• 03May

    Olive Oil…For Dessert At Taberna Alabardero!

    Chistorra (sausage).

    I recently attended Taberna Alabardero Spring tapas menu tasting.   Lauren DeSantis, Girl Meets Food, Johnna Knows Good Food, myself, and a few others sampled the following dishes:  

    Deviled Eggs Stuffed with Tuna served with a Red Potato Vinaigrette. This was a crowd pleaser.

    Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Braised Oxtail.  General Manager Javier Velazquez (who is extremely personable) asked Johnna, Girl Meets Food, and I if we grew up on things like oxtail, and we said yes, but I explained that we all grew up in NYC and (also) have backgrounds that are not standard (North) American.  What he was getting at is…would the American diner (who would eat at this type of restaurant) eat oxtail? Yes. Brains? probably not.

    Olive oil spongecake with olive crackers.

    Marinated Dogfish Fritters with Creamy Tomato Sauce. I’ve never had dogfish before; it was a fishy tasting fish, but I enjoy that in a fish.  It is also a bit of a dense fish.

    Chistorra in Wine Sauce with Roasted Bell Pepper Salad, Honey and Corn.

    Creamy Rice Peppers and Manila Clams with Yellow Pepper Sauce. This is normally served with razor clams, but they were awaiting a shipment.  I would have really liked to try the razor clams.

    House-made Chicken Pate with Tomato Marmalade and Sesame Crackers.

    Asparagus Tempura style with Marinated Garlic and Olives. Another group favorite.

    Grilled Flank Steak over a bed of Sautéed Mushroom in a Sherry Wine. I had to skip the mushrooms due to an allergy but the steak was good.

    Steamed Mussels in a Garlic, Tomato and White Wine Sauce. Like much of their seafood, these mussels were imported directly from Spain and were very good.

    Olive Oil Sponge Cake with Olive Chips, Bread Ice Cream & Manchego Cheese. A dessert featuring olive oil, and it’s good! Chef Javier came up with this sitting at the bar late in the evening.

    Grilled Asparagus Soup with Lemon juice and Caramelized Olive Oil. This DESSERT is served over dry ice and is very good…and surprising.  It even makes bubbling noises.

    Lemon flavored Sponge Cake with Mascarpone Ice Cream placed on a Cream of Rose and Lychees. This was the one dish that had non Spanish influences (mascarpone and lychees). Also very good.

    I tried both their red and white sangrias before realizing that the restaurant was recently nominated for two awards for their wine program. I should have been sampling their wine menu. They did pair wines with two of the desserts, and even though they were non standard desserts, the wine pairings were truly amazing.   These two wines were (Red) Silvano Garcia Moncestrell 2008 D.O Jumilla and (Sparkling White) Flare: Sparkling Moscatel NV Valencia.

    I was very pleased with the food at Taberna Alabardero.  It definitely reminded me of the wonderful food I ate on my trip to Spain.

    -JAY

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  • 29Apr

    Härth Just Opened in the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.

    Lobster rolls.

    We were at the grand opening of Härth this week. (Yes, I realize the name shouldn’t be capitalized but I cant help myself.)  They had hundreds of people, tons of food, a variety of drinks, an ice bar, and some performers (including 3 fire jugglers and a woman on stilts.) There were also more staff and photographers than I’ve seen at one event (but I wasn’t at the royal wedding).

    I don’t believe they served anything from the breakfast menu.  These dished were served and were from their different menus (bar, lunch, dinner):

    • Country pork pate with peach chutney.  The pate was good and I really enjoyed the chutney.
    • Mini lobster rolls with tarragon mayo on mini brioche buns.  This was my favorite item and I ate more than one of them.
    • Cheese & Charcuterie.  This included Firefly Farms goat, talbot

      Cheeses.

      reserve cheddar & maryland blue cheeses, san danielle prosciutto, finochionna sausage, country pork paté, olive tapanade, peach chutney, grain mustard, and peasant bread.  My favorites in this assortment were the goat cheese, olive tapanade, and peach chutney.

