drinks cut through dry mouth like emo kids listening to Death Cab for Cutie. Drinks made with tonic or soda waters, or ginger ale can keep you sane. Tonic water contains quinine, a potion that helps treat malaria and leg cramps – who knew gin and tonic could classify as medicine? Excuse me while I go self-medicate…
Some bartenders freely swap ginger ale and Sprite, and that’s one of my pet peeves, along with people who wear sports gear unrelated to the teams or the sport they’re watching. You know what I’m talking about – the dude who wears a Portland Trailblazers NBA jersey at a Washington Nationals/New York Mets basketball game. Gawd I hate that. Along that line, ginger ale is slightly spicy, and should be used to contrast overly sweet alcohols or mixers. Sprite can smooth over strong, sharp drinks with its citrus base. A well-stocked bar will contain both beverages, and the wise mixologist knows the difference. A Jack-and Ginger would taste like refried hell with Sprite, though a splash of Sprite in a margarita made with a sharp tequila like Sauza Hornitos can make it more tolerable for those who like lighter drinks.
3) Ice cream is good; fruit is better. Some people swear by ice cream drinks when the heat’s on, and a good frozen mudslide can be a fine idea, but who wants to walk the streets with too much dairy in their gullets? I learned the lesson of Ron Burgundy well when he said on that fateful sweaty San Diego day, “Milk was a bad choice.”
I prefer lighter, fruit-based frozen drinks on days like today. A Banana Nutbread is an awesome drink but is heavier than Beltway traffic. I’d suggest an old standby – the pina colada – and a tolerance of the Rupert Holmes’ song.
(For the record – I had no idea that guy had a greatest hits collection, and if I had to guess, it would have come out on cassette single. I figured he did that one song, realized he’d have to play it EVERY SINGLE DAY OF HIS LIFE and just ended it all Budd Dwyer style. Nah, he’s a famous writer, playwright and seems to have weird taste in eyewear. Learn something every day…)
There’s nothing wrong with adding crushed ice to an old favorite. A frozen Cuba Libre – a.k.a. rum and coke – is awesome, as is a frozen Cape Cod, Fuzzy Navel and Long Island Ice Tea. A frozen Mai Tai is like drinking an adult Slurpee but without that weird spoon-straw thing.
4) Malternative – the term used by the industry to identify drinks like Cider Jack or Bacardi Silver, these beverages, besides having more sugar in them than the Nintendo 64 kid, can really cool you down on a hot day. A Mike’s Hard Lemonade usually doesn’t suck, and to make them a little more palatable and colorful, pour a shot of a colored liquor like Chambord, Midori or Key Largo Schnapps. Watch the whole beverage change color and provide a bit more kick!
5) Combine them all and make the ultimate summer drink – The Frozen Tom Collins. Sour mix, a good gin like Beefeaters or Gordons, a splash of tonic and fresh lime juice – prevent malaria AND scurvy, get refreshed. I make mine served over crushed ice, and then float a layer of Grenadine, blue curacao or Midori for fun. Using a little umbrella is up to you.
What do you folks like to drink on a hot day? I’ll be glad to do some research. -
12Jul
I have eaten at most of these places, but have not actually tried all of the specials listed in this article. Some of these specials are a little more expensive than the ones about which I have previously written.
RiRa Irish Pub in Clarendon has half price burgers ($3.50-$4.50) all day Wednesday until 11pm, when their kitchen closes. They have live bands at 10pm, and the next few Wednesdays feature DC Motors (tonight), Paul Zunno (7/19), and Ted Garber 7/26).
Kitty O’Shea’s in Clarendon has half price wings ($3.65 for 10 wings) Monday 4pm-closing. They have half price chicken pot pie ($5.50) shepherd’s pie Tuesday ($5.50) 4pm-closing. They also have ladies night drink specials on Tuesdays. Wednesday evenings feature half price fish and chips ($5.25) 4pm-closing, and quiz night, starting at 9pm. Thursdays feature half price burgers ($5.25) all day.
Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse has a choice of Shepherds pie, chicken pot pie, or seafood pie Sunday evenings for $7.95. They have $5.95 burgers Monday evenings, $7.95 Fish & Chips Tuesday evenings, and $45 cent wings Wednesday evenings.
