Yes, they serve Nutella and marshmallow pizza.
I recently wrote about Osteria Marzano and it turns out that LivingSocial has a deal for the restaurant and a 20% off discount code (MELT20). That means $12 for a $30 certificate.
Please use my LivingSocial referral link:
-JAY
I had never been to New Hampshire before this week. I’m not really the outdoorsy type and I honestly didn’t know much about the area so therefore, I just hadn’t been tempted to go. But one of my husband’s best friends lives up there and we’ve been promising him a visit. So as we set on our journey to Martha’s Vineyard, we decided to tack on a visit to New Hampshire as well. What I found is that New Hampshire might now be one of my favorite places.
Pic courtesy of Winter Hill Farm Market’s Foursquare page.
Yes, the usual entertainment consists of “outdoorsy” type activities. I was taken hiking and my husband’s friend does own a kayak and chop his own wood. But we also relaxed and enjoyed s’mores and a cook-out around a bonfire while watching fireworks. I was surprised to find the slower pace of life and friendly “small town” atmosphere strangely appealing.
I was also blown away by the quantity and availability of great food. We divided our time between the rural area of Antrim, which has a population of about 1,400 people and the neighboring town of Peterborough which is a bit larger. As spread out as the area is, there are a number of great restaurants and fresh food available. In fact, some of the best food we experienced was from some unorthodox places. I had what might be the best ice cream I’ve ever had from an Airstream truck outside of a barn at Winter Hill Farm Market. A Kiddie cup is over two scoops. And when I say scoops, I mean HUGE bear claw sized scoops. The scoops then contain creamy, whipped heavenly ice cream with chunks of chocolate and other delights. The barn also sells other locally sourced products like maple syrup and fresh honey. There is also fresh milk, eggs and other products from the local farms.
Gluten-free also appears to be the buzz-word up there. Every single place we went had homemade gluten-free bread and other available options. I enjoyed tons of great sandwiches like fresh grilled blue cheese and homemade cranberry relish, and Turkey Cobb with avocado and bacon. I also had one of the most amazing vegetable omelets I’ve ever had at Nonie’s Restaurant and Bakery in Peterborough. This thing was packed to the brim with fresh grilled vegetables and took up almost my entire plate! Every server I encountered not only knew the gluten-free lingo, they were fully able to accommodate my requests. Also every single restaurant or bar we happened upon carried gluten-free beers and ciders.
Overall, it was refreshing to for once not be feeling like the outcast begging for the kitchen to accommodate my needs. Up in New Hampshire I felt like I was one of the gang with gluten-free being the norm. So while I was there visiting I stuffed my face and enjoyed every second. I think from now on I’ll be pushing my husband to go back for another visit.
-JPM (Joyana)
The next happy hour will be at the new location of El Centro D.F., and is hosted by D’Angela of BonAppeDee. Please RSVP here.
-JAY
Why is it that in almost every city in the world you can find a watering hole where Ernest Hemingway famously wet his whistle? Although the Pulitzer Prize-winning author didn’t hide his love for the juice very well, the rest of us get to enjoy Hemingway-inspired cocktails all the world over.
Last month Cube Libre celebrated Hemingway’s 114th birthday in the most appropriate way – with signature cocktails from Papa Pilar rum. The cocktails ranged from the tangy to the sweet. My personal favorite was the Sage-quiri; it is a sage infused twist on Hemingway’s favorite daiquiri using Papa Pilar’s blonde rum. Other interesting concoctions included the “Bon Vivant” Daiquiri, which utilizes cantaloupe and all-spice to bring a one-of-a-kind cocktail to life.
No happy hour is complete without some tasty nibbles to ward off the post-work tipsiness. Complimenting these delectable cocktails were a set of $5 happy hour bites presented by two time James Beard award-winning chef Guillermo Pernot. These Cuban-inspired snacks may not be kind to the waistline, but they are easy on the lips. Perro Cliente Tots with a surprise hot dog center are both yummy and heavier than the original tater tot (if that is possible). More sophisticated bites included Cuban-style crab cakes and scallop ceviche.