    • Wood fired flatbreads.  They served several of these, including the roasted mushroom with caramelized onion, fontina and truffled sea salt, the sweet Italian sausage with aged provolone, herb roasted fennel, san marzano tomato, , and the fire roasted chicken, red pepper, fontina & basil pesto.  Turns out that the third one they served was the sweet sausage flatbread from the dinner menu.

      •  

      Gran marnier pearls for the moet.

    • Chipotle BBQ Shrimp with black bean-corn salsa.  This was very good, although not consistently spiced.  My dining partner had 2 (from separate rounds of service) and the second one was much hotter than the first.
    • Beef & veal meatballs.  This had roasted tomato sauce and pecorino romano and was another dish that I enjoyed.
    • Moet champagne with Gran Marnier pearls (which was awesome), 2 signature martinis (ginger, and chipotle raspberry), and wine.
    • Chocolate Cupcakes.  These were nice because they had dark chocolate and were kind of crumbly on top.  It had a cream filling.  Basically, it came across like an Oreo meets a Hostess cupcake, but with better chocolate.  They were decent, but this is a cupcake town, and the cupcakes were the only dessert.

    All in all, the food and drinks were very good, and the grand opening was a great experience.

    -JAY

     

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  • 28Apr

    Mala Tang’s Soft Opening is Monday!

    Chef Liu having lunch at Mala Tang.

    Chef Liu Chaosheng (of Hong Kong Palace) is launching Mala Tang, a Sichuan hot pot restaurant Monday.  While the restaurant’s soft opening is on Monday, I was lucky enough to try a few of the Xiao Chi (small plates) today.

    The spicy wontons (ground pork, house made soy sauce, mapo tofu) topped with ground pork, and cold spicy dried beef (with sesame seeds and ground Sichuan peppercorns) were excellent, and had the fragrant and floral spiciness associated with authentic Sichuan cuisine.  I’ve had all of these dishes before, but even if I hadn’t, I’d be able to tell that they are very good and very authentic.   Really, who else makes their own soy sauce and tofu?

    I NEED to try the hot pot and dan dan noodles next time.  The restaurant has individual burners set up, since they thought it would be more friendly to an American audience than one large hot pot per table.  I’m fine either way, but I have really good memories of a long gone Queens Sichuan restaurant (Lion Pavilion) that had amazing dan dan noodles, and I’m hoping Mala Tang’s are as good.  I’d settle for half as good, if I hadn’t already tried some of Mala Tang’s food.  Everything I tried at Mala Tang was delicious so I have high expectations for future visits.

    -JAY

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  • 26Apr

    Paul: Delicious French Baked Goods In Penn Quarter

    Straight from France, Paul had its ribbon-cutting ceremony today of their flagship bakery in Penn Quarter.  Mayor Vincent C. Gray and French Ambassador François Delattre were present.  I believe Paul actually opens this Friday.

    Several other locations will open in DC including one in Georgetown…they had to have one near the embassy. 🙂

    Everything I sampled was very good including the best macarons I’ve had.  I don’t even know what half the pastries I tried were but they were phenomenal.   They also had some very tasty hors d’oeuvres such as salmon or salami or ham on buttered bread.  The baguettes were fresh from the over and they have several kinds.  Even the ham and cheese sandwich was very good!  I took a flan and a pan de chocolat to go but the flan seems more like a tart than the (Spanish) flan I’m used to.

    They tried various US flours until finding the (organic Wisconsin) flour they liked for their breads.  They definitely made a good choice. (I’m getting baguette crumbs in my keyboard.)

    Jack Evans (Ward 2 Councilman), Mayor Vincent Gray, Maxime Holder (Chairman of Groupe PAUL and grandson of the founder), Philippe Sanchez (Pres and CEO of PAUL USA).

    Oh and they use pearl sugar in some items — an ingredient I’m familiar with from Liege waffles (from a Bobby Flay waffle throw down episode on TVFN and locally from Belgian bakery/cafe Le Pain Quotidien).  Pearl sugar is shaped like little spheres and melts on your tongue as you eat it.