Clare and Don’s Beach Shack in Clarendon has $6 Fish and Chips Monday evenings. They have a pasta special Tuesdays where 2 people get (shrimp chicken, or tofu) pasta, and a domestic draft for $22. Wednesdays is a blackened grouper or blackened tofu sandwich and a scoop of Lazy Sundae’s Ice cream for $11. Thursdays feature tequila marinated charcoal broiled chicken with a margarita for $12. Saturdays feature a coconut chicken or tofu sandwich with a piña colada for $11. Sundays feature a pulled pork sandwich with a domestic draft for $10.
RiRa Irish Pub
2915 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
703.248.9888Kitty O’Shea’s
2403 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
703-522-5295Ireland’s Four Courts
2051 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, Virginia 22201
703-525-3600Clare and Don’s Beach Shack
3014 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
703-465-SURF
Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke I
Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke IIEditor’s Note (7.8.2013): Kitty O’Shea’s is now a different pub, one that has recently expanded. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack has moved to Falls Church.
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12Jul
Soussi opened just before I moved to the neighborhood back in 2002, at the corner of 18th and Kalorama. I walked past it for more than three years, vaguely wondering if it was worth a try, but never bothering to find out. I’d not heard anyone say anything about it, other than my semi-delinquent street musician of a housemate, whose judgment on anything but music is suspect.
I ignored Soussi for too long; when I ended up there for the first time – just a few short weeks before moving out of the neighborhood – I wished I’d gone sooner. My first visit was on one of those warm early spring days, and we sat out on the lovely and comfortable patio, set to watch the WAKA kids stumble from bar to field (or is it the other way around?) amongst the commuters walking home, and the other happy hour crowds gearing up for a night of 18th Street’s charming(?) tackiness. On two subsequent trips, gorgeous summer evenings inspired the same effect.
Service was slow the first two visits, despite the place not being at all packed, but very polite and friendly. On the second visit, unfortunately, our server was really kinda pushy. Once ordered, the drinks and food took their time appearing as well. On my third visit, service was prompt and very accommodating, even of NBC 4’s Scott and cameraman Jim! My server kindly obliged bringing out my meal twice so that the best shot could be had.
Soussi’s enticing list of ‘martinis’ (some of which even contain gin, vodka and/or vermouth), most costing seven to eight dollars, promises much more than it delivers. Tasty, to be sure, but they’re fairly light on the booze. Two dirty martinis and a Tres Français (which was a bit too much like drinking straight Campari for my tastes), should have left me more than vaguely relaxed.
The beer service, on the other hand, is excellent. Though a small list (basically Hogaarten, Leffe and Stella, plusundrinkablesstandards like Miller Light, etc.), Soussi employs a “French-style draft,” of which I had never before heard. The system looks unfortunately like a bidet – the glass is inverted over an upwards stream of cold water – but bartender Will says that it “just pours a better beer.” I like Leffe and Hogaarten, and they did taste pretty good, so I was happy.
And then there’s the food. Nothing I or my companions had was anything less than good, and some was excellent. This is why you go to Soussi; good North African food at reasonable prices is a rare find in DC, and this is that.
We tried lots of dishes, both from the smaller plate and main menus – the lovely-but-not-really-unique bruschetta, a very tasty merguez sandwich with harissa, and a few real stand-outs.
Of the small plates, two really spring to the fore: the shrimp tagine and the merguez sausage. The tagine consists of a few shrimp, prettily arranged in a delicious, thick, earthy-tangy sauce that, after the shrimp are too quickly gone, makes a wonderful dip for bread. The merguez plate is a number of the small, spicy lamb sausages cut in half and arranged atop a bed of mixed greens. I really like merguez, and the salad underneath set it off quite well.
On the entrée menu, the two steak dishes we tried – the tagine and pomme frites – were excellent. The meat was tender, flavorful, and juicy. The tagine is of course the more remarkable dish, as it’s not something you find that often in DC. Cooked with peppers and onions and a thick, earthy, somewhat spicy sauce (and, I believe, dry rubbed with spices), it is delicious. The steak pomme frites was similarly tender and flavorful, and adorned with frites which, while not remarkable on their own, made good dipping fodder for the assorted sauces left on our plates.
The lamb couscous with a sweet+sour plum sauce was also excellent. The meat was very tender and juicy, with a sweetness that was noticeable but not at all overpowering, the flavors subtly developing with each bite. this was one of my favorites, and definitely worth another go.