All in all, Cuba Libre’s Hemingway-inspired treats are worth checking out if you want to shake things up on the DC happy hour circuit. It may not be as adventurous as sipping a drink at the Floridita, Hemingway’s favorite bar in Cuba, but it is a little taste of Cuba right here in Penn Quarter.
Cuba Libre is celebrating National Rum Day on Friday, August 16 by offering a 50 percent discount on Classic Mojitos, Passion Fruit Mojitos, Coconut Mojitos, Açai Caipríñisimas made with Don Q Rum during “Caippy Hour” from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM!
– Guest Writer Yasmine (YSS)
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar in DC now has a new unlimited tapas menu on Tuesday evenings for $26.95 per person (the whole table must order it), which includes over 25 dishes you can choose from. Last Tuesday, we tried out this Tapas Tuesday special. I’m happy to say that some of their tapas dishes were very well thought out and executed.
Some of the highlights of the evening were:
For dessert we shared the Chocolate Torte, which was decadent and wonderful. It is a fallen chocolate soufflé tart layered with dulce de leche, and served with dulce de leche ice cream, chocolate-orange sauce, and blueberry compote. You just can’t go wrong here. There were other desserts we wanted to try, but they can wait for next time.
We tried two drinks, the Guantanamo Bay (Kraken Dark Spiced Rum, fresh orange juice, pineapple juice, splash of sour mix, splash of POM, float of Cuba Libre Dark Rum) and the the Mai Thai (Malibu Coconut Rum, Amaretto, orange juice, pineapple juice, topped with Cuba Libre Dark Rum and splash of grenadine). Both drinks were good, with me favoring the Guantanamo Bay, since Mai Thais are a bit sweet for me.
The service was excellent. We had the same waiter who worked my June DC Food Blogger Happy Hour at Cuba Libre.
Tomorrow is Tuesday! You know where you want to go for tapas!
BTW, the next DC Food Blogger Happy Hour is hosted by Lisa Shapiro (of Dining in DC) this Wednesday.
-JAY
U Street’s Desperados Burgers & Bar hosted their 2nd Annual Burger Tasting on the evening of Wednesday, July 24th. As you walk in, the décor and ambiance seem more of like dive bar than a burger joint. The atmosphere gives off a great happy hour or late night drinks kind of vibe.
But why this “special” event with the tickets to get in? This event was promoted as if it was an exclusive event; however, the restaurant was still open to the public leading to quite a bit of confusion as people walked in. The person at the door checking tickets gave no introduction or instruction as to what to expect. The burger samples were not ready at the event’s start time.
One small tray of burger samples comes out as a server walks around and offers them to a full house of burger enthusiasts; there were not enough to go around until the next round of samples 15-20 minutes later. Two hours later, we were only able to munch down on 2 quarters of a burger.
It was hard t talk and be heard over the top 40’s music pumping so loud that could have given U Street Music Hall’s sound system, two blocks down the street, a run for their money.
But that’s not what you’re reading this for, right? You’re here to learn about the burgers. The two samples that I was able to get my hands on were the Desperados Burger and Cheese Lover Burger. The Desperados Burger had a nice peppery kick that will stick with you minutes after you’ve finished the burger. The ground chuck patties had flavor that could possibly have us coming back for more, but the dryness left us wanting to move on. There wasn’t much to love about the Cheese Lover Burger unless you favor a cheeseburger containing cheeses that doesn’t really add flavor to the beef patty. The combination of American, cheddar, and Swiss cheeses that Desperados used was underwhelming, especially when covering a dry burger.
Would I return? Sure for a happy hour throw down. But if I’m aiming for a good juicy burger at an affordable price, I’m walking around the corner to Black and Orange for their Ciao Down and that’s exactly what we did.
-ADT (Angie)
There are some people that are instantly likable. John Shields, author of Chesapeake Bay Cooking, host of the PBS series Coastal Cooking, and owner of Gertrude’s in the Baltimore Museum of Art is one of those people. (Unless you are a crustacean, in which case you need to run for your life.) Not only is John personable, but he also has a passion for – and possibly an addiction to – this region’s native cuisine. I was a little cautious about speaking with him about Baltimore seafood restaurants because as a restaurateur he might see such establishments as competition. But, John loves Chesapeake Bay cooking and has no problem discussing his favorite (and sometimes hidden) gems.