    This is one of those cases where pictures tell the story. 🙂

    PAUL is at 801 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004.

    -JAY

     

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  • 15Apr

    Dama Ethiopian Restaurant: Comfort Food for the Adventurous Eater

    When you walk into Dama’s dining room, take note of the television in the corner. Go hungry, but expect to wait as the order to table timing varies and it is never quick. The television is a nice, if not a necessary distraction while you wait for your food. The Ethiopian programming is also part of the experience.

    Perhaps once intended to be a more formal atmosphere, the décor is now retro. Dama has settled to become a welcoming environment with a slightly otherworld feel. The clientele has become increasingly diverse since I started going there years ago, but in taking note of other diners, Dama maintains a solid customer base of Ethiopians.

    Plastic protects the fabric tablecloths and keeps the large communal tray of food in place. The food is always good, and sometimes stellar. What emerges from the kitchen, which you can see from certain tables, is a reliable amalgamation of comfortably spiced and flavorful vegetables, meats and lentils. It’s home style Ethiopian cooking, with a collective, family style approach as diners share dishes off a large tray in the middle of the tables.

    In lieu of utensils, you tear off a piece of spongy injera bread to take your food. The bread takes a little getting used to, but you soon come to appreciate that it allows you to mix dishes. The injera upon which the meal sits absorbs the flavors and makes for perfect post meal snacking as you linger after dinner.

    Depending on who is dishing out the plates, you get a small sampling of Dama’s incredible lentils – red, orange and yellow, and the chickpea puree if you are lucky. Those in search of a little extra should go for the lentil sampler with the chic peas.

    The vegetable dishes are why I go to Dama. Highlights include gomen wat and yetakilt wat. The gomen wat (wot), a dish of collards or other greens and spices, is second to none other. Yetakelt wat is a mix of cabbage, carrots and potatoes, a savory dish with sweeter undertones (thanks to the natural sweetness of cooked carrots and cabbage). What an incredibly delicious way to eat your recommended daily intake of veggies.

    For meat, the beef tibs are tender and spiced to taste. Kitfo, a beef tartar dish that the restaurant is known for, is served completely raw or slightly warmed. I’m told that it is an acquired taste and, not having the intestinal fortitude to give it a try, I will leave it at that.

    Usually too full for dessert, there are also pastries (dry), cookies (you’ll try to make room for) and really strong coffee (for the walk you’ll need to take after eating).

    Dama is located at 1503 Columbia Pike, near the Navy Annex. You can walk there from Pentagon City Metro, but if you find that a bit far, find a friend with a car and offer to pay for dinner. We once fed eight people for about $65. Be advised, however, that ordering more during dinner may result in surprises on your bill. Each addition, regardless of how small, counts as an entire dish. That said, every meal has been worth every single penny.

    By Guest Blogger:  Wendy M.

    Dama Ethiopian on Urbanspoon

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  • 14Apr

    SoundBites: 20 Restaurants, 5 Food Trucks And 5 Bands

    In my inbox.

    -JAY
    —————-
    Great Party. Greater Cause.

    SoundBites Features 20 Restaurants, 5 Food Trucks & 5 Bands

    WASHINGTON, DC: On May 22nd the 9:30 Club and DC Central Kitchen will bring back SoundBites, a food and music festival that benefits DC Central Kitchen, a national leader for combating hunger and creating opportunities for individuals in need.

    With music from Trouble Funk, Pietasters, Ra Ra Rasputin, DJ lil’e, and Will Rast Trio, attendees will enjoy tastes of signature dishes from 20 local eateries including Casa Nonna, Cork, District 2, Eatonville, Evening Star Café, Harry’s Smokehouse, Indique, Jaleo, Mandu, Mie N Yu, Policy, Radius Pizza, Rappahonack Oysters, Taylor Gourmet, and Toki Underground as well as five of the area’s hottest food trucks including Sabor’a Street and DC Empanadas. Guests will enjoy all they can eat from each of the restaurants’ selections, included in the ticket price. Tickets on sale now at ticketfly.com!