At only $15.50, I was dubious of the mahi mahi with couscous and mango salsa, but since I love both mango and mahi mahi, I went ahead and got it. Twice. It turned out to be, hands down, my favorite dish on the menu. The fish was beautifully prepared, dry rubbed I think with a tangy, slightly spicy compound (dried harissa?), with a mango salsa that was chunky and delicious, but didn’t overrun the fish’s flavor. The lump of couscous was a lovely, subtle addition to the plate, which was completed by a few lightly (perfectly, in fact) steamed veggies. Yum!
Another thing for which I must commend Soussi is their portions. Nothing is overwhelmingly huge, but nobody felt unsatisfied at all. This is an apparently lost art at many area restaurants, which either overload the plate in the name of ‘value’ or serve miniscule portions in the name of fashion. For all their drinks menu leaves to be desired, Soussi’s food speaks for itself. I don’t think I’d go every week, but I expect that I’ll be seen there with some regularity in the future. -
12Jul
I never liked popcorn as a child, teen, or college student. However, it seems as if in the past few years I have been developing a taste for the quick and easy snack. I’ve tried a variety of microwave brands, rejecting a lot along the
way, but my favorite has always been the Corn on the Cob by Orville Redenbacher.
During the winter, a friend of mine from the Chicago area brought me some popcorn from Kernel Fabyan’s as a housewarming present. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
It was fantastic. It was Nelly’s Combo Pop, the perfect combination of caramel popcorn and cheddar popcorn all tossed together in a pretty gallon sized tin. It was gone within the week.
I have decided to come up with The Great Popcorn Challenge of 2006. I am going to try a varitey of different popcorns, and comment on each type.
I ordered from Garrett Popcorn (another Chicago store) on Monday – it should be arriving today. I decided to stick with the caramel/cheese combo and purchased their CaramelCrisp® & CheeseCorn™ MIX. We’ll have to see the difference. I don’t know if it can live up to the Fab though.
I think I might try Dale and Thomas next. They have a ton of tasty looking flavors, such as Chocolate Chunk N’Caramel, Pineapple Coconut Breeze, Peanut Butter & White Chocolate Drizzle Corn, Buffalo & Blue, Sun-Drenched Strawberry, Really Really Raspberry, Blueberry Bushel, Sweet & Spicy BBQ, Sweet Georgia Pecan, and Southwest Cheddar Chipotle
I’m extending this challenge to the audience. Any recommendations to try next? Any DC area local specialities?
What is YOUR favorite popcorn? -
11Jul
Vegas marriages, loud parties in a small apartment building, and raw, unpasteurized milk. All of these are things with a finite lifespan. The milk in particular needs to be imbibed within two or three days after squirting out of the cow, before terrible terrible things happen to it… and to your insides.
If you’ve already drunk all you can of that sweet sweet white stuff, here’s what to do with the rest.
Flan (inspired by Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything)
2 cups milk. If you really are using unpasturized, scald it first (heat to small bubbles form around the edges), otherwise get super organic 2% or whole milk from a natural foods store. It makes a difference. really.
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
grated zest of 1/3 lemon
2 large eggs plus two large egg yolks
1/3 – 1/2 cup sugar, according to taste
First make the caramel:- In a heavy frying pan heat 1 cup sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally but mostly just leaving it alone until it liquefies and turns a warm brown (caramelizes). This takes about 10-15 minutes.
- Pour or spoon a small quantify of caramel to cover the bottom of about six porcelan ramekins, tilting each cup to help spread the sauce. Do NOT touch the caramel or you will get a bad burn. Set aside.
To make the flan:
- Preheat oven to 300. Have a baking dish (a small lasagna pan is perfect) large enough to hold all the cups and deep enough to bring boiling waiter to within 1″ of the top of the cups. Boil some water and keep it handy.
- Heat the milk in a sauce pan with the nutmeg and cinnamon over medium until it begins to steam but never boil…or even simmer. Keep warm over low heat.
- With an electric mixer beat the yolks, eggs and sugar until thick. Add lemon zest.
- A skin will now have probably formed over the warm milk. Take a fine strainer and slowly pour the hot milk through the strainer into the egg mixture. If someone else is around it helps if they are mixing the eggs and milk as you strain it. Or mix it now yourself.