John was the special guest at Wildfire’s annual Chesapeake crab dinner. I was happy to be present and follow along (crab in hand) while he taught us how to break the spice-covered crustacean down step-by-step. John informed us that due to some early season chilly weather, the current crop of crabs contain crustaceans that are a bit smaller and more expensive than usual; he speculated that this will change by early fall. John even visited our table later on to give DCFüd’s videographer (Cy, a Virginian with childhood memories of the Chesapeake river) a one-on-one lesson in how to break down blue crabs like someone who picks jumbo lump for a living.
Wildfire’s Executive Chef, Eddie Ishaq, did a wonderful job showcasing crab in a variety of uses. The blue crabs were well-spiced masterpieces. The pan-seared halibut with garlic, spinach and sauce supreme was delicious. The ribeye medallion and crab cake were very well executed; that was the best piece of steak I’ve had lately and everyone agreed that the restaurant did an amazing job n the crab cake. That particular surf and turf combination is on the menu at the Chicago Wildfire restaurants, but there are normally only enough of that particular cut of steak for Windy City Diners; Eddie had to order the meat three months in advance for this particular dinner when John (who often dines at the Chicago Wildfire restaurants) asked about the dish. We (Cy, myself, and the people seated at our table) would have preferred a wine or beer pairing over the dinner’s cocktail pairing.
Below is our Youtube video: How to Pick Chesapeake Blue Crab with John Shields:
Based on how wonderful the food was at this dinner, I definitely recommend trying Wildfire’s dinner events, such as the Chimay Brewery dinner on August 9th ($60 per person plus tax and gratuity). The courses for the Chimay dinner:
-JAY
I recently had the wonderful fortune of sitting in on a Full Circle Wine Solutions master class wine luncheon at Bryan Voltaggio’s restaurant, Range. The theme was “An Exploration of Portugal’s Wine Regions and Varietals.” Each course was paired with 4 wonderful Portuguese wines. We were even sent home with the book (wine journal that includes distribution information) 50 Great Portuguese Wines by Doug Frost.The food, the wine, and the pairings were spectacular. We really should get the word out about how good Portuguese wines can be.
I could just sit here and some of the delicious 2012 Quinta da Raza Raza Vinho Verde (green wine) right now! Then, I’d start on a the other vinho verde, 2012 Adega Cooperative de Ponte de Lima Adamado. I do love vinho verde, and yes, they are named for lushness of the region. I was also very much enjoyed the third course wines (including the tawny port that was served with them in advance of the dessert course).
The wines we sampled included:
Reception:
2012 Quinta da Raza Raza Vinho Verde
First Course:
2012 Adega Cooperative de Ponte de Lima Adamado Vinho Verde 2009 Campolargo Arinto, Bairrada 2011 Jose Maria da Fonseca Domingo Soares Franco Verdelho Peninsula de Setubal 2011 Esporao Reserva White, Alentejo Second Course: 2009 Quinta do Mondego Red, Dao 2010 Quinta S. Joao Batista Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon-Touriga Nacional, Tejo 2010 Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas, Bairrada 2009 Tahora Medeiros Tonto, Aentejo Third Course: 2009 Joao Portugal Ramos Conde de Cimioso Falua, Alentejo 2009 Quinta do Portal Touriga Nacional, Douro Valley 2009 Durum Reserva Old Vines, Douro Valley Dessert Course: Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port, Douro Valley -JAY
“Jack Rose Dining Saloon is celebrating Shmaltz Brewing Co.’s new NYC home with Brewmaster Jeremy Cowan at a rooftop tap takeover “shower” on Saturday, July 20. The San Francisco-born brewery is celebrating its new East Coast home at DC’s Jack Rose with 24 rare brews, beer bingo + games, deli fare, cigars and more.”
This looks like a great free event! Shmaltz Brewing Co. is the maker of Coney Island Craft Lagers and He’Brew Ales. Here are the event details from a DC Beer article. BTW, everyone know what shmaltz actually is?
-JAY