    What: SoundBites

    An evening of Music, Food and Change to benefit DC Central Kitchen

    When: Sunday, May 22, 2011

    5:00 – 10:00 p.m.

    Where: 9:30 Club

    815 V St., N.W. Washington DC

    Tickets: $40, with proceeds benefiting the work of DC Central Kitchen

    Available online at Ticket Fly

    About DC Central Kitchen

    This year marks DC Central Kitchen’s 22nd year of combating hunger and creating opportunity. The Kitchen works 365 days a year providing low-income individuals and families with nutritious food, assisting local farmers, empowering chronically unemployed men and women to achieve self-sufficiency and reaching out to people living on the streets. Tens of thousands of pounds of free or low-cost, surplus fresh produce recovered from area farms enhance the nutrition of more than 4,500 meals prepared at the Kitchen every day. To learn more about the Kitchen and its initiatives, visit DC Central Kitchen.

    About the 9:30 Club

    Multiple winner of both Billboard’s and Pollstar’s Nightclub of the Year, the 9:30 Club is the inimitable place bands aspire to play and music fans love to attend – a destination for locals and people across the country. Gracing the stage have been legends Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Al Green, and James Brown; recently discovered acts like The ArcticMonkeys, Wolfmother, Katy Perry and Lily Allen, and arena acts looking for an intimate club play such as Justin Timberlake, the Smashing Pumpkins and FooFighters. The 9:30 Club is located at 9th and V streets, NW, Washington, D.C.

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  • 10Apr

    Indique and Indique Heights (1000th DCFüd Article)

    Crab Papad Roll

    This is DCFüd’s 1000th article ; the site was launched in 2004.  Congratulations to us, and you, the reader!

    I’ve been to Indique Heights twice and Indique once.  Two of those dinners were with “S.”

    The restaurants have good decor and service and are located near red line metro stops. Chef/Owner Vinod is originally from Kerala and his restaurants have some dishes from that region.

    Some of our favorite dishes at Indique/Indique Heights  include:

    The Crab Papad Roll, which is Maryland crab with shallots, green chilies and Coconut in a roasted papadum cone (think ice cream cone).  Indique Only.  Indique Heights instead has a crab cake version (crab tikki) which I haven’t tried.

    The curries–we’ve had Chicken Tikka Makhani, Tamilnad Fish Curry, and Malabar Shrimp Curry.  I enjoyed the tamarind in the fish (tilapia) curry, and the ginger, cumin and coconut milk in the shrimp curry, but my favorite was the (tomato-based) chicken curry.  I loved the sauce on the chicken curry and ordered nan just to sop it up.  These curries are available at both restaurants.

    Chicken Biryani

    The Syrian lamb fry is wonderfully flavored with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, ginger, and coconut. Truly a standout appetizer. Only available at Indique Heights.

    The chicken biryani was an entree that S really enjoyed.

    Both restaurants have the tamarind margarita, and we enjoyed it, but (only) Indique Heights has the (wonderful) jaggery martini, which has coconut milk and cardamom.  Below is the jaggery martini recipe.

    -JAY

    Jaggary Martini. Pic By Indique Heights.

    Jaggery Martini

    • 2 ounces Malibu Coconut Rum
    • 2 ounces Coconut Milk or Half and half *
    • 1/4 ounce jaggery syrup*
    • Pinch of ground cardamom
    • Small piece of jaggery and/or fresh coconut curl ( for garnish- optional)

    1. Fill a cocktail shaker about halfway with ice. Add the rum, coconut milk or half-and-half, jaggery syrup and cardamom.
    2. Shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
    3. Garnish with jaggery on a skewer, a piece of coconut or both and serve.

    *To make jaggery syrup, combine 5 or 6 cubes of jaggery ( about 1/4 pound) with 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the jaggery has melted. Continue to simmer until reduced to about 3/4 cup and is syrupy. Remove from the heat and let cool, then store in a closed jar.