- Place the ramekins in the deep pan. Ladle some mixture in each cup.
- Very carefully pour the boiling water into the pan without letting a drop get into the cups. Use a funnel if you have to.
- Bake about 45 – 50 minutes until firm when lightly jiggled.
When done remove pan from oven and the water bath. You can chill, but they are lovely warm or at room temp too.
To serve: take the point of a sharp knife and run it all around the edge of the ramekin. Quickly invert the ramekin over a small dish. The caramel will have formed a lovely sauce and the flan will be upside down. You will still have a lot of solid caramel in the cup which won’t come out. Wait till no one is looking and lick it. To wash to cup just add a 1″ of water and let it soak. It will dissolve in about an hour or two. -
10Jul
Chicken, that is. I was camping and canoeing on the Lumber River near the North Carolina / South Carolina state border with some friends from Savannah, Georgia. One of them had brought a bag of Butt Rub with her. We rubbed it into the chicken, cooked it over the fire, and I’ve been craving it ever since.
Butt Rub can be bought online through a variety of ‘rub dealers’. It’s a meat seasoning that you can rub in, massage on, or add to a marinade for your meat of choice. I prefer chicken. Here’s an easy recipe that I have probably made 4 times in the past two months. I love a good butt rub.
All you need for a tasty Butt Rub Chicken:
Chicken breasts / Meat of Choice
Butt Rub
Kraft’s Zesty Italian dressing
I marinate the chicken in the dressing for an hour or so, then just put the chicken & dressing in a glass baking dish. Then, rub in some Butt Rub. (Or sprinkle on it you don’t like the spiciness). Then, bake until done! Enjoy!!!
OR, you can just rub in the rub to whatever meat you want, skip the dressing, and grill!
Tonight, I’m making some Butt Rub Chicken with stuffed red peppers (stuffed with corn, feta, mushrooms, olive oil and vinegar). I’m drooling already. -
07Jul
‘Th’state says I can’t sell that to you’
What do you do with it?
Well, I do got seven kids…
How about I pay you for a reeealy expensive chicken, and you give me the milk as a present?
I c’n do that…
In southern Virginia there has been an unlikely meeting of the minds on the subject of organic farming. The hippies do it to live a natural lifestyle and to take power away from the man. The far right does it for the same reason they homeschool: ‘ I jus’ wouldn’t put that stuff they sell into my kids.’
Raw, organic, unpasteurized, non-homogenized milk may not be for kids or pregnant folks, and of course, technically it’s illegal. As a rule of thumb, drink without guilt if you’re comfortable eating chocolate mousse; the infection risk is about the same as that posed by raw egg whites (tho the diseases can be worse). This is what we did with the raw milk of Louisa the Jersey cow:
We drank it. Raw milk tastes like a thin, sweet, milkshake.Because the cream had risen out into a sluggish, yellow strata on top, a straw helped get down to the layer below.
Some folks didn’t bother with such advanced technology
Then we skimmed off the top layer of cream…
…and yeah, we whipped it up and stuck it on pie and in some coffee and stuff, but mostly, we made butter. Here’s how it’s done.
All-natural, organic, silky, wonderful butter
If you aren’t lucky enough to have an entrepreneurial farmer nearby, I suggest starting with heavy organic cream. Get the most natural, hormone-free stuff you can find. I know Whole Foods has it, not raw but as close as you can buy ‘round here.
Pour about 2 pints…or as much as you want really, into a blender. I found out the hard way that using regular beaters doesn’t cut it. Blend on high for about 7 minutes. First it will whip up, then it’ll deflate back down and start getting all grainy-looking.
Use a Pulse setting to keep churning until the grains are blobby and fully separated out into yellow butter and white buttermilk.
Now wash it! Take a bowl of ice water and stick your hands in it till they’re totally cold. Scrape the butter in, and pat the little blobs into…a big blob. Don’t worry, it won’t dissolve in the water. I mean, it’s butter.
Wet down a cheesecloth or some similar, stick the butter in and twiiiiist. Gently. That’ll get rid of the extra buttermilk and water.
That’s it! stick it in a dish. cool it down. put it in your mouth.I can’t beleve it’s butter!
MHF demonstrates the correct eating technique
Oh, and we also made some Flan. Lots of Flan. Recipe in Part 2.Thanks Louisa!