    *If you know how to grate a fresh coconut and then extract milk from it, that is the best.  If not, just stick to half and half.  Canned coconut juice is not a good idea.

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  • 09Apr

    Ketchup: The Review

    Last weekend, John and I met some friends at the Gaylord Convention Center at the National Harbor to subject ourselves to sales pitches on knives, various foodstuffs, and very expensive kitchen gadgets. Oh, and there may have been some wine tasting involved. Afterward, we tried out Ketchup, a restaurant that bills its menu as updated American cuisine. Its website uses a lot of words to basically say “we’re trendy, better than everyone else, and super cool.” They’re definitely trendy, but the jury is out on the other things.

    Upfront, I’m going to say that I want to like this place. Trendy isn’t really my thing, but our server was a friendly, upbeat guy and the floor manager was helpful when addressing my complaints (more on that below). They have a gluten-free menu, woot! Also, even though my Open Table Spotlight voucher specifically said it wasn’t valid on Fridays or Saturdays, the general manager was kind enough to go ahead apply it to our bill (on a Saturday night, no less). Plus, he bought us a round of chocolate cake shots. Fun atmosphere, fun staff, what’s not to love? Wellll…

    Look, I’m not going to say the overall experience was horrible, but it didn’t leave me super excited at the prospect of a second visit. Despite all of the positives mentioned above, service was an issue. My order came out wrong, and when I sent it back I was told that the burger I ordered off the gluten-free menu wasn’t available in gluten-free form. Huh? Ultimately they told me that there was a computer glitch that wouldn’t allow my burger to be ordered that way. Fine whatever, but instead of our server coming back and saying “hey, that’s not an option, would you like something else?” he just ordered me a different burger. Thanks guy, but that $5 upgrade you chose for me had some condiment on it that 1) I wasn’t expecting and 2) was gross. I’m not a fan of random condiments. Strike one.

    Everyone finished dinner and 10 minutes later, not a single plate had been cleared. We had finished several rounds of drinks before and throughout dinner, and not a single rocks glass had been cleared. Seriously? The dish with the spoon is the APPETIZER plate, and at this point we’ve all been done eating for a while. Oh and that’s three stacks of rocks glasses on the table. When the floor manager came by to discuss the burger confusion, I pointed out the mess that was our dining table. That I had to point it out is disappointing. C’mon people, this is Restaurant Service 101 stuff. Peeved. Strike two.

    Other issues: the burger was good but not spectacular – even the upgraded version didn’t knock my socks off (regularly $19!); the “cheesy” fries weren’t very cheesy (crinkle-cut fries with cheese powder on top); and our server pulled a Houdini after we got our food and we had to wave him down for everything but the check. Most of that was offset by: they had gluten-free buns; the manager reduced the price of the burger I didn’t order to the price of the burger I did order; one of the six “ketchups” they offer was really, really good on the not-so-cheesy fries; and the previously-mentioned graciousness of the general manager. They didn’t strike out but they missed some pretty easy pitches. I wasn’t under the illusion that this joint was going to be foodie heaven but I wanted what I always want in a dining experience – food quality that fits the price and competent, friendly service. I’ll probably give them another chance when I’m in the area, but they really need to step up their game.

    -KPG (Katherine)

     

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  • 07Apr

    Celebrate Tax Day At California Tortilla & They Are Giving Away A Cinco De Mayo Catering Party To One Fan!

    In My Inbox.

     

    -JAY

    ————————

    CELEBRATE TAX DAY AT CALIFORNIA TORTILLA

    East Coast Chain to Give Away Free Chips and Queso with Purchase on Monday, April 18th

    ROCKVILLE, MD –Along with mailboxes and post offices across the country, East Coast quick-casual chain California Tortilla is a Tax Day destination with its offering of free chips and queso to all Caltort customers on Monday, April 18th.

    “Whether you want to celebrate or commiserate your tax return, there is no better way to do it than with free chips and queso.” said Stacey Kane, Director of Marketing for California Tortilla.

    Customers can choose instead to enjoy California Tortilla’s signature salsa, which is made in small batches throughout the day with fresh 100% roma tomatoes.

    California Tortilla has always thrived on enhancing customers’ dining experience with engaging activities in each of their locations.  Every Monday night, customers get to spin the “Mystery Prize Wheel,” for discounts, or if they’re really lucky, free food. Their promotional calendar includes longtime favorites like Pop Tart Day and Free Tacos on Election Day.

    CALIFORNIA TORTILLA TO CELEBRATE CINCO DE MAYO BY CATERING PARTY FOR DESERVING FAN

    Cal Tort hosts contest to celebrate the anniversary of the largest sales day in history

    ROCKVILLE, MD – To celebrate the anniversary of Cinco de Mayo 2010, California Tortilla’s largest sales day in history, the eatery is rewarding a deserving fan with a free catering party for up to 100 guests.  To enter, fans have to convey to California Tortilla how they will make use of their delicious winnings, and the public will vote to select the lucky winner.  Submissions are due by April 14th, and the top three entries will be posted on California Tortilla’s Website for public voting through April 30th.  The entrant that receives the most votes will be announced on May 1st.

    The contest comes on the heels of California Tortilla’s newly launched catering call center – 855-CALTORT. Customers can get all their catering needs covered in one 5 minute phone call including Taco, Fajita or Burrito Parties.

    Fans are encouraged to use any creative method of their choice to enter, such as making a video, writing a poem, penning a song or even orchestrating a flash mob. To participate, entries can be emailed to spunky@californiatortilla.com or mailed to Cal Tort World HQ, 20 Courthouse Sq. Ste. 206, Rockville, MD 20852 between now and April 14th.

    Just what is California Tortilla? A quick-casual, Mexican restaurant with can’t-find-them-anywhere-else, award-winning, critically-acclaimed, outrageously-popular burritos, bursting quesadillas, fabulous salads, the freshest ingredients, spunky cashiers and so much more.  Check out our website www.californiatortilla.com for the entire scoop.

    Where can I find California Tortilla? We’re EVERYWHERE!  Go to www.californiatortilla.com, for a listing of all our locations.

    For more information, please call 301-545-0035 or visit our website, www.californiatortilla.com. Do you get the feeling that we want you to visit our website?

     

     
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  • 05Apr

    Zengo

    Tried out Zengo for the first time on a Thursday evening before a Caps game.  They have a gluten-free menu, so I was already a fan before I stepped through the door.  It was a little crowded, probably because of happy hour, but I made reservations so we got a table right away.  Trendy decor, dimly-lit, and loud, but it’s a hotspot in DC so I wasn’t expecting anything different.  We were greeted promptly by our server, Rudy, who turned out to be awesome.  Drink prices were not as awesome, but still we ordered a couple of their signature mojitos.  I’m not sure they were worth $12 a pop, but when I go back I’ll probably get the cucumber mojito again because it was pretty damn tasty and not too sweet.

    I ordered the Peking Duck daikon tacos and the gluten-free versions of the Zengo fried rice and the Angry Zengo sushi roll, which they serve up a side of gluten-free soy sauce (tamari).  I normally bring packets of my own, just in case, but I was happy to not have to use it.  It’s really nice to find places that cater to people with gluten sensitivities!

    The food was fantastic and the portions were generous.  The fried rice seemed Thai-inspired, with cilantro and bean sprouts.  It was delish and they didn’t go cheap on the meat.  The Angry Zengo roll had a nice spicy sauce and tasted fresh.  I really don’t have words for the fabulousness of the Peking Duck tacos.  On their own, the duck was too salty, the daikon and apple were plain, and the sauce was sweet; put them together and it equaled heavenly bites of perfectly-balanced crunchy goodness.

    Kudos to the staff for clearing empty plates quickly, offering clean plates as new dishes rolled out, and getting us in and out in time to see the puck drop.  I loved it, and will definitely be going back.

    -KPG (Katherine)

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